Well I bought the wrong windshield. Now what?

[CRStep]

I have read every windscreen thread on this forum. After months trying to decide if I need a different windscreen and if so which one, I bought the national cycle Vstream sport touring model (the medium height light tint one). I thought that at 5'10", 33" inseam, my torso would be the right height, but boy was I wrong. It was painful to ride with it in place, with the airflow directed at my head, causing vibrations with headaches and blurred vision. I ended up removing it at a friend's house and leaving it in his garage before our ride, and the ride with no windscreen at all was so soft and inviting in comparison. The Vstream came up to my chin and I don't think I would want something higher that could impede my vision, so I'm not replacing it with the 22" version.

I am starting to think I may be in the oem windscreen camp, and that the windnoise issues I have need to be addressed at the helmet level (I wear earplugs).

My questions:

Now that I have a nonreturnable (and honestly the quality is really nice) windscreen, do you think it would be best to try to sell it, or should I try cutting it down and modifying it to be something usable? Is modification success even possible with the polycarbonate screen?

I know many will say buy the madstad, which was the other major contender I was considering. My current plastic garage decoration prohibits me from affording one right now. I would like to hear from forum members for whom the oem windscreen was more comfortable, and why.

 

[HarveyM]

My understanding is polycarbonate is pretty easy to work with power tools, but I would sell it on rather than risk modding it and not being happy with the results (and a 0 value investment).

 

[Lee Dodge]

I would not cut it down. I have tried that before with windshields and it has never worked out well unless you cut way down. I would sell it or possibly try the Palmer bracket and/or a spoiler. I have found the MRA type spoiler can make a difference with buffeting and noise.

 

[bduffey]

I would not cut it down. I have tried that before with windshields and it has never worked out well unless you cut way down. I would sell it or possibly try the Palmer bracket and/or a spoiler. I have found the MRA type spoiler can make a difference with buffeting and noise.

Ditto on the Palmer bracket. I have that in conjunction with my MRA Vario and like the added adjustment points it gives me.

 

[ld_rider]

I have found the MRA type spoiler can make a difference with buffeting and noise.

^^^^^^ This ^^^^^^

It made an unbearable V-Stream 22" windscreen (noise/buffeting) 1000 percent better (that is 10x better!). Expensive but well made and completely adjustable:

MRA X-creen Touring Bolt-On Variable Windscreen Spoiler Blade Windshield Extension | TwistedThrottle.com

Cheaper than buying/trying/testing a bunch of different windscreens....I have the bolt on type, needed to drill a few holes but everything went smoothly.

 

[GunNut37086]

If you try a visor, I hope you're smarter than me and steer away from the Puig clip-on. It's garbage. I had a terrible time getting it adjusted to the curvature of the top of the Puig touring screen.

After the 1st test ride, I had to adjust the angle and the plastic connectors for the ratcheting gear-like adjusters popped open and I had to hunt down the lost spring and rebuild the thing. Naturally, I didn't get the right angle on the first adjustment and the darn thing fell apart AGAIN after the 2nd adjustment. I wish I could report that I got it right that time, but I didn't. By the 4th test drive, I finally got the angle right and by then the connectors were so mangled I wound up having to put a zip tie on REAL tight to get it to hold stay on.

I wish I had gotten the MRA visor that bolts on instead of the Puig visor that clips on.

 

[kpinvt]

A Laminar Lip has worked for me on multiple bikes. Also not cheap for what you get. I don't know about now but the adhesive strips that came with the ones I bought were crap, only lasting one season. I replaced the strips with heavy duty 3M Dual Lock tape and never had another problem with them coming loose. I have also used the Dual Lock to keep the Super-Visor attached to the face shield on my helmet for the past five years.

 

[vitesse]

Windscreens are like seat are like bikes. You can listen to every and any opinion, experience or input but truly it's down to you personally. I believe everyone has purchased an accessory that is simply not what the wanted it to be. The advise to sell it ( at a loss) and get what you feel suits you is the best option.You can get good instructions on the interweb on doing surgery to a sheet of plastic but then if that doesn't work you can't sell it. No detours just go straight.

 

[Gibsito]

I think I would try a visor/spoiler. My Puig touring windscreen went from absolutely unbearable due to wind aimed directly to the face and unbearably loud - to acceptable, by adding the Puig clip-on visor. I can even ride with my helmet visor open now without much of an issue at all, so long as there isn't a strong cross wind. I did not have any issues with it as GunNut did (sorry you ran into those troubles, GunNut). But the MRA visor looks to be more substantial and about the same price. You might be able to find a used one to save some money. I found one by an Amazon seller for about $75 and it was in like new condition.

