[Jfkingd]

Ok, so the tall windshield showed up today and I slapped it on and took off for a short test to see what all the fuss is about. Thank you COBRAGUY for the pics -- nice.

I'm 5'11" and rode with a half helmet with visor. Did only a short blast down the freeway, but I think I have enough riding experience (40+ years) to comment.

Impressions: Windshield is a slight improvement over the short one. Windshield height is good but the problem with it is that it's too narrow. Buffeting is coming around the sides of the windshield from top to bottom. I didn't think the buffeting was too awful but I didn't ride very far. Helmet buffeting was light to moderate. The real issue is the buffeting of the eardrums. I think you'd be fine with earplugs, 3/4 helmet, or full face.

Solution: Unfortunately, I don't think there is or will be one. I started measuring and mocking up what I thought would be a sufficient width windshield... and there's where you run into the problem. It's the handlebars. The throttle cables on the rigtht side handle bar would interfere with any wider winshield at full left turn lock. The throttle cables run out straight forward instead of pointing down. Thanks Honda for missing the mark here . That's going to prevent Honda or any aftermarket from making a better/wider windshield (I hope I'm wrong). On the clutch side you would have room. I bet you could make some modifications to the throttle cables direction, but anything wider would take some work.

Bottom line: If you're waiting for the aftermarket to come up with something better/wider, I wouldn't hold my breath. I feel that with earplugs or helmet that covers your ears you should be good to go. Right now I'm glad I purchased the taller windshield and right now I'm planning to use it over the short one.

Next time I go out I'm going to stuff a rag between the dash and the windshield and see if that does anything. It'll probably make the buffeting worse but I'm going to give it a try.

I'll let you know...

Take care.

 

[gregsfc]

I may be leaving the shorty screen on mine. I get some wind and push all along my upper shoulder line and chin, but it's not enough to force me to pull back against and/or tire me. Also, I feel no whipping air at all (it seems very even and constant, which is good), and I notice no air coming around the sides of my head with the regular stock screen.

I have very little experience with other rides, riding only a maxi scooter and a Yamaha 1100 cruiser. The Yamaha was a little quieter and a no push, but the CTX doesn't seem that much worse. Since I have so few experiences with different rides, it's hard for me to understand what the negatives are with the stock screen. The scooter with the stock screen had no push on my body whatsoever, but the air would come at you one side at a time quite often, and when I bought a tall screen and cut it to the right height, it really quietened things down and stopped the whipping and pretty much all the air coming at me from the front, but then I would get a whistle in my helmet and would sometimes feel swirling around my head and/or a push at my back during braking in a tail wind. Also, with the tall screen, I had more trouble keeping water off the face shield once it got wet, because I could find few ways to intentionally get the wind on the shield to roll it off. As far as cold weather, I had thought that the tall screen would have helped on the scooter, but really I could tell no difference even though I stopped most of the wind from the front. It was always my hands and fingers that would get painfully cold below 40 degrees, and the screen did nothing to help this even though it served dually as a hand wind guard.

 

[wheels]

You may have to buy some mini-wings and attach to the side of the windshield to solve the problem. To me, the windscreen was just to short with air coming over the top. I am looking into hand-guards that might fit, it looks possible 'since' the windshield is so narrow.

Supposedly, the gaps in the front of the windscreen are to allow some air thru to take pressure off of the windscreen and more importantly to stop the reverse back flow that will push you forward in the seat while riding.

 

[Armdillo]

I have the tall screen, it is too skinny!

It needs to be wider, sitting behind it you can see the natural place it should stop on the fairing. The slip streamer style would be great because if the height and the width and the shaped areas to get the air arround the hands.

I think the aftermarket on my Burgman would work great here. May have to do some looking. Overall, I am disappointed in the tall shield and Honda for the high price.

 

[j4a1]

I have the tall windscreen. I'm 5'9". I took a longer ride, both interstate and 2 lane, the last couple of days. I agree that it's not a 100% solution but it is better than the short screen for me. I got some wind noise around the helmet but my body was pretty well protected.

