Like others I find the stock shield pretty good for an OEM shield. However, I have to raise it farther (more than half way) than I like to get clean air at speed. I like shields that work in their lowest position or just raised a little.

I'm 5'8" (or less now that I'm over 50) with a 30" inseam. I ride the stock seat in the lowest position. I have Ilium risers. I spoke with Terry and he said 24" would be best the option for me for long rides but 22" would give me more flexibility for more air.

So I'd like to hear what size you are using, your height, inseam and what seat in what position and whether you use risers. I don't want to make the wrong choice.

Thanks.

i am also 5'8" with 30 inseam. i use a sargent low seat, and i use a 24 inch werks shield.
i have "zero" complaints.

I'm 6'3" and have the 26". It works great, too well actually.

I am pretty much the same measurements as you and same seat position. Also have the Illium risers. I purchased a 26" Werks windshield. I hardly ever raise it unless it is raining. Probably could have gone with the 24".

Almost the same stat as you, with the only difference in that I am an inch shorter, but with the same inseam!


I use the standard height shield, and ride with the low seat in the high position, which should be just a tiny bit (less than 1/2"?) lower than stock seat on low. Very happy with that. The top of the shield is well below my line-of-sight, and the nice thing about this shield is that I can leave the height setting the same whether I was riding the 4-laners or local roads. This video that I had made should give you some ideas of the comparison to the stock shield, and the height setting:

I am 5'10" - 32" inseam.
My 24" Werks screen is spot on.

Terry, time for you to chime in!

Already have! Looks like you guys are backing up what I told Hammick on the phone! Input from customers over the years has really helped me when asking what size will work best for them. Sometimes it isn't what they expected I would recommend, sometimes it is. Either way, getting the correct size matters........

Thanks for the good feedback guys. 99% sure I'll get the 24" in light tint.

I am 5' 10" with a 31 inch inseam and ride with the standard seat in the high position. I got the the 24 inch version and it works well for myself and my passenger. We did a 4500 and a 6500 km trip this year with some interstate sections. I would only need to raise it slightly for myself but often raised it to 3/4s plus to almost eliminate turbulence for the passenger. She found a tremendous improvement from last year with the stock shield, especially at higher interstate speeds.

Murray

I have the 24" and at 6'3" tall I believe it's too short for me so the 24" should fit you well. The 24" IS quieter than stock but more buffeting than I would prefer.

Correct sizing for the windshield, any brand, makes ALL the difference..........

I ordered a tinted 26" just now.
6'4", 34" inseam, RDL seat.

Terry just called and talked me into the 28".

I'm 5'10" and 32 inch inseam. I bought the 24". What I noticed is with that lip at the top, I could run the shield lower than stock was and still get good airflow. So a 24" QW effectively gives you a couple more inches compared to stock.

My wife is 5'4" and 30" inseam. I also bought her a 24" QW. She also has a low seat. With the new shield, she runs just an inch or so up from full down. With the new shield, she's able to also hear the radio much better due to better air flow.

5’9” and 31” inseam with stock seat height, I love the 24” Werks screen in the lowest position I get lots of air, 1/3 up it quiets the ride significantly, 2/3 to full height up my passenger loves the quietness of it.
IMHO, in comparison to the stock screen there is absolutely no comparison to the Werks screen. Again IMHO the OEM screen is garbage.....

If anyone wants to trade my 26" for your 24" please let me know.

Just sent you a PM

The software kicked me, saying I don't have enough posts to PM people??? Can't even return a PM apparently.

I'm an old-timer that had to re-register.

OK, I just read the kick msg and I need two more posts.

To PM people.

I'm 5'11 with only 30 inch inseam...very tall in the saddle. I use the Aerflow tall and love it. Very quiet, doesn't need more than 30% rise to be effective. Gives enough air around the sides on my arms and shoulders for relative comfort on hot, humid days in NC in August.

I just returned from a 2600 mile trip to the Gap and environs. Spent over a week down there just riding every day. Ya-hoo!

I will not need to change this windscreen. It does all I want it to do.

