Hey Gang,

A while back I got myself one of the shorter compact windshields for my 2008 Crossbones (spare me the negative thoughts about windshields) and thought I was getting a good deal on the shorter tinted style. I learned almost immediately that getting the shorter one was a mistake. Although it did wonders for my arms and back to have the wind taken off my chest a bit, the shield's lower height causes the most annoying buffeting right at my eyeline. 50 % of the time it is not too big of an issue but when the winds pick up or I want to get in a real hurry, I have to deal with a lot of head vibration which in turn causes visibility issues.

So here is my question. I was going to get the taller version of the Crossbones shield which I am certain would remedy the issue. However, a part of me would rather just go for broke and get the King Size Springer windshield (58772-97) which is also over 3 inches wider. The Harley catalog does not include the Crossbones in the list of bikes that the King Size shield will fit, even though they use the same mounting hardware for installation. Does anyone here own a Heritage Springer or Springer Classic and the King Size Detachable Windshield? If so, would you be able to share any insight into why it wouldn't fit the Bones which has the same Springer front end? My only guess is that the wider shield might mean that the side edges would not clear the ape hanger bars on of the Bones but on measuring my current shield while installed, that issue would be remedied by tilting my bars back by just a small amount to provide the clearance necessary. Any other thoughts on why it might not work?

Thanks.

 

I have the king size on my 03. I can't think of any reason it won't fit on the bones.

 

I think the catalog has it in "its" mind that the CrossBones needs the black hardware and bracketry....which you can't get in the King Size stuff...

I was looking to do the same to my '05 Heritage Springer...but will have to powder coat all of the crap...geez....so if anyone has a used King Sized Springer windshield brackets cheap...ummm, never mind...

 

Normally I would agree with you about the catalog but here is why I don't. When the Crossbones first came out, the two different height compact windshields available for it were not black, but were the same polished metal as all the other windshields. Even then, the King Size was not listed as fitting the Bones. So color would not have any bearing on it.

Funny thing is, I got my current shield way back when before they started making them in Black and did as you are thinking and took it apart and had all the hardware powder coated black. Fortunately they had just released the black docking hardware so I didn't need to have one of the chrome ones powder coated. After it was all said and done, less than a year later Harley released the black shields.

I got my shield cheap enough on eBay (it was new, not pre-owned) so even with the cost of powder coating, it cost me less than one of the new black ones.

At some point I am going to replace my stock bars with beach bars so maybe some of the fitment issues won't matter then? I also have replaced my stock Bone headlight with a Heritage Springer light that I had PC'd black. My Bones will soon no longer look much like a Bones.

 

So after thinking about this a bit I pulled the trigger on a King Size Springer Windshield. Not a hard choice to make since I got a like-new one with mounting hardware on eBay for $180 shipped. It arrived at my studio today and since I left my compact shield at home I was able to take this new one out to the parking garage and try it on my bike. To my delight, it fit my Crossbones perfectly. I thought I would at least need to tilt my bars back a bit but not only did I not need to do that, it fit with my bars tilted forward a bit from the stock position (for that slightly more aggressive look. My ride home tonight should be a lot more comfortable. This thing is HUGE!

 

Ok, so you will be good enough I'm sure to give us some pics, and a review? I would love to see some measurements as well.

 

Yep, let's see some pics of the King windshield on it. I still want one for my Springer eventually. Are you going to powder coat the parts black?

 

I got a shield on my 05. It's the full size windshield like comes on the RKC.

 

delete double tap

 

I took some photos before heading out to lunch this afternoon so here they are. Not the best of quality but you all get the idea.

So what do I think of the shield. Well as I said before, the thing is HUGE. This is coming from someone who has only ever run the most compact of the windshields offered for the Crossbones. It is over 3 inches wider than my compact and well over 4 inches taller. The lower portion of the shield including the vertical braces are all the same as the compact. Then the width starts to spread out to accommodate the horizontal braces which are wider than the compact's are. Although I have switched out my stock Crossbones headlight for a powder coated Springer classic light, I am confident that this shield would fit with the stock headlight since I ran my compact shield with both the stock and my current light and it presented no fitment issues at all. Fitment with my auxiliary lights is also the same. And as I have also stated, fitment with the stock Crossbones mini apes is also not an issue. The mounting hardware that goes on the forks is the same for both shields. I am currently running the black version. My shield came with a chrome one but otherwise it is identical. I was going to sell it since I don't need it but I think what I will do instead is make a wall mount out of it onto which I can attach my shield in the garage when not in use.

So I figured taller is better and in many cases it is. On the other hand, the added height presents a new set of conditions to which I will either become accustomed to or will drive me to continue to look for different options. For someone who is maybe a bit taller than me this shield might be good. If I sit up completely straight on my scoot, the top edge is right at my eyeline. Most will say that this is where it should be but as I am going down the road, bobbing up and down I get the top edge of the shield moving in and out of my vision which is very distracting. I either have to try to look over the shield or lower myself to be looking completely through it. Looking completely through it takes some getting used to since the passing of reflections and the framing that happens by the outer edges of the shield cause my eye to feel fatigued as if they are trying to sort too much extra information out.

The shield works best when on the open highway where traffic is light. In those conditions I tend to lean a bit forward anyway and so I can look through the shield and also avoid any buffeting that still catches me over the top of the shield. The visual anomalies are not as much of a bother since I am mostly focused on the road ahead. The level of wind protection far exceeds my compact shield and in some cases it even feels like the shield is too good at blocking the wind and I sometimes feel like my Bones is plowing through snow.

At slower speeds through town the shield is comfortable and since I tend to sit up higher at these speeds I once again am able to avoid the way the shield negatively affects my vision by looking over the top of it.

So the times that I have the most problems with it is when I am on a freeway passing through town where I am traveling at a high rate of speed but am having to deal with traffic conditions including other vehicles and road surface conditions. Having so much information to take in in order to navigate my scoot properly is enough of a challenge without having to deal with the added nuances that the shield presents. I find myself either riding much slower than I normally do in this circumstances or changing lanes far less than normal.

I still think the shield presents lots of benefits and I will continue to ride with it, trying out different things to see how I can best adjust to some of the drawbacks. I would love to see how the shield fares in a good rain maybe switch my 1925 saddle out for my stock seat and see if that extra inch or so in height will put me at a more comfortable level with the shield's top edge.

As for looks? Well it's not my favorite mod in the world but given that my Bones hardly looks like a Bones anymore I'd say it is a lot easier to live with than if I was still running those bobbed fenders.