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[05Train]

I'm in the "the vent on the 2014 bikes works wonders" camp.   Though I've never really had an issue with buffeting with either my old Limited or the new CVO, there's always been an issue we wind noise.   In my "quieter is better" quest, I decided to try something new.   I saw a guy on another forum selling a Madstad windshield for a Batwing, and - being unable to find any information about it online - called Madstad.  

I spoke with Mark, who said that yes, they had offered one, but they'd only sold a couple dozen, and they just weren't up to their quality standards.   For reference, the Beemer guys that have them swear by them, as do the Fugly guys.   I've ridden a friend's Shark, and the Madstad creates a ridiculously quiet bubble for the rider.  Similarly, I've ridden a '14 with a vent that does the same thing.  The concept is sound.  

So with the promise of a 90 day money-back guaranty, and a price that matched the used one from the classifieds, I took the plunge.  Being 6'2 with a 34" inseam, Mark suggested an 11" shield.   For reference, I was running a 10" Windvest with a recurve.

Installation was simple.   There's an aluminum base that mounts to the fairing, with two adjustable brackets which hold the shield.   There's about 2-5/8" worth of height adjustment, and several (I didn't measure) degrees of rake available.  

With the shield all the way up and leaned all the way forward, the top of the shield is right in my line of sight, just like the stock shield.   Sitting upright like a Beemer rider, it was downright serene.  Unlike the stocker, there's relatively quiet air behind it.   With it slammed all the way down and leaned all the way back, I got the snot beat out of me.....Well, not that bad, but not what you want for highway droning.  

The sweet spot seemed to be about halfway up and all the way upright.  At that point it was about 3/4" lower than the Windvest, with slightly less buffeting/wind noise.  That's a win as far as I'm concerned, as it gets the shield further out of sight, and I can still adjust it down when it's hot out and I'm going through town.  

It's not pretty by any stretch, but no touring windshield is.   It's less ugly than I expected, and the brackets and mounting plate pretty much vanish when I'm riding.  

It remains to be seen how it performs with my full-face, and how it does with my wife on the back.   Stay tuned......

Sent from my iPad, probably while I'm pooping.

[05Train]

Just wanted to add that the wind noise/buffeting that remains is coming from underneath the fairing....No windshield will completely mitigate that.  But it does tell me that the Mothership did a ton of wind tunnel work on the '14s, 'cause they don't have this particular issue.

[skratch]

that looks surprisingly less ugly than the madstad for the sharknose. 

[05Train]

that looks surprisingly less ugly than the madstad for the sharknose. 

Let's not talk crazy now......

It's not pretty, but it is what it is if you want an adjustable shield.  I'm very curious to see how it does with my full-face Arai.  With the Windvest, I got a lot of turbulence and noise.  If this helps with that, that's yet another win.

[SBB]

that looks surprisingly less ugly than the madstad for the sharknose. 

Ugly is still ugly no matter how it's portrayed.

It's not pretty by any stretch, but no touring windshield is.

With thousands of miles on my 11.5 SEUC I think my 9" Freedom looks great.
And with the 9" Freedom there isn't much wind noise.

SBB

[05Train]

With thousands of miles on my 11.5 SEUC I think my 9" Freedom looks great.
And with the 9" Freedom there isn't much wind noise.

Doesn't look as good as a shorter shield, and at my height it creates a ton of noise.  I've logged nearly 60,000 miles on a 10" Windvest, and while it's good, it's hardly silent.

Short people have it easy when it comes to noise, as they're not sticking above the fairing.

And if you're not short, it proves the point that everyone likes something different.  Same reason Baskin Robbins makes 31 flavors.

[Robmay]

Doesn't look as good as a shorter shield, and at my height it creates a ton of noise.  I've logged nearly 60,000 miles on a 10" Windvest, and while it's good, it's hardly silent.

Short people have it easy when it comes to noise, as they're not sticking above the fairing.

And if you're not short, it proves the point that everyone likes something different.  Same reason Baskin Robbins makes 31 flavors.

....so you've never actually met Chip I take it....

I just sent Madstad an email. Turns out they're not too far from me here in Florida.....we'll see.... thanks for posting.

[SBB]

....so you've never actually met Chip I take it....

I just sent Madstad an email. Turns out they're not too far from me here in Florida.....we'll see.... thanks for posting.

Now Rob, I know you don't do ugly. And on the SERGU they are very ugly!

it proves the point that everyone likes something different. 

Great revelation there, must have come to you while you were pooping on your iPad.
Either way the madstad may be functional but it's still ugly.
Fortunately I like something different.

 


SBB

[05Train]

....so you've never actually met Chip I take it....

I haven't had the pleasure.

I just sent Madstad an email. Turns out they're not too far from me here in Florida.....we'll see.... thanks for posting.

It's really not the revelation it is on a RG, but it is better.  Regardless, with their return policy it's worth looking at.

Great revelation there, must have come to you while you were pooping on your iPad.
Either way the madstad may be functional but it's still ugly.
Fortunately I like something different.

So witty.....Oh gosh, I can't stop laughing.

Thanks for your input.