So I'm interested in this thread because I find the OEM shield just fine in dry conditions, but when it rains, it's seemingly worthless. I can have the shield full-up or full-down and it makes almost no difference- rain is going to pelt my face if I leave my visor cracked even a little.

It's like the airflow kicks the rain downwards slightly off of the top before a vortex(?) blows it right up to my face.

And, when traveling over 35 mph, the sound from the speakers is absolute trash.

Is it me or the shield?

5-10, dunno inseam, Sargent seat on high.

Ditto

I have been pretty happy with the stock shield on my RT, but after reading so many positives about the WERKS screen; I decided it was time to order one. I sent an email to Terry to ask if the screen size I "thought" I should get was the correct one. It was not. Thanks Terry for keeping me from making that mistake. I don't even have the windshield yet, although I know I am going to be happy with it. Terry didn't know me from Adam when I contacted him, but his prompt and thorough response to my questions was spot on. This is the way customer service is supposed to be. Kudos to Terry! I can't wait to get my new WERKS Quiet Ride.

Joe

Hammick:

I'm a little taller than you, but I really like my aeroflow tall. Doesn't need to be far up to be very quiet and I still get enough air when it's hot out.

Standard one might work for you?

Same experience talking to Terry. Very knowledgeable. Convinced me to get one on order.

I've got a 26" clear, that I've had for just a short time, that I'd sell cheap. There's some pitting near the top but otherwise is fine.

Shipping might be spendy though, it's a big box.

Just to add another data point for others in the market: I received my 26-inch Werkes Quiet Ride yesterday, installed it and went for a short 50-mile ride to get an initial impression.

I'm 6' 2", 33 inch inseam, ride on the stock seat in the high position, with no bar-backs or handlebar risers.

I had selected the 26-inch version upon the advice of Terry at Werkes. It works great and is the Goldilocks "just right" size for me. In its low position it allows plenty of flow for cooling and can be adjusted high enough to provide the true "cone of silence".

When I'm riding on back roads even at "brisk" speeds the clean air flow over a bike is not terribly objectionable to me. That is in stark contrast to riding on the superslab following other karzntruks. The wake and vortices they generate is the source of the highly annoying buffeting.

To evaluate how the QR does in these conditions I purposely followed a pickumup truck at highway speeds. I'm delighted to report that buffeting was somewhere between "minimal" and "non-existent". Everthying was quiet and smooth.

I'm pleased.

Not too suggest inferior quality but their windshields are made of acrylic material. BMW OEM windshields are poly carbonate. I suggest doing some research between the two materials before deciding to buy.

These guys sell poly carbonate windshields for the RT.

Motorcycle Windshields from the Windshield Experts | National Cycle

I personally recommend a poly carbonate windshield over acrylic based on my online research.

Just my recommendation.

I have to agree with 6speedTi. While the Werks is a fine product I have found they seem to scratch easier than other windshields I have owned. Not bad at all but I find very fine scratches occurring from cleaning and yes I use only microfiber clothes and only products designed for plastic shields to clean and polish. On my '06 RT I had a National Cycle Ztechnik shield for nearly 10 years and when I sold the bike it looked great. Yes there were some small nicks (pin head size) from just being on the road for 10 years but very few if any polishing scratches.

My Weeks works fine and does the job but as 6speedTi noted you should understand the product you are buying. One of the reasons I bought the Works was because it came in light tint which the Ztechnik for my RT did not. I also like the overall shape of the Werks shield as it seems to flow nicely with the lines of the RT better than the Ztechnik but that is a personal choice.

As I noted for all the reasons I purchased the Werks I am satisfied with it. And Terry (Realshelby) is great to work with on orders and customer service.

Here is some more info on shield material

6speedTI brings up a good point of discussion.

Yes, polycarbonate (DuPont manufactures theirs under the trade-name Lexan) is indeed strong stuff. All of our helmet visors are made of it for that reason. In my 40 years in the helicopter manufacturing biz all of our windshields were either polycarbonate or glass laminate in order to meed bird strike resistance requirements. Our side cabin windows were usually of acrylic for cost and environmental resistance factors. The aerospace polycarbonates we used worked fine in many environments but weren't the best for aircraft serving in the mid-East deserts, being very susceptible to sand-induced scratching and pitting.

