YOUR WINDSHIELD CHOICE ON F3? Gustaffson, Madstad, Rifle, California Scientific, F4

[CA Railwhale]

I just replaced my Blue Ridge with a 32" F4 Customs windshield. I'm 6'2" and just look over the top. I don't get ANY buffeting anymore and at high speeds on the freeway the airflow just hits the top of my helmet. The only advantage of the Blue Ridge was that it shielded my hands at high speed and the F4 doesn't. It's not a big deal, I just wear gloves now, it's a good trade-off for not having the slipstream hit me in the throat. Installation was easy, I'd just recommend putting a piece of a plastic bag on the inside of your sockets so they don't remove the black paint from the acorn nuts the windshield is held on with (that's a trick I saw recommended by Rolls Royce on a TV show to avoid marring the finish on their chrome lug bolts). I'm going to have to repaint mine; just a little thing, but it will look better.

[SpyderHands]

I just replaced my Blue Ridge with a 32" F4 Customs windshield. I'm 6'2" and just look over the top. I don't get ANY buffeting anymore and at high speeds on the freeway the airflow just hits the top of my helmet. The only advantage of the Blue Ridge was that it shielded my hands at high speed and the F4 doesn't. It's not a big deal, I just wear gloves now, it's a good trade-off for not having the slipstream hit me in the throat. Installation was easy, I'd just recommend putting a piece of a plastic bag on the inside of your sockets so they don't remove the black paint from the acorn nuts the windshield is held on with (that's a trick I saw recommended by Rolls Royce on a TV show to avoid marring the finish on their chrome lug bolts). I'm going to have to repaint mine; just a little thing, but it will look better.

I just can't justify the cost difference between a couple of others in the market. In most cases, we are talking a $200-225 difference.

[jtrobaugh]

I'm 6'5" and love my F4 windshield, yeah its tall but so am I so it works well. It bolted right to my stock supports, its very durable and I don't have any complaints. Worth every penny.

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[Rattlebars]

I ran F4 big on my wings and just last week rode up to see Don at his shop (50 min away). I wanted a big plain no vent or tint. Easy, but when I left, had to turn around because it had a wrinkle in it. Tried two more and they both had the same wrinkle in the upper right corner. So, he gave me a tall one with a vent. I tell you this because Don might have a discount on the wrinkled ones but, of course, I cannot speak for him.

I don't like vents because they are useless to me especially on the F3-T because there is a big honking vent up front already under the bottom of the shield. I cannot tell if the vent's open or not for air flow. No difference. Another reason for no vent-- vents get buggy and they are hard to clean plus it interrupts your motion when cleaning the whole shield. He promised to switch it back once the corrected version of no vent shows up in a couple months. I expected a little more protection but it's not as wide as my GL1800.

I credit the tall shield on the wing for saving my life when a woman came left of center and hit me head on. The shield did not decapitate me which I expect the stock height would have done just that. Plus, I had the old 2002 version which had all the mounting screws up front (after '06 they dropped off 3 of the 6). The F4 did not break nor did it come completely off it's moorings. That kept me from vaulting into her windshield/roof and it catapulted to the right me out of traffic and onto the shoulder of the road.

Photos here: >CLICK ME<
You can see the line my helmet gouged into the shield in some of them as it sent to rightward.

[F4 Customs]

Rattlebars,
Thanks for the review and the purchase. Glad your enjoying your new shield. Just wanted to mention that the windshields that had a distortion mark from manufacturing are not for sale. This is very rare that this would happen however when we find any issues (or our customers do) we replace them immediately and destroy the ones with the issue.
Ride Safe!
Don

[MNBK]

I have a 23" tinted F4 on my 2016 F3T and absolutely love it. I have had other after market windshields on many other bikes that I have owned but the F4 is by far the best ever hands down. I feel it is worth the price.

Just my personal opinion and nothing more.

dave....

[deer30084]

If your dealer suckered you into the deal partly by "throwing in" a Blue Ridge windshield, get an XCreen Tour to mount on the Blue Ridge. Probably not as good as an F4, but adequate.

[Slowpoke387]

I have a 23" tinted F4 on my 2016 F3T and absolutely love it. I have had other after market windshields on many other bikes that I have owned but the F4 is by far the best ever hands down. I feel it is worth the price.

Just my personal opinion and nothing more.

dave....

