Yet another windshield thread for F3

[BeRight]

Why not - this section is still sparse - F3s are just now rolling out in volume

First question: Anyone close to 5' 8', inseam 30", sleeve length 32" that has a BRP blue ridge windshield on their F3?? - if Yes does the wind buffet your head - you know bobble head at highway+ speeds

Second question: Does windscreen just screw on to F3 (like on my 2008 Spyder RS) or is their a bracket required?

Thank you in advance for inputs

 

[den1953]

Helpful Data

The most helpful data on the Blue Ridge windshield height so far given on this forum is that the height measured from the rider's seat up is 19 inches. I used that 19" and used a tape measure going up from my desk chair and 19" comes about to my collar bone. I'm six feet tall so the Blue Ridge would only block the wind blast from about my shoulders down. No wind protection from the neck up at all. As for the mounting, maybe someone on here that has the Blue Ridge could enlighten us as to how it is mounted to the F3.

 

[doctorlbug]

Wshield

I'm 5' 11", 30' inseam, shirt sleve 33/34, and had a Blueridge Windshield with wind tunnel/major buffeting experiences.
Yes there are brackets for the BR, that mount to the rails on the dash.
There are some new aftermarket Shields starting to hit the market now.

Why not - this section is still sparse - F3s are just now rolling out in volume

First question: Anyone close to 5' 8', inseam 30", sleeve length 32" that has a BRP blue ridge windshield on their F3?? - if Yes does the wind buffet your head - you know bobble head at highway+ speeds

Second question: Does windscreen just screw on to F3 (like on my 2008 Spyder RS) or is their a bracket required?

Thank you in advance for inputs

 

[BeRight]

thank you for inputs - wow 19" from seat is way to short even for me being height challenged.

I am just going to reluctantly wait for aftermarket - probably 2-3 months.

Madstad has a taller adjustable one now but I think I'll wait to see what some others come up with also.

On my 2008 RS I can see over windshield but there is no head buffeting. The top of shield bows out a little - which forces air up and over head. Wish I could remember which manufacturer made it.

I just went out and measured mine on the 2008 and it is approx. 27" above lowest point of seat.

 

[den1953]

Flared Windshields

I currently have a 7Jurock with "flip" on my 2012 Victory Cross Country. Flip or flared windshields have a flared lip at the top which kicks the airflow up over your head. Klockwerks has them and National Cycle has one called the V-Stream. I can only hope a major windshield maker would come up with a flared windshield for the F3 as this design really works to make a see-over windshield keep the blast & bugs out of your face. Someone needs to step-up to the plate.

 

[jcthorne]

Hard to understand why BRP would bring this bike to market without a proper wind shied available.

 

[Chupaca]

One solution....

the windshield extensions...there are several kinds but I have the MSR I got from Twisted Throttle that works great for me at 6'1"..

or wait for the aftermarket folks to catch up...:thumbup: this one comes complete but you can get the flip to add to an exsisting shield...

 

[Tom in NM]

very close . . . .

Why not - this section is still sparse - F3s are just now rolling out in volume

First question: Anyone close to 5' 8', inseam 30", sleeve length 32" that has a BRP blue ridge windshield on their F3?? - if Yes does the wind buffet your head - you know bobble head at highway+ speeds

Second question: Does windscreen just screw on to F3 (like on my 2008 Spyder RS) or is their a bracket required?

Thank you in advance for inputs

. . . . I am 5'7", otherwise a match.

First answer: Wind, yes. Buffeting, no. I wear glasses. I don't wear a helmet, but I do wear goggles if I will be over 55mph for more than 5 miles. Not having a helmet, I don't know about bobble-heading. I have rode at expressway speeds in/through 40mph wind gusts. Yup, you can feel it, but not really any problems with control.

Comment: At first I thought the BR was a 'must change'. Now, I am not so sure. The F3 is a CRUISER. Really, cruisers do not have windshields. But for me, if I am taking long trips - I would like a little more protection - not so much from the wind, but from bugs and blowing sand & pebbles. My prime candidate for a windshield upgrade is a Madstad ( http://www.madstad.com ). I had one on my GS and it was perfect. As of this date, they are still developing one for the F3. I am attaching a mockup of how high the BR is from the seat to its lip.

Second answer: The BR comes with supports and hardware. I have attached pictures of the supports ( front, left and right ) There are also plates that go on the outside of the windshield. All the windshields come with supports - except ( I think ) the Gauge Spoiler - I think that just bolts on.

