I suspect that a hose clamp wouldn't be good enough. The problem seems to be from the windshield shaking side to side and twisting this piece.
I'm not sure keeping the arm in compression would solve that.
Mine failed in exactly the same mode. First it broke close to the shield, and after i glued it together it failed again closer to the bike portion shortly afterwards.
Just my opinion, I could be wrong.
The photos of the cracks do not appear to be caused by torsional stress. I suspect it is the mere repeated bouncing of the windshield up and down (or fore and aft) that fatigues the link and finally breaks it. It probably involves a metallurical problem, in addition to design strength issue.
-Scotty 2011 Spyder RTS-SM5 (mine) 2000 BMW R1100RTP, motorized tricycle & 23 vintage bikes 2011 RT-622 trailer, Aspen Sentry popup camper, custom motorcycle trailer to pull behind the Spyder
Do you run your shield up most of the time or what? I had the F4 shield on my old RT and it was wider but shorter and I always ran it all the way down. Just trying to figure out why this is happening to some and not others. I've never been a big fan of cast parts in stress areas.
Do you run your shield up most of the time or what? I had the F4 shield on my old RT and it was wider but shorter and I always ran it all the way down. Just trying to figure out why this is happening to some and not others. I've never been a big fan of cast parts in stress areas.
I was wondering about that, too. I almost always ride with my windshield down, and I haven't had a problem. I also wonder if differences in the play in the mounts is contributing. My 2010 windshield was very tight, and did not buffet or bounce a bit. My 2011 shakes like the wind. The percentage of rough road or freeway riding may also enter into it, I imagine. It would be nice to get some details to try to start pinning this down. It still seems to be a fairly isolated problem, but it would be quite startling if it happened.
-Scotty 2011 Spyder RTS-SM5 (mine) 2000 BMW R1100RTP, motorized tricycle & 23 vintage bikes 2011 RT-622 trailer, Aspen Sentry popup camper, custom motorcycle trailer to pull behind the Spyder
Here's my details, maybe others will chime in also
I ryde every day, all temps & weather conditions. So far, no ice or snow yet.
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In 8 months, we have almost 20,000 miles now.38 miles round trip M-F on highway doing 55-80? mph
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Usually take Teddy cruising around town 25-45 mph about 10-15 miles a day
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Never (OK, Rarely Ever) off-road, but a few local streets are brick & cobblestone, so pretty bumpy
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If its a dry ryde, the shield is positioned all the way down, then up by two bumps of the button
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If its a wet ryde, all the way down, then up by usually 4 or 5 bumps, putting it about 3/4 of the way up
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I NEVER ryde with it all the way up. Tried once & got backsplash on the back of my head learned my lesson
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Like Scotty, my 2010 Spyder shield seemed to be tighter. The 11s pivot points seem a little loose
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I did however switch out the smaller 2011 shield for the larger 2010 shield. Seeing as I ryde all winter & in wet conditions, the larger 2010 shield provides much more adequate protection from the elements.
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The byke is always garaged overnight. I live in an urban area, so no long gravel or dirt roads to contend with, tho to be fair, the Cincinnati area is notorious for pot-holes
Last edited by CyncySpyder; 12-08-2011 at 12:32 PM.
Someone needs to report this to the N.H.S.A. so they can jump on BRP in a legal fashion.....That will deffinately get their attention.....Mike....
To be honest, mine broke at speed and al that happened was, I got a little more wind on me. The windsheild drops down and thens lays back against the upper wind deflectors. Granted, that's an undesireable situation, but I'm not convinced it's a safety issue.
After the glued arm broke the second time, I put some cardboard protectors over the wind deflectors and rode that way for a week until I got the unit replaced.
I just wish I had more confidence that the replacement unit is more robust than the original. Unfortunately, I don't.
If it ain't broke, don't break it.
IBA #47122
2020 RT Limited Asphalt Grey
To be honest, mine broke at speed and al that happened was, I got a little more wind on me. The windsheild drops down and thens lays back against the upper wind deflectors. Granted, that's an undesireable situation, but I'm not convinced it's a safety issue.
After the glued arm broke the second time, I put some cardboard protectors over the wind deflectors and rode that way for a week until I got the unit replaced.
