SWing 600 windshield help

So I have a 2009 Swing and love it.

But I just started riding when I retired at 65. Prior to that I had never owned any two wheeled anything except a bike.

Since I didn't learn to ride when I was a kid and have years riding different machines under my belt I don't have the comparative history to make a good decision. So I am just asking opinions.

How high should my windshield come up into my sight line?

When I sit comfortable on the SWing, the top of the windshield is about 4 inches below my sight line. (See photo attached)

Should it be lower? Higher? Wider?

What think 'ye?

Stock windshield on SilverWing is crap, regardless of height, period---too narrow, tip too far from nose (failure of all maxi scooters....I am on 11th new one since 1990!)I think most who ride a lot on this forum forum, agree Givi Adjustable is the best solution for some comfort with SilverWing!! At 81, 65 years of riding and over 1.5 million miles, 400,000 with maxiscooters and lots of money wasted on the over 65 new 2 wheelers I have purchased and ridden. For scooters, Big frame Vespa with proper height windshield can be comfortable and safe looking over. For motorcycles, my base line for comparison is boxer air cooled twin with Heinrich upper and lowers=works. I ride year around, all weathers with 3/4 helmet and safety glasses.

Proper height with right windshield design works out to tip of shield at about lower nose height, but nose 8-12 inches from tip of shield---this is where maxiscooterl design is WEAK---you are too far back from tip.

I wouldn't worry too much about the position Dencart2, its more about how it feels while you ride. Some people like to feel some exposure, others want total isolation from the elements.
Your size (height and width) will come into this and how and where you ride (freeway, town, country, fast or slow).
I find the standard screen fine, I'm 6ft tall and skinny ish. On hot days I just take off the screen.
What works for one doesn't for another. I'd suggest you go with standard screen for a while before changing.

Take the screen off!   I'm a fan of the Givi Airflow but after losing a couple of top sections at motorway speeds, the turbulence and wind noise was terrible. I ended up with my ears ringing (even wearing a pair of custom made earplugs) and my jacket covered with dead insects and yellow bug splatter.

It's a thoroughly miserable experience even after a couple of miles, and I had to ride over a hundred miles back home the first time it happened.

It's also interesting looking back how many Airflow users panicked on first reading about me losing that top screen.

Today was very nice day, all I had to do to get more or less air was move my electric Givi screen up and down. That screen is far more effective than the OE or Secdem screens I had on my lardass 650 Burgman.

I didn't say it was bugfree Meldrew, but on those 3 or 4 days when the temperature got into the mid 20's this year it was perfect for couple hundred miles around the Lakes.
Fortunately screen off/on is only a 10 minute job.

Interesting, I lived in the West Lakes area of Cumbria for nearly 40 years until moving to York when I decided to retire three years early. So I had most of the lakes, fells, and passes only a short ride away.

Nowadays I occasionally head over to the Lakes, but nowadays IMHO there's a greater variety of interesting roads here in North Yorkshire without all the tourist traffic. If I'd still been living over there I'd have certainly have taken the Forza over Hardknott Pass by now like I did with my Silver Wing and a variety of other bikes and scooters. There's no practical explanation for gong over Hardknott, Wrynose, or any of the other passes this, apart from the bragging rights when talking to other riders.

Nowadays if I want to have a go at a similar 1 in 3 hill pass, Rosedale Chimney Bank isn't too far away.

As for hot days in the Lake District, I'd probably have to go right back to the long hot summer of 1976.

dencart2 wrote:

... snipped ... How high should my windshield come up into my sight line?  When I sit comfortable on the SWing, the top of the windshield is about 4 inches below my sight line.

Should it be lower? Higher? Wider? What think 'ye?

I've ridden the SWing with the stock, GIVI 214DT and AF 214 windscreens over the past 11 years. I am 6'1' and have a 31" inseam.

The stock windscreen is the worst for me.  It was too low and narrow, and allowed lots of helmet and shoulder turbulence.  It also created a lot of back pressure which feels like a hand is always gently pushing me forward in the middle of my back.

The GIVI 214DT, solid one piece windscreen was much better as it was taller thus cutting down on the turbulence around my helmet. It was also a little wider and with the side wings, provided better protection for my hands and shoulders from excessive wind, bugs and flying debris.  I found this windscreen's factory height just right for me.  It can be trimmed down to fit so you can comfortably see over it.  

A couple of negatives.  1) It still created back pressure which I resolved by installing two adjustable Snap Vents in the lower center of the screen.  2) Also, if you use handguards, you'll likely run into a clearance issue with the handguards hitting the windscreen's side wings at full lock.  The wings can be trimmed back to avoid making contact or you can just live with it.

The GIVI AF214, 2-piece adjustable windscreen has been the best of the three for me although I still experience some wind turbulence around the top of my helmet even when the top half of the AF214 is fully extended.

These side wings also do a good job protecting my hands and shoulders from excessive wind, bugs and flying debris etc.  I like the fact I can lower it for city/slower speeds riding if I want, and raise it when highway riding.  You need to ensure the two height adjusting mechanisms are quite snug otherwise you'll end up losing the upper half as some have experienced.  You can even install a "home rigged" safety pin to prevent this as well.  Personally, I've not had a problem with this issue in over 6 years of using this screen in stock form.

Only one negative with this AF214 windscreen that I've discovered.  If you install handguards, you also have the clearance issue with the handguards hitting the windscreen's side wings. Again, the wings can be trimmed back to accommodate the handguards at full lock without making contact.

You asked about where you should be looking when riding, height wise, vis-a-vis the windscreen.  It is imperative that in inclement weather (rain, fog etc) when the windscreen becomes obstructed with condensation etc., you must be  looking over the top of it and not be looking through it.

In all weather situations, I have mine adjusted so that I am looking just over the top edge of my windscreen (I'm guesstimating about 1 inch over the windscreen's top).  I never have it adjusted such that I'm looking through it..  

Another reason I never look "through the windscreen" is I discovered that wearing Polaroid sunglasses, then looking through my helmet's clear visor and finally looking through the windscreen (any of them), I got colour and vision distortion under certain light conditions. l now avoid wearing any type of Polarized lenses.

Lastly, there are other aftermarket windscreen brands available for the SWing including the Clearview and MadStad brands.  Hopefully those who have experience with those windscreens will chime in for you.

I trust my experiences are helpful for you Dencart2. Good Luck!

Summer Riding I like the stock windshield. When it gets cooler or longer trips GIVI 214 DT. Never tried the AF214