Your motorcycle is great as it is, but there are always upgrades you can add to it to make it more comfortable and practical to ride. Some of these include more comfortable seating, brighter lights and additional storage compartments. But have you considered adding a windshield to your bike?

Motorcycle windshields are great for a variety of reasons and are becoming more commonplace, but they do generally need to be added aftermarket. As your local motorcycle dealer, CalMoto of Mountain View and Livermore is here to help you figure out which type of motorcycle windshield will best suit your needs.

Advantages

Attaching a windshield to your bike provides you with a number of benefits you might not be aware of. It helps to reduce wind fatigue — you know, that heavy feeling of fast-moving air pressing your whole body back as you ride at high speeds. A windshield can cut that down so you don’t have to brace yourself and cause your muscles to tire sooner. This lets you ride longer without becoming sore and exhausted.

Another way a windshield can help you is by reducing the impact of weather. Commuters and long-distance tourers will inevitably encounter some precipitation due to how often they ride, so reducing the wind chill and how much rain or sleet hits you is beneficial. You’ll also be able to stay drier so you don’t get as cold on winter days.

Finally, having a windshield means you won’t be spattered with dead bugs or hit with debris kicked up by other vehicles. This will keep you cleaner and prevent injuries from flying pebbles and grit.

Should You Install One?

We here at CalMoto say yes, absolutely, you should upgrade your bike with this convenient addition. The people who will benefit most from having a windshield installed are commuters and tourers, as we noted above, since they’re the most likely groups to encounter poor road conditions. So the longer you ride, the more a windshield will ultimately benefit you.

If you have a vintage bike or a very rare model, you may not want to add anything to it, though, since a windshield can mar the aesthetic of these older machines. That means your bike won’t be as valuable if you opt to sell it in the future.

Types

You’ll need to figure out a few parameters when deciding on which windshield will best suit your particular motorcycle. One thing to decide on is whether you want a permanent or a removable option. Permanent, or fixed mounted, windshields only need to be installed once. They’re best if you know exactly what you want and won’t ever need to remove them. Removable, or quick-release, windshields can be popped off and stored when you don’t need them for shorter rides or for storing your bike.

The type of material is another decision you’ll need to make. Acrylic is the most affordable and popular choice because it doesn’t yellow over time. It does, however, scratch and shatter easily. The other option is polycarbonate, which is sturdy and hard to chip, but it costs more and is prone to yellowing.

You then need to decide whether your windshield should be tinted to reduce glare from either sunlight or other vehicles’ lights. Colored tints can add a fun touch to your bike’s overall look, too. Make sure that there aren’t laws in your area around the types of tints you can have, though.

We hope this guide helps you to choose the right windshield for your bike. Seeking motorcycles for sale near San Francisco? Stop by one of our dealerships in Livermore or Mountain View today to check out our full selection of new and used motorcycles for sale by leading brands. CalMoto proudly serves the cities of San Jose and Tracy, California.