I bought a new Road Glide Ultra last year and for the most part love the bike. Everything I expected it to be after a few modifications, except for one big problem. The windshield blows off of it when a hard wind hits it from behind.

The first time it happened was last year. We went for a ride one windy day and when we parked the bike it was facing with the wind. A gust of wind hit it from behind and the windshield went flying.

I told the dealer and their parts and service departments reply was basicly "To bad so sad, turn it in to your insurance company. Harley warrenty doesn't cover it." After bitching enough and to enough people they finally gave me a new windshield to replace the scratched up one.

Things were fine untill yesterday when the same thing happened. Only thing was, this time it was a cross wind that did it.

Has any other Road Glide owners had this problem. The windshield is held on with five screws, but four of the mounting hole in the windshield are slotted. Only the center one is not. When the wind hits the shield from behind, the slotted holes can't hold the windshield in place.

Any ideas how to handle this problem?

 

rode my RG this weekend in 40 plus mph winds with no problems. I have tried different windshields and tightened them up my self. The screws expand as you tighten them.

 

It seems like you didn't screw in the wellnuts all the way in. Too bad So sad

 

It's a crappy system they have for mounting the windshield. I never lost a windshield but could have. Problem was I was using the factory wellnuts. They are crap. Too short. Go to home depot and buy some replacement well nuts. I got that piece of advice right here on this forum. The ones you get at the local hardware store are a little bit longer than the stock ones so grab better. Also make sure the bolts are long enough to properly engage the well nut. I had that problem as well on the outside bolt on each side.

Also, when I got the Clearview shield it comes with a small spacer that partially fills that slot, I think that helps.

So once I got rid of the piece of crap stock windshield and piece of crap wellnuts I got a really tight fit on the windshield.

I've been hit really hard with side winds and nothing, solid as a rock. You know the sidewinds you get when you're travelling at highway speeds with a powerfull wind hitting you at your side, then you get passed by a semi going the other way. He momentarily blocks the wind and when passed you get hit like a ton of bricks. Well, the clearview was solid, it's a good mount.

 

Periodically check those 5 screws to be sure they are tight. Mine have loosened up a little from time to time but never came close to loosing the windshield.

 

Other than losing one stock well nut when I was changing windshield. I've had no windshield issue. I replaced the missing well nut that the fairing ate with one from ACE Hardware.

I also added the chrome HD windshield trim to the bottom of the shield. Maybe that reinforces the windshield as well.

Try tightening those well nuts but first go to the hardware store and get a few spares. The shark feeds on those well nuts.

 

Hey I just remembered something else. You can't tighten the **** out of those bolts that go into the wellnuts. You will just simply pull the rubber well nut apart. Just snug it up and don't over tighten them. You don't go back and retighten, they don't loosen up. I suppose if they were loose you could just replace the wellnut.

 

the factory doesn't make wellnuts. these are just stock off-the-shelf items. and to be honest, i have never had a problem with them. if you press on the bottom of the shield by the nut that you are tightening, it will keep the shield close enough for the rubber to expand enough to hold it tightly.

there's nothing wrong with buying new wellnuts that are a little longer if you want, but make sure that the ones you buy spec out properly. there is a spec for minimum and maximum thickness for the item they are holding.

 

I put one of those chrome strips on the faring below the windshield on my EGC. The chrome strip must have come with longer screws. I don't know what setup you have on your RG.

 

I like this idea because ... My windshield is cracking around the bolt holes on three of mounts. I may have over tightened them, or it may just be the Harley vibration curse I've been having with other components, like the stereo caddy fracturing a speaker bolt hole all the way to an edge. I'm adding some angled aluminum to secure it better and epoxying the crack while securing it with the angle material across the bottom of both sides to make it match.

I'm considering aftermarket larger rubber washers. I like the strip suggestion to cover the visible fractures around the bolt holes. BTW the shield has not (YET) come loose.

I would think that the rubber washers need to be there to keep the shield from sliding out of the bolts.

So what happened to the center mount when the windshield detached itself? This could be a real hazard having it happen going down the road!!