National Cycle uses a hard coating on their polycarbonate screens. I had one on my FJR and had no issues with scratching. NC makes a quality product; I would never discourage one from selecting them.

On the other hand, there are many grades of acrylic with widely varying properties. Some are considerably more impact resistant than others, some have better environmental resistance properties, etc. Chatting with Terry at Werks before I bought convinced me that he's put some thought into picking an optimal acrylic for his screens.

Are they as impact resistant as a polycarbonate screen? Probably not. At the same time our user forums are not rife with folks suffering screen shattering events with acrylic screens. My first line of defense is my full face helmet and protective clothing.

As with GSinNC, knowing the above I still went with the Werks screen. My reasons were:

1. A few contributors who had owned both NC and Werks indicated that they preferred the aero protection of the Werks screen.

2. I wanted a tinted screen which NC doesn't offer in my desired size.

3. I prefer the appearance of the Werks screen.

As with so many things, it's your bike, your money, and your choice.

Ride long and prosper.

I've had my WERKS shield for about 6 months or so and I've been super happy with it. I'm 6' 4" with a 32ish inseam and the seat set to high and I ordered the 26" shield and it works perfectly. Even in the hot San Diego days I can lower it and get decent airflow. It does a good job with letting clean air get to your chest, its not a ton of air, but its enough so you don't roast. I typically ride with the shield up maybe 70%, basically enough to where I still get air into the top vents of my helmet.

Ed, just remember that the video you posted is made by National Cycle. To promote their product.

There is a BIG difference in grades of Acrylic. What you see in the video isn't what I have seen in my own testing.....

Polycarbonate is more impact resistant. But it has some issues that I don't care for.

BTW, National Cycle makes the OEM windshields for our RT's! They make high quality products. But their shape doesn't compare in how effective they control airflow on the new RT's. I owned one of the first ones they built.......

Yes I totally get that video was made my NC and understand its goal is to promote the NC product. My personal experience has been very good with both NC Ztechnik and with BMW OEM shields from a durability perspective i.e. scratch resistance.

6'2" with 34" inseam here. I chose the 26" Werks shield and found the airflow starts just above my helmet, resulting in a small amount of wind noise while wearing a Shoei Neotec helmet. Certainly an improvement from the stock shield. On a warm day with the shield in the lowest position there is fairly clean airflow my upper body. Maybe I would benefit from the 28" shield, but I don't want to give up the airflow effect in the lowest position of the 26" shield.

Over all, I'm happy with my choice.

At 6'4" tall 35" inseam I find the OEM screen ideal for excellent air flow in warm weather, scratch resistance and clarity, and perfectly suitable for wind deflection at any speed. I use my electric screen control frequently, lowering to all the way down around town and thru tight twisties, and 2" from full up on the highway. I won't own a bike w/o a full height electric screen having been spoiled by this. I've ridden in everything from light mist to the hardest sustained downpours and found the screen was perfectly fine. I appreciate the thickness & impact resistance polycarbonate of this caliber offers for flying rocks and other potential projectiles. I bought a nearly new replacement OEM screen from someone who wanted a different screen, believing the original screen wouldn't hold up forever but as it turns out at 42K miles the original screen remains in near perfect condition save a few pits. But I also use the stock seat, stock mirrors, no peg lowering etc so clearly I am easy to please when it comes to stock RTW attributes.

Yet you ride with the screen all the way down a good bit of the time?

Not picking on you personally Noel! Just bringing up a point. Just like those that swear Michelin tires are the very best in the rain, yet cannot explain how they came to that conclusion, there are those that claim polycarbonate screens are the only thing safe to ride behind yet ride with the screen down. Or if really taking a chance riding a bike without a windshield!!!!!

What I don't understand is how some of you guys refuse to shut up about things never asked and deviate the topic at hand. Stop being rude.

This was simple: "Werks Quiet Ride Shield: What size?"

Who cares what brand you chose, or if you're happy with everything stock, or what material you think is best. Save that for another thread about those topics, not the poor OP's question. Start your own thread under your own topic.

