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Tall windshield vs. stock

3K views 26 replies 19 participants last post by  Rocketman911 
#1 ·
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I purchased a 88 wing with a tall windshield that has a picture etched on it. I'll need to replace it as it will not pass NJ inspection and also because it is a butt ugly picture.
My question is: should I buy a tall or stock windshield. I'm more concerned about how wind affects my wife behind me as the seating is raise back there.Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks, Tom Mc
 

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#2 ·
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1st why wont it pass thge inspection? I have one like it and they are so so for the passenger. I also have the wind wings as this one does but mine are the longer version from showchrome I think. I also have the winglets that attach to the trim under the mirrors. My wife is less than 5 ft and she said she get wind no matter what. The windshield you have in my opinion is better than stock for function as the OEM is a big sail. Markland had big ones also that creat a lot of drag and do nothing for the passenger.

If the windshield is serviceable, I have an OEM from my 94 maybe we can trade if that is what you want?
 
#3 ·
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My '94 had a windscreen 29" tall. However, it was way more vertical than the one pictured on your bike. It also had a reverse curve at the top that caused the airstream to go up and over me and my passenger.

wish I knew the maker, but I don't. Mine did not interfere with my helmet, wasn't even close. I had about 24" between my helmet and the windscreen.
 
#4 ·
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Dude, while you were worrying about the windshield, someone stole half your front fender! And the dirt on the rear tire indicates to me the former owner likes offroading.

The trick with NJ inspections is just to try a different inspection station. I've had guys in Flemington want to fail me for lack of reflectors on the helmet. I just go elsewhere (probably not a good idea to say where). But I understand your concerns about ugliness too.
 
#5 ·
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I replaced my stock windshield with the tall slip streamer from Cyclemaxohio. and I like it fine.

It is so close to the Tulsa Tall I had on my Venture Royal that it's had to tell them apart.

I receive much less buffeting and the wife likes it much better also.

I found with the Tulsa and this Slipstreamer that the rain just sheets off the shield and did not need to be cut down to just below the center of the eyes.

Good Luck

Mohawk
 
#8 ·
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hatchetman wrote:
whatever you replace it with, Make sure you are able to see over it if your windshield fogs over or gets splashed causing zero visability.
My thoughts and experience exactly. Loved my tall Tulsa, which was on my 1500 when I purchased it. Was above eye level but provided great wind protection and was wonderful in the rain - in daylight.

At night, in rain or fog it was just plain awful............couldn't see a thing.

I now have a Windbender, which doesn't provide quite the protection but I sure like it better. Just enough wind to remind you why you ride a motorcycle in the first place!

In any case, we all have our own preferences - that's why all the choices in the marketplace! Good luck with whichever you choose.

T.
 
#9 ·
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I'm soon going to replace my tall windshield (new one issitting in the garage waiting for warmer weather) with a Cee Bailey's that I can look over.

The tall one is fine for me in good daylight weather but I don't like it in the rain, or worse, in the rainat night. Because I often ride at night and I'm nottoo selective about the riding weather - other than lightening storms - I only want one piece of plastic (helmet visor) to look through when conditions are less than ideal.

Last riding season wasn't fun with the tall windshield as there was lots of rain around here until about mid-August. The rain would run up the shield and because it is at such a slope, much of the rain would just run down the inside of the shield giving me two layers of water to look through. Worse than that, most of the rest of the water would blow just far enough to catch my helmet, jacket and rain pants. The open face helmet I was using didn't seal at the top of the visor, so I also had water coming down the inside of the shield too. 4 layers of water to look through is just not a lot of fun.

In the past, I seem to remember being well protected by the standard Honda windshields, and I would get the wetest when I had to stop in the rain so other riders could get their rain gear on. While moving, the vertical windshild would let thewind blow the water off and over me with just a bit catching on the very top of my helmet. OK, in very heavy rain, everything got wet, but most of the time things seemed fine. That's why I'm installing the new windshield.

Also bought an HJC FS-15 Carbon full-face helmet. It seals atthe top of the face shield and is very light.

I'm really looking forward to getting out in about week or so but we just had another 10-15cm of snow last night and this morning, and our daytime highs are hanging around 2C (5F?). Last year I was out on the first day of Spring, so this is shaping up to be a long old Winter.

Regards,



Greg

tnoort wrote:

hatchetman wrote:
whatever you replace it with, Make sure you are able to see over it if your windshield fogs over or gets splashed causing zero visability.
My thoughts and experience exactly. Loved my tall Tulsa, which was on my 1500 when I purchased it. Was above eye level but provided great wind protection and was wonderful in the rain - in daylight.

At night, in rain or fog it was just plain awful............couldn't see a thing.

I now have a Windbender, which doesn't provide quite the protection but I sure like it better. Just enough wind to remind you why you ride a motorcycle in the first place!

In any case, we all have our own preferences - that's why all the choices in the marketplace! Good luck with whichever you choose.

T.
 
#10 ·
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hatchetman wrote:
whatever you replace it with, Make sure you are able to see over it if your windshield fogs over or gets splashed causing zero visability.
I totally agree
 
#14 ·
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Cannot get a real good inside measurement because of the vent, but on the outside from the top of the rubber molding to the top of the windshield is 31 inches on mine.



