Windshield supports 2009 R1200RT

[Motodan]

Okay, got a Cee Bailey windshield at one inch taller and three inches wider than stock. Do I automatically need aluminum supports or can I wait to see if the stock supports break first?

[greenwald]

Okay, got a Cee Bailey windshield at one inch taller and three inches wider than stock. Do I automatically need aluminum supports or can I wait to see if the stock supports break first?

You could wait, but I'd put money on those OEM struts snapping within 24 months.

If I were you, I'd just order up a pair of bullet-proof supports, swap them for the OEM pot-metal units, and never worrry about it again (especially in adverse weather!).

PM me for the source.

But again, that's just me..............

[Sailorlite]

I bought the Cal Sci windshield and also "automatically" installed a pair of the deluxe supports. Now I find that I'm not so enthused about the non-stock windshield and have re-installed the OEM one. That makes the deluxe supports somewhat superfluous.

My point is, it looks like I could have saved some $$ and labor if I hadn't been quite so hasty in buying the supports. I should have given the aftermarket windshield a longer test period to see whether I preferred it over the OEM one. (And hopefully the stock supports would have lasted for my full test period).

[deilenberger]

Motodan - I'm adding the bike model/year to the thread title. That will probably come in useful for other owners of an RT who are considering a different windshield. Please consider doing this yourself when starting threads..

And have a great Holiday!

[rodstanhope]

Mine lasted almost 2 days after installing the cee bailey's +2. I would order them asap!

I do ride in TX and I'm convinced windy conditions are to blame.

[AKBEEMER]

Can you not divulge the source more widely? Please.

[RoboRider]

http://www.westtoolff.com/index_file...l_products.htm

The above is the web site link.

I have a set for my Cee Bailey. The old ones broke after about a year. The new ones are great.

Also, if you get a windscreen that is too tall, you can cut it to your own size. I made a post on how to do this but it got deleted (it was linked to XPLOR and XPLOR aint no more!).

[greenwald]

Can you not divulge the source more widely? Please.

Gladly, though I've posted this before (but will always do again if there is an interest):

They are milled out of a piece of 2024 Aluminum and will be powder coated black. You have to remove your original plastic bushings and transfer them to the new ones. The cost of the BMW ones are listed at $70.00 each. The cost of these are $45.00 each plus shipping.

Contact info is:
Don Westra
West Tool & Design Inc.
1220 North Tower Road
Fergus Falls, MN 56537
Phone: 218-739-4990
Fax: 218-739-4989
email: Don@westtoolff.com
Website: http://www.westtoolff.com/index_file...l_products.htm

I would try calling in your order over the phone. That worked easiest for me.

Good Luck!

[racer7]

If you happen to be on the road more than a short distance from home base when you break the stockers with an oversized screen, you won't be a happy camper. Stiff crosswinds and vibrations increase the chance and speed of breakage.

The West brackets aren't going to break and you can either give the stockers away or pitch them after changing.

Change only takes a few minutes and doesn't need any fancy tools.

[Bezdelnik]

Hmmn... I have seen this topic many times before. I bought an extra large ztechnic windshield. I asked ztechnic point blank if I needed to replace the stock pieces. They advised no, as the oem pieces are made of high quality polycarbonate (if I remember correctly) and said there is no need for replacement. Granted I have only put 10k miles on the bike after getting the new shield. There are no signs of problems. I have traveled through some nasty winds (cross winds, straight winds, sudden blasts) in, Kansas, Wyoming, Utah Oregon. Granted I do not run with the shield all the way up. The strut pieces are either parallel or slightly elevated during my normal riding. I did run it all the way up through one rain storm. As of now I have no plans of purchasing replacements. If someone else has experience with this shield, please advise.

[alanrd]

Hmmn... I have seen this topic many times before. I bought an extra large ztechnic windshield. I asked ztechnic point blank if I needed to replace the stock pieces. They advised no, as the oem pieces are made of high quality polycarbonate (if I remember correctly) and said there is no need for replacement. Granted I have only put 10k miles on the bike after getting the new shield. There are no signs of problems. I have traveled through some nasty winds (cross winds, straight winds, sudden blasts) in, Kansas, Wyoming, Utah Oregon. Granted I do not run with the shield all the way up. The strut pieces are either parallel or slightly elevated during my normal riding. I did run it all the way up through one rain storm. As of now I have no plans of purchasing replacements. If someone else has experience with this shield, please advise.