I just wish I had more confidence that the replacement unit is more robust than the original. Unfortunately, I don't.
Can't say that I agree. Surly a windshield bracket failure could potentially pose a safety risk to the rider. One bracket failing could cause additional stress for the remaining brackets which they were not intended to withstand. With the center bracket failing, should we assume the other two are better designed? Maybe, but maybe not. They may be as poorly designed as the center.
Mark & Mary Lou Lawson
Snellville, GA USA
'10 RT-S PE #0031
'10 RT-622 Trailer
'08 Yellow SM5 #2332
'01 Black GL1800A Goldwing #0930
"Remember in the darkness what you have learned in the light." - Joe Bayly
Can't say that I agree. Surly a windshield bracket failure could potentially pose a safety risk to the rider. One bracket failing could cause additional stress for the remaining brackets which they were not intended to withstand. With the center bracket failing, should we assume the other two are better designed? Maybe, but maybe not. They may be as poorly designed as the center.
The center bracket is fixed in the sense that it is attached to the motor. The other two brackets are not locked in so they will have a little more give and that may be why they are not failing. Either way they should not be breaking and I'm sure BRP is aware of the problem.
With the center bracket failing, should we assume the other two are better designed? They may be as poorly designed as the center.
Apples & Oranges
The other two pivot points that hold the shield on are NOTHING like the dog-bone center support that moves up & down.
Not saying that they could NOT give way themselves with the additional stress if the dog-bone mechanism broke at speed,
but they are nothing like the center support.
I can see it coming some day, A class action lawsuit when one fails at 50 plus mph wind and knocks some one off there bike, and or kill the rider and or passenger. I never looked at mine but I will, I have to drive on a ruff dirt road for a mile before I hit pavement and the shield dos bounce around a lot.
Well guys I am in Australia and mine has failed. Still waiting on a replacement. My mates has also broken but they were quick to fix it. Replace the whole mechanism. New one seems to be stronger. We will see.
BRP is not allowing the dealerships to order or replace only the cast alluminum dog-bone shaped mechanism that is failing, instead, requiring dealers to order & replace the entire assembly including the motor that raises & lowers the shield. After talking with the Service Manager, we're both thinking that BRP will change there stance on this subject as they start having to replace more & more of these units under Warranty, it just doesn't seem cost effecient to replace a perfectly good motor when its not the problem.
BRP did cover the replacement under Warranty, but sadly, the replacement part looks exactly the same as our previous defective part, minus the visible crack, so we'll see how long this one lasts for us. I do have to admit tho, now that we have the new one installed, the wind-shield seems to be rock solid now. Before, we would have a little play if you rocked the shield from left to right, not a lot, but you could wiggle it back & forth. Now, its not moving at all except with the push of the button.
On a side note, a fellow RT ryder stopped by the shop while I was waiting on Teds Red Sled & we got to talking about this dog-bone issue, which he was totally unaware of. I asked him if he had checked his & he had not, so we walked out to his byke & I showed him where to look & sure enough, his has a crack in it as well, right in the same spot that ours cracked.
Mine broke today on the way home from the dealership. Among the other issues I am having this is all I needed. Hopefully they can get a replacement dogbone piece by the weekend.
I would expect vibration, you would have to be crazy on the windshield switch to wear anything on that system. I expect that most people tend to touch the switch once a ride or less.
Corbin saddle
spyderpops block off plate, bump skid, belt guard
IPS
Tricled LED lights all around(too many to name here)
Smoothspyder belt tensioner
Custom Dynamics britesides
VTC floorboards, upper air vents, spoiler
BK car stuff HID upgrade
trailer hitch
Repainted rear fender, trunk latch assembly, switch cluster, gauge cluster
cell phone interface kit
travel cover that no longer fits due to the spoiler
New sway bar
New shock relocator
when i got my 2011rts i noticed how the wind screen would bounce if you were on a bumpy road and when i went in for my 1st oil change i was looking at the 2012 models and i noticed that brp had made a change on the windshield supports i had pins with a snap ring holding my sheild on and the new 2012 had a sleeve with a screw going into the other end so i grabbed a hold of the windsheild and tried shaking it and got no play from it so i told the service desk i wanted the new screws that were on the 2012 as mine was terrible they had to get a hold of brp so they could get those sleeves but it was a great improvement no more play in the sheild and it didnt cost me i guess they did it for free but after reading this i'm going to go check mine out but get those pins replaced with the new sleeve there using on the 12's.
