Don B
Anybody know if Rain X can be safely used on our ST windshields? I think this question may have been posted here before, but I didn't take the time to search for it.
TIA, Don B.
TIA, Don B.
JQL
Growing old disgracefully :)
There's a special RainX for motorcycles. Don't use the car stuff.
I HAVE used it with no ill effects on the windshield, but there is a formulation FOR motorcycles , as noted above. I have used a product called "Raincoat" as well, which works very well. Comes in a one-use pouch, and looks like a pea sized piece of wax.....
Seems as most of the frugal folks use Pledge with great results.
ST Gui
240Robert
I haven't tried this yet but some say... The lemon flavored stuff makes the windshield an even bigger bug magnet. Did not know about motorcycle flavored Rain-X. I hope to never need it. :grin:
I have a bottle of Rain-x for plastic and I've used it several times. It works well... in fact, it works as well as water which I mostly use. I use a very wet microfiber cloth and very light pressure until it's clean, then wring it out, sop up the extra water and buff with a clean cotton cloth until dry.
I was hoping that Rain-x for plastic would work as well as the regular Rain-x in terms of shedding rain, but it doesn't.
I was hoping that Rain-x for plastic would work as well as the regular Rain-x in terms of shedding rain, but it doesn't.
On the flip side, I found it greatly improved shedding rain and made later dry bug removal substantially easier.
LOL, my thoughts exactly. I love Rain-x for glass, but the Rain-x for plastic is useless to me. I have a bottle that I will never use again, but would cost more than it's worth to ship to anyone if I could give it away.
SmashVol
Site Supporter
I will add that I have a bottle of Raincoat and that has worked very well for me so far.
carry a chamois or carefully fit clingfilm, and treat it like rip off;s later in the day.
kamakazi_files.com
kamakazi_files.com
Yes, sadly, rain-x for plastic is not as good as rain-x for glass. If you use the glass formulation, eventually the plastic will craze and/or crack. Note the 'eventually' word. Now rain-x also makes a windshield washer juice - orange in color compared to the blue for most windshield washer fluid. And Calsci sent me a bottle of their mix - 50-50 rain-x washer fluid and regular washer fluid to use on their windshield that I bought. Which begs a question. I've been told (or read somewhere) that ammonia in windex and washer fluids will cause plastic windshields to craze and crack over time. So, did the Calsci people check out what is in the regular washer fluid they use? And what is in the rain-x washer fluid?
Many years ago I bought rain-x before they began mass marketing it and before it was widely used. The stuff is fantastic. Water beads off and almost drips off the windshield. However, at speed at night, some drops will 'shatter' and spread in tiny droplets on the windshield. This creates a 'fog' effect that my wife did not like because it was now hard to see out when an oncoming car's headlights hit the tiny droplets. So I shelved the bottle and did not use it again. Fast forward. On a trip back from New York, I bought and applied the new rain-x and was dismayed at how poorly it performed compared to the original bottle. I called rain-x customer service and after being shuttled around to several people, I finally found a guy who had been with the company for a number of years. He admitted the formulation had been changed. Seemed a regulatory agency (EPA?) did not like the mix and rain-x changed the chemistry. It took a while to pry that bit of information out of him, but he was quite clear about it. My old bottle is the real stuff (maybe its toxic?) and the new bottles are a shadow of its former self.
Nevertheless, having used Novus plastic polish, I find the rain-x for plastic performs better than the Novus even if its not great. I'm going to experiment with a window cleaner that has no ammonia and the rain-x washer fluid. Worst that can happen is in a few years I will replace the windshield (or put the OEM one back on the bike).
Many years ago I bought rain-x before they began mass marketing it and before it was widely used. The stuff is fantastic. Water beads off and almost drips off the windshield. However, at speed at night, some drops will 'shatter' and spread in tiny droplets on the windshield. This creates a 'fog' effect that my wife did not like because it was now hard to see out when an oncoming car's headlights hit the tiny droplets. So I shelved the bottle and did not use it again. Fast forward. On a trip back from New York, I bought and applied the new rain-x and was dismayed at how poorly it performed compared to the original bottle. I called rain-x customer service and after being shuttled around to several people, I finally found a guy who had been with the company for a number of years. He admitted the formulation had been changed. Seemed a regulatory agency (EPA?) did not like the mix and rain-x changed the chemistry. It took a while to pry that bit of information out of him, but he was quite clear about it. My old bottle is the real stuff (maybe its toxic?) and the new bottles are a shadow of its former self.
Nevertheless, having used Novus plastic polish, I find the rain-x for plastic performs better than the Novus even if its not great. I'm going to experiment with a window cleaner that has no ammonia and the rain-x washer fluid. Worst that can happen is in a few years I will replace the windshield (or put the OEM one back on the bike).
Last edited:
How do you like the CalSci w/s?? I'm still running the OEM screen but looking to get something different for next season.
Blatant hijack so if any relevant recommendation(s) feel free to send PM.
To keep on topic, the Cee Bailey shield that came on the 2005 Kawasaki Concours included a bottle of their cleaner/polish. Doesn't seem to do much, either.
Going to clean up the Honda w/s and give Pledge a try.
Another hijack: I read once that a damp cloth on the windscreen will soak any bug debris and make it easy to wipe off. The biggest "cloth" I had was a chamois leather so I soaked that and left it on the screen for about 30 minutes. Big, huge mistake. The chamois is soaked in a preservative wax which stuck to the screen leaving it looking like it had really bad clingfilm / ceramwrap stuck to it. It is coming off gradually with subsequent washes, but looked awful for weeks.
I was surprised to read that Clearview ok's the use of original RainX on their shields. I had not seen that from the other manufacturers. Cat'
- Can be Polished, Buffed, and is Safe to use Rain-X Original Clear Formula
Somewhere in the forum, someone recommended using Hydrogen Peroxide to get the bugs off....spray it on, let it soak, and then wipe off. Works great, and is cheap. I even got a little spray bottle to take in the tank bag. Insects can be pretty nasty here.
just be careful not to get it on fabrics/clothing. It will take the color out of it much like bleach.
STraymond
Site Supporter
Since bugs come off my stock windshield with just water and a microfiber towel, and since like most ST owners, I look over the shield when riding, I don't have a need for a water repellent on the shield. Does anyone apply a repellent to their mirrors?
Last edited:
OP
OP
Don B
I occasionally drape several sheets of paper towels over the shield then slowly pour some H2O onto the towels to soak them. Leave it alone while I have a cup of coffee or a cold beverage and the bugs are soaking/softening, then clean the shield with a proper cleaning cloth (not newspaper of paper towels). I follow that up with an application of Plexus.
Last edited by a moderator: