[wbrownell9]

I've found myself riding in rain a few times recently and was not happy at all my ability to see. I have the stock windshield and a FF helmet. I'm too short to see over the windshield at any setting so I have to look through it. I've found that at speeds under about 50 the rain doesn't blow off, even when it's debugged and freshly polished. The rest of the time it just beads up and is very difficult make out anything smaller than a car, like animals, road hazards, and those subtle clues that tell me someone is going to do something stupid and put me in danger. I have a piece of tubing at the top which helps keep rain from blowing up the front, over the top and down the backside, and is a real improvement - watching the raindrops move up AND down was very disorienting. Most of my riding is commuting 25 miles each way to work, only a little is on interstates so I spend considerable time either stopped or going under 50.

I've found that keeping the vent closed helps keep rain from blowing through onto my faceshield however I think it makes the low pressure behind the windshield worse so it sucks rain down onto the shield - I can't win no matter what. To get the water off the faceshield I occasionally stand up so the airsteam blows it off, which works well. Then I sit down and have a hard time seeing through the windshield.

I'm considering a new windshield and am looking at the Windbender or a coated polycarbonate like the F4 or Vstream. The polycarbonate ones claim to be able to use products like Rainzip or Rain-X, whereas with a Windbender I wouldn't have to look through a windshield at all, just deal with the water on the faceshield.

Any thoughts or tips?

 

[mr. scootinn]

I've found myself riding in rain a few times recently and was not happy at all my ability to see. I have the stock windshield and a FF helmet. I'm too short to see over the windshield at any setting so I have to look through it. I've found that at speeds under about 50 the rain doesn't blow off, even when it's debugged and freshly polished. The rest of the time it just beads up and is very difficult make out anything smaller than a car, like animals, road hazards, and those subtle clues that tell me someone is going to do something stupid and put me in danger. I have a piece of tubing at the top which helps keep rain from blowing up the front, over the top and down the backside, and is a real improvement - watching the raindrops move up AND down was very disorienting. Most of my riding is commuting 25 miles each way to work, only a little is on interstates so I spend considerable time either stopped or going under 50.

I've found that keeping the vent closed helps keep rain from blowing through onto my faceshield however I think it makes the low pressure behind the windshield worse so it sucks rain down onto the shield - I can't win no matter what. To get the water off the faceshield I occasionally stand up so the airsteam blows it off, which works well. Then I sit down and have a hard time seeing through the windshield.

I'm considering a new windshield and am looking at the Windbender or a coated polycarbonate like the F4 or Vstream. The polycarbonate ones claim to be able to use products like Rainzip or Rain-X, whereas with a Windbender I wouldn't have to look through a windshield at all, just deal with the water on the faceshield.

Any thoughts or tips?

Get a die grinder & cut that sucker,,That is what I did until I bought a windbender,,

 

[Bartman]

Yeah, either cut it down or buy a shorter shield. Something like a Tulsa, Cee Bailey's or F4 Customs in a -2.

In the mean time, wax/polish the hell outta that sucker, front and back. The slicker the shield, the easier the rain will blow off. And don't use Rain X in the stock shield. And good spray polish and a micro fiber towel will help. Plexus, Fukken Wax, even the spray polish you get from the dealer will help until you can get a shorter shield so you can just look over the top.

I have a Cee Baliey's and I use Rain X on it all the time. No issues.

 

[f6rider]

I love my Windbender. I just love looking over it and it does a great job.
I have one on my GL1500 and on my GL1800.
They even have a electric option I hope to get soon.

 

[31261]

I cannot stand a tall shield. For me this one works best. Combined with a modular or full face with face shield, it sets up the perfect air flow in rain and keeps the face shield clear.

None of that pushing your neck up and tilting your head back to clear the face shield.

Plus it just looks cool.......

Kit

 

[pidjones]

I put on a Cee Baily Sport Shield (unhappily, this one is no longer available) with a Saeng strip on the edge and find I can not only look over it, but is a real bad downpour when I want to duck behind it the Saeng strip does a very good job of keeping rain from going down the back side. I keep a microfiber rag in the left pouch for clearing condensation. For the stock shield, try one notch open to hel reduce the low pressure area without channeling rain into your face.

 

[goldwing fan]

I cannot stand a tall shield. For me this one works best. Combined with a modular or full face with face shield, it sets up the perfect air flow in rain and keeps the face shield clear.

None of that pushing your neck up and tilting your head back to clear the face shield.

Plus it just looks cool.......

Kit

Confucius say short man dont like tall shield :lol: :thumbup:

 

[Bartman]

I put on a Cee Baily Sport Shield (unhappily, this one is no longer available)...

The Cee Bailey's Sports shield is still available. :thumbup:

http://www.ceebaileys.com/honda/gl1800sports.html

 

[31261]

Confucius say short man dont like tall shield :lol: :thumbup:

:lol: I am five foot 11.75 inches tall in stocking feet.

Before I got poor, and had to stay close to home, I used to take many long cross country trips, and plan to again. I would ride in all weather conditions and my last trip to California when I traveled through Alabama they said it was one of the worst rains ever and it went on for two days, all along Louisiana, Alabama and into Texas. I mean heavy rain. The kind where even if you wear three rain suits you are going to get soaked.

Then you have a light misting rain, and you are going through a town with a great many large trucks, so they throw grimy oily road grime all over the bike and you and the windshield.


And then there is mountain roads, all is well, and you come around a curve and there is a fog bank. The fog coats the shield and it is instant blindness. Or you may be in a low plains and go a few more feet down in a dip and hit a fog bank there too.

