What should we do?

[Mikel53]

We are new owners of a 2015 Intense red pearl RT Limited. Here in Texas the weather has allowed us to ride a little bit. I have managed to put about 900 miles on my new "Mid Life Crisis!" Yesterday we went on a short ride of 200 miles with our local SpYder Club. My 1st wife of 42 years riding along and said the wind was so bad that it was about to tear her helmet off! Needless to say she did not enjoy the trip. She is about 6' tall and her seat is a little taller than my spot anyway. We have an OEM windshield for the RT Limited. Is there a different, maybe taller windshield that we could get to make her more comfortable? I normally have the windshield in its tallest position anyway. Any advice from all the more experienced ..............​

[ornerydog7]

There are different shields available. A site sponsor F4 offers several. Check their site.


Ralph

[Dragonrider]

I'm 6'4", and my bride is 5'11" - we tried the stock 25" windshield, the BRP 25" vented windshield, and now have the F4 28" vented barn door. I don't know if BRP ships the 23" windshield as stock now, or the 25" windshield. The 23" is about equal to no windshield to us tall folks. Of the other two BRP windshields, the stock 25" is better than the 25" vented windshield, at speeds over 60mph, and about equal below that.

Yesterday was my first ride with the F4 +3 windshield, and there was zero buffeting for me, and today will be the first ride with my wife on the back, so I'll add to this comment this evening.

The F4 seems "clearer" than either of my BRP windshields, and, for the first time, I can raise the windshield high enough that the top edge is just over my line of sight (think rain), and setting it properly, just below my line of sight is possible, for the first time.

While the F4 is 40% more than the BRP vented windshield, it may be worth the investment - I'll know for sure tonight.

I also considered a couple of other windshields and designs, but most of those offer 23" max height, and I wasn't going there.

[Dudley]

My question is how was the wind when you were standing still. If the wind was normally strong and/or gusty, no amount of windshield size will help you. She is distant from the windshield and that's just the result of winds and exposure.

[Dragonrider]

Dudley - while you have a point, a good windshield will help form a bubble around you and the passenger at "speed". This helps with frontal wind (which is what most of us try to manage), and quartering wind. Not much anyone, not in a cage, can do about gusty/high side or aft winds... as anyone who has ridden in the I84 Columbia Gorge stretch can attest to.

Helmet buffeting or lifting with non full face helmets - especially for the passenger - is what I was trying to address. In my experience, a proper bubble would allow you to keep a ball cap on your head at 55mph, in normal weather.

[Mikel53]

You and I and our brides are close to same size. I will be very interested in what you find out. What will this "fix" cost me?

[MRH]

My wife is 5'9" and had a similar issue with my RT and always insisted that I keep the windshield up (not fun on hot days, since that put me in a hot bubble of air). I had the full size windshield from the 2010's, which is larger than the standard one now.

I switched to a smaller windshield, but one that is also vented, from BRP, and the vents did a lot to reduce the buffeting.

[Dragonrider]

Looking at $400 ish, depending on the options. I too picked the vented version - for air into the bubble in the summer. I also have the adjustable side vents, which I think are a solid gold farkle.

[ARtraveler]

We are new owners of a 2015 Intense red pearl RT Limited. Here in Texas the weather has allowed us to ride a little bit. I have managed to put about 900 miles on my new "Mid Life Crisis!" Yesterday we went on a short ride of 200 miles with our local SpYder Club. My 1st wife of 42 years riding along and said the wind was so bad that it was about to tear her helmet off! Needless to say she did not enjoy the trip. She is about 6' tall and her seat is a little taller than my spot anyway. We have an OEM windshield for the RT Limited. Is there a different, maybe taller windshield that we could get to make her more comfortable? I normally have the windshield in its tallest position anyway. Any advice from all the more experienced ..............​

Do you have the windshield adjusted up to its highest position? You have electric adjustment on your Spyder. Sometimes the electronic items get missed on a new machine.

[trikermutha]

I went with the 3 wider and taller from F4 windshields..Stock didn't work for me..

[PrairieSpyder]

I think your best solution is for your 1st wife to get her own Spyder!!!

[chuck gross]

I think your best solution is for your 1st wife to get her own Spyder!!!

Ann, you are absolutely right Spyder FUN X 2 = happy Wife #1 simple math

[Dragonrider]

Ok, back from 110 mile trip - Sunny - 25K variable winds - speed 25 - 75... 2 up.

First, the F4 is a big sheet of plexi in front of you, and it noticeably flexes more than the stocker. With the shield all the way down, it's perfect for 1 up riding - however, the large size of the windshield causes the bubble to pull into the cockpit area, until the vent is opened a tad - then all's well. With the shield up to my eyeball level, mamma has a peaceful ride - I have no doubt the weather protection would be stellar.

With the wind as it was, both of us got blown around at slow speeds, at highway speeds, it wasn't a bother. With the F4 windshield, the wind and potential weather protection is the best I've found for the Spyder. If you ride on the highway a fair amount, the F4 would be a good investment, giving both of you a less stressful ride - if you don't, keep your stocker. There's not enough improvement to justify the cost, and you're looking through the windshield to give your passenger the desired comfort.

I'll post any additional findings, as they pop up.

[trikermutha]

I find the f4 works well it flexes a bit but not into the cockpit. I think it could be a bit more ridged or a slight curve at the top and that would be a perfect windshield.

Stock was ok but wanted less wind and bugs hitting my head..

Its all in the drivers preference that makes the bike..

good luck

[Roadster Renovations]

I adopted a policy that I read here some months ago about windshield positioning. Someone suggested that having the windshield all the way up or all the way down would cause it to become too rigid in relationship to the bracket. This could possibly cause vibration that could fatigue and crack the metal of the bracket. It made a great deal of sense to me at the time to leave a little give in the mechanism so that it wouldn't be so tight. Talked to the F4 vendor at length and some of his larger windshields come with a vent in the middle. This lessons the vacuum created and puts less stress on the hardware and shield. That will be the next purchase we make for our RT. May even replace the pivot arm with the upgrade. They have been known to crack. Several people have had to replace theirs more than once.

[satownsendsr]

Dragonrider, where did you get your adjustable side vents? I would like to put some on my 2014 RT Limited SE6.

[Dragonrider]

They were the standard BRP vents - here's an E-bay listing for a set: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Can-Am-Spyde...565352&vxp=mtr

These are well worth the cost, and install time us under 10 minutes...

[Chupaca]

open face helmet with a visor..?? If so get a shorter wife.. or a full face/modular helmet. If this is not what you want the suggestions above are good solutions...

[Dragonrider]

You could move to Idaho, or other western states, and let the wind blow through your Do-Rag....

[latony007]

open face helmet with a visor..?? If so get a shorter wife.. or a full face/modular helmet. If this is not what you want the suggestions above are good solutions...

I was thinking the same thing, must be an open face helmet. Id try a full helmet and see how it goes. Hell you can get one with bluetooth and everything so you can talk to each other for $100 which is only 1/4 of a new shield. Im sure you can find a full face helmet for her to try before you go buy one too.