Fixing the Windshield That Won't Stay Up

[Craniac]

My windshield would not stay up. This gets annoying in the cold weather. So I decided to see if it could be fixed. I got enough of the tupperware removed to see small indents in the side of the support. I guessed that there was a spring loaded ball that is supposed to keep the windshield where you want it.

I took off more tupperware and the sliders. The lower bolt is very hard to get to. Well, it is easy to get to but I could only turn the bolt about a sixteenth of a turn at a time. The top bolt is easy. The sliders are held together with three allen bolt/nut combos. You cannot see the third allen bolt until the slider is removed from the bike. Do NOT try to pry the sliders apart while they ares still on the bike. Took the sliders apart and installed a small washer as a shim to tighten the spring and make the ball firmer in the indent. There are two spring/ball combos per slider.

Put the sliders back in. You can see the reinstalled sliders in the pic. You may also notice that I forgot to reinstall the top bolt on the left (right of pic) slider. So after I had it almost all back together, I had to take it back apart. Put it back together again. Installed the windshield and it is much firmer. It is possible that just one shim per side would have been enough. But I have a large CalSci, and while it was apart I wasn't going to take any chances.



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[ARtraveler]

Thank you for posting the information. A few have posted about the windshield issue.

 

[Craniac]

160 mile shake down test ride today. It didn't.

 

[Chupaca]

Good to know..!!

great to see a solution posted for those with windshield issues. Thanks for posting this..!! :2thumbs::bowdown:

 

[Craniac]

Now have over 500 miles on the repair. Windshield has NOT worked down. I consider this problem fixed. Now if I could just do so well on the heat/gas smell.

 

[MelloYelloSpyder]

Where are you putting the washer?? The pic is fuzzy and can't really tell where you put it. Also did you install just one per side or more? How did you go about getting the front plastics off the bike to get into the mechanism?

Thanks.

 

[Craniac]

The washers go in the hole, under the spring. They make the spring stick out a little farther. I used a total of four, one for each spring. They are about the thickness of a credit card.

It has been awhile but if memory serves, you remove four torx head screws (perhaps allen head)from the underside of the top of the dash. This is on an ST. The lower half comes out. You may have to fuss with the warning/lawyer card. Then the top removes by pulling it straight towards a seated driver. Do NOT try to lift it before pulling it backwards about a half inch. It will come lose. The lower portion of this black piece is held in by little fingers that go in slots. If you lift too soon you will break the fingers. The last Pic shows the slot for the "finger" in the upper piece. Under the hole, about a half inch wide.

 

[Colin]

Now have over 500 miles on the repair. Windshield has NOT worked down. I consider this problem fixed. Now if I could just do so well on the heat/gas smell.

I had similar gas smell problems, and bad idling and at times wouldnt idle, it turns out it was the Purge Valve was not working
properly, it was replaced under warranty and I no longer had the gas smell, and idling was back to how it should be.

 

[MelloYelloSpyder]

What a fun job....said no one ever. Actually not all that hard, just time consuming. While in this process i managed to lose a torx socket down in the front part of the motor steering area while removing some of the screws to get everything off. As far as removing the sliders I popped the dash cluster out to make that a bit easier. Still not a breeze by any means on the lower screws but at least you can kinda get your hands in there. The washer size I found that worked at my hardware store were 2.5mm. I used two in each hole as they were very thin. Seems to have done the trick. I have rode about 40 miles so far with the window part way up and it has not slipped or given any indication that it is going to do so. So, if you have the bigger than stock windshield you have two choices. Buy the upgraded spring kit from BRP or go to the hardware store and buy the flat washers. My total cost was $2.38 versus 18.99 for the spring kit. Take your time doing this and keep your screws in line. I put them with the parts they went with as I was taking things apart.

 

[Craniac]

Glad it worked for you.
You are right. It is not a fun job. But it really isn't that hard. And it is nice not having the windshield fall down.

 

[Craniac]

I had similar gas smell problems, and bad idling and at times wouldnt idle, it turns out it was the Purge Valve was not working
properly, it was replaced under warranty and I no longer had the gas smell, and idling was back to how it should be.

Thanks for the info. Idle was fine. The new panels seem to have fixed the gas smell.

 

[Guysmilie54]

Falling windshield

Just took my bike in for warranty work on falling windshield. In the 2015 parts catalog under the picture of the touring windshield, is a repair kit that I believe is heavier springs.



if this doesn't work,i and still time to return the touring windshield

My windshield would not stay up. This gets annoying in the cold weather. So I decided to see if it could be fixed. I got enough of the tupperware removed to see small indents in the side of the support. I guessed that there was a spring loaded ball that is supposed to keep the windshield where you want it.
View attachment 102170
I took off more tupperware and the sliders. The lower bolt is very hard to get to. Well, it is easy to get to but I could only turn the bolt about a sixteenth of a turn at a time. The top bolt is easy. The sliders are held together with three allen bolt/nut combos. You cannot see the third allen bolt until the slider is removed from the bike. Do NOT try to pry the sliders apart while they ares still on the bike. Took the sliders apart and installed a small washer as a shim to tighten the spring and make the ball firmer in the indent. There are two spring/ball combos per slider.
View attachment 102171
Put the sliders back in. You can see the reinstalled sliders in the pic. You may also notice that I forgot to reinstall the top bolt on the left (right of pic) slider. So after I had it almost all back together, I had to take it back apart. Put it back together again. Installed the windshield and it is much firmer. It is possible that just one shim per side would have been enough. But I have a large CalSci, and while it was apart I wasn't going to take any chances.
View attachment 102172


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[AY4B]

Bumping this to the top.
Thanks for the info:thumbup:

 

[AY4B]

I just did this job due to the new cal science touring shield I got. Thanks for the thread. It is what i needed to know what I was facing. I did not need to remove any tupperware though. I took off the panel on the speedometer, the one over it. Then there is 4 screws under the speedometer. the black panel on the front and then removed the speedometer. I could then remove the windshield brackets. One by one, I took them apart and added a couple of small washers. I had to do the first one several times to get the right combination. I had a collection of washers to work with. the smallest ones were just a little to big and gave no adjustment at all. I had some teeny tiny lock washers that I could wedge inside the spring itself 2 in each spring, not on top. Those gave it the feel I was going for. I dont know if Ill have enough ride time to try them out before Spyderfest. Ill report later when I feel it was a success.

 

[AY4B]

Im shure wish they would have designed that slide bracket a little better. It is all plastic parts on a plastic base holding the windscreen. It feels much better after the fix but the windshield still has a lot of play which is probably normal for what they got.
Has any of these windshields ever had a catastrophic failure?