 

[StratTuner]

I think I would get Dale's Nut Plates to hold the screen on better than the original equipment.

Then, I'd get a $20 piece of Lexan from Home Depot.
Maybe use a heat gun to crease it down the center to increase rigidity,
and cut it to shape... maybe with a dremel.
Maybe some aluminum flat bar to brace it with.... then hinge the parts that need to move out of the way when I put the handlebars full right/left.

Such a wind shield would blow over just the very top of my helmet...enough to feed the helmet vents.
It wouldn't look great, but it would be EXACTLY what I wanted.

In fact, it would like this: (all meant in fun. I know some would never make their own because it looks so bad, but if you do, it can then be modified any way you need it to be without much cost. It took about four attempts to get it right, so it wasn't cheap to develop, but I can make more).

 

[CRStep]

Thanks for the responses. I had not considered the spoiler addon, but I am ordering the MRA one to try. How high do windscreens usually hit everyone's bodies? Chin? nose? I am so used to the oem screen that it will take some adjusting to get used to it being more intrusive in my field of view. I rode about 60 miles today on the interstate at about 80 mph and definitely felt a desire to keep experimenting with this.

 

[zirconx]

I have read every windscreen thread on this forum. After months trying to decide if I need a different windscreen and if so which one, I bought the national cycle Vstream sport touring model (the medium height light tint one). I thought that at 5'10", 33" inseam, my torso would be the right height, but boy was I wrong. It was painful to ride with it in place, with the airflow directed at my head, causing vibrations with headaches and blurred vision. I ended up removing it at a friend's house and leaving it in his garage before our ride, and the ride with no windscreen at all was so soft and inviting in comparison. The Vstream came up to my chin and I don't think I would want something higher that could impede my vision, so I'm not replacing it with the 22" version.

I am starting to think I may be in the oem windscreen camp, and that the windnoise issues I have need to be addressed at the helmet level (I wear earplugs).

My questions:

Now that I have a nonreturnable (and honestly the quality is really nice) windscreen, do you think it would be best to try to sell it, or should I try cutting it down and modifying it to be something usable? Is modification success even possible with the polycarbonate screen?

I know many will say buy the madstad, which was the other major contender I was considering. My current plastic garage decoration prohibits me from affording one right now. I would like to hear from forum members for whom the oem windscreen was more comfortable, and why.

What fixed my buffeting problem was a windshield extender aka spoiler. And I just happened to list it for sale in the classified forum, since my bike got totaled.
http://nc700-forum.com/forum/bikes-parts-for-sale/11748-windshield-top-extender.html

 

[Heavy-H]

What fixed my buffeting problem was a windshield extender aka spoiler. And I just happened to list it for sale in the classified forum, since my bike got totaled.
http://nc700-forum.com/forum/bikes-parts-for-sale/11748-windshield-top-extender.html

PM sent...

 

[BerndM]

Welcome to the Useless Windshield Owners Club (UWOC)!
I'm sure most everyone on this forum has at least 1 or 2 laying around the garage.
I know of at least 2 in mine.
Windshields and seats....almost always not suitable for individual preferences.
It's a free curse of motorcycle ownership

 

[ld_rider]

How high do windscreens usually hit everyone's bodies?

Personal preferences but I have to be able to look <over> the windscreen when in my normal riding-after-5-hours slouch ;-)

That will allow the windstream to clear my face shield when it is raining. Also, I get better visibility at night since I'm not distracted by the inevitable scratches/chips that the screen will eventually have.

Note that the MRA spoiler will <raise> the effective height of the windscreen you now are using...When the spoiler is adjusted to its lowest position it is about an inch higher than any windscreen it is bolted to. I did not take that into account and my Vstream 22 inch height screen is about two inches too high. Solution? As posted, this screen will be removed and and put in a box in the garage with the other screens and I'll order a shorter one ;-)

 

[VE258]

i didn't read the whole thing..try to duck down. relax your back a bit. like a typical Harley rider. end of screen at your nose level-the wind should go over your head. i'm 5'9 and see no problem riding even without any glasses in this position with ermax screen.
vibration caused by the size of the screen would be a different story.