Comment: Given its size, I was surprised how low the BR was - BUT that is due to the angle of the front of the F3. The F3 windshields sit at a very different angle than on the GS, RS, or ST. Also, if you look at the front anchor/bracket for the BR, it looks like it may act like a hinge - I have not messed with that yet - if so, you may be able to add some risers to the side supports and change the angle and get more height.

The BR is a fine shield - it provides more protection that a normal Cruiser gets, but I agree, it may not be enough protection for some riders or conditions. I would hope that, just like the U-Fit system, BRP or the Dealerships would provide test models of the different windshields so the customer could make an informed decision on what works for them.

I would add one more thing, I am guessing that the aerodynamics of the F3 are proving to be something very different from the RS/ST/RT and standard motorcycles.

Tom

 

[vondalyn]

going to try the BR windshield

I've already mentioned that I'm not much of a windshield gal, but... that said, with the RT I got used to not having as much head bobble/pulling on my head at highway speeds than I'm experiencing with the F3. I went for the gauge spoiler, and it works for me for most of my driving. On the other hand, I'm not sure if I can stand wearing my half-helmet at all with just the gauge spoiler.

I'm thinking of taking a long ride this Saturday which will put me at some long stretches of straight roads and highway speeds, so I thought again about trying SOME kind of windshield for a comparison. Long story short, I ran to the dealership yesterday and picked up the Blue Ridge windshield. I had a 3 hour meeting this morning with no visuals, so I sat here listening and attached the brackets to the windshield and did the prep work on the center attachment. It looks like the center parts for the BR are not the same as what the gauge spoiler uses, so it will be interesting to find out how easy/hard it is to swap between them. Hopefully not too bad since I have no intention of leaving the windshield on 100% of the time.

I'm only 5' 6.5" (long arms/legs, short torso) so I'm not sure how my experience will compare to yours, but I'll report back on how it is after my ride on Saturday.

Dianne

 

[vondalyn]

how it attaches

Here are some better pictures of the brackets. the 2 round things on the paper plate attach to the upper part of the frame thing that goes around the gauges, and the brackets on the windshield attach to that. The other parts go to the lower end of the windshield and the front of that frame thing that goes around the vent area in front of the gauges. Very technical terminology, eh?

 

[den1953]

Thanks for the Pictures

That helps describe the parts and where they go. Please keep us informed as to how your new Blue Ridge performs for you.

 

[Ronbo]

WINDSCREAM...

Why not - this section is still sparse - F3s are just now rolling out in volume

First question: Anyone close to 5' 8', inseam 30", sleeve length 32" that has a BRP blue ridge windshield on their F3?? - if Yes does the wind buffet your head - you know bobble head at highway+ speeds

Second question: Does windscreen just screw on to F3 (like on my 2008 Spyder RS) or is their a bracket required?

Thank you in advance for inputs

I am close to those stats: Blue Ridge is great for cruising around town,but speeds above 45 your chest and head are fighting the wind blast. I am spoiled from the 2014 RT THAT I JUST traded in, but I intend to replace the Blue Ridge as soon as I can find one. Don't know about the bracket. Hope this helps some. I LOVE the f3, just gonna take some tweaking to get it to suit me.
Ron

 

[LV2RYDE]

My experience

Why not - this section is still sparse - F3s are just now rolling out in volume

First question: Anyone close to 5' 8', inseam 30", sleeve length 32" that has a BRP blue ridge windshield on their F3?? - if Yes does the wind buffet your head - you know bobble head at highway+ speeds

Second question: Does windscreen just screw on to F3 (like on my 2008 Spyder RS) or is their a bracket required?

Thank you in advance for inputs

My STL windshield was tall and movable but not wide enough to protect my face and chest.
I'm 5.4 . I was on my F3 for three days, at different speeds and length of time for total of 340 miles. i have BR windshield, it is great for protecting your chest and face, but on speed above 45, I feel Indescribable feeling, wind and sound are hitting both sides of my helmet at same time, noisy that I have to put the volume of my music much higher than normal.
BUT, did not feel that it is pushing my head to any direction, just uncomfortable sound.
my husband suggested ear plugs, for now.
Finally, I pushed my bike to above 67 there was grinding feeling for very short time then disappeared. Still dancing hyea:

 

[vondalyn]

installed it tonight

My ride tonight was back to Rist Canyon and Stove Prairie Road (and then down Poudre Canyon). I have to say that I enjoyed the ride more than the last time -- let the back end "dance" more -- not used to drifting, but I could learn to like it. I digress... If I'm trying to get this ride done in about 3 hours, it means taking highway speeds for about an hour to get to the canyons (and an hour back). I didn't notice that much head bobbling, but my helmet definitely gets lifted and pushed back and my neck gets sore by the end of the ride. Time to get the windshield on and see if it makes a difference.