It's why these questions come up over and over and why a forum like this with only a single sub-forum based on bike model alone becomes relatively unsearchable and convoluted.

Thank you.

You do realize this thread began by the OP over a year ago? Pretty sure the OP got his answer and his shield by now.

Apologize for sharing my experience with both Werks and other brands.

You can't pick on me my friend. I use the screen control frequently. Around town if it's not cold I'll put it down all the way. I love the fine control the electric screen offers. When zipping thru the twisties I like the feel of clear air it helps me sense speed and I just like the feel of it when the temps aren't cold. I would say it's up about 3/4 75% of the time, down fully 10%, up 2" from full 15%. I think the Michelin wet performance v poly v acrylic analogy is goofy. Polycarbonate is much more impact resistant than acrylic ever will be. From Acme Plastics:

"Acrylic has roughly 17 times the impact resistance [v glass]. Polycarbonate is the stronger material at 250 times the impact resistance of standard glass.

Polycarbonate offers much more resilience than acrylic, making it ideal for highly demanding applications like bullet-resistant windows. Acrylic has a high gloss finish and is more transparent, making it ideal for display cases. Acrylic is also easier to crack, while polycarbonate is easier to scratch."

From Motorcyclistonline.com, Jerry Smith:

October 6, 2014
The two most common plastics used to make windshields are acrylic, which goes by the trade name Lucite or Plexiglas, and polycarbonate, also known as Lexan. Despite the similar-sounding names they’re different enough to justify knowing more about them before you pick a windshield.

Acrylic is the shinier of the two and the least expensive, but it cracks or shatters easily on impact compared to polycarbonate. In any application where the windshield is meant to protect you from flying debris or where it's exposed to the same, acrylic's lower cost is offset by the likelihood of it exploding into pointy shards if it's hit hard. On the upside it's more scratch resistant than polycarbonate, so it's easier to keep looking new.

Polycarbonate is a lot tougher than acrylic. While acrylic is about eight times stronger than untempered glass, polycarbonate is about 200 times stronger. It's used in DOT-approved helmet face shields, as well as racecar windows and machine-tool safety shields. Laminated layers of polycarbonate can even be used to stop bullets, though you don't want to annoy anyone that much if all you have between you and a high-caliber argument is a motorcycle windshield. Polycarbonate is easier to scratch, but windshield manufacturers get around this by adding a protective layer of hard-coating.

Hard-coated polycarbonate is pretty much the current state of the windshield manufacturer's art. The hard-coating is getting better, too, according to National Cycle, which says its proprietary Quantum process is 10 times more scratch resistant than the original hard-coated polycarbonate and 30 times more than acrylic.

Those pictographs say, “Wait! Read MC Garage before cleaning your windshield.” A little care when cleaning helps keep your screen scratch free, no matter what material it’s made from.
About the only thing acrylic has going for it is low cost, so unless you’re fitting a decorative fly screen to your vintage bike or adding wind deflectors to your handlebar, polycarbonate is the way to go. Its superior impact and scratch resistance is worth the extra money, and the added layer of protection from debris is priceless."

I differ from others who prefer your screen because for starters I use really effective ear plugs so shutting off all wind noise is not necessary. I get the fully quiet ride w/ the screen all the way up, but normally there is a little wind noise anyway. Clearly if you must have maximum elimination of wind noise the QR will be the best choice for you. I prefer the strength and increased air flow for warm weather riding that the OEM screen affords. For as many complaints about wind noise w/ the OEM I read similar complaints the QR can take too much air flow away so is not optimal for those seeking more air flow in warm temps.

Noel, if you are going to post about acrylic vs polycarbonate please get the facts straight.

Impact modified cast acrylic is about 10 times more impact resistant than the acrylic you are writing about. Taken in that context that puts it at about 170 times the impact resistance of standard glass. Polycarbonate is about 250 times as impact resistance. From your own text comparison. I agree with these numbers based on all my previous research. Both offer considerable protection.

Yes polycarbonate is more impact resistant. But the difference isn't as great as many lead others to believe.

I will again give my standard windshield reply.

IMHO you need at least two shields UNLESS you are in a temperate climate.

Here in PA I need two.

