ST1100 Windshield???

OK, I just can't get the windshield thing figured out on my 94 ST1100. The stock one is too short, the GIVI I got is two inches higher, but still windy as heck and the Cee Baily that is two inches higher than the GIVI is much better, but now the bike seems to blow around a lot.

I am 6'2" with a 33" inseam. Trying these out is getting expensive!

Tom

Re: Windshield???

I am very satisfied with my Rifle wind screen because it throws all of the wind over my head without making me look through it and it doesn't suck me forward or beat me to death with turbulence.

http://www.rifle.com/Motorcycle/Honda/srchbike.cfm?&DID=9&BikeNo=630&Motorcycle=1991-Honda-ST1100-(ST1100)

The PO trimmed it shorter so I'd have to go measure the height if you wanted to know how tall it is. That won't really help you though since I'm 5' 11"...

Re: Windshield???

I am 6'2" with a 33" inseam. Trying these out is getting expensive!

Tom[/QUOTE]

And you haven't even tried out the Clearview yet! I do know what you mean Tom. I did settle on a clear view when I had my ST1100. I also put a Clearview on the ST1300. I liked the wide spread at the top with the cat eye inlets to help the air get over the back side of the wind shield. I think the one I chose was a medium height. I am 6' and it seemed to work out great for me. You might require the tall. I know I was able to see directly over the top of this one. Good luck.

Re: Windshield???

Just a thought, but I have in the past cut down a few screens with good results. Why not just get one that is to tall and start adjusting down. I know there are other things to consider like shape and width, but just something to try especially if you already have one to play around with. Some masking tape and a jig saw with a fine tooth blade will make the windscreen any size or shape you want.

Re: Windshield???

Tom, I have struggled with the same issue on my '02. I researched this site along with any others google produced & found no clear winner. The one that had the most favorable reviews was the Laminar Lip (on stock windshield) or the Laminar Lip Combo. The Laminar Lip is adjustable - not as aesthetically pleasing as others, but I'm a function over form kind of guy.

I called California Sport Touring (best price I found) & the guy I talked to had a ST1100 & said he had tried several windshield before settling on the Laminar. You might give them a call & get their recommendation for you height. Good Luck....John

Re: Windshield???

Ennacac,

I'm your size. I do have heli bars and a Sargent seat. I also have a stock seat cut down and it is quieter than the custom Sargent which makes me sit taller. Although I don't know the make of my windscreen it appears to be just like the Rifle. I added pics to my gallery. It is 21" long top to bottom.

I believe installing a laminar lip would put me in calm air. Rifle sells a 22" screen so that may work for you without a lip. I don't notice the bike being blown around with this screen. Go to California Sport touring or Laminar for a lip for your specific screen manufacturer. I've seen sights claim the lip is only for the stock screen which is false.http://www.laminarlip.com/st1100.php

Re: Windshield???

I'm 6'2 (on a good day), 32 " inseam with a Russell seat and the flip clip mod. I use a Clearview Gen III XL and have been quite happy with it. YMMV.

Re: Windshield???

Clearview XL on mine also, works great!!! May need laminar lip now that I have the Russell Day long that puts me up 1.5 inches. still trying it out!!!!

Re: Windshield???

I think the best I've tried, and I've tried a bunch, are the new gen clearview and the laminar combo. But I'm not sure the laminar works as well for someone as tall as you. The Clearview, which is available in different heights, might be a better bet.

Re: Windshield???

I have tried (and paid for!) all of these:

stock: terrible

stock + Lip: quite nice for 1-up in summer, up to 70mph. If I only rode alone, this would not be a bad choice, but doesn't help the passenger at all.

Rifle 22": worthless

Clearview large: Somewhat effective, but the "barn door" as I called it, had too much effect on the handling. Anything that high and wide, when truck turbulence hits it, is just like pressing on the bars. Yuck.

Clearview medium: Much better than large, but not as turbulence free as the stock+lip. Still head-bobbing for my passenger

Clearview medium + lip for stock screen: Very good. Rode this quite a bit. Still larger than I'd like, but acceptable even on the interstate. Still bothered by turbulence from trucks, but hey - other than the K1200LT I owned for a few years, what isn't?

Laminar shield + lip: Best of all by miles. Much lower than even the CV medium, yet smoothest by far. Zero turbulence. Recently completed a 1600-mile trip, about half on interstates that I try to avoid. Perfectly smooth, even at 100mph. Bike is hardly affected by truck turbulence at all, probably because the screen is physically quite low. The only obvious difference versus above options, is that the Laminar shield is angled back quite a bit more than the others. All the other options are obsolete. Its also the best looking, for what that's worth.

Bottom line is none are any good without a Lip. Rifle may have been ok with one, but I sold that years before the Lip came out.

For reference, I'm just shy of 6ft, with 30" inseam

Re: Windshield???

Don, I just took off the shortie Laminar shield/lip and put on the 22in. Rifle that I've never used. Gonna be doing some miles this week. Why did you find the Rifle to be worthless. I'm also considering cutting a couple inches off the Rifle. My lip doesn't appear to fit the stock shield. I guess you need a specific one for the stock shield.
I was thru Sayre last week!

Re: Windshield???

DeanR said:

Don, I just took off the shortie Laminar shield/lip and put on the 22in. Rifle that I've never used. Gonna be doing some miles this week. Why did you find the Rifle to be worthless. I'm also considering cutting a couple inches off the Rifle. My lip doesn't appear to fit the stock shield. I guess you need a specific one for the stock shield.
I was thru Sayre last week!

