Choosing The Correct Shield Height Welcome to FAQ Fridays.

Our weekly blog designed to answer your everyday questions regarding everything about windshields and how to order them. Review our latest post! Our Goal is to help our riders as much as we can with any questions they may have. How can Clearview Shields help me choose the correct height? Clearview Shields offers a variety of height options to customize the windshield to the rider. Our goal for every rider is to tailor fit the best windscreen to your personal Body Size, Motorcycle Modifications, Riding style, and Expectations. The best way Clearview Shields can help to choose your height is by having you fill out the RIDER SPECIFICATIONS QUESTIONNAIRE PDF or RIDER SPECIFICATIONS QUESTIONNAIRE WORD FILE and email it to info@clearviewshields.com. We will process your information and send you a recommendation tailored to meet you and your needs. A riders body size is the most influential part of determining the correct windshield height. In addition to how tall you are, your sitting height and seat compression will alter the height of windshield you need. The next aspect to choosing your windshield height is your riding style. Riding style defines how you generally approach riding your motorcycle. Do you take an aggressive leaned in posture ready to take riding full throttle or is it a more relaxed laid back posture? Another factor is the riders screen view. Much of what Clearview Shields is about is to establish a Clearview of the road ahead whether its through or over the windshield.

Measure 50ft of string or rope attached to wood or something else on the end.

Place the 50ft rope at the base of the front wheel of your motorcycle and stretch the string out to the full 50ft.

. While seated on your bike, look either through or over your windshield (depending on your screen view preference) at the wood or item attached to the end of the 50ft rope. Looking Over the Shield:

With the Correct Height Shield using this method for everyday riding you will be able to look over the shield by 1-2 so you have a Clearview of the road ahead. Checking the Height: On a level surface, place an object on the ground 50 feet in front of your bike Sit on your bike in your normal riding position Your line of sight should go just over the top edge of the shield while looking at the object If you do not have a level surface, the top edge of the shield should be at nose level

Looking just over the top edge of the shield at the ground 50 feet in front of your bike Looking Through the Shield:

With the correct height shield, the top edge of the shield will be 2-3 above your line of sight. Checking the Height: On a level surface, sit on your bike in your normal riding position While looking straight ahead, measure the height that will be 2-3 up from your line of sight With this height, you will not have the top edge of the shield directly in your view

Looking through the shield 2- 3 below the top edge of the shield Regardless of your screen view, there are 2 ways to measure the height: Length Measuring from the top of the shield to the bottom along the shield surface. On some of our shields where we have changed the angle of the shield for improved performance, the length may not be the recommended measurement because the length may actually be longer and the top edge of the shield may be lower due to the angle. Vertical Height Measuring at a 90 Degree Angle Straight up from a common point referenced on our website for your model of motorcycle. This is the recommended method where vertical height measurements are listed. We suggest having someone hold a tape measure or ruler so you can sit comfortably on your bike. No matter what height you choose for your windshield, make sure you are riding with a ClearView. Feel free to contact us with any other questions, comments, or concerns. To email our customer service department: info@clearviewshields.com Or you can give us a call toll free at 1-800-798-6089.

The Height of Necessity

A common conundrum for the greenhorn shield buyer is determining the right height of the screen. There's no absolute answer, but our experienced editorial staff concurs that the top edge of a shield should sit just below your line of vision while seated comfortably. Settling on the size and shape is a completely personal and subjective matter; even the manufacturers we spoke to told us they used good ol' trial-and-error to come up with their shield configurations. So should you. - Ideally, you should be able to see over the shield without straining, yet be able to drop your head to look through the plastic if conditions warrant. You should be able to view the road clearly in your immediate path of travel (approximately two to four seconds or 100 feet ahead). - A good way to judge windshield height is to cut several mock patterns of varying sizes out of cardboard and have a pal hold them in place while you're astride the bike in a normal riding position. See which choice affords you the clearest view and match it up with the product measurements found in the catalogs. Qualities such as seat height, riding position and your torso height and posture will affect your final shield selection. - If you already have a towering windshield and modification is on your mind, you may have to go it alone. (See "Plastic Surgery," April 1999). Mount 'Em Up

A new windshield should come with mounting instructions, or if you're buying used, insist the seller give you tips on installation and adjustment. Ask before you buy -- required bracketry can differ wildly from shield to shield and bike to bike, and sometimes, it is sold separately. Many companies offer quickrelease brackets on the fork or frame, allowing you to interchange shields or easily dispense with your shield and "ride naked." Some of these combinations can be expensive, but usually are worth their weight in convenience.

- During the mounting process, make sure you don't bind cables or block lighting or brake lines; controls and mirrors should have plenty of clearance too, and you should be able to adjust your mirrors to see above and below and right and left of your usual position. Check to see that nothing touches the windshield when the fork goes to full compression (you'll have to re-route cables differently or remount turn signals if the shield's edges intrude). - Before remounting parts and torqueing down fasteners, test fit the windshield so you don't have to make complicated changes later. Move the bars side-to-side to full lock to ensure the shield doesn't interfere with steering. Take a short test ride, but take it slow. Seven That Saved Face To experience all the aforementioned points, we sampled seven different units from several manufacturers. We asked each company to send in a shield made for full-sized bikes. The shields we received were constructed either of polycarbonate (Lexan) or acrylic (Lucite). Both mediums have their supporters: polycarbonate proponents say their shields are more resilient, and the acrylic camp contends that polycarbonate scratches easily and breaks down faster from UV rays. Each one of our samples bolted onto mounting brackets affixed to the bike's fork and/or triple clamp, and all were easily removable. Differing rider heights yield varying opinions, so we assembled a trio of testers ranging in size from dwarfs to giants, each with varying torso lengths. Our cross section of shield samplers included a rangy six-footer with a long torso and a normal reach to the bar, a midsized 5-foot-8-inch everyman with a medium torso and a longer wingspan, and a 5-foot-7-inch gnome. For shield dimensions, we measured from the highest point of the headlight cutout to the top of the shield for height, and across the shield at its widest point for the width. To carry our plastic barriers into battle we selected a 2001 Yamaha Road Star and a 2001 Kawasaki 1500 Classic FI -- two full-sized cruisers with large consumer bases and deep aftermarket support, and both obvious candidates for windshields. We recorded the approximate time needed for each screen's installation, then examined the shields and mounting hardware for general appearance. For our road test, we ran a 50-mile route at highway speeds using each shield once. The testers then rated the screens for wind protection, ease of installation, optics, appearance and turbulence. KAWASAKI MOTORS Vulcan Shield, $300