Motorcycle windshields

Choosing a motorcycle windscreen, or windshield as many riders call it, is about more than looks: it decides how much air hits your chest and helmet, how much noise you hear on the motorway and how tired you get on a long trip. This section brings together screens, scooter windscreens and fairings from Puig, Givi, Rizoma, SW-Motech and Customacces. Here is how to get the height, tint and fitting right, whichever brand you go for.

Most of what you see here is made by Puig, which has a range for almost every kind of bike; we go through them one by one on the Puig windscreens page.

Which screen suits which bike

Scooters and maxi-scooters

On a scooter the screen works as a proper windshield: it is usually tall, covers your upper body and keeps much of the rain and cold off on the daily commute. Lower versions suit riders who want some air in summer or a sportier look. The most popular ones fit everyday 125s such as the PCX, NMAX or SH, maxi-scooters like the Forza or XMAX and, more and more, electric scooters.

Naked and neo-retro bikes

On a naked bike the screen is short. It is not there to hide you, but to take the wind pressure off your chest so you are not hanging on to the bars at sustained motorway speeds, without changing the lines of the bike. Round-headlight bikes have universal options, and on neo-retros small, classic-looking pieces rule, such as the Rizoma flyscreens in black or silver or the compact SW-Motech screens for the Z900RS, R nineT or Speed Twin.

Adventure and touring

On adventure and touring bikes such as the R 1300 GS, Ténéré 700 or Tracer 7, swapping the stock screen for a taller or wider one is one of the first upgrades riders make. Besides fixed touring screens there are versions with an adjustable spoiler on the top edge and screens that slide up and down, such as the Airflow models among the Givi windscreens, so you can match the protection to the road.

Sports bikes

On a sports bike the screen is designed for a tucked position. Double-bubble screens rise in the centre so your helmet stays out of the windblast when you are flat on the tank, and they come in tints and colours that completely change the look of the fairing.

Custom and cruiser

Here style carries more weight: batwing fairings, tall classic screens and round-headlight screens for Harley-Davidson, Indian or Honda Rebel. The Customacces batwing fairings pair a black shell with a smoked or clear screen, and there is a universal version too.

Height, tint and material: what you feel on the road

• Height: in your normal riding position, the top edge should sit roughly at nose level, so you look over it and the airflow passes above your helmet. If the blast hits your visor or chin, you get buffeting and noise.
• Tint: a clear screen gives the best vision at night and in the rain, and is the only sensible choice if you will be looking through it. Smoked, dark, black or coloured screens are mainly about style and suit low screens below your line of sight.
• Material: screens are mostly made from acrylic, which is very clear and stiff, or polycarbonate, which copes better with an impact but scratches more easily without a hard coating. Extra thickness helps a tall screen resist vibration, but the right shape and solid mounts matter more than a figure in millimetres.

Fitting: model-specific, universal or with a kit

Model-specific screens bolt onto the original mounting points and can almost always be fitted at home with basic tools. Universal screens attach to the headlight or the handlebar, so measure the space before you choose. With Givi, the screen and the fitting kit are often separate references: the Givi screen fitting kits carry the brackets for each bike and, when a product name joins two codes with a plus sign, both come together.

For touring, the screen usually goes hand in hand with other motorcycle accessories such as luggage, crash bars or handguards.

Common questions

Does a taller screen always protect more?

It protects your body more, but not always your head. If the top edge sends the airflow straight onto your visor, noise and buffeting can be worse than with the stock screen. A spoiler on the edge or an adjustable screen lets you fine-tune where the air goes.

How do I clean it without scratching it?

Use lukewarm water, mild soap and a microfibre cloth, once the bugs have softened. Avoid kitchen roll, scourers, solvents and glass cleaners containing ammonia or alcohol: they cloud and can even crack both acrylic and polycarbonate.

What if it is my hands that get cold?

A screen shelters your chest and head, but your hands sit outside its wind shadow. That is the job of handguards, which pair very well with a touring screen in winter.

Why does the year of my bike matter?

Because the front end and the mounting points change between generations of the same model, so a screen for the previous YZF-R125 will not fit the current one. If you are torn between two heights or two versions, ask us on the chat before ordering and we will tell you which suits your riding position and the way you ride.