One for Winter, which is taller and wider then my Summer shield is.

I just do not see how you expect one shield to grow and shrink when needed.

I will not debate the "plastic" compositions. I was a Glaizer for 20 years and used a lot of Lexan, Lucite, and 3M Acrylic in that time. As was stated they all have thier place.

One of my all time go to favorite windshield on every bike I ran it on was a Cee Baily. It was aircraft grade acrylic and took a lot of heat because of that. However I never had an issue with any I ran, and did go down with one on the LT and it was destroyed but it high sided and I was long gone off the bike before that windshield broke.

So buy a Winter shield it is a few minutes to change out and you are better served in trying to accomplish less air with Winter shield.

Again IMHO and YMMV

#1 on Cee Bailey, lucky to snag a like new, light gray sport shield back in late 17.. i run it year round..

Attached Thumbnails

 

Or, you live in a not so temperate climate (Front Range, CO) but get 300d of sun yearly so it's easy to get out and ride in decent weather at least a few days a week most weeks year round. I'm a fair weather rider and enjoy anything above freezing until around 90F. I avoid rain and high winds unless travel doesn't permit. Because of this I can get away w/ one screen quite well. But for sure it's so easy to swap out the screen on this RT. The former F800GT was a sadly complicated 20+ minute procedure to remove and replace the screen.

Noel like I said.

YMMV and IMHO.

After literally thousands of dollars in windshields over the years I NEED 2 shields. No debate on my part. Here in PA in winter when I ride I ride when in the high 30's. Sunday when I left for breakfast it was snowflake all over the dash at a balmy 30 degrees.

I am just saying what has worked for me. I dont presume to tell others what works for them.

You are a debater and this is not a debate for me, it is what I use and how I handle seasons here in PA.

The only knock I hear on this shield is it is too effective in its wind management for high heat summer for some. That indicates to me the PERFECT Winter shield.

Now we are apple to oranges as I am on a GS but on the RT I had two shields, the FJR, and the LT all had two. On this GS the OEM shield works for me in the Winter and a Aeroflow in summer.

I dont know if Terry makes a shield for the GS but I will look into that. After loosing 50 pounds I am ALWAYS cold. I would like to get a bigger pocket of still air for winter to help the electric cloths be a bit more effective in the center of mass(chest) area.

I just don't get it.
What is all this talk of impact resistance?
It is utter nonsense.
Imagine if you will riding a bike without a screen. You wouldn't even consider the impact implications. What are you hoping the screen is going to stop?
The screen (pretty much any screen) is there to keep the wind off.
Are you intending it to protect you from gunfire?
There are WAY more things that will 'get you' before a screen issue.
Come on guys and girls, get this into context.

Size does matter - especially with screens. Many years ago I had a ST1300 and somehow got hooked up with a startup company in Florida making screens and they would send me a new one every couple of months to test in our ever changing Minnesota weather. The screens got progressively larger until the last one which was so big that any passing truck or windy day made the bike scary to ride. It wasn't real quiet but it was great when it was 30 degrees out but sooooo hot in the summer. Too bad they went out of business.

I've always had 2 screens (winter/summer) for all my bikes and the 26" Werks is great in the winter and the stock much better in the summer on my RTW. When I switch to the stock screen it does make it feel like a sport bike again and switching to the Werks is so quiet and warm in the winter.

For my GSAW the stock screen was too short/loud so I installed a taller VStream and it's almost as quiet as the Werks. It's amazing how that small VStream screen can be so quiet and yet provide very smooth air to my shoulders. The GSAW will never be a winter rider because I'm spoiled by all the wind protection I get on the RTW but the GSAW is a much better touring ride for me.

And foe ME it scratches much easier than the Ztechnik when polishing and cleaning. But again YMMV.

I've never owned 2 shields not on any bike. Have had RT's and GS's for years and once I found the right one that was it. Winter and summer and I ride all year in temps from mid 20's to near 100.

Just pointing out RIDING HABITS also determine whether or not someone NEEDS 2 shields is all. If I rode in cold wet weather and hot dry weather I'd be joining you but I don't I ride strictly for pleasure so I have no need to different screens.

Cheers