I have a full face helmet and listened to my MP3 player most of the way and it really didn't bother me much. I'm happy with the taller windscreen.

 

[CaseSteam]

I had the tall windscreen on my bike for about 3 days before switching back to the short one. I'm sure glad that was only a 15 minute project to switch them!
I'm 5'10" and felt the tall shield wasn't tall enough or wide enough. I have a full face helmet and felt like my head was being batted back and forth (left and right). I opened the shield to the first notch and could see the shield doing what it felt like my head was doing (thus explaining the headaches and sore neck those days). I'm hoping the Madstad improves on the Honda design shortcomings. If it doesn't, I'll have to look into some mini-wings and try something like the Laminar Lip.

I previously had a Yamaha Majesty with a touring windshield - wider and taller - and that worked great.

I'll be watching to see what everyone comes up with that works.

Dalene

 

[CEETEEX]

Has anyone with the buffeting considered cutting it down just a little and see what what happens?

 

[Jfkingd]

Yeah, wider is what is needed. Only problem is I think if you go much wider you'll be into the handlebars at full lock.

I'm 5'11" and it felt like the air was right at the top of my helmet in the perfect spot to hit the top vent on a full face. This is my wife's bike. She rode it around for a couple of hours today (while I was at work) with a half helmet with visor and was fine with the tall windshield. She wasn't going freeway speeds however.

I've never used any kind of attachable "wind wings". I suppose if they were short, like 5 - 6 inches, and they were on the upper part if the windshield; they might miss the bars and still take care of your head. Maybe I'll try something like that.

Like all of you, I'll be watching and if something new comes out that looks good, I'll be all over it.

 

[Billnoroville]

Has anyone with the buffeting considered cutting it down just a little and see what what happens?

sometimes lower is better but it is really hard to cut a factory windshield evenly and best to go to a glass shop. Instead of adding on top maybe adding on side wings could be just enough to help. Maybe a glass shop could add some plexiglass side wings that did not come down all the way and hit the bars. Either mod will mean drilling holes or gluing to the existing windshield I imagine.

these bikes are so new members have to do their own engineering that Honda fell short on. That is not unusual.

 

[Jfkingd]

Yeah, I think you're right. In this case lower is better, and/but I mean the stock low windshield. Felt like it put the wind threshold right at my throat or a little lower.

Wind off of your chest, your head in clean air, perfect for a full face. Unfortunately right now I don't own a full face and prefer to ride with a half helmet.

My wife and I are about to go for a little ride this morning (first one with the tall windshield). I'll have her wear switch between her helmets and see what she reports. This is her bike.

 

[Armdillo]

I rode 7hours with the short shield. The wind noise was loud even with earplugs.. My arms and shoulders were sore the next day from the effort too.

Next trip will be with the tall shield. Thanks. Anyone want to meet in Indy some weekend?
Lunch?

 

[frank m]

Hi good people. I have a tall wind screen also and find it a little disappointing. There is some wind noise at 55mph and above. I had a burgman 400 with a GIVI wind screen and it was great. Honda missed this one. I do like the bike and find it more satisfying the more I ride. The transmission is just fabulous.

 

[Jfkingd]

Bump for windshield. See original post.

Cee Bailey has cut outs for the handlebars. I bet it will work much better and have ordered one.

 

[gregsfc]

I'm going to send a PM to Madstad and let them give their sales pitch with respect to giving us reasons to wait on their screen before all the fairing-model owners from this site order a Cee Bailey. Personally, I'm not in a big hurry for a screen and desire to make the best choice, even though I desperately need one for added comfort on the highway.

I don't know or understand wind dynamics very well, but I think one thing that Madstad engineering will tell us is that fixed windshields cannot perform as well as their adjustable windshields mounted on brackets. If I'm not mistaken, isn't this Cee Bailey fixed?

