How Do I Fit a National Cycle Windshield to My Bike?
National Cycle makes a wide range of windshield sizes and styles. Windshield height is a personal preference, but one recognized standard is to be able to look just over the top of your windshield to see the road at a distance of 50 feet in front of you.
Generally, this means that a correctly sized windshield mounted to your bike will have a top edge that is horizontally level with the tip of your nose, or just slightly below eye level.
Other Considerations When Choosing a Windshield Size
1. THE MAKE, MODEL AND YEAR OF YOUR BIKE
Make sure the windshield you want is available for your particular bike. Click "SHOP" in the main menu and choose your make/model/year, and then verify fitment. More often than not, you will have a wide range of styles and sizes to choose from.
2. YOUR HEIGHT AND HOW TALL YOU SIT IN THE SADDLE
Two six-foot tall riders may see the world equally when standing, but differently when seated on their bikes. Some riders are all legs, some are all torso, and some are 50/50. Plus, riders with longer arms on the handgrips will carry their heads higher than those with shorter arms. Sitting on your own bike, letting the front and rear suspension settle from your weight, and getting a normal, relaxed grip on the bars is the best way to get started.
Have a friend handy to help measure things while you maintain your normal riding posture. A tape measure and a yardstick (or any long straightedge) will be the required tools. Measure the distance from the point horizontally level with your nose to the point where the windshield measurement begins, as indicated in the specifications for each of our windshield products:
Handlebar Mounted Windshields
Our Deflector Screen™ and Street Shield™ and Top Clamp Mounted Windshields like our Gladiator® have their height measured from the absolute top to the absolute bottom along the surface angle of the shield. Width is measured horizontally across the back of the shield at the widest point (illustration 1).Fork Mounted Cruiser Windshields
Our SwitchBlade®, Spartan®, Heavy Duty™ and Dakota™ have their height measured from the top of the headlight cutout to the top edge along the surface angle of the shield. Note: The top of the headlight cutout is typically 2-3 inches above the top of your headlight shell, so begin at that point and measure upward in a straight line parallel to the rake angle of the forks. Width is measured horizontally across the back of the shield at the widest point (illustration 2).Metric Sport Touring Windscreens
Our fairing-mounted and fork-mounted VStream® Windscreens are measured from the bottom center point of the screen and straight along the surface angle of the screen to the top edge. Width is measured horizontally across the back of the screen at the widest point (illustration 3). Note: Some VStream Windscreens, like the models for the Suzuki M90 and M109R, have a great deal of setback and top edge curvature. These windscreens are measured similarly to (illustration 6), using the fixed point of the headlight cowl's top edge as the baseline for height measurement.V-Twin Fairing Mounted Touring Windscreens
Our FLH/FLT VStream® are measured from the bottom center mount point to the top of the screen (illustration 4). FLH/FLT Wave® Windscreens are measured differently. Here, the height is measured from the top of the OEM fairing's windscreen channel straight up vertically to a point horizontally level with the top of the screen. Width is measured horizontally across the back of the screen at the widest point (illustration 5).Specialty Windshields
Our Wave QR® Quick Release Fairings are measured from a designated point at the bottom of the shield (in this case, the headlight) and vertically straight up to a point horizontally level with the top edge of the shield (illustration 6). Other specialty windshields, like our Plexifairing3™, Plexistar2™, Flyscreen® and F-Series™ Fairings are measured as described in (illustration 3).
In each case, refer to the photos and information in our PRODUCTS BY Bike and ONLINE CATALOG menus at the top of this page to get an accurate idea of each windshield's recommended mounting position, headlight clearance, rake angle or setback.
3. YOU AND YOUR RIDING STYLE
The type of riding (commuting, touring, etc.) you most often do and the level of wind blast you are comfortable with are the final determining factors in your windshield decision. Year-round, any-weather riders and long-distance tourers will be best served with a large screen offering ample wind protection. Commuters, cruisers, and warm weather riders will find a mid-size or smaller screen sufficient for their needs.
Riders who want it both ways will find the right solution in either a quick-release windshield or two different sizes of the same shield that can be easily changed when required.
