Total Motorcycle Community Forums

It was windy the other day when I was crossing a longish, low bridge over a lake. I was surprised at how much and how steadily I was buffeted on that bridge--I actually had to lean the bike slightly left to compensate for it, which was a weird feeling. I kept wishing my V-star 650 weighed more than 500-odd pounds, and thinking "it is way too early in my motorcycling career to be wishing for a bigger, heavier bike!" I also wondered at the time, how would a windshield help or hinder me in that situation? Would it push me around even more, especially if the wind is gusty or hits me broadside? And, since cruiser windshields are much more upright than for sport bikes, does size (of the windshield ) matter?

I've noticed it when out on the highway as well. I lean forward to compensate for the gusts of wind. Getting a windshield had originally been high on the priority list, but there have been so many other things to get, I thought that could wait a while. Also, I worry about where it will be in my line of sight.

Thanks!

A heavier bike will more than likely have a larger profile so you'd have to deal with more wind. It'd be a wash: gained weight offset by a larger area for wind to hit.

A windscreen can prevent air from hitting you at higher speeds, but most screens I've ridden behind direct turbulent air directly at your head, causing more aggravation than just leaning forward to deal with it. I've done several 600+ mile days on my naked bike and wind on my body was never an issue. If possible, try before you buy.

I wondered whether a windshield would really help, or act like a giant sail in such situations. Local MC guy told me it would really depend on what direction the wind was hitting me. He also told me that a sport bike is really quite a trip in such circumstances: being lightweight and with the solid sides of the bike. Glad I didn't have that experience.

Hadn't thought about the size of bigger cruisers offsetting the increase in weight, though. Not that I was seriously considering changing. It was just funny how quickly, in less than a month, I went from "Dang, this thing is a moose!" to "Dang, I wish this thing was a moose!"

Thanks!

As far as your arms with a windshield, it will make your rides more enjoyable as your arms don't have to hold on as hard with your chest act like a windshield.

On the side to side wind issue, adding a extra hounded lbs or so will not make a big difference. I've found that as I gained more experience in wind, that I can handle higher winds now, but that it still is not fun counter steering left and right and back again. I just check the top wind gusts before I leave for the day, if it doesn't look like a fun ride, I take the cage.

Just my opinions

In the new edition of the Proficient Motorcycling book, David Hough indicates that windshields act as sails on motorcycles - and then he goes in to detail on how to control it by leaning but actually still riding straight.

In any case, I didn't like the wind pushing against me on my bike, so I ordered a larger windscreen for it. I'll deal with crosswinds as necessary.

RhadamYgg

So, today I commuted to work on my motorcycle - my car was in the shop and I didn't feel like renting a car and I was - of course itching to ride the bike in.

I have to say - 54 mile commute (special all-day meeting) and - well maybe the weather conditions were less than optimal, but the wind was kicking my a$$ on the Ninja 250.

The trip there wasn't as bad as the trip home, but the Tappan Zee Bridge on the way home was hellish. Wind bouncing me around from front and sides on road surface with even spaced parallel lines etched in to the surface.

But even after that on the Garden State Parkway on the way home the winds were really pushing in to me a lot.

Today was supposed to be the day without rain this week - and that happened, but with rain scheduled for tomorrow and it was supposed to rain yesterday - I'm hoping the winds were the result of fast moving storm fronts and not how my ride would normally be.

Anyway, I wouldn't normally be taking the Tappan Zee, I'd normally be on the George Washington Bridge.

RhadamYgg

Skier wrote:A heavier bike will more than likely have a larger profile so you'd have to deal with more wind. It'd be a wash: gained weight offset by a larger area for wind to hit.

Not necessarily.
I used to ride a 900lbs cruiser and now ride a 600lbs sport tourer. The wind shoves the bike around a *lot* more now than it did before.

ShawnKing wrote:

Skier wrote:A heavier bike will more than likely have a larger profile so you'd have to deal with more wind. It'd be a wash: gained weight offset by a larger area for wind to hit.

Not necessarily.
I used to ride a 900lbs cruiser and now ride a 600lbs sport tourer. The wind shoves the bike around a *lot* more now than it did before.

Well, I guess - it might be a surface area to weight ratio - that would tell you how much the wind would push you around.

I'll tell you - as small as my Ninja 250 is, the wind pushes me around a lot - and it feels less secure when I have less fuel in the tank rather than more.

RhadamYgg

I have the VStar 1300 Tourer. The article I posted below pretty much answers all your questions on windshields. Me, I prefer the windshield. I have added lowers to my bike and that makes a big difference on the wind that is coming up from below:

The Bottom Line The cheapest or first windshield you find might not do the trick for you. Remember: size, shape, and angle make all the difference in the world.