Any pics with someone on the machine with the windscreen? We are considering the 21 or the 23 but they seem kind of big and the video on their site doesn't seem to capture what we're looking to see.
Lots of opinions but very few pics here, let's see what everyone has! It helps others decide.

[Sweetreese]

Madstad!

[Badco149]

I have to go with a F4 Custom Windscreen. I installed the 23 inch tinted and am loving it. I use a 1/2 helmet with a shield usually. I took for a test drive and when I got home 30 minutes later I realized I never but the face shield down. I look through the screen and it is perfect. I removed the BRP "Tall Boy" because it was too short. ( Anyone interest in a good used one ) As for customer service F4 Customs is top notch and true. My first screen had a pit mark from shipping. I had a replacement the next day. Talk about service.

Many thanks.

[SpyderHands]

I have to go with a F4 Custom Windscreen. I installed the 23 inch tinted and am loving it. I use a 1/2 helmet with a shield usually. I took for a test drive and when I got home 30 minutes later I realized I never but the face shield down. I look through the screen and it is perfect. I removed the BRP "Tall Boy" because it was too short. ( Anyone interest in a good used one ) As for customer service F4 Customs is top notch and true. My first screen had a pit mark from shipping. I had a replacement the next day. Talk about service.

Many thanks.

Glad to hear you are a happy camper. If you don't mind me asking - how tall are you?

[LisaLimited]

I have to go with a F4 Custom Windscreen. I installed the 23 inch tinted and am loving it. I use a 1/2 helmet with a shield usually. I took for a test drive and when I got home 30 minutes later I realized I never but the face shield down. I look through the screen and it is perfect. I removed the BRP "Tall Boy" because it was too short. ( Anyone interest in a good used one ) As for customer service F4 Customs is top notch and true. My first screen had a pit mark from shipping. I had a replacement the next day. Talk about service.

Many thanks.

I am also deciding about windshields. Which windshield is shown in the large pic in the text of your post? It doesn't look like the tinted F4.

[No 2817]

I went with F4 25" w/vent. I am 6'1" and I can look over when I sit straight up or thru the windshield when I ride in a more relaxed slouched position. The clarity of the F4 is amazing. Got a good price from Sid's and PayPal.


Chris

[shroth]

Thanks guys......this post cost me a few hundred $$$$$$ . I also ended up with an F4 for my F3L. Got the 25" & wow.......my helmet is quiet again!! Their customer service is amazing & they're knowledgeable since they ryde too. I just went from an RTL to an F3L so wind was a concern with the mini shield. There's no more issue! My F3 is as quiet as an RT now.

I know it may be a higher price point than you expected but the quality & service are as good as it comes.

[SpyderHands]

Thanks guys......this post cost me a few hundred $$$$$$.

What do you mean?

[GosHawk35]

My wife is only 5'3" and her stock shield is a bit low on the F3 Limited. She had a Spyder ST prior with an adjustable shield. I am really leaning to the F4 for the quality in the smaller size however at 21 1/2" she would be looking through the shield. Her eye position is at 19" off the tank She isn't "sold" on the idea of "looking through a shield" tho. ......any other suggestions?

[SpyderHands]

I just spoke with someone today who gave a huge recommendation for the Cal Sci windshields for the F3.

He said he was very happy with his decision.

Any other Cal Sci-Fi owners?

[Blacklab1059]

I just spoke with someone today who gave a huge recommendation for the Cal Sci windshields for the F3.

He said he was very happy with his decision.

Any other Cal Sci-Fi owners?

I recently contacted California Scientific and asked if they would allow a trial period as I live in Ohio and cannot make it to their facility. I have already purchased the Blue Ridge and a Gustaffsson and both allow helmet buffeting from the wind. I am still searching for a comfortable solution but do not want to keep spending $$$ on shields that do not solve the problem. Why is this so hard? It has also been suggested to me that my helmet is not tight enough allowing movement. I have purchased three helmets so far including a full face and another that is so tight I get a headache after 30 minutes of riding. The helmet is not the issue. I have been riding bikes since the age of 10.

As a statement to Cal Sci's customer service here is their reply, "You can ride it for a couple miles and sent it back undamaged for a refund." I have not purchased yet but being able to take a trial ride would entice me to give them a try. That is good customer service and confidence in their product.

