Cleaning harley wind shields?

Question

I know you cant use alot of household items to get the bugs off, cause it eats the plastic? ...But when I take it in to the shop they get it so clean, any ideas please?

Answer 1

Hi Tiff,,,there's several products specifically for that purpose.

The guys who suggested Rain-X and "ask the shop what they use" gave good advice

Rain-X is a "must have/do" to help keep it clear while riding & easier to clean

"Ask the Shop....",,,,It's hard to argue with Results :)

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Beyond that,,,
Meguiar's makes some of the oldest,best products for "clear plastics" Care/Cleaning/Restoration~scratch removal

PLASTX is a fairly recent addition to their product line.
It's ideal for routine maintenance
http://www.meguiars.com/?clear-plastic-care/PlastX-Clear-Plastic-Cleaner-Polish
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Their Old line stuff remains as good as anything,and far better than most.
Tuff to find at retail level in most areas though.

#18 is "new",,,it's a very light duty cleaner
#17 been around longer than dinosaurs,,and maybe even me!
It's probly Best cleaner available
#10 is a POLISH,,,for heavier scratches,swirls,cloudiness etc

http://www.meguiars.com/estore/product_list.cfm?sectionname=Professional%20(Mirror%20Glaze%20Brand)>Clear%20Plastic%20Care§ionID=34101

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Lots of "household products" will clean it nicely---
BUT can have eventual side-effects upon the plastic.

Soft Towel & mild soapy-water solution & clear-water rinse is always "safe" and usually does a good enough job.

The thing to keep in mind on a sorta "technical/chemistry" level is that the Plastic Material is UNLIKE Glass in terms of Care & Feeding.

We can simply CLEAN Glass,,,and it's good to go.
It requires nothing further.
And it's pretty inert material,,,almost NOTHING has any after-effect,,,or reaction,,,or causes eventual deterioration.

All the Clear Plastics are practically the Opposite.
Simple Cleaning is fine,,,just for the sake of visibilty & appearance,etc.

But the Plastic Material NEEDS some "maintenance" type treatment occasionally which CHEMICALLY affects & reacts with the Surface.
It does things like,,remove oxidation,,,seals the surface,,,supports the plastic's chemistry in various ways.

Much the same way that WASHING a Paint Job GETS it Nice Looking,,,
But it is the WAXING which preserves the Paint and Keeps it nice looking.

If you already Know all that,,,just take it as a reminder :)
(and nothing meant condescending)
Many folks aren't really aware.

I have my favourites,,,,but I dare say that ANYTHING specifically made for that purpose will do a fine job of preserving your windscreen.

What's MOST IMPORTANT is,,,,"Anything Specifically Made for that Purpose"

They need a periodic application of "plastic cleaner" as a sort of Treatment>Preservative,,,,,beyond simply for purpose of Cleaning

*Armour-All and similar products is NOT appropriate

Proper Plastic Cleaners for Visors,Windscreens,etc can ALSO be used on your Lighting Lenses,,Tail/Turn,etc.
A Tooth Brush helps get residue outa the small crevices & makes the job quick and easy.

It's Also good for Cars with Plastic Headlite Lenses,,,keeps them from getting yellow & cloudy.
And helps to restore them when they've already begun to deteriorate

Good Luck!

*** Cloth Baby Diapers may seem a bit like overkill,,,but they're cheap and available---and generally the "Cleanest" finest Cotton availble.
Hard to beat for "windshield wipers"

The fellow who warned about using Paper also gave Wise advice.
Paper,,,ya just never know --it can have foreign matter /abrasives in it,,,it's made with all sorts of chemicals,etc
It's a crapshoot at best,,,and best to avoid when at all possible

Answer 2

Harley Cleaning Products

Answer 3

You've got some good responses already, but this type of thing is actually part of what I deal with in my business on a regular basis.
The plastics used for motorcycle windshields is touchy stuff, very easy to scratch. Soft, non-abrasive cloths are best. Zebj25 is right about a cleaner that is safe for tinted windows, as tint is plastic too, but hot soap & water can also do a bang up job.
The products we use in our shop are made by Novus, and available in three stages/formulas for sure, #1 being a great final stage cleaner & polish. This stuff is made specifically for plastics and is used by pros. Ask for it at your local glass shop.
You can use stronger cleaners, such as high quality glass cleaner, if the bugs just aren't going away. Saturate the surface, let it set, rinse well with water, then use the soft cloth to wipe away remaining pieces.
Anything you do has the potential to scratch the windshield though. Just so you know...

Answer 4

Harley windshields are made of Lexon, You should never use any cleaning products other than a "mild" liquid detergent mixed with HOT water.... to get the bugs off use a soft non-abrasive cloth soked in very hot water ..let the cloth sit on the bug's for a few minutes and then wash with the hot soapy water then wipe dry with a non-abrasive towel, does a fantastic job..dosent dull it or scratch it , Harley sells a windshield cleaner but the method I described works just as well..At $300 for a windshield I cant afford to ruin it LOL

Answer 5

the safest way, even recomended by HD is to take a large towel, wet it and lay it onto the windshield to "soften" the stuff on the windshield. Then, I use S100 liberally and a cloth designed to clean the optics on a riflescope to gently wipe it loose. Keep lots of s100 on while doing this. Then I rinse with strong jet of water and dry with a chamois cloth. Rain ex, if applied to a sparkling clean windshield, does wonders for making it easier to clean. Never use T shirt type material, shop rags etc to clean the windshield. It just scratches it up.

Answer 6

I use Rain -X on the "glass" windshields of car and truck and it works great. But the product specifically says that it is not recommended for polycarbonate lexan windshields like those found on airplanes, boats and motorcycles.

Most manufactures of motorcycle windshields recommend using clean sopping wet Terry Cloth and simple liquid dish soap like dawn or or polmolive. Don't scrub hard. Let the towel sit on and soak the windshield, then remove the bugs, and rinse.

I use Novus #1 to protect my windshield and visor. I've heard good things about Plexus too.

Answer 7

when i first got my wind shield, i washed it with very hot and soapy water; i soaked a soft towel in the water, threw it over the wind shield to soften the bugs, wash/rise. then after drying, polish it with lemon pledge and buff to a high gloss. the next time the shield needs cleaning, just use pledge. the bugs wont stick to it quite as much. can basically be wiped off with hot water and a cloth. its the only thing i'll ever use on my sheild, and mine is still scratch free after 2 years, cept for slight dings from deflecting small stones. never ever use ammonia. it will ruin the wind shield in a hurry.

Answer 8

On my Beemer, for the routine cleaning off bugs, I just have some soapy water in a spray bottle, I soak the windshield with that and wipe off with a clean terrycloth towel (old bath towel).
To really get it pretty, I use a product you can find at a grocery store called Gel Gloss, I use that with a damp towel and really makes it sparkle.

Answer 9

I use S-100, spray it on rinse it off. If the bugs are real hard to remove, spray S-100 on a rag and place it on windshield for a few min, then rinse well. I use S-100, to clean our 3 bikes.
You can buy it Harley dealership.

Answer 10

#1 NEVER use paper products on a plastic windshield,,,even kleenex, which feels soft to the touch will eventually cause the windshield to look foggy. Use a soft cloth and soap and water or Maguire's Instant Detail or plastic polish. K ;o)