How To Measure The Perfect Height For A Motorcycle Windshield
Not all motorcycles come standard with a windshield. You don't need one if you don't want one. Certainly, one of the appeals of riding a motorcycle is feeling the wind in your face, though that can be diminished somewhat by bugs flying into your teeth. If you're getting tired of small debris hitting your face on the road, you can remedy that by getting an after-market windshield attached to your motorcycle.
There are all kinds of windshields available for purchase that can be mounted to the front of your ride, providing not only defense against insectoid pests and road debris but providing aerodynamic defense from heavier winds. It's also a fun way to customize your motorcycle and make it a little more your own. However, before you go running to your nearest automotive store to grab the first windshield that catches your eye, you need to gather some information. After all, you need to ensure that a prospective windshield will fit your bike and your riding needs before you buy and attach it, lest it fail to protect you from much of anything.
Get a friend to take the measurement against your face while on the seat
As the primary purpose of a windshield is to shield you from the wind, it's of the utmost importance that it's level with your face while you're riding to create a curved passage for the air to flow over. To ensure your windshield is the perfect height, you'll want to get a measurement of your face relative to the front of the bike.
There are a couple of ways to get this measurement, though the easiest one requires only a tape measure and a helpful buddy. Just take a seat on your motorcycle, and make sure to sit in the way you normally do while riding, and have a friend hold an extended tape measure next to the spot on your bike where a windshield would be mounted. Remember to account for the angle of your front forks. Whatever number on the measure is directly across from the tip of your nose will be your ideal windshield height.
If you don't have a friend to help you, you can get a rough estimate by parking your motorcycle in an open space like a parking lot and marking a point 50 feet away on the ground. Assume your comfortable riding position, look directly at your 50-foot marker, and use a tape measure yourself to determine how high up the tip of your nose is relative to the front of the bike.
Consider what you want a windshield to do for you while riding
In addition to your motorcycle windshield's height, there are a few other factors to consider before making a purchase. While the purpose of a typical windshield that's level with your face is to create a curved passage for wind, it might not protect you from everything on the road. In such a case, you could get a windshield that's deliberately a bit taller than usual to offer you some extra defense against debris and the cold. Just remember that if you're looking through your windshield instead of over it to be wary of inclement conditions like rain, snow, or fog, not to mention the potential of debris-induced cracking which could require additional repairs.
You could also attach an electronic windshield system to the front of your bike, one with a windshield that can deploy and retract based on your needs. This could save you some effort in determining windshield height, but make sure your bike is receptive to such a thing beforehand. The additional bulk of a mechanism could also affect the ideal angle of installation, so get as much information as you can about your bike's dimensions beforehand.