[Robmay]

Now Rob, I know you don't do ugly. And on the SERGU they are very ugly!

Yeah but for us older, taller people it may just fit the bill!    I need to find something to get the drum wind off of my girl!

[brosen101]

I rarely ride with a full face because of the buffeting - please definitely post an update after you take an extended run with your Arai.  Really curious to see how the shield performs with the setting you described (I'm the same height and inseam...)

[05Train]

Yeah but for us older, taller people it may just fit the bill!    I need to find something to get the drum wind off of my girl!

My wife endured about a thousand miles on the back of an RGU over a long weekend a few years ago.  She refused to even consider a Roadie this time around because of that miserable experience with the wind.  A friend of mine has a 2013 RGU with both the crashbar-mounted baffles and a Madstad, and it's like a completely different bike.  I took it out on the highway (wearing the Arai) and was shocked by the huge bubble of calm air.  At 80mph I could clearly hear the stereo and it was less than half way up.  His girlfriend is thrilled with how calm the backseat is now.  Lots of guys on the Road Glide forum swear by these things.

I rarely ride with a full face because of the buffeting - please definitely post an update after you take an extended run with your Arai.  Really curious to see how the shield performs with the setting you described (I'm the same height and inseam...)

Will do.  Hopefully I'll have a chance to take it out this afternoon.

[05Train]

Went out today with the Arai on (Signet-Q for those keeping score at home), and I'm sold on the Madstad.

I started out with it where it was with the half helmet - halfway up and all the way forward.  Did a few miles, got 'er up to about 70, and felt a little bit of helmet toss.  Not terrible, not drumming my head, but some back-and-forth motion.  Raised it up 3/4 of the way.....Better, and just below my line of sight (probably right where the Windvest sits).  Then I jacked the thing all the way up and hit the slab.  With the backrest on, I could keep my back straight enough to keep the top edge of the windshield from driving me nuts, and the wind control was as good as I've felt on any Batwing bike up to about 85mph.

I'm chalking this up as a "win": this thing's a keeper.

Moving my hands around it was clear that the bulk of the wind I could hear was coming from under the fairing and around the tank.  With the air flowing under the Madstad, it calmed the other air well enough to make a marked improvement over the Windvest.

But wait, there's more.....

I got off the highway and headed to one of my favorite backroads.  I pulled over, and just for the helluvit, I dropped the shield all the way down and leaned it all the way back so I'd have as much of an unobstructed view of the road in front of me as possible. 

No surprise, there was more wind noise, but not a hint of buffeting as long as I stayed below 60.  Holy crow!  The vents in the helmet were gulping up air, I had a great view of the road, and there was no buffeting worth speaking of.  Above 60 got ugly, with the helmet shaking badly and a drumming resonating through it.

So I pulled over and raised the shield all the way up and kept it leaned back.  Still louder than upright, and no buffeting until around 70 (same type as before).

So basically what you've got with this is an infinite number of shields in one.  Raise it up and tilt it forward for a touring shield, drop it down and lean it back when you're turning & burning.

I'm incredibly pleased with it, even though it doesn't make the radical change that it does on a Road Glide.  Two big thumbs up.

[brosen101]

Went out today with the Arai on (Signet-Q for those keeping score at home), and I'm sold on the Madstad.

I started out with it where it was with the half helmet - halfway up and all the way forward.  Did a few miles, got 'er up to about 70, and felt a little bit of helmet toss.  Not terrible, not drumming my head, but some back-and-forth motion.  Raised it up 3/4 of the way.....Better, and just below my line of sight (probably right where the Windvest sits).  Then I jacked the thing all the way up and hit the slab.  With the backrest on, I could keep my back straight enough to keep the top edge of the windshield from driving me nuts, and the wind control was as good as I've felt on any Batwing bike up to about 85mph.

I'm chalking this up as a "win": this thing's a keeper.

Moving my hands around it was clear that the bulk of the wind I could hear was coming from under the fairing and around the tank.  With the air flowing under the Madstad, it calmed the other air well enough to make a marked improvement over the Windvest.

But wait, there's more.....

I got off the highway and headed to one of my favorite backroads.  I pulled over, and just for the helluvit, I dropped the shield all the way down and leaned it all the way back so I'd have as much of an unobstructed view of the road in front of me as possible. 

No surprise, there was more wind noise, but not a hint of buffeting as long as I stayed below 60.  Holy crow!  The vents in the helmet were gulping up air, I had a great view of the road, and there was no buffeting worth speaking of.  Above 60 got ugly, with the helmet shaking badly and a drumming resonating through it.

So I pulled over and raised the shield all the way up and kept it leaned back.  Still louder than upright, and no buffeting until around 70 (same type as before).

So basically what you've got with this is an infinite number of shields in one.  Raise it up and tilt it forward for a touring shield, drop it down and lean it back when you're turning & burning.

I'm incredibly pleased with it, even though it doesn't make the radical change that it does on a Road Glide.  Two big thumbs up.

Wow, that's a solid performance review -thank you for providing the info!

[Fireguy]

Would you please take some side pictures of it? (In the up and down positions) Thx