To Windshield or.....

[Dasmoetorhead]

Not to windshield. That's the question. I'm thinking a windshield might be nice. So far I've looked at the Madstad, and the F4 Customs. I don't want to order one and then have to send it back if I don't like it or it's to tall or to short. It's not like there's a store here to take a look at them in person. I'm 6'-1" if I stand straight.
The F4 is either 28" or 32" in height. The Madstad had a 18" version that says it would work for my height . I think the F4 is made from better material . Lots to think about. If you have either of these shields please let me know what you like or dislike. I'm also thinking a light tint would be nice for my eyes. I rarely ride at night.

[Pooch]

I do not know which windshield would fit your bike but I can tell you I had an F4 on my Gold Wing GL1800 trike and absolutely LOVED it.. It was of much thicker material than the Gold Wing OEM shield.
Best of all... I could clean it with regular Windex and paper towels... never a scratch... they used to advertise this on their website also. Plus, I never put any kind of anti-bug product on it. Bugs were just never a problem.
To add: there was no distortion in the F4 shield.

[Dasmoetorhead]

Thanks for the info. I was quite impressed with the fact you can use a paper towel to clean it. I probably wouldn't, but in a pinch it's nice to know you could. I'm just a bit concerned on the size (28"). I wouldn't go any bigger myself, but it seems tall. Anyway, I'm rambling. Thanks again.

[Ex-Rocket]

I have the Madstad tinted 18" on my F3L and absolutely love it. As a extra bonus its adjustable. I'm the same height as you. Good luck in your search.

[Dasmoetorhead]

Hey, that's awesome. That's the exact shield I keep coming back to in my research. Thanks again. :-)>

[Isopedella]

I had an F4 on my Gl1800. I put one on my F3. That's the tallest along with the Winglets and a vent.

I'm 6-2". Majic

I will say the finish quality has changed with the new owner. Not finished on the edges and stuff. Soon rubbed it smooth with some fine sandpaper.

I clean with Lemon Pledge and add the Rain x when required.

It's not so hard to trim the screens down if they are too tall. Tape it off, draw a line, jig saw, sandpaper, remove tape, and refit.

[Dasmoetorhead]

I appreciate the info.

[Peteoz]

There are all sorts of “gotchas” with what seems a simple question, Dasmoe.

What are you trying to achieve with the windshield? I.e. do you want to see over it, but have the wind pass over your head to reduce wind noise, bug strike and buffeting….or do you want to look through it, with full weather protection.

If you want to see over it, the recommended height of a windshield is to have the top of it level with your top lip. That will direct air just over the top of your helmet. You can’t go by someone else recommending a shield height, even if they are the same height as you, as they may have a longer or shorter body, and an inch or so in height can make a huge difference.

If you hop on to the F4 site, the previous owner went to some lengths to create videos that show the different shield height impacts. Unfortunately, I can’t remember if he included the F3-S models in this. They require much taller shields than the F3-L to reach lip level.

I don’t know about the F3-s, but Madstad F3-L shields are manually adjustable, in that you can raise them 3”, and can also change the angle by a few inches. That worked brilliantly for me on my f3-L, but I don’t know if the tall F3-s shields have that option.

Hope this helps.

Pete

[Dasmoetorhead]

Thanks Pete for the write up. I like the Idea of looking over the windshield. Reasons for considering one is, protection from wx, bugs, debris, and some comfort on a longer ride. I seriously doubt I'll ever ride coast to coast like the old days, but a 2000 mile round trip (slowly) could happen.
I've been in serious wx before (hard rain and mist) with a shield I had to look through, and I didn't like that. I guess I'm just getting old, and comfort is a priority these days, but it's hard to come to grips about it. I like the sporty look of my F3S,and swore I'd keep it unadorned with accessories that take away from that. I've never liked the look of windshields on bikes, but the they make a lot of sense. I know there a must have item for touring, but my riding style is mostly 2-4 hours of twisty mountain roads here in NE Tennessee, and exploring the area. The wife rarely rides on back, so I'm not concerned about that.
As far as height of shield, I'm finding it near impossible to figure that out, from just numbers the manufacturer gives. When you consider the angle/tilt and length of shield, there's a lot of possibilities. I don't want to have to install one only to find out it doesn't fit, and then going through the hassle of taking it off ,sending it back, and trying another one. Anyway, I'm still researching, and with the help of folks on here, like yourself I'm getting closer to achieving my goal. Thanks again.

[Gwolf]

Everybody say they bought a motorcycle to get in the wind, then the first thing they do is bolt a windshield on it.

[JKMSPYDER]

I have the 18" Madstad on my F3-S and love it. I am 5' 10" and look over the windshield. The biggest selling point of the Madstad is that it is adjustable up and down and backwards and forwards. I bought the untainted version.

[Dasmoetorhead]

How is the coverage with the Madstad? I've seen some folks say it isn't wide enough. I like this particular shield due to its size, and style. I think, at least to me it follows the lines of the F3 best. If I'm being totally honest, I want the smallest effective shield. Just enough to get the job done for protection. Are those side wings effective ?
So far, Iike your shield and size as my 1st choice, with the F4 Customs 25" as my other choice.
In actuality the F3S with the poly instrument shield works to some extent. It works good for around town, and the mountain roads, but it gives me a workout at 70 mph. Not that much buffeting if any, but it does get tiring holding on a bit tighter at hwy speeds. Thanks for your input and experience. So far everyone that has the 18" Madstad and is my approx height has good things to say about it. Plus it's less expensive. I really like the look of it, and that's important to me also. Now if I can just get off my Butt and make a decision, I might be able to relax Lol.
Cheers!

