CeeBailey Taller Windsheild Report

MountainMan

Supercharged
Joined
Oct 29, 2009
Messages
227
Location
Columbia River Gorge
Ride
'08 R3T - Ol' Blue
I bought a 22" replacement for the standard windscreen on my '08 R3T (standard is 16"). Great fit and finish. Price was only $182 delivered via UPS Ground to Washington from SoCal. Much less than a comparable version from the guys with the spiffy vents.

These guys have been in the aircraft plastics business for a few decades and have the technology down pat. I would make a suggestion when replacing the hardware onto any new windsheild. Put the hardware on finger-tight until it is fitted on the bike - then tighten it down for final torque. Any slight variation in alignment (and there is always a little) will make it a little harder to remove and replace the quick-release screen in the future.

I bought this taller screen to try and eliminate the buffeting and resulting headaches/ear-aches I've been getting since the bike was new. When going with the wind at 70 mph, no problem. When going against the wind and there is more than about 80 mph coming over the top of the screen, the vision is blurred, my head and neck starts to pound, and I end up with a severe ear-ache after a couple hours. This screen was an attempt to reduce or eliminate that. I took a ride yesterday (wind blowing 25 mph steady) and noticed a different buffeting vibration, but still a pretty good, vision-altering, head shake. The ride wasn't long enough to test for headache or ear-ache.

So far, I'm disappointed with the result, but not with the CeeBailey product. Even though the height of the screen is much better and more comparable to the Kawa and Goldwing screens I've had over the years on those full-fairing bikes, this screen is most likely too far forward to eliminate the buffeting caused by turbulance coming over the screen at speed. I'm now convinced I'll need to bite the bullitt on a new Shoei X-Eleven. I hate the Scorpion EXO 400 I currently have anyway. I loved the Shoei RF-5V I've had since I was a teenager until it finally fell apart a couple of years ago (I think the mind-altering head stench killed it). I may even go back to the smaller screen. I will also try it without a screen.

One of the things that came with the new windsheild was a page of instructions for plexiglass care I thought was really informative and applicable to all our clear plastic:

SPECIAL WARNING

NEVER USE ANY PAPER PRODUCTS WHEN CLEANING & NEVER PLACE UN-PROTECTED SHEILDS ONTO THE CARDBOARD BOX IT WAS SHIPPED IN OR SCRATCHES WILL RESULT! EVEN TISSUE PAPER WILL CAUSE SCRATCHES.

Wash with non-abrasive soap and water, use the bare hand to feel and dislodge any caked dirt or debris. Rinse and dry with a contaminant-free damp chamois, microfiber, or cotton flannel material. The sheild must be clean and free of dirt, debris, or dust particles before you apply any plastic cleaners or polishing products.

Use only approved plastic cleaning products such as: Meguiar's Mirror Glaze MGH-17 or Meguiar's Mirror Glaze MGH-10. Use only contaminant-free wipes such as terry cloth, microfiber, or cotton flannel. DuPont aerospace wipes (available from CeeBailey's) are the very best and are 100% contaminant-free. Avoid static electricity; static electricity can cause dirt particles tom stick on your windsheild resulting in scratches.

REMOVING GREASE FROM WINSHEILD

Grease and oil may be removed from the windsheild with hexane or keosene. Wash off the residue with non-abrasive soap or detergent, then rinse it off with clean water and use a contaminant-free wipe.

CHEMICALS THAT ATTACK PLEXIGLASS

Do not use solvents such as acetone, benzene, carbon tetrachloride, fire extinguisher fluid, paint thinner, or laquer thinner. Do not use any ammonia (Windex, or similar) or bleach-based window sprays or kitchen cleaning products.

The rest of the instructions were geared toward the small aircraft applications.

My choice for detergent is Simple Green to clean the greasy bugs off and Meguir's Mirror Glaze Plastic Polish (#10) for a final buff. I'm going to loof further into the DupPont aerospace wipes. They were relatively cheap and looked to be applicable to most all the shiny bits on the bike - paint included. Here is the CeeBaily website that covers their cleaning products. Combo #2 seems to be the best option:

http://www.ceebaileys.com/cleaner_prods.html
 
There have been many posts on this subject and the general consensus is that the buffetting comes from under the screen around the tank, not from above. That is why some are using the fork mounted lowers to deflect this air. Try placing your arm along the side of the tank above the Triumph badge and see if that helps with the buffeting. If it does that could be your problem too.
 
I've got the lowers and have had them since day one. I'll try the test, however, to see how effective they are.

Understand, I'm taller than the average guy at 6'5", so I stick up there quite a bit. I've also had the seat raised about 1.0" - 1.5" in order to stretch my legs out a little, so I stick up just that much more. That also moved the rider position back about the same amount. Essentially, I'm not sitting as much "in the bike" as many of the rest of you are, so, it seems to me, the effects of the lowers because my head position in relation to them is considerably higher.

I'll let you know how the test goes.
 
I believe you're right about the distance effecting the buffeting. I have the taller Roadster (I think that's what they called it) screen as well as the stock screen. I run the tall one in the winter with the lowers, and the lower one in the summer with the lowers removed. I cut the tall one down so I just look over the top. Its the best for less buffeting, more protection. One issue I've found is traffic. If I'm running alone at 80 the buffeting is not that bad, but riding in traffic is much worse. Following pick up trucks seems to be the worst.

When you remove the screen altogether the buffeting you're experiencing will disappear. Of course that will be replaced by 80 mph wind trying to blow you off the back.

Bottom line is you're pushing a barn door down the road. Unless you're right up behind the thing there's no way the airflow over and around it won't toss you around a bit.
 
Interesting. I lowered my standard R3 roadster screen and get LESS buffeting than before. I do get a stream of air onto the skidlid visor now - but in many respects this is a plus (especially if it's wet) as I have nano-tech water repellent on the visor. It's simply kept clean. I'm hoping my laminarlip thing arrives soon - be interesting to see how that affects things.
 
..personally I feel that an outward recurve at the top of the shield is key..and of course the lowers..@ 5'10" my 23" recurve clearview works mahvolous..
 
I find this very interesting because I am 5 foot 11 and only have the 8 inch windshield on my Corbin and I get absolutely no wind buffeting at all. I wear a full face helmet and the only wind I feel comes from underneath the fairing, over the top of the tank and then onto my chest. My solution to this is to move my knees into the tank if I want to deter the wind. However this buffeting only occurs at, um, speeds I won't mention.

Native One
 
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