[BakaDean]

Anyone out there that is 5 10 have a 28 in F4 customs windshield ?
Looking for feedback and pics on how you like it and siteline height from the flat area on top of tank.
Hoping there is help out there.
Dean

[Sbdraz]

Anyone out there that is 5 10 have a 28 in F4 customs windshield ?
Looking for feedback and pics on how you like it and siteline height from the flat area on top of tank.
Hoping there is help out there.
Dean

Dean - did you ever get any feedback on your post? Did you get a 28" F4? I am 5'9" and also considering a 28". Thanks.

Scott

[bushrat]

BakaDean and Sbdraz:
Not exactly the answer you're looking for, but close... I ryde a 2017 F3L; I'm 5'10", and the usual driver; my lady passenger is 5'6" and we go out two-up 95% of the time. A month or so ago, I replaced the stock OEM 'low-boy-with-lip' BRP windshield with a 23" F4 lightly tinted shield (no vent). I find myself looking mostly just over the top edge when gazing ten seconds down the road, but through the shield if checking things 50'-100' directly in front of me. The shield itself is fine, nice quality, a lot wider than the small stock shield, as well as much taller. You don't need an overly tall shield to deflect the wind over your head. The 23" is quite tall enough to move the air well above me, and 'the flow' also just clears my wife's head as well. Sure cuts down the buffeting, but still leaves some air movement. A vent really isn't needed IMHO, as there is already a fair-sized gap at the bottom, between the frunk lid and the shield proper. Also, the F4 shield fits the same standard mounting brackets as the short BRP shield. Just 4 bolts and less than ten minutes time to change

The two of us didn't mind the breezier F3 ryde, compared to the RT; we enjoy the open air. We were prepared to continue, but Don at F4 had a great deal on a used shield, so we decided to try it out. We're glad we did. The customer service at F4 was terrific, and the product has pleased us in the result. Our 23" shield cuts down the wind considerably. I have even thought of maybe lowering the shield a couple of inches so that I don't have the 'split' (sometimes over, sometimes through) vision, but even that is tolerable. It all comes down to a question of how tall do you really want to go? You'll find that even the 23" shield will push almost all of the oncoming air over your heads. In fact, I can often ryde with my visor wide open and not feel anything; my missus does the same. As for choice of clear vs. tinted, I might just go back to clear next time, although the light tint helps in bright sun.

Hope this helps. Just do what YOU feel most comfortable with; it may take some experimenting.

[AY4B]

Of all the windshields on this thread, how many are DOT approved? In some states its the law.

[Ex-Rocket]

How does one find out if their shield is DOT approved or not. Its not stamped or stickered like helmets, so how would an officer know if the shield is DOT approved????? I don't see that this would be a problem with law enforcement. He sure wouldn't write you up for a non approved DOT shield. I think he would have better things to do, than looking to see if your shield is DOT approved.

[AY4B]

The problem is normal acrylic will shatter by a rock with speeds of 15 mph. You are right that this law is rarely enforced but personally I want a shield that is safe to ryde behind.

Acrylic is only about 3% as impact resistant as polycarbonate. Normal acrylic shatters upon impact, and therefore is considered an unsafe material for windshields. Acrylic is very chemically resistant, and is more transparent than glass - glass absorbs about half again as much light as acrylic does. Acrylic forms easily at high temperatures, about 300°. However, machining acrylic at room temperature is difficult. It's not very easy to cut acrylic with a saw or drill holes in acrylic without shattering or weakening the material.
Polycarbonate is a DOT approved material for making windshields; normal acrylic is not. Some states require DOT approved windshields, and therefore in these states a normal acrylic windshield is actually illegal, however these laws are rarely enforced. Normal acrylic can be shattered by an impact from a rock moving at speeds as low as 15mph.
We use a special high cost acrylic called Impact Modified Acrylic. This form of acrylic is DOT approved for windshields. We use only DOT certified impact resistant plastics to make Calsci windshields. Our windshields will not shatter if hit by a rock. We test our windshields by shooting them with a .22 caliber rifle and verifying that the windshield maintains its basic integrity without shedding small pieces that could impact your face or eyes. No windshield can protect you against everything, but we do our best to make certain that our windshields protect you against the small rocks frequently thrown up by other vehicle's tires.



https://calsci.com/motorcycleinfo/Fairing.html

[Rondaa]

I bought the f4 customs 32inch windshield works great
I am 5 ft 10 wind goes over the top of my head I have the F3S spider