Motorcycle Windshield Buying Guide for 2013 TOTW

http://www.cruisercustomizing.com/ Windshield Buying Guide

Windshields may not be the sexiest accessory you can add to your motorcycle, but on a
long ride (or even a short one in bug country) having a windshield can make your riding less
painful and more enjoyable. Bugs, rain, and windburn are just some of the nuisances that
make many bikers pull off the road prematurely. Today, we will walk you through the key
windshield elements so you can make the best informed windshield purchase for your particular
application.

Adding a windshield, or at the very least a deflector of sorts, is a great way to eliminate the
aforementioned ailments. Some of the biggest names in motorcycle windshields are Memphis
Shades, National Cycle, Kuryakyn, Slip Streamer, and Windvest. While all of these brands
make great windshields, they each have very key differentiators.

Let's begin with the top 5 things to think about before making your decision:

1
2
3
4
5

Material
Mounting
Size
Style
Fitment / Accessories

Materials
There are two or three basic materials used to make motorcycle windshields: acrylic,
polycarbonate and quantum hard coated polycarbonate. What's the difference?

Acrylic is lighter and less expensive but has the tendency to scratch easier.
Memphis Shades, Windvest, and Slips Streamer are great examples of acrylic
windshields.

Polycarbonate is a clearer and much stronger material than acrylic (see the bat /
slingshot / gun tests) and is used by most OEM's, National Cycle and Kuryakyn.

Quantum Coated Polycarbonate has the same strength qualities as standard
polycarbonate but is scratch resistant to the point you can "clean it with" with steel
wool! National Cycle is the inventor of Quantum Coating and we urge you to watch
the scratch test here.

Mounting
Once you figure out the material that best fits your needs, you need to decide how you want to
mount your windshield. Do you want the windshield to be quick release or a permanent fixture of
your motorcycle? When it comes to quick release, here are the three most popular options:
1 National Cycle was an industry innovator with the Switchblade Mounting System. This
is sleek fork mounted stainless steel spool system which allows you to swap 2up,

Chopped, Shorty, or Deflector windshields on and off your bike in "seconds!"

Memphis Shades offers fork / triple tree mounting options with their trigger lock mounting
kits. These kits polished aluminum kits allow you to purchase additional side plates
(polished or black) that allow you to run any of the following: Fats / Slims windshield,
Batwing, Bullet, or Gauntlet Fairings.

2

Kuryakyn offers AirMaster quick release mounting kits which merge some of the best
features of the two mounting kits above.

3

Size
Okay... now to the meat. What size or style of windshield is the perfect for you? It really is
pretty simple, but the first thing to remember is that size is more than just windshield height. Key
measurements or dimensions to take or at least think about are:

●

Height: from bottom of windshield (or headlight cut-out) to top of windshield
○ Perfect height is between your nose and upper lip then arm stretched out
Width: Side to side of the windshield at its widest point
Headlight Cut-out: Side to side of your headlight
You should also look at width, around the headlight, down over the forks.

●
●
●

Style
Okay... so most windshields are not the sexiest looking accessory... but what style suits your
fancy? Here are a few of the most common styles from bigger to smaller:

●
●
●
●

The Original "cruiser style" 2up windshield
Slims: Same as above but a bit narrower
Shorty: Either variation above with a shorter height
Deflector: A screen that fork or handlebar mounts and is just above the headlight

Fitment
Now you are almost there! You have now figured out the perfect style, material, and mounting
option for your specific application. But we're not done yet! Are you running an aftermarket
lightbar, headlight, handlebar, risers, fork covers... or any other item that has the possibility of
interfering with windshield fitment? If so, call a professional at 1-888-857-5417 to examine your
options.

Accessories
Lowers: If after your windshield installation you notice a bit of head / helmet buffeting
when on the freeway, you will need to purchase windshield lowers. Often times lowers are
brand specific, so choose lowers that not only are specified to fit your motorcycle make / model,
but also the brand of windshield you have mounted.

Rain Zip: Do you want an anti-fog coating which will literally repel or shed water off of

your shield? Rain zip is the product for you!

Thank you for checking out this Cruiser Customizing Windshield Buying Guide. You can find all
of the products mentioned above at http://www.cruisercustomizing.com/ and can get detailed
help by calling our windshield professionals at 1-888-857-5417.