I swapped out the gauge spoiler for the BR windshield tonight, and thankfully it's pretty easy. There are 2 screws at the top sides of the gauge spoiler and it unhooks from the metal dowel/post that runs across the bottom of that vent frame. Then there are 2 screws that hold the dowel/post in place. Easy enough to remove. The windshield install is moving the dowel side of the bottom bracket into the same place that the dowel fit for the gauge spoiler and screwing it into place, then lining up the front plate with the back plate and screwing them together (easier with 2 people but can be done by 1 if needed). The back brackets line up with the same "top" screw slots that the gauge spoiler used. The entire process probably took about 20 minutes.

 

[BeRight]

the windshield extensions...there are several kinds but I have the MSR I got from Twisted Throttle that works great for me at 6'1"..

or wait for the aftermarket folks to catch up...:thumbup: this one comes complete but you can get the flip to add to an exsisting shield...

Great idea - thank you

I found that some manufacturers require drilling of holes in windshield and or just clamps on the top - nice looking windshield

 

[vondalyn]

tested the BR windshield today

since the weather in the mountains is nasty today and I didn't feel like riding in rain/snow, I decided to hop onto I-25 and head north for a reasonable distance to check out the new windshield. Speeds for the most part were 75-95 going with the flow of traffic. So the problem I was trying to solve (which may not be the same problem everyone else is trying to solve) is the wind pulling my full face helmet up and back and giving me the feeling that my head is going to get ripped off. I am happy to say THAT problem is solved for me with the BR windshield. When I wasn't too close to other vehicles, I could feel wind on my outer shoulders and on my helmet (upper part) and it didn't cause my head to bobble at all. Please note that I have the attitude handlebars, so I'm leaned forward more than the stock handlebars would have had me. This may bring me more into the windshield bubble.

On the way home, I stopped by the new Can Am dealership in Ft Collins (European Motorsports??? I'm not sure if that's the right name) and met the sales manager and one of the sales guys. They seemed like nice people so my first impression of them is good. It didn't seem like they had much personal experience on spyders because they were quizzing me on some stuff, but that's ok. Gotta learn somehow, and I'd much rather have someone be willing to learn than just spout off incorrect info like it's a fact.

Anyway, as I headed back south on the interstate towards home, it was pretty much bumper to bumper and with other vehicles close by, there was a lot more wind turbulance and I did notice some head bobbling, but to me it was minor compared to having no windshield at all. I got off the highway and continued on home without the "close vehicle wind turbulance".

Not sure what tomorrow's weather forecast is, but if it's warm enough I might try the half helmet and just see if it's possible to use that with the windshield. I can't predict whether that will work or not with this windshield.

 

[SpyderGTL]

I'm 6' even with the stock handlebars and the BR windshield. I've not experienced any head bobbing due to the air blast. As I mentioned in another thread, I'm getting some dirty air from my shoulder blades and up, but no direct wind blast. I can turn my head side-to-side without any additional wind pressure or bother. I can feel the real wind stream just above my helmet. With the temperature starting to warm up, I don't feel pressed to HAVE to get a different windshield - I think the BR is good enough for the warmer weather and I'll be able to be patient and wait and see if anything better comes along.


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[den1953]

Thanks, I Needed That

I needed to hear what another six footer had to say about the Blue Ridge windshield out in the real world. I'm not sure what kind of helmet you use. I usually wear a half helmet which will pull and try to strangle me without a windshield. I did demo an F3 on Monday of this week wearing a full face helmet. The full face is not my cup of tea though. My biggest concern is bugs and thrown stones etc. hitting me in the face while wearing my half helmet. My question is this, will I need a helmet with a face shield in order to protect my face with a Blue Ridge windshield on an F3?? There are several brands of 3/4 helmets that have a flip-up face shield already on them. They might be a bit less claustrophobic than a full face.

 

[SpyderGTL]

I wear a modular full face helmet. I haven't been through enough "buggy" areas to know if the windshield will deflect the majority of the bugs up and over. I doubt the Blue Ridge will have much of an effect on thrown stones - I think that's more of a line-of-sight deal versus airflow. In addition, I think that there is enough dirty air that some type of face shield would make sense to keep the air out of your eyes and the stones out of your face.


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[daveinva]

Just to stomp a thread with my opinion: once Madstad finally puts out a windshield for the F3, *grab it*.

I've used their bracket on my RS for three years now, as long as Madstad is an option I'll never buy another aftermarket shield. Infinite adjustment, great build quality, and even better customer service. :thumbup: