Windshield advice needed

[Chris]

I bought my GZ250 used and it has a tiny windshield. I am getting way too much wind over the windshield and it is pushing my helmet back hard. So I raised the windshield all the way up. Helped a bit, but not enough. Now I am also getting wind under the windshield!!

So...how big is too big? Looks to me like the larger the better but there must be a limit to that.
What is your experience? Has anyone taken off a small windshield and put on a larger one?
Santa Claus wants to know.

Chris, retired in Atlanta.

[patrick_777]

Check out the Search feature up top. It will return a lot of hits for "windshield".

Here's a really good one talking about sizes and such: viewtopic.php?f=11&t=1776

[alanmcorcoran]

Chris,

Sarris and Easy Rider are two of the most knowledgeable members and they both have windshields and they both recommend "the bigger the better." I think Sarris has a 17" and Easy has a 21".

I went to the trouble of ordering one from the site Sarris recommended but effed up - I decided to order a different model. I ended up sending it back - I documented my sad tale elsewhere's on here. I think if I go again, I'm gonna buy the Easy Rider gigantic one. Right now, I'm kind of okay with the wind cause I haven't been on the highway too much. But I think it's going to be a must for touring. For the time being, I'm still focused on tightening up my backroad skills (cornering at speed, basically.) I think both Easy and Sarris have posted links and pictures of their windshields.

-Alan

PS. Found this from Sarris...

Alan, here is the windshield I have on my GZ. I ordered a 17" tinted for the Savage 650. It's expensive, but a really good solid fork mounted windshield. Nothing to screw up here.

http://www.motorcyclewindshield.com/cus ... shield.htm

[mrlmd1]

Most riders want to look over the top of the windshield rather than through it - glare, scratches, dirt etc., interfere with looking through the plastic. Part of the wind in your face has to do with the angle of the shield, probably too flat or upright. It should be angled back a little to let the air flow at an angle up and over the top, deflecting it rather than pushing it out of the way. This also aids in lowering wind resistance. If the angle is right, the wind blows more over the top of your head and not into your face.
You can sit on the bike, have someone measure your eye height from the headlamp and get an idea of how tall a shield you want. 15-17" is about right depending on your height as you don't want to be looking right through the top edge as this will really screw up your forward vision.

[Chris]

So...where are Sarris and Easy Rider?? Please check in with windshield advice.
I've always dressed with tough clothes, even in the warm weather. The motorcycle rule is "Don't dress for the ride, dress for the slide!!" So even in the summer I dressed thickly.
Now that it is getting cooler I pulled out my dress leather jacket. Too nice for riding, but I'm not going to buy a leather jacket when I already have one.
Problem has been that the sleeves are open and allow tons of cold air in all around me. Today I bought strips of velcro. Put about six inches of one kind on each sleeve. And cut two strips of the other kind into 12" strips to wrap around my sleeve.
Problem solved! I can get them good and tight and no air comes in.
By the way, Alan. I bought my GZ about 3 months ago: it is a 2000 with 350 miles on it when I bought it!! Showroom condition. Now has about 3350 so I've put about 1000 per month on it. This is my 12th bike, but it has been 25 years since my last. Hopefully I'm slower and more careful now as I know what an emergency room looks like.

Chris, retired guy in Atlanta.

[mr. softie]

I have a large windshield on my gz. It is an old screen and not made anymore. I like to have the top of the shield about 2-3 inches below my line of sight when riding. On frosty mornings, or in the rain, or when the air is full of bugs, being able to see over the shield is necessary. If the angle is right, the windshield will actually improve gas mileage and speed. The wind blast should go over the top of your head. If the shield is too far ahead of you (not a problem on the GZ!) or standing up too straight it will induce a lot of buffeting and a wind on your back as well as a lot of resistance. I lean mine back pretty far, but not so much that it is too close to my face.

A shield is a great enhancement to a motorcycle in my opinion. My shield and my riding suit ( a Fieldsheer Highland II) enable me to ride in comfort in cold/wet weather. I am planning on riding all winter here in SE Pennsylvania. So far the coldest temp I have been in this season was 32 degrees one early morning on my way to physical therapy. I wore a t shirt and light jeans under the suit, a pair of insulated hunting boots and a pair of Columbia gauntlet style gloves without the liners. A full face helmet completed my gear. I rode 18 miles and felt toasty the whole way. I wish I had gotten a suit like this when I started riding back in 1966! ( oh yea, there were no suits like this in 1966!)

The good windshields are a bit pricey, but well worth the expense. They extend your rides and your season and make riding safer and more comfortable. Save your pennies! Same goes for the suit. I can put it on in less than a minute and take it off in 20 seconds. I saved $20 a week till I could buy it on sale. The best gear I ever bought, by far. :2tup:

[alanmcorcoran]

Originally Posted by Chris

So...where are Sarris and Easy Rider?? Please check in with windshield advice.

Dude, you've got to learn to use the "search" feature. Sarris might repeat himself for your benefit, maybe even Easy too, but they tend to get irritated by having to endlessly recycle previously posted info. Trust me, it's worth the effort. Sarris, Jonathan, Easy, Patrick and Badbob have all posted excellent info/opinion/commentary on windshields, both pro and con. Moedad has a nice big one too, and he posted pictures of his as well.

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by mrlmd1

Most riders want to look over the top of the windshield rather than through it - glare, scratches, dirt etc., interfere with looking through the plastic.

You can sit on the bike, have someone measure your eye height from the headlamp and get an idea of how tall a shield you want. 15-17" is about right depending on your height as you don't want to be looking right through the top edge as this will really screw up your forward vision.

Over or through is a matter of personal preference and depends to a large part, I think, on what kind of riding you do. If it is mostly day time and you keep it reasonably clean, there won't be much glare. I have found that positioning the shield so you look well over it does NOT deflect the wind high enough to clear a helmet. If you ride mostly in the daytime and helmet (or head) buffeting is the major concern, then **I THINK** you should go for something tall enough so that you can be looking through the very top. This also helps to deflect objects that are heavy enough to cut right through the deflected air stream (ROCKS).

Good to pre-measure because I think the headlight on the GZ is mounted a bit lower than most bikes. That may not be true at all; just a gut feeling I have. Mine is mounted so that I am looking through the top 2 inches in my normal relaxed (OK, slouched) position. When the need arises, I can sit up real straight and see well over it.

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by Chris

So...where are Sarris and Easy Rider?? Please check in with windshield advice.

Special offer, not to be repeated this year...............
I am now IN ATLANTA, with a good bit of free time. A windshield consultation can be arranged.
I will be sending you a PM with a phone number.
How's that for advice !!

Now, for the rest of the story: Several of us, me included, have already written a LOT about windshields on here and I don't intend to repeat it all YET AGAIN. You are gonna have to help yourself a bit; do a search and then ask for specifics or clarifications if needed.

PS I really like my shield but I think it is a tiny bit larger than needed. There is at least one other one posted on here that is similar but just a tad bit smaller that might be a better compromise.

[alanmcorcoran]

Originally Posted by Easy Rider

There is at least one other one posted on here that is similar but just a tad bit smaller that might be a better compromise.

I believe that one is Moedad's Plexistar 2. Pictures here: viewtopic.php?p=10837#p10837