What windshield do you recommend on the RS for freeway driving?

[CatsJ35]

I have the CHAD and it works great but thinking of venting the shield to help with fuel fumes when I let off the throttle. My sport touring works pretty well on the Chad mount also for shorter trips.

[tobor9]

I have the 23" ultra touring? with Madsted brackets and it great!

[SpyderAndy]

I just put a madstad 20in on my RS. It isn't dialed in yet but it's still very nice. If you are concerned about the look I would get a tinted shield. I got a clear one and I think a tinted would look nicer but for function what I have is great.

[Joel]

I have the Madstad 20" bronze-smoke on order.
Can't wait to receive it and install it on my orange alloy RS-S

[ABQ_Spyderman]

Find a straight stretch without some cops and drop it to about 100, that might make 70 seem not so critical

Its all about perspective!

I love this! It is SO TRUE!! I remember when I was in Colorado and hit a stretch and just kicked it--hit 103 on the speedometer. After that, 90 was nothing. It's all relative and where your comfort levels are.

Also--let's remember different parts of the country have different issues. Some parts of the desert on the NM highways feel like they will just blow you over. The crosswinds can be pretty sick. So I can't speak for everywhere. But I do agree whole-heartedly that a lot of it is perspective and where your personal comfort level lies. If it doesn't get better--I say jack up your shocks, squeeze the knees, and lean back a little and give it a 3-point reaction of your own!

Best,
Andy

[Machinegunner]

My wife and I prefer Corbins fairing. It cuts and separates the air to flow around you. Crosswinds and headwinds are no problem. Can ride all day at freeway speeds. It is more expensive but we feel it is worth the cost.

[mooneych]

I'm very satisfied with my Madstad brackets, but find the adjustment bolts to be hard to access. Has anyone tried other methods to make adjustments easier?

It seems to me that the teflon coated bolts would be a necessity to prevent loosening; any words of advice for the bolt portion?

Cheers!

[waytootall67]

Firstly I will say at 6'8" nothing is made "perfect" for me (had to have the seat carved back 4" on my GS). I bought the BRP 23" and it helped over the short one but the wind hit me in the face, bought the Mandstad and jacked it wayyyyy up (took out the mounting bolts and moved them higher up the bracket) so it raised it 4" higher on the bracket. I have made a couple adjustments but still get a little buffering on the top of my head (enough to make my teeth chatter at 60-70mph), I look just over the shield. One thing I will say is i always used my full face helmet on the highway and a 1/2 helmet for the city but since upgrading the windshield I can now ride the highway with the short helmet. I still use ear plug though.

[dguisinger]

My wife and I prefer Corbins fairing. It cuts and separates the air to flow around you. Crosswinds and headwinds are no problem. Can ride all day at freeway speeds. It is more expensive but we feel it is worth the cost.

Wow, those Corbin fairings sure are strange looking... hows it look on your bikes?

[dguisinger]

I just put a madstad 20in on my RS. It isn't dialed in yet but it's still very nice. If you are concerned about the look I would get a tinted shield. I got a clear one and I think a tinted would look nicer but for function what I have is great.

Do you know what the difference is between the two tints?
The one downside of ordering something like this over the internet, you can't really compare them before you do so...

[ITSMYWIFES]

Take a look at Cee Bailey Aircraft Plastics. They make a nice windscreen that does not have the "wings" over your hands. It is made in several heights and colors with a good tutorial on how to select the right height. There is a reverse curve at the top which directs air over your head to reduce buffeting. I also have an ultra touring screen from BRP and neither will stop buffeting on a windy day if it is a stiff and quartering wind. Wind in your face/hair is part of the charm of any bike, MC, Roadster (or for that matter, a convertable cage).

We got the Cee Bailey 23" for my wifes 2011 RSS. She is 5'5" and just looks over the top. Very good quality and mounts to existing holes.

[Campverdefela]

Madstad!, 22 incher.
.
.
v

[dguisinger]

We got the Cee Bailey 23" for my wifes 2011 RSS. She is 5'5" and just looks over the top. Very good quality and mounts to existing holes.

What shade did you get for your wife? Is it the dark gray? Or the light gray?

[pro10is]

I went with a 20" clear Madstad. Once it was dialed in it worked great. You don't need a huge windshield to get great wind protection. I personally don't see the point in a tinted windshield since you need to look through it a lot and at night the tint might be an issue. Safety before looks. Just my opinion.

If you want even more wind protection consider also the BRP Wind Deflector Kit (219400164). With this on I get virtually no wind buffeting head to waist up to 65-70mph.

