MountainMan
Supercharged
I recently had the joyous experience of being buffeted by the stock windshield on my '08 R3T so badly over a two-hour ride that I got a three-day headache and still have an infected ear from the battering. I have the lowers on and my helmet is a full-faced Scorpian EXO 400. I live in an area where the wind blows pretty much constantly throughout riding season, so avoidance is impossible. At freeway speeds going into a 30-40 mph headwind (aggregate windspeed over 100 mph) the buffeting give me blurred vision and, as mentioned above, some really uncomfortable side effects. Hence, it was time to do a little research into fitting a windscreen that is a little taller (mine hits me at the nipples).
The only manufacturer I notice being listed on this site (on any regular basis) is Clearview. I wanted to see if there were others as it seemed like almost $300 was a little steep for a piece of Lucite with some holes in it. Here's what I found:
1). Here's an article that covers a few more manufacturers - some of whom make screens for our bikes:
http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/accessoriesandgear/windshield_comparison/index.html
2). Here's the Clearview site for Triumphs:
http://clearviewshields.com/shop/manufacturer.php?id=15
A clear screen ($200) with vent (+$59) that's 23" tall (stock is 16") goes for $259. add $28 for shipping to WA from Colorado and we're at $287. If you want the light gray tint, add another $28. Pretty steep. Shorter screens are a little less. Custom heights are going to be more.
3). Here's the site for Rifle windscreens:
http://www.rifle.com
Their website is a little screwy and I can't get accurate information as to what they offer for R3, R3 Classic, and R3T. They list them all, but when you pull up the tab for R3T, you get information on the Roadster. I'm going to look further into these guys because of who they were - they were the guys who did Vetter fairings in the '70s and '80s and were so successful the manufacturers felt threatened enough to start doing it themselves. I just can't figure out what they're selling without talking to them.
4). Memphis Shades have nothing for any Triumph - unless you can figure out how to fit one of their universal kits.
5). Here's the site for an outfit called Cee Bailey's. Not listed in the article above, but actually have a product line for R3 and R3T:
http://www.ceebaileys.com/triumph/index.html
They seem to have a larger list of options for height, including a screen that's 4" shorter than stock. However, they only list the tallest screen at 6" above stock. Since they claim that all screens are "custom made," they may be willing to go higher for us Freaks of Nature. For a 24" clear screen they go for $180. Add only $10 for tinted (three colors). For you two-headlight guys, they offer screens at stock + 8" for $213. Shipping is a flat $22 in CONUSA. All in all, these guys are a hundred bucks less than Clearview and actually have a real dealership network across the country. So far, looks like a best bet.
6). National Cycle - a big player in the windscreen biz - has exactly nothing for our bikes.
7). Slipstreamer is also a big player who only has a few screens for Classics ('04 - '10) and I can't figure out what screen goes with what price or picture. Pretty messy and dealer network seems sketchy, at best. They don't seem to have replacements for Rockets with proper holes drilled, like Clearview, Cee Bailey, or Rifle (?).
That's all I've been able to gather in an afternoon. If any of the Captains have had experience with the above-listed windscreens, please chime in. Experience is the best educator - it has to be since it's the most expensive.
GR
The only manufacturer I notice being listed on this site (on any regular basis) is Clearview. I wanted to see if there were others as it seemed like almost $300 was a little steep for a piece of Lucite with some holes in it. Here's what I found:
1). Here's an article that covers a few more manufacturers - some of whom make screens for our bikes:
http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/accessoriesandgear/windshield_comparison/index.html
2). Here's the Clearview site for Triumphs:
http://clearviewshields.com/shop/manufacturer.php?id=15
A clear screen ($200) with vent (+$59) that's 23" tall (stock is 16") goes for $259. add $28 for shipping to WA from Colorado and we're at $287. If you want the light gray tint, add another $28. Pretty steep. Shorter screens are a little less. Custom heights are going to be more.
3). Here's the site for Rifle windscreens:
http://www.rifle.com
Their website is a little screwy and I can't get accurate information as to what they offer for R3, R3 Classic, and R3T. They list them all, but when you pull up the tab for R3T, you get information on the Roadster. I'm going to look further into these guys because of who they were - they were the guys who did Vetter fairings in the '70s and '80s and were so successful the manufacturers felt threatened enough to start doing it themselves. I just can't figure out what they're selling without talking to them.
4). Memphis Shades have nothing for any Triumph - unless you can figure out how to fit one of their universal kits.
5). Here's the site for an outfit called Cee Bailey's. Not listed in the article above, but actually have a product line for R3 and R3T:
http://www.ceebaileys.com/triumph/index.html
They seem to have a larger list of options for height, including a screen that's 4" shorter than stock. However, they only list the tallest screen at 6" above stock. Since they claim that all screens are "custom made," they may be willing to go higher for us Freaks of Nature. For a 24" clear screen they go for $180. Add only $10 for tinted (three colors). For you two-headlight guys, they offer screens at stock + 8" for $213. Shipping is a flat $22 in CONUSA. All in all, these guys are a hundred bucks less than Clearview and actually have a real dealership network across the country. So far, looks like a best bet.
6). National Cycle - a big player in the windscreen biz - has exactly nothing for our bikes.
7). Slipstreamer is also a big player who only has a few screens for Classics ('04 - '10) and I can't figure out what screen goes with what price or picture. Pretty messy and dealer network seems sketchy, at best. They don't seem to have replacements for Rockets with proper holes drilled, like Clearview, Cee Bailey, or Rifle (?).
That's all I've been able to gather in an afternoon. If any of the Captains have had experience with the above-listed windscreens, please chime in. Experience is the best educator - it has to be since it's the most expensive.
GR