A shield you can see over is a safe shield. It holds no surprises.

This particular one is a Cee Baily summer sport shield and in the far down position it sets up an airflow that keeps a helmet face shield clear. You can raise it up if the weather is a bit chilly about nine inches or so.

Its disadvantage if you call it one is you do get more airflow and some buffeting under 60 mph, over that it smooths right out.

It is also great in the wind. Not so much of that riding sideways for miles on end and having to check for frame distortion at the motel. :thumbup:

 

[Pooch]

I've adjusted the stock windshield up and down and still nothing seems to keep the rain off.

 

[SteveU]

With the F4 windshield & Rejex about the only thing that sticks is the foggy mist, regular rain from a sprinkle to a downpour just runs right off & doesn't create any visibility issues.

 

[Grampawinger]

Most of my riding is commuting 25 miles each way to work, only a little is on interstates so I spend considerable time either stopped or going under 50. The Windbender "ST" (straight and tall) is the one that I now use. I am 5'-7" and can either look through it or over it depending on where I sit on the OEM seat. Sitting back a couple of inches on the seat, at it's high point, I can look over the shield and see the bottom of my buddy's tire when he is 100 feet in front of me. Sitting in the most comfortable part of the seat I can look over the top and see the horizon and all of the surrounding scenery. The ST does not have the annoying "recurve" distortion at the top of the shield. The only time I get water on my face shield is while stopped and if I raise the shield. Otherwise, the dirty water and/or bugs splatter stays on the Windbender and my faceshield stays clean. At Xway speed the wind stream is a few inches over the top of my helmet. I also have Baker mirror wings that keep the rain and wind off of my hands and make for much less helmet noise and buffeting.

I'm considering a new windshield and am looking at the Windbender or a coated polycarbonate like the F4 or Vstream. The polycarbonate ones claim to be able to use products like Rainzip or Rain-X, Last September I used an F4+4 while doing my SS1000 and BB1500 to Nebraska and Colorado. I had to clean the bugs off with Windex at each fuel stop. The last few hours, in the dark and misty rain riding to North Platte, NE were not fun with the water droplets creeping up and around the bug splatter. But the ride was very quiet and free of buffeting. whereas with a Windbender I wouldn't have to look through a windshield at all, just deal with the water on the faceshield.

It seems to me that the safest shield for commuting is one that allows a person to see over the top. A microfiber towel or some paper towels will keep a face shield clear of water droplets.

:thumbup:

 

[CAC]

When I first bought my bike I had the same issue of not being able to see over the shield. I read on here about the walmart pads and doubling them up in one cover, I got one of those and it raised me up an inch or so and I could see over the shield. But that only added another issue....my short little legs had trouble reaching the pavement. I ended up taking a dremel tool and cutting 2 inches off of the shield and now all is great! I have been thinking about the wind bender because there are some scratches on my shield now. we will see. good luck!

 

[svk1200gt]

I use an -2 F4 and like it . It does shed water well

 

[31261]

I don't have any visibility issues with my F4, which mostly keeps me from getting wet at speed.

 

[TByrd]

Add me to the list of satisfied -2 F4 owners.

Mike

 

[ben721364]

I think you need a shorter windscreen. Take-off stock screens are so plentiful and cheap that it would cost little to experiment to determine the best height for you.

I've found myself riding in rain a few times recently and was not happy at all my ability to see. I have the stock windshield and a FF helmet. I'm too short to see over the windshield at any setting so I have to look through it. I've found that at speeds under about 50 the rain doesn't blow off, even when it's debugged and freshly polished. The rest of the time it just beads up and is very difficult make out anything smaller than a car, like animals, road hazards, and those subtle clues that tell me someone is going to do something stupid and put me in danger. I have a piece of tubing at the top which helps keep rain from blowing up the front, over the top and down the backside, and is a real improvement - watching the raindrops move up AND down was very disorienting. Most of my riding is commuting 25 miles each way to work, only a little is on interstates so I spend considerable time either stopped or going under 50.

I've found that keeping the vent closed helps keep rain from blowing through onto my faceshield however I think it makes the low pressure behind the windshield worse so it sucks rain down onto the shield - I can't win no matter what. To get the water off the faceshield I occasionally stand up so the airsteam blows it off, which works well. Then I sit down and have a hard time seeing through the windshield.

I'm considering a new windshield and am looking at the Windbender or a coated polycarbonate like the F4 or Vstream. The polycarbonate ones claim to be able to use products like Rainzip or Rain-X, whereas with a Windbender I wouldn't have to look through a windshield at all, just deal with the water on the faceshield.

Any thoughts or tips?

 

[laen]

I like the oem shield, It seems to be the best of both worlds(barn door styles or the sport shorty styles)

 

[ben721364]

I like the oem shield, It seems to be the best of both worlds(barn door styles or the sport shorty styles)

There's nothing wrong with the design or execution of the OEM windscreen, IMO. As the OP said, he can't see over it and therefore can't ride safely in the rain. Ir's too tall for his purposes...

 

[pidjones]

The Cee Bailey's Sports shield is still available. :thumbup:

http://www.ceebaileys.com/honda/gl1800sports.html

Not the one that I have. The one still available is the Summer Sport Shield and a lot shorter than mine. Mine is about 2-3" shorter than stock. Probably like their stock shield -2" model.

Thought about cutting the stock down, and I still have it. I like this acrylic shield, though. Now I can look over it like you "big boys".