[troop]

I have the Madstad on my F3S. I have (2) shields. One is a 14" dark gray that I use for every day riding. Sadly, I see that it is not available anymore. For touring, I use a 20" light tint. I like that you have up/down and angle adjustments. Excellent quality. I'm 6'3" but longer in inseam (36") than torso.

[LongIsland]

I have had the F4 28" with vent since 2016. I purchased it for its ability to reduce the wind buffering for my sweetheart. We liked it so much that when I traded in our 2014 RTL for a 2022 RTL in April of this year, I removed it and installed it on our new Spyder.

[Lew L]

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Whichever shield you decided on---- strongly consider getting the VENT option. It's just aerodynamics..........

Lew L

[Dasmoetorhead]

Do you look through or over it? I'm 6' to 6'1", and I don't want to have to look through it. Thanks.

[Bfromla]

Do you look through or over it? I'm 6' to 6'-1", and I do t want to have to look through it. Thanks.

Over. Helmet Visor & shades shield are my shield. Guess it does help some with bugs & rain, hard to say, spyder first bike with the extras-windshield, radio, heated grips, ect
**fyi 6’3”**

[Dasmoetorhead]

Nobody had mentioned the Route 129 windshield from BRP. How does it compare to the F4 or Madstad?

[ARtraveler]

I have been one of those "windshield guys" forever. I put "custom" windshields on both the 2008 and 2009 GS and RS. All the Rt's came with windshields so I stood with stock there. They all had raise/lower mechanisms so height was never an issue for me.

Moving forward to 2019 F3L. I have stuck with the OEM version and like it. Have never had a thought of changing it out. Same on our 2020 F3L. I have over 20,000 miles on the 19 and about 8,000 on the 2020.

[Dasmoetorhead]

Thank you for your input.

[Peteoz]

Everybody say they bought a motorcycle to get in the wind, then the first thing they do is bolt a windshield on it.

Not “everybody” says that, Gwolf. Try riding at speed at 6’7” and 300lbs without a windshield for a while. Aaaaaaaarrrrrggggghhhhh.

Pete

[Dasmoetorhead]

After hours of research, I still haven't really narrowed it down to any particular shield. There's some nice stuff out there, and prices range from $300 - $600. I'm pretty sure I'm looking at a shorter shield. More sport than touring.
So to clear my head, I took the F3S for a nice ride, and did a little interstate 26. Beautiful ride, but my intention for the ride was to re-evaluate the need for a shield. As I was riding and thinking this over, I wondered if a reverse trike like mine has less turbulence at the rider position than a 2 wheeler has. Due to the fact of a much larger frontal mass. My conclusion is very much so. I really have minimal wind and or buffeting at hwy speeds on the Spyder. Not sure if I'm scientifically correct here. What I have determined is that the way I ride I probably don't really need one. I'm still thinking about a shield like the BRP Route 129. I also wear a full face helmet, and I think that helps too.
In 1980 I rode from Mobile AL to Eureka CA. On a 1979 Harley XLCH, no windshield, half helmet and sun glasses. Of course I was 23. Getting softer now, so maybe just a little help in the wind dept might be nice.

[ARtraveler]

After hours of research, I still haven't really narrowed it down to any particular shield. There's some nice stuff out there, and prices range from $300 - $600. I'm pretty sure I'm looking at a shorter shield. More sport than touring.
So to clear my head, I took the F3S for a nice ride, and did a little interstate 26. Beautiful ride, but my intention for the ride was to re-evaluate the need for a shield. As I was riding and thinking this over, I wondered if a reverse trike like mine has less turbulence at the rider position than a 2 wheeler has. Due to the fact of a much larger frontal mass. My conclusion is very much so. I really have minimal wind and or buffeting at hwy speeds on the Spyder. Not sure if I'm scientifically correct here. What I have determined is that the way I ride I probably don't really need one. I'm still thinking about a shield like the BRP Route 129. I also wear a full face helmet, and I think that helps too.
In 1980 I rode from Mobile AL to Eureka CA. On a 1979 Harley XLCH, no windshield, half helmet and sun glasses. Of course I was 23. Getting softer now, so maybe just a little help in the wind dept might be nice.

And...you will save $300 - $600 dollars.

[CloverHillCrawler]

I am 6'2" and have the BRP Blue Ridge and at lower speeds it's ok for keeping the bug strikes off of the chest but higher speeds it feels like the wind wants to pull my head off and it directs almost every bug straight to my visor.

I usually have to duck in a little bit in order to keep the buffeting down so I was thinking of just dumping the windshield all together and go for a gauge spoiler.

[gkamer]

Windshields are really a personal thing. Some folks like that wind in your face riding experience. Personally that’s not for me. Before I traded my Ryker for an RT I invested in the F3 Custom windshield. It’s made from optical grade polycarbonate material which is supposed to be more scratch resistant. Also it doesn’t cause distortion when you have to hunker down behind it in the rain. So far the OEM stock mirror on my RT is getting the job done, so no plans to replace it at this time.