I changed mine when I changes the stock screen to a large cee bailey. The stock supports were pot metal, not polycarbonite. (2007 RT)
I am guessing BMW made them that way to break if you were being thrown off the bike.

[greenwald]

I changed mine when I changes the stock screen to a large cee bailey. The stock supports were pot metal, not polycarbonite. (2007 RT)
I am guessing BMW made them that way to break if you were being thrown off the bike.

To my knowledge, they're still pot metal (slag).

By the way, even if BMW did transition to "polycarbonate,' this is merely a thermoplastic polymer, going by the trade name of Lexan - in other words - a simple plastic.

If you boost the stress (pressure) on the shield, it's probably only a matter of time before a pot metal strut snaps, oddly almost always in the act of lowering. Happened to me and others that way after about 18 months, but that's the kicker - not an exact science when that stress fracture will finally jump up and bite you.

[racer7]

Stock brackets are not plastic- the writer is either confused or he got bad advice. (Perhaps he is simply mixing up screen materials- polycarbonate or acrylic)

Re the Z Technik screen I'd hazard an opinion that it is a bit less likely to lead to early bracket breakage than some of the Cee Bailey's, Aeroflow and others that are very large. Here's why I think that might be true BUT its only a guess.

Any added larger screen "hits" more air than the stocker. And the extra frontal area is obvious especially in gusting crosswinds coming from forward where with some screens it can feel almost lke the bike is bogging in molasses when it encounters a sizeable gust In trying several screens on my 08 RT I noticed this feeling varied a lot with different screen types. The Z Technic screen is a little more flexible than some and perhaps because it is a little narrower at the base has less of the resistance feel (though a good bit more than stock) than others such as the (wider at the base) Cal Sci, etc.

Still, precisely because having brackets break riding is no fun (and potentially dangerous) and I do a lot that is a distance both from home and dealers, it seemed prudent to either replace or carry spares and there seems no reason to carry extra stock parts that are both worse materials and more expensive.

Speed also no doubt influences breakage. Most of my riding is above 70 mph, some a good deal higher. If I rode around town a lot or near a dealer, I might not care but I wouldn't own an RT just to do that- there are better "town" and "urban" bikes for sure- The RT is in its element when combining speed with distance being more or less the 2 wheeled equivalent of gentleman's sport coupe, rather than a sports car or 4 door sedan.

Above comments are for 05-09 and may not be relevant to 2010 and later- don't know if they improved the bracket when they changed the screen design for 2010.
Seem to remember hearing they were strengthened but have never checked.
Anyone know?

You don't need to be any sort of engineering genius to understand that using fatigue prone pot metal for a stressed bracket is simply a dumb idea that is all about saving $, not about quality parts. There are other examples of poor design choices on the RT such as centerstand bolts that are both a size too small and can impose high shear loads on the bolt threads (and fortuneately break only rarely given the hazards of such breakage), the fpc well that collects water, etc....

[barry5k]

I also have a Cal Sci windshield but never even thought of changing the brackets. You guys have scared me straight! I see that they are $90 on that Westtool site above. Are they really necessary and are there other sources that may be cheaper? I wonder if anyone has actually had broken brackets while riding?

[greenwald]

I also have a Cal Sci windshield but never even thought of changing the brackets. You guys have scared me straight! I see that they are $90 on that Westtool site above. Are they really necessary and are there other sources that may be cheaper? I wonder if anyone has actually had broken brackets while riding?

First off, this is a subjective decision on your part - get them - don't get them - your call.

Since the Cal-Sci shields have a hole in them (and thus some back-pressure in play), maybe you don't need the beefed up supports.

As for other sources - don't know - liked the Westtool ones just fine.

As for breaking while riding, mine snapped after 18 months of stressing the OEM struts with a larger, Cee Baily shield.

Good Luck with whatever you decide, and Ride Safe.