[Red Rider]

A good bud of mine will be coming this way soon, if the weather holds. Which brought up the subject at hand. See, I'll ride in anything but icy conditions. Even sleet if it ain't sticking - did this year to Run-O-Mucca in Winnamucca. But my shieldless buds are the first to back out and the first to pull over and call it a day because of the beating taken without one. I rode for years without one and pretty much felt as they do - except once I got a shield I found I could ride a ton more. So though I'll pop the shield off on my 'King and catch a few dragonflies every now and then, I'm a big fan of windshields. What do ya'll think?

[SK]

Ever since I rode with one..I can't ride any distance without one. I'm riding up to Virginia City tomorrow after school and I'll be coming into VC in the dark. It'll be getting cold by then and I'll be glad for the windbreak. Even with a fullface helmet..I hate the wind noise if I didn't have a shield. The one on my FJR is electric..so I can adjust it up and down depending on how much wind I want and how much wind noise I want to cut out. Gotta hear the tunes while I'm riding!

[kgc]

Wife and I traveled to Cleveland over the Labor Day weekend. We like to travel Route 2 to stay off of the turnpike. Wouldn't you know it we ran smack dab into Ernesto’s last hurrah Saturday afternoon. After 2 hours of 35 MPH wind gusts and sheets of rain I'm glad I had a wind shield on my FLHRCI.

[AFNurse]

I learned the value of windscreen quite a few years ago....had moved from kaw ninja 600r to older model Honda CBR 750....had the fairing and windshield on it....didn't really notice it much at that point....few years later, traded it off for a NEW Honda Shadow Sabre 1100. NICE bike with no windscreen....again, didn't notice the difference much until one memorial weekend, rode to a Memorial Day Celebration where my old Gurad unit was having a Storm Reunion. got caught in 50 degrees and rain for about 7 hours of riding.....wasn't dressed as warm as I should have been and was a popcycle by the time I arrived...going home was not much better. Got the windscreen the next week......noticed the difference RIGHT off.....Since then, won't ride without one! Currently have an EGlide Standard...factory screen was TOO blocking of breaze AND it cut through my field of vision....SO, I changed it to a 7 inch screen.....get some wind, but not full and I can live with it. Plus it does not have the cut going through the center of my vision field. Don't think I will ever ride a bike again without a windscreen! (not unless borrowing or "testriding" a buddies bike!)

[Harleywyld1]

The fact is I don't like them. I ride a 97 softtail custom that came with a detachable. I've rode with it twice and felt like there was something missing from my ride both times. Now I know they are nice during the rain and sleet and snow and hordes of wild killer honey bees (i was only stung once in the middle of my throat, thank God I'm not allergic) but given all that I still like to feel the wind pop me in the chest and face. Thankfully that is one freedom that our ever present and all caring government still affords us, we each have a choice to ride with or without. (so far)

[Killer-B]

I’ll say yes on the windscreen. Maybe I’m getting old, but it really cuts down on the fatigue on the long runs where you’re pounding out the miles.
I’ve just spent the last three days riding around without my screen and at first I thought; hey, this is cool, not so bad. Well, after today’s long ride I said to myself “ Put it back on.”
Unfortunately, while I was riding around, some of my parts to the mounting gizmo fell off. My bad, now I’ll have to see if DP has the mounting hardware for the Memphis Shades…
Always make sure that your nuts and bolts are secure if your going to ride without your detachable windscreen…

[ironhorse]

I prefer the luxurie of having a fairing/ windshield, mine is a street glide and is capable of changing out the glass height to suit the season, I almost talked myself into some lowers the other night when I rode 105 mi in about 35-40 deg weather but the 75' weather the next day kept me from it so for now I will probably just change the glass

[mwelych]

I rode without and with... I like the with!!!!

[scooter]

Every great once and awhile I'll ride without. What got me hooked on them is that I started developing a taste for lovebugs. Just didn't seem right that I would go out riding with friends on the way to some joint to eat, and then not be hungry when I got there 'cause I'd had my fill of junebugs and lovebugs, yanno?

Sheesh.

scoot

[gumby321]

I put one on for the wife, she insisted I put a shield on if I wanted to go over 65 mph. I borrowed my buds for the day since he didn't like his.
I put it on my FXR LR and it didn't take anything away from her looks so I left it on. Until one day I was cleaning my bike and went for a putt without it on.
It took about 1 mile for me to turn right around back to the garage and throw that baby back on. Then I was off to COOKS CORNER for a ride through the mountains. Never to be without a vest again. I just bought another one for my new 91 FXR got it for a steal. I love when a guy really has no clue on whats good for him. He just thought that a windshield was for a sissy la la.
So call me a sissy la la, but I am one comfortable one...Gumby Peace

[Tomflhrci98]

Originally Posted by LowRiderGhost

LRG

PS: Of lesser concern but significant never the less - the bigger shields and fairings resonate a certain amount of engine noise back to the rider, whereas the smaller shields don't. Gets dang old after a while listening to it after a high mileage day! Especially if you’re trying to listen for 'serious' noises instead of the erroneous ones. Not such a problem with the whisper quiet late model Fatheads & Blockheads, but darn annoying with old Shovels and Iron Sporties.