I admit that I like the features and some of the things Cee Bailey has done to address the problems of the bike's design and I like the looks and the tinting choices: They have ensured that the windshield is angled to come back closer to the rider's body for better wind-shielding performance; they have given the option of a vent for improved air flow and to provide cooling in hot weather riding; they have accounted for the problem with regards to the location of the handle bars that makes designing a proper windshield for the CTX a tough proposition; and they have made the windshield wider down at the faring level for even more protection on the rider's body.

The question I would have and what I think Madstad might address is...can a fixed windshield, even as well-thought-out as the Cee Bailey, truly address and prevent buffeting around the helmet area?

 

[vulcan]

Unfortunately it's really hard to determine the best windscreen. It depends a lot on the bike. It also costs a lot to get three or so windscreens until you find "the one".

I had a V-Strom that was terrible in stock form. I did wind up with a Madstad adjustable bracket but still wasn't happy with the result. Found a CalSci unit that had an triangular opening in the lower center and it was ideal. Also replaced the stock, square mirrors with some aerodynamic Aprilia Tuomo units, as suggested on the V-Strom forum and they also made a big difference.

I think having the capability to adjust the airflow to suit your size, account for the fairing/windscreen configuration, etc. works well.
I had a Goldwing, which does have an adjustable air flow vent, and it was ideal both for me and my wife on the back. Some people really badmouth the Goldwing windshield. For me it worked.
I ordered a Cee Bailey with the vent so I'm hoping it'll be suitable for my riding. I do live in AZ and extreme temps are not a problem. We do get wind though.

 

[Madstad]

Hey Guys,

Feedback from our test rider is good so The Madstad option will be available next week.

Here is a picture of the system on our testers bike, I may refine the windshield shape a little bit for the final version shipping out next week, however this is generally what it will look like. The system is the same cost as most of our standard three piece systems, will be 279-300 depending on size and color. The shield in the picture is a clear 12" shield. We will be offering a few different sizes in all colors.

 

[M5OgPel1eI]

I had the tall windscreen on my bike for about 3 days before switching back to the short one. I'm sure glad that was only a 15 minute project to switch them!
I'm 5'10" and felt the tall shield wasn't tall enough or wide enough. I have a full face helmet and felt like my head was being batted back and forth (left and right). I opened the shield to the first notch and could see the shield doing what it felt like my head was doing (thus explaining the headaches and sore neck those days). I'm hoping the Madstad improves on the Honda design shortcomings. If it doesn't, I'll have to look into some mini-wings and try something like the Laminar Lip.

I previously had a Yamaha Majesty with a touring windshield - wider and taller - and that worked great.

I'll be watching to see what everyone comes up with that works.

Dalene

Not to be negative, but I am returning my Laminar LIP today. I tried it in many positions on my Honda tall shield (even with the top of the shield, 1” above, 2” above, and as high as I could mount it), and I honestly couldn't see much improvement in the terrible head buffeting.

I'm wondering about getting the tallest possible Cee Bailey shield (I'm 6' 1"), and see if there's any improvement there. Otherwise, the short shield seems to be the best option.

 

[jfc77320]

Welcome to the forum M5OgPel1eI. The OEM tall shield is virtually worthless even with the LIP for tall riders. I highly recommend the CeeBailey. Hang on to the LIP for the short term if it possible. I would suggest doing a CeeBailey manual measurement to see how high you actually sit in the saddle to determine the correct shield size before ordering. Body height plays very little in determining the correct height. Torso height or how high you sit in the saddle will determine the correct shield height. The top of the shield should reach the height between the mouth and tip of your nose. I'm 6'0 and need the 22" but you may need a different size. You can also add the LIP to the CeeBailey if you need extra height or you still experience some minor buffeting.

 

[HardDrive]

M5OgPel1eI, I'm 6'1.5" and the 24" Cee Bailey seems a bit short. Still a bit of helmet buffeting/noise, but way better than the short shield.