My suggestion is to get a windshield with a vent. I like to be able to close it, have it blow air onto my upper body, or adjust for wind in my face.



Regards,
 
#15 ·
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My 1100 had a tall windshield. If I sat in the seat straight up my eyeballs would be level with the top of it. I really didn't care for it because I would burn up in the Summer time when it got really hot. I'd rather duck down behind a short one rather than have another long one on there.
 
#16 ·
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Dhenrich wrote:
How tall is a stock windshield for a 1200? I am trying to figure out what I have on my 86 wing
Stock height for the 1200 windscreen is 24" from the bottom center to the top center, measured off the bike or at least with the front trim off so you can get to the bottom. Measuring from the dash up will do you little good if you don't know how it's adjusted on the bike, because there is a 1 1/2 inch adjustment if I remember correctly.

To the rest of you replying to the OP, this is and old thread from June of 2009, so he probably has replaced his windscreen by now. ;)

John
 
#18 ·
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Thanks John. I wondered whjy time seems to fly by so quickly these days - I completely missed out on a year and a half or so :ROFL:

At least one of my replies was to a current poster (I think).

Regards,



Jluvs2dive wrote:
Dhenrich wrote:
How tall is a stock windshield for a 1200? I am trying to figure out what I have on my 86 wing
To the rest of you replying to the OP, this is and old thread from June of 2009, so he probably has replaced his windscreen by now. ;)

John
 
#20 ·
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I had doubts about my Tulsa, which is probably 6 inches above my eye line, when I installed it. However, I've had minimal problems with it over its 3-4 year life so far. It's pretty important to get the vent for it - both to minimize fogging and to provide some air in the hot summer months. Only time I've had any visibility problems were the few times I've been caught at low speed in a fine mist - going too slow for it to bead up and roll off. In such cases, I usually speed up or pull over after a few miles and give it a wipe with the glove. Fortunately this doesn't happen often!
 
#21 ·
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88goldwing wrote:
I had doubts about my Tulsa, which is probably 6 inches above my eye line, when I installed it. However, I've had minimal problems with it over its 3-4 year life so far. It's pretty important to get the vent for it - both to minimize fogging and to provide some air in the hot summer months. Only time I've had any visibility problems were the few times I've been caught at low speed in a fine mist - going too slow for it to bead up and roll off. In such cases, I usually speed up or pull over after a few miles and give it a wipe with the glove. Fortunately this doesn't happen often!


Ken, .... wait until you get caught out at night, with lots of oncoming trafficwhen it's raining! You'll see how dangerous it is, not being able to see over the windshield. :shock:
 
#22 ·
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Dusty Boots wrote:
Ken, .... wait until you get caught out at night, with lots of oncoming trafficwhen it's raining! You'll see how dangerous it is, not being able to see over the windshield. :shock:
Ya got THAT right.................:eyeball:

T.
 
#23 ·
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With the tall windshield.................

My worst time -- Riding in the rain at night and pulled into a service centre for fuel. Rain drops on both sides of the windshield as well as on my face shield. Glare on the outside of the windshield from cars ahead plus from the service centre lights, plus the street lights, and glare on the inside of thewindshield from cars behind. Riding two-bodies-up, two-feet-down with my head and body as far to the side as I dare so I could get to the pumps through the traffic. Not a whole lot of fun.

Second worst time - Riding in daylight in heavy rain in a construction area with heavy traffic (single lane paved but no shoulder available). Rain drops on both sides of the windshield and both sides of the helmet visor. So warm and humid that my open-facevisor was fogging up, where the raindrops on the inside didn't cover. Fortunately (although I didn't think so at the time) the traffic was moving mostly at 80km/hr, but that was mixed with slow and stop. Yes, a riding experience, but not a fun one.

I will admit that on a nice day the tall windshield is a pleasure, especially out on the prairie with the overabundance of bugs - nicer to have them on the windshield than on the sunglassesbut I always carry a water bottle and cloths just for bugs and often have to stop in less than an hour to clean the bugs off the shield.

It's my choice to ride when I do, and much of that is at night and in less than ideal weather, so my decision is to replace this tall windshield with a shorter and more vertical one that will give me the balance of protection and visibility that I'll be comfortable with.

Regards,
 
#24 ·
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I also have a Tulsa Tall that I look through and I love it. One of the things I do is wax it both the front and the inside. This seems to get rid of the fogging problem for me and any water that ends up on the inside beads up and rolls off. Also any rain that lands on the windscreen just beads up and rolls off the windshield. Even at night I can still see even if it's not perfect it's still better than the water hitting my helmet screen. Everytime I wax the bike I wax the windscreen inside and out seems to work.
 
#25 ·
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tnoort wrote:
Dusty Boots wrote:
Ken, .... wait until you get caught out at night, with lots of oncoming trafficwhen it's raining! You'll see how dangerous it is, not being able to see over the windshield. :shock:
Ya got THAT right.................:eyeball:

T.
+1....+1....:applause: not seeing is believing:action:
 
#26 ·
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style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff"+1....+1....:applause: not seeing is believing:action:
If you can't see, you better be a believer :cheesygrin:
 
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