[dguisinger]

If you want even more wind protection consider also the BRP Wind Deflector Kit (219400164). With this on I get virtually no wind buffeting head to waist up to 65-70mph.

Hmm, I'm not sure I could convince myself to put the wind deflector kit on, I very much love the lines of the spyder....

[flamingobabe]

I have the 23" can-am shield...it came with air wings that work great....$$$$...my next shield will be adjustable...plus heated grips....

[daveinva]

Madstad.

I bought two Madstads for my RS. First one was a 22". Worked great until I got risers/footboards and my seating position changed, got too much wind on me during winter riding. Bought a 24" windshield which I've used ever since.

I saved both the 22" and the stock shorty, I'm pondering switching back down for the summer heat (the only downside to the 24", aside from potentially polarizing aesthetics, is that it blocks a lot of air-- which of course is the point of getting the windshield, but come summertime I know I'm going to want a more airflow).

Oh, and I got both windshields in smoke tint-- it's subtle, doesn't affect vision at all, not even at night, but it definitely looks cooler.

[dguisinger]

Alright, definitely seems like its down to Madstad and Cee Bailey
Does anyone have experience with both?

[mxz600]

I bought the 25" ultra touring and while it took away the frontal blast of air it increased the wind noise in my helmet about two fold. It also sent the wind right down the back of my neck. Called Mark at Madstad and he assured me the robobrackets would eliminate both issues. I have yet to get them mounted on the Spyder as I have been way to busy for that.

As a matter of fact I have barely had time to visit Spyderlovers. My boss is out today so I am using the opportunity to do a little catching up.

When I get the windshield and brackets on I will give an update on how it works out. And it better work out, I have a lot of coin wrapped up in this combo. I could have bought the Madstad shield and bracket for about the same price as I paid for the ultra touring.

[steve635]

I have the BRP 23" Touring Windshield and the head buffeting is virtually unchanged from the stock version. I plan to try the Madstad brackets. Not sure what the problem is as this windshield is as tall or taller than what I've had on other bikes, but I get more buffeting at 70 then I had on my Stratoliner, Indian, or Road King at 90.

[NancysToy]

I have the BRP 23" Touring Windshield and the head buffeting is virtually unchanged from the stock version. I plan to try the Madstad brackets. Not sure what the problem is as this windshield is as tall or taller than what I've had on other bikes, but I get more buffeting at 70 then I had on my Stratoliner, Indian, or Road King at 90.

As you have found, there are a lot of variables. Your height, your torso length, the vehicle speed, the windshield shape, the windshield angle, and the windshield size all come into play. Even which helmet you wear affects the buffeting and wind noise. What works for one rider will be miserable for another. That is why an adjustable makes so much sense. You can usually adjust things to compensate for all these factors.

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

As above you have to decide this first, getting both isn't really possible.....as far as size goes, unless you are Bill Gates buy the Tallest Widest windshield you can afford.....Because you can always make it smaller ....you can not make it Bigger.....they are not hard to trim/shape...Mike... I made my own from a 1500 gold wing and it turns with the handle bars....but that's another story.....

[ITSMYWIFES]

What shade did you get for your wife? Is it the dark gray? Or the light gray?

Light grey.

[steve635]

"As you have found, there are a lot of variables. Your height, your torso length, the vehicle speed, the windshield shape, the windshield angle, and the windshield size all come into play."

And one more to add, seat height in relation to the windshield. On my other bikes, with a windshield pretty close in size to BRP touring, if I stared straight ahead I looked just over the top of the windshield (could easily lower my eyes and look through if I chose). With the greater seat height of the Spyder my entire head is above the top of the windshield.

[pro10is]

Hmm, I'm not sure I could convince myself to put the wind deflector kit on, I very much love the lines of the spyder....

I hear you, I do too and I'm very fussy about what I add to my RS-S to maintain it's great looks. I initially installed the wind deflector kit only as a means to ride my Spyder well into the freezing cold months here in the North. I thought it would help keep my legs warm. What I discovered was that the wind deflector kit also eliminated the last of the wind buffering I was getting on the top of my helmet. In retrospect this makes sense. You can try to block all the wind you can using only a windshield but you'll still get wind coming around the sides which will still cause buffeting. Just take a look at the design of the RT and you'll see BRP took great effort to block side winds. The RS wind deflector kit does a great job at eliminating side winds.

Also, surprisingly, the design of the wind deflector kit is very stylish. It maintains the current lines of the RS and looks great installed. BRP did a great job designing these wind deflectors.

If you ever get to the point where you've done as much as you can with a windshield but still require more wind protection I encourage you to give them a try.