I Come Bearing Gifts - Tall Windshield

CadillacFan

CadillacFan

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Hi Everyone

I'm new to this Forum so might as well start with a positive contribution (and before I start reaching out for help with the stock gear and rear brake pedals that I find annoying)

I purchased my R18 Classic recently (new) and am so far impressed with it

I'm quite tall and used to riding behind windshield that sit just above my eye-line. This is mainly for comfort as I only wear open face helmets and don't want to have insects / stones / dust pelting me in the face. The other bikes I ride are tourers / commuters and suited to tall windshields.

I always fit them in such a way that should I need to look over the top (for instance when the windshield is wet) I can do so easily

So before riding the R18 I sourced a custom windshield from https://www.skidmarx.co.uk for a very reasonable cost

It is 200mm (8 inches) taller than the stock BMW windshield (see photo of old vs new)

It works perfectly and does not adversely affect the looks or the handling of the bike

Hope this might be of use to others with a similar need for comfort / protection

Cheers
Alan
 

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Hi - I'm pleased you think it looks good

I don't believe BMW make such a thing and if they ever did it would cost a small fortune

I took my screen to the Skidmarx workshop in Dorset and they made a template from it - you just need to contact them - [email protected] and they can make one and send it to you for around £120 + shipping

I spoke to Matt there today and he assures me that it will arrive the same as mine pre-drilled, ready to install

The curvature of their screen is almost identical to the original and fits well with the existing fittings

I hope this helps - Let me know how you get on
 
Don't mean to flame and would like it if it was about 4 inches shorter.
To tall but,looks much better than the goofy looking Clearview curve.
 
CadillacFan said:
Hi

I'm sure it can be made 4" shorter - just ask Matt or Ian at [email protected]

The price is around £120 plus shipping

Bargain in my experience

Cheers

Alan
Click to expand...
What material is the windshield made of?

Indian,Harley and BMW us a polycarbonate which is many times stronger than acrylic.
 
It is acrylic - they only manufacturer in acrylic

I will upload a link to the part shortly and if you think it will suit your needs it will be easy to order

Just in case there is any doubt in anyone's mind, I'm not part of Skidmarx business and will not benifit from anything to do with any orders placed - I'm just an enthusiastic rider who is happy to share useful information / experiences 👍
 
CadillacFan said:
It is acrylic - they only manufacturer in acrylic

I will upload a link to the part shortly and if you think it will suit your needs it will be easy to order

Just in case there is any doubt in anyone's mind, I'm not part of Skidmarx business and will not benifit from anything to do with any orders placed - I'm just an enthusiastic rider who is happy to share useful information / experiences 👍
Click to expand...
Not interested.
Waiting on LRS and their Polycarbonate windshield.They used my windshield as a template.Got it back last week so hopefully their curve tip will be coming soon.
 
Seems there is no huge advantage to polycarbonate vs acrylic for windshields - looking around the research online, polycarb is definately the harder material, but is it takes a big impact it is still screwed just like the acrylic.

Acrylic has the advantage of UV protection (so longevity of clarity over 5 - 10 years life in the sun), and ability to be lightly repolished for minor damage.

I'm interested what the big no-no is, and why the preference for polycarb?
 
The guys at Skidmarx who made mine don't manufacture anything in polycarb so I had no choice

I ride a Harley Ultra with an extra tall after-market polycarb screen and a Vespa 300GTS with a full height acrylic screen, and now of course the R18 with an extra tall acrylic screen - from my perspective they all work exactly the same as effective windshields

I've seen tests that show that polycarb is stronger but will still fail in high impact scenarios

My view is that acrylic or polycarb, they both keep dust, grit and insects out of my face and eyes, they quieten the ride by reducing the direct flow air flow over my head and so also make the experience more comfortable
This means things like the volume on my Cardo in-helmet speakers can be much lower and I can have clearer communication using my external Cardo microphone (I only wear open-faced helmets)

It is very personal but because I really enjoy cruising rather than tearing up the road, the tall windshield is a 'must have' addition for my style of riding
 
On the thread topic of polycarbonite vs acrylic wind screen, my two cents worth is that PC is used on high performance aircraft windscreens designed to survive a birdstrike at a great rate of knots. For me it is PC all the way!
 
i don’t disagree in principle, however I couldn’t find a tall polycarb alternative at the time - so acrylic is much better than nothing at all

If a polycarb tall windshield becomes available then I’ll definitely consider it
 

Lower Wind Deflectors

Long Ride Shields https://www.longrideshields.com Thanks for the update! I have the windshield by ClearView 19.5 inches with a cured top and I am 5'10", I don't have any buffering on the top after installed. Love it!
www.r18forums.com
 
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