Tall flag mount, spyderpops skid plate & stainless steel screen mesh, airhawk adjustable cushion, raised white lettered tires.
when i got my 2011rts i noticed how the wind screen would bounce if you were on a bumpy road and when i went in for my 1st oil change i was looking at the 2012 models and i noticed that brp had made a change on the windshield supports i had pins with a snap ring holding my sheild on and the new 2012 had a sleeve with a screw going into the other end so i grabbed a hold of the windsheild and tried shaking it and got no play from it so i told the service desk i wanted the new screws that were on the 2012 as mine was terrible they had to get a hold of brp so they could get those sleeves but it was a great improvement no more play in the sheild and it didnt cost me i guess they did it for free but after reading this i'm going to go check mine out but get those pins replaced with the new sleeve there using on the 12's.
I had complained to my dealer about the same thing back in 2010 when I bought my RT. Mine also rattled when going down the road. Will look into having my pins replaced with the sleeve and screw. I wonder if the rattling is also why some windsheilds cracked on the original RT's. I thought it was odd that in 2011 BRP made the stock windsheild on the RT smaller than the 2010 models. The original size windsheild, as launched in 2010, is no longer available. My dealership swapped my cracked windsheild with one off of a new 2010 RT in their showroom.
I believe it was a defect in the casting exacerbated over time from road vibrations
Originally Posted by ulflyer
Just curious; does anyone know if the broken WS happened from a lot of use, up and down? Or perhaps just from vibration?
And just to be clear here, we're talking about the metal dog-boned shaped bracket that adjusts the windshield up & down with the electric push button, not the actual winshield itself. In my case, I never noticed the crack in the bracket & I DO adjust my shield frequently on every ryde & do ryde daily. Total failure occurred when Teddy & I were ryding thru a local park and went over a speed bump around 10MPH & the bracket broke all the way thru, causing the shield to lay atop the dash.
Mine broke in the middle of an 1,800 mile ride to the east coast. Luckily for me I was pulling my trailer so I just removed the shield all together and put it in the trailer. Riding 800 miles with no shield sucks and wouldn`t you know it, it had to rain on us for part of that. You don`t realize how nice that shield is till you don`t have it. I will see what my dealer has to say this week. BE SURE TO CHECK YOURS. Mine had about 14,000 miles on it when it went.
States We Have Been To On Our Spyder
My mods: Green filter, Air box mod., Muzzy exhaust, Cat Bypass, Exhaust Heat Wraped, Powder coated all Bare Metal surfaces, Capt. Jim`s Belt Tensioner, Custom Built Highway Pegs, Elka front shocks, RS-S rear shock, 2011 smaller windshield, Dynojet PowercommanderV & Autotune, NGK iridiom DCPR9IEX spark plugs, Maxxis MA-Z4S Victra rear tire, General Altimax HP 185/60R14 front tires, Corbin seat & backrest, BRP hitch. I need to stop!
And also I have the smaller shield I got from CyncySpider and am going to have another 2" removed from the height of it but would like to have another 2010 shield for winter use so I can swap back and forth if anyone has one to sell.
States We Have Been To On Our Spyder
My mods: Green filter, Air box mod., Muzzy exhaust, Cat Bypass, Exhaust Heat Wraped, Powder coated all Bare Metal surfaces, Capt. Jim`s Belt Tensioner, Custom Built Highway Pegs, Elka front shocks, RS-S rear shock, 2011 smaller windshield, Dynojet PowercommanderV & Autotune, NGK iridiom DCPR9IEX spark plugs, Maxxis MA-Z4S Victra rear tire, General Altimax HP 185/60R14 front tires, Corbin seat & backrest, BRP hitch. I need to stop!
I have the tall windshield, & ride with it almost full up, on most rides. Additionally, I adjust the height based on weather, speed, & location - usually 5 or more times per ride, & am at 60+, 80% of the time.
No cracks on my 2010 RTS
2014 RT SE6 Rider
X - Honda Rider
X - RT S driver
X - RS driver
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