I like listening to my EVO. It tells me a lot, such as, if it is getting too hot or if I need to change the oil. I don't think the windshield resonates sound I think it just allows you to hear other things instead of the wind pounding my ears after 40 mph. I like hearing a car coming up beside me in my blind spot when I not paying attention.

I only take it off when I know I am not going to hit any highways for the day.

[gumby321]

HEY LRG. I hear you bro. To me though there is nothing sweeter that to hear nothing but your bike. I don't want to hear any ticking,clicking, pinging or boink.... All I have a need to hear is the sweet sound of my pipes along with the wind and smells that I pass through.
There were times when I rode to work in the wee morning hours of southern calif. If you know anything about calif. It is large. To get to work I used to ride through 3 or 4 weather zones I lived near the beach so there I would get warm off shore fog. Then riding into the city of L.A. You get the warm city block of all winds. Then going into the the Vally it would start to get cold. As you got out of the Vally and started to climb up and up the #5 freeway towards Magic Mountain. It would be down right in the upper 30's. There was actually 1 time that it was so cold. I had to get off the freeway and stop for another cup of joe to warm up. I have been riding for a long time and I am always prepared. I am from New York orig. and left there because of the winters. Here I always layered up and did whatever I could to make my ride comfortable.
I hated being in a cage going home in that L.A traffic. I started at 6 am and if we went 12 hours that ment I was in rush hour traffic. In L.A you are legal to split traffic. So that was a big reason I rode to work as much as I could.
So being that there were not many other people on the road that early in the morning. All I heard was my bike's pipes and loved it. So now I have the opertunity to hear those sounds again with my new bike. I am hopeing it will be finished soon. If you see the picture of my old bike under my name. She was my heart. I had to sell het to make our move here to Vegas. I will be on the rode again soon. Gumby Peace

[HellBoy]

Haven't tried one yet. I've been riding my Sporty on short runs (45 minutes one way) on the highway just for practice and haven't used a windshield yet. No big thing at 50, 58, but hit 62 and it becomes a pressure to fight. Two or three hours of that could become a drag, so I'm thinking of buying one of the Harley Quick release shields ( maybe a Super Sport). This way I can ride the city without it and when I'm going further than an hour away, pop that sucker right on.

My friend didn't think he'd like it on his Dyna and now rarely takes it off.

[Ultra Al]

I'm with ya Red. I never used one until I bought my Road King in '02. I still like the feel of the wind in my face and sitting low in the saddle so for that I have my custom FatBoy but on a long trip say over 100 miles, give me my geezer glide (RK) with its soft ride and wind shield. I also put on the wind deflectors and surprisingly them things actually work. Guess father time is catching me. AL

[fujimo]

i am the one who gets stung at least a dozen times a year,,, my buddies think it is really funny,,, i had a yellow jacket get under my sunglasses and walk accross my eye,,, left stains in my shorts,,, try to slow from 70 to zero and have one finger inside glasses trying to keep him from stinging you rite on eyeball,,,, he did get me twice above my left eye,,, in 15 minutes it was clear shut,,,, i could not concieve how many times i would be stung without shield,,, pops

[SK]

That's one of the reasons I went to a full-face helmet instead of a half-shell a few years ago. Had a bee go right around my windshield up inside the half-shell and sting me on the ear.

When I first bought my Royal Star 11 years ago I test road one w/o a windshield and liked the ride. Went back a week later and test rode one with a windshield on the freeway and thought.."that's too cool". I don't mind going without around town, but not a freeway speeds.

[FLHTbiker]

I would not ride on the open highway without a windshield anymore. You just get to tired from the wind when riding without one. Once you get over that Macho image riding with a windshield is much more enjoyable.

[cowboy]

I custom built me one years ago out of a old FLH one I got at the Denver swap meet , That was after a long road trip without one on my shovel head back in the earley 70's On My 03E Glide I leave the stock one on year round I'am almost old & don't need to look cool

[chucktx]

love my batwing!!!!!!

[Red Rider]

And to think I started this thread......So anyway, the weather has been decent lately, freezing overnight but in the high 50's, which means the bugs are down (not that we have many here - unless its hordes of crickets, tarantulas and butterflies, but that only happens briefly) and so I've popped the 'shield off lately. Did a run to Reno today (about 70 miles) on the highway and interstate and really had a blast. Loved the openess of the shieldless bike. 'Course, I now have the Panoptyx Raptor converta-goggles, or the ride would have been rough. The thing about no-shield riding for me (wearing a half-helmet) is that I really just go 70-75 mph most of time or the beating gets to be a bit much. And gravel trucks are no fun to be near, but that is when I suck it up and hit the throttle.

The wind is a whole lot cooler wihtout the shield, though, and I had to layer up for the return trip.

So bottom line: I like the choice, and will probably ride more now without it since I have the goggles. At least here in Nevada.