It Might Be Time!

There comes a time when being thrashed and throttled around, feeling like you are doing 200 chin-ups an hour, eating bugs, and feeling the rain run down your neck all lose their allure. Sometimes even the windshield that came on your motorcycle does not seem to work. That is the time when buying a windshield moves to the top of your accessory list. But before you grab the first one you see at your local dealer, the cheapest one around, or the coolest looking one on the internet, there are some things you might want to consider.

What Does The Windshield Do?

Should you have not already noticed; a motorcycle is not a car. A motorcycle windshield is not a window for viewing what might be outside the box you are riding around in. There is really a whole bunch of that aerodynamic stuff going on with even an unfaired or “naked” bike that affects the riding experience. That slab of Plexiglas or Lexan in front of you channels the airflow around the vehicle rather than stopping its path directly with your chest. On any vehicle the power train is pushing against and through a solid wall of air. In this case, it has to do with what the physics teachers make you memorize during the first weeks of classes. No matter what you want to think, Newton wrote it down and now it is the law. To build every ego on two wheels, air sees your chest as the most massive part of your body. In other words, the largest single item resisting that wind is your combined upper body and head. Once you reach 20 or 30 mph a rider is pulling his body through the resisting force of the wind, using all those same muscles you use for chin-ups. Back to those aerodynamic bits, a motorcycle windshield directs the resistive force of that solid wall of wind around the equally resistive force of your chest. It is a lot like the curved or pointed bow of a boat.

Style Is Important

The “look” of your motorcycle really does need to match the type of riding you plan on doing. If you want a bike for sport touring, then you will want a smaller café style windshield. The café style got that name from European riders who would race from café to café (tipping a glass at each café). It is very small, and shaped like a bullet for maximum air penetration. While not overly protective, it reduces the amount of force the power train must produce to overcome the resistance of the air. Those arm and chest muscles do somewhat less work, and your can ride faster on a slower motorcycle.

For a touring motorcycle, the windshield needs to be larger. Height reduces the pressure on your head and neck, while width reduces the pressure on your chest and arm. Those two dimensions pretty much control your protection from searing wind, pummeling rain, and low nutrition content bugs.

So Bigger Is Better?

Just like in other of life’s pleasurable activities, it is not the size of the windshield that makes the difference, it is what is what is done with the size. The overall size does affect the blocking force of wind hitting your body, and will make riding less work (holding on in the pressure of the wind blast). Your motorcycle power train does have to pay a price in the added resistance of the larger surface area (that Newton guy continues to enforce his laws), while huge, flat windshields are usually not very attractive. So the compromise comes with shape.

A curved shape affects the ability of the windshield to "cut" through the air, and
will effect buffeting of you and the bike. With less force needed to cut that air, there is also a less abrupt change to the air flow around you. Kind of like closely following an eighteen wheeler, a wide and flat windshield will produce buffeting air around your body. Buffeting air is almost as uncomfortable as a solid full force of air. The amount of curve, and how far around your body it directs the airflow, will tell you how much protection and comfort you will get for your Plexiglas dollar. For even more mass reduction and protection, some designers use compound curves at the top and edges to gently redirect air and flying insects. Oh yeah, those curves can greatly enhance the overall lines of your pocket rocket.

Angles are important too!

Your high school geometry teacher tried to tell you angles were important, and he was right. A “straight up and down” windshield will stop some of the wind, but it will be harder to push through the air, and the area of protection will be greatly reduced. Windshields that meet the air less abruptly will extend the calm air behind it by as much as two or three feet! More comfort and less work for the engine are great paybacks for a little geometry and aerodynamics.

There Is No Windshield Wiper!

It is not unusual for non-riders to wonder how you can ride in the rain without a windshield wiper. Those folks rarely know that a motorcycle windshield is not something you are supposed to look through. A motorcycle windshield is something designed for you to overlook! Remembering that the first thing it does is to direct the wind over and around the rider, it should be easy to see how it also redirects rain over and around the rider. Looking through those couple of inches above and beside the windshield will return a clear, unobstructed view of the road ahead! So here is where a bit of measuring comes in handy. You need to have a windshield that allows you to look a couple of inches over the top without straining or slumping. The mounting system should allow for this adjustment, and some motorcycles have mechanisms for changing the height and angle of the windshield while riding. Most aftermarket models come in either stocked or custom heights too.

All Together Now

Slapping either the cheapest or first windshield you find onto your motorcycle might not do the trick for you. Remember: size, shape, and angle make all the difference in the world for a touring motorcyclist.

for side to side wind buffeting...tighten your knees a bit to the tank... it wont do it all but you will find better control.