Windshield Cleaning

Is anyone actually anal enough to take the windshield apart to clean in between the two pieces? Yesterday I spent several hours cleaning and got every spec of dirt off the bike, waxed and shined all the chrome (behind the brake pedal was a bear!) The hard water spots inbetween the windshield are the only spot free area on the entire bike but now my Marine Corps anal retendancy is coming back to haunt me! Is there an easy way to clean it? I admit I have been told I am OCD about my bike.

Well you can pull that sud holder double piece of lex and replace it along the mounts and that way you dont have the suds holder on your bike and cleaning is a snap...

[flightdoc]

I took my windshield off the bike and disassembled it. what a pain in the a**. I wouldn't recommend it but not sure what else you can do.

You can pull that second piece out (suds holder) so you dont have to take it apart every time you clean!!!!!

[trip]

Well, I can tell you from experience that you don't want to loosen your windshield bolts and try to slide the sub windshield to adjust it. When I did mine, I permanently scratched both main and sub windshield. Buying a new one is painful....550.00 bucks for the main and sub windshields and that's without hardware...just the plastic.

I don't take my windshield off and clean unless I'm going to slide and adjust the sub windshield. All other times I squirt water up in between the shields with a water hose to clean as best I can. I have to let it dry by itself. Cleaning with a rag is futile.

[dan]

The Folks are right. Take the second piece off. That is what I did.

The Folks are right. Take the second piece off. That is what I did.

:) :) :) :) :) :)

[Top Cat]

I ride with my shield down as far as it will go. I took it apart and painted the backside of the shield black where the suds usually dry to a nice spotty film. Let the paint dry and put it back together carefully. Now you can't see in there and it looks real sharp.

[dogdoc]

Took mine comletely apert and cleaned well after nearly 1 3/4 yrs, don't want to do that too often. So it bolts back fine without the little suds shield there?? Whats the purpose of the mini piece? Thx

Doc

[Todd]

The small piece fills in the gap between the big windshield and the headlamp. I ride pretty tall so have my main windshield all the way up. Loosened ALL the bolts around the small panel and lowered it to fill in the gap...helps tremendously with the buffeting....when I added the bigger lowers it topped it off.

I took mine to a plexiglass plass and had it cut down to 15-16".... I like it low...

Thanks all. Since my main windshield is all the way up I think I'll lower the small piece like todd did and If I don't like it I'll do as VulcanCouple suggested and get rid of it.

[Todd]

Be careful wolfman...as Trip said, it WILL scratch easily..make sure anything you use to help move the plastic is soft or better yet wrapped in a cloth. I did mine when it was brand new so it was not too difficult to slide but still needed a little elbow grease.

[franber]

Mate

I was in Australia's only airbourne unit - cleaning is a discapline, it's as simple as that. Have done that myself and though 'I wonder if others know how much dirt is there!' If thet don't - there loss, clean it brother!!!

[basco]

how exactly do get the small one to slide down
I couldnt get it to move

[Todd]

Heres what I did. This is the southern boy/shadetree mechanic way..there is probably a better one.

I loosened ALL the bolts around the insert..very loose. My insert then fell a little so I could get a small homemade plastic pry bar in between the middle frame and the insert..then got enough room to get my fingers in there and push it down...BE VERY CAREFUL IF YOU HAVE DEBRIS BETWEEN THE TWO...IT WILL SCRATCH EASILY...

BE VERY CAREFUL ON THAT FIRST STEP GETTING IT AWAY FROM THE MID FRAME..IT WILL SCRATCH EASILY.

BE VERY CAREFUL EVERY TIME YOU MOVE THE TWO PIECES...THEY WILL SCRATCH EASILY (my imaginary lawyers made me put those in http://s2.images.proboards.com/grin.gif)

Get it to the desired position and re-tighten all bolts.

Here are some photos of the way mine is set up...you can see my homemade lowers a little better in these also. If you look close you can see where the insert comes down just short of the headlamp assy.

This also seems to allow the suds/water to drain better and I keep very few water spots between the two.

http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb50/toddf1_2007/IMG_3650.jpg

http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb50/toddf1_2007/IMG_3654.jpg

http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb50/toddf1_2007/IMG_3653.jpg

http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb50/toddf1_2007/IMG_3651.jpg

http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb50/toddf1_2007/IMG_3652.jpg

[ponch]

You'd be better off getting a clearview: http://clearviewshields.com/shop/product.php?id=229


Well, I can tell you from experience that you don't want to loosen your windshield bolts and try to slide the sub windshield to adjust it. When I did mine, I permanently scratched both main and sub windshield. Buying a new one is painful....550.00 bucks for the main and sub windshields and that's without hardware...just the plastic.

I don't take my windshield off and clean unless I'm going to slide and adjust the sub windshield. All other times I squirt water up in between the shields with a water hose to clean as best I can. I have to let it dry by itself. Cleaning with a rag is futile.

Hey thanks for the pics. Pictures are great and thats why i try to post images so folks can understand what you are really talking about. Thanks again ....

[Todd]

Did I mention it will scratch if you're not careful http://s2.images.proboards.com/cheesy.gif

I AM from the south VC.....we have to use pictures most of the time too! http://s2.images.proboards.com/cool.gif http://s2.images.proboards.com/cool.gif