What Height is "Right" For a Windshield

[newbert]

I bought a windshield a few months ago to replace the stock windshield on my F3-T. A number of heights were available to choose from and now I'm wondering whether I picked a height that's too low....

The problem is that I occasionally (not frequently, but not never either) get a bug or debris that splatters or hits the face shield of my helmet. It happens much less frequently than with the stock windshield, but nevertheless it's there. I was hoping I'd be able to ride with the face shield up or at least cracked open during warm weather, but these "incidents" prevent me from doing so. (A few weeks ago I had the face shield cracked open minimally and a bug STILL got in and entered my eye at high speed. )

I don't want a windshield so high that I can't look over it, but I also was hoping for more protection. So, did I choose poorly when it came to windshield height? Or is this just part of what's to be expected?

Thanks!

[Peter Aawen]

Newbert, I reckon that the occasional bug on the visor (or up your trouser leg! ) is going to be pretty much a part of motorcycle riding whatever you do, but it's the bugs in your eyes you really want/need to stop completely - could it be that rather than your windscreen choice being the issue, it's your helmet or visor choice that's not right for you?? I certainly don't know what helmet you wear or what helmet &/or visor might help or even solve this problem for you, or even if another helmet/visor COULD be the solution, just throwing the thought out there!

Back on the windscreen, when my pillion & I had issues with rain & fumes being sucked up & over the back of my RT, we looked at the airflow over/around the Spyder by using painters tape to stick little 'wind indicators/tell-tales' all over the thing - just a short length (2-3" or so) of coloured wool/thread stuck by its leading 1/2" onto the Spyder leaving a bit of flappy tail flying in the breeze that was long enough & coloured brightly enough that we could see what was happening with the air flow over & around the windscreen & tupperware as we rode along. Maybe you could try the same - it certainly didn't take us long to see where the problem actually was, and we had to contend with air flow around the panniers & trunk as we rode along as well as the windscreen & front of the RT - you shouldn't need to look at much more than the windscreen & front/side panels, cos I doubt the bugs are being sucked up & over your back before being blasted into your face! Altho I guess that's not impossible...

Still, try attaching 20 or so airflow tell-tales to your existing screen & the front/side panels of your F3 & then go for a ryde & check out what the tell-tales are doing - I'd suggest putting at least a few on the front of the screen as well as a few around the top edges of the screen, maybe every 6" or so. You might want to put a couple on the dash or handlebars, & even around the tank/filler area too, possibly even a couple of small/short ones on the bottom of your visor, but certainly some actually behind the windscreen so you can tell what the turbulence is like in that pocket of air between you & the screen. It should be fairly easy to see if the windscreen is lifting the air flow up & over your head/helmet, or directing a jet blast straight up your visor, and if you can't see where the air flow is going as you ryde along, it might be handy to get a passenger in a car alongside you to video you as you ryde along. When you are choosing what tape to use, we found painter's tape to be better than masking tape or even 'hundred mile an hour tape' or duct tape - the blue 'easy peel' painter's tape stuck the fixed end of our tell-tales firmly enough that they didn't fly off when we hit cruising speed, but not so firmly or so stickily that it damaged any surfaces or left a wad of sticky residue when we took them off!

Over to you, an idea or two that might be helpful to do with as you will! We found it very helpful to see what the air flow & exhaust fumes were actually doing, rather than just guessing - in fact, our guesses & those of most others were actually quite far off what really happened, but the little tell-tales couldn't lie! Maybe they'll surprise you too! Good Luck!

[newbert]

Excellent suggestion, Peter. Thanks!

[Peteoz]

Bert,

The generally recognised standard height for a screen, to provide maximum face protection while still looking over it, is for it to be level with your top lip. (Easy to check if you have a long spirit level). I always use that guideline and get wind hitting the vent on the front top of my helmet, but my eyeballs aren’t being shaken out.
However you still have to take Peter A’s comments into consideration as bugs/turbulence may still come from anywhere.

Pete