Click to expand...

I found it no better than stock, in avoiding turbulence. Your mileage may vary.

If I were you, I'd take the Lip you already have, and put it on the 22" Rifle. That's a pretty tall combination, but if you're a big guy, it may be ideal.

Re: Windshield???

STingray said:

J. Fitz... The "guy" at CAST is the owner, and yes, he uses the Laminar combo. He's also 5'-10" (on a good day). I've ridden his ST many times, and while impressive, I used one on my 1100 only for shorter rides. Kim uses his on the rally I drag him on It's just too short for use taller riders for long hauls, or better weather protection. Much of the buffeting is gone, true, but I opted for the Clearviews screens.

I tried 3 different set ups w/ Clearviews, (XL, Large, Large w/Laminar lip) For the best bang for the buck and the best wind protection and performance, the CV LARGE w/Laminar Lip was what I settled on. BTW, I'm 6'3" w/34" inseam, if that makes a difference

HTH!

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Ray - that jives with my experience exactly. If Kim is 5-10", he's probably within an inch of my torso length, and as you note he likes the Laminar combo.

You're quite a bit taller, and the large CV is definitely taller than the Laminar shield. I suspect you'd agree that the big shield does affect the bike's handling more than the Laminar.

Due to variations in our own torso, neck, head, helmet, etc, there will always be some variation from person to person. I did try to experiment with a Goldwing electric windshield kits, but nothing I've seen would be even close to working with an ST1100.

Re: Windshield???

OK at least now I am really confused about what to do. I still think I need a tall windshield and the Lip combo just seems too short for me at 6' 2" with a 34" inseam. The 20.5" Cee Bailey seems to work fairly well but it really gets blown around by wind, while my GIVI 18" didn't stop the wind very well but really handled well in the wind.

I expect if I put a LIP on the Cee Bailey it would blow around even more in the wind so I am still considering what to do.

Thanks for the comments everyone, I will let you know what I decide to do.

Tom

Re: Windshield???

They claim on their site that the LIP for the Cee Bailey is available as a custom order. I thought the Clearview was wider than stock like the Cee Bailey, or is that not true?

I am just having a hard time getting along with the wind pushing the ST with the Cee Baily on.

Tom

Re: Windshield???

Cut your shield down to the size you want - use a griding disk. First take some black tape and set the height, after you have the correct height use the sanding disk as a saw blade. If you have any question contact me off list birdman@dfwair.net

Re: Windshield???

I am 6'1" with 32" inseam, 2" risers, and even with a 23" windshield, it still seems way too short.

Seat didn't matter, as original Cobin was lowest, followed by current used Russell, and tallest was Tavelcade Stealth. Even with the Corbin (lowest seat) I felt like I was 4" too high for windshield.

I guess it is about 4" lower than it should be, as the top seems to line up somewhere around bottom of my chin. If I try very hard, I can bend over toward windshield very far, to lower my head as much as possible, maybe get 4" lower, and then I am in clean and quiet air. Would never dream of riding bent over even 1/2 that amount. I can not duck my head below windshield for temporary protection.

I see posts here about windshields affect on passenger. Wind turbulence is my passengers #1 complaint by far. I can not ride over 70MPH due to her getting blown all around, and she prefers around 45MPH for best air.

A different windshield can actually help the passenger a great deal????????

From the posts so far, it looks like I might have similar to a Clearview GT Large, so a Laminar Lip might be best choice to go from here.

But the width has me confused. Windshield "wraps around" a little. With current 23" tall windshield, (ignition to top = 19"), widest section is a few inches above sides of fairing, and max outside measures 27 1/2" (wrapped around), while max inside straight measures about 22" at this same widest point. Another point of measure is 3" from top, and here outside measures 24", while inside measures 19".

What point do you measure width at, and outside or inside?
Is the above size equal to the Clearview (width), so that Laminar Lip will fit fine?

Sorry in the slight hijacking of thread, and hope the width question will aid original poster as well.

Here is close view of windsheild, plus a 2up photo showing passenger height for reference.

.

Re: Windshield???

STingray said:

The lip will not affect handling. I'm not sure that Laminar makes a lip that fits the Cee Bailey screen (yes, it does matter). Bends and curves are different for almost every screen. What fits on the OEM will not fit the sceens, etc., e.g.

The Laminar combo does "handle" in the wind better, but not due to the lip itself, but due to the narrower screen, thus limiting exposure of the "sail" on the front of your bike

Best yet: Clearview Large w/lip (on the 1100)

HTH!

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At CAST, I not seeing the lip for the Clearview, only the following:

Stock
Rifle
National Cycle
Cee Bailey

http://www.casporttouring.com/store/merchant.mvc?page=CST/PROD/st1100_Windshields/14050

Re: Windshield???

I just measured my Cee Bailey and it is 20 1/2 ", but 17" from the ignition. The width is 18" at the base and 21" at the widest point, which is at the top measuring straight across, not wrapped around.

I expect the extra width at the top is the wind issue, since my GIVI is the same width all the way up and cuts through the wind very well, although it is only 18" long from the base.

I find that if I bend over just a bit I am in clean air with the Cee Bailey, which is a giant step forward from the GIVI, but still very noisy unless I ride with my FF shield open. I am thinking about the LIP on my present windshield which should give me the extra two inches of clean air if I read their site correctly.

Tom

Re: Windshield???

STingray said:

Remember, shopping on the internet will not always yield the best results for need answers to questions.

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WHAT??????????????????????????????
The world as I know it has now come to an end.
Thanks a lot..............