Cleaning a fogged windshield

[thunderbass53]

I have just bought my first Valk  (a '97 stanard), and it has a Honda windshield that appears to be fogged by some chemical (the local shop mechanic thinks it was cleaned with a harsh chemical). Does anyone have any ideas on how I could clean or polish this out? They have advised me not to ride it as it is.

Thanks for any help!

Michael

[Pete]

Sometimes the coating on the windshield will "frost". If that is the issue get some plastic polish, a polisher and take it off (both sides). Try scratching the coating off with your fingernail to see it it is the coating. (some are and some are not)

If is fine scratches then get one of the headlight polishing kits and try polishing the scratches out.

If the actual plastic has turned, buy a new one.  

Those actions are what I use, all except take effort and time, the last just takes money.  

[bigdog99]

the honda lne spray cleaner polish works too. if you put it on and let stand 4 a minute or two then wipe it off it may take off most of it. i used it on a friends HD and it kept him from buying a new one.
 

[Red Diamond]

As was mentioned, you can do a test scrape with your fingernail. If it scrapes off you can try this. I removed the complete windshield assembly, remove the brackets from the shield, get some fine grit rubbing compound. While having someone hold it steady (Grand Daughter works well), buff it back to new condition, if you have a buffer it works great. Apply regular Honda Line Polish and you're done. If you try to buff it without someone holding it, it will fly away.

[Walküre]

i used it on a friends HD and it kept him from buying a new one.
 

ANYthing Honda you can put on a Harley, GREATLY improves the HD!!

(couldn't help myself!!)

R

[hubcapsc]

I have just bought my first Valk  (a '97 stanard), and it has a Honda windshield that appears to be fogged by some chemical (the local shop mechanic thinks it was cleaned with a harsh chemical). Does anyone have any ideas on how I could clean or polish this out? They have advised me not to ride it as it is.

Thanks for any help!

Michael

I wish you luck, but it is probably toast. If you don't find a solution that clears it up, you could try cutting it down so that
you're looking over it. When it rains you can't see through a brand new OEM sized windshield... after I found that out on
one miserable ride, I got a shorter Clearview shield. They'll let you send them back if you don't like them, as long as you
don't remove the protective cover... I rode 30 miles like this while I was evaluating mine:



To put it a different way, what I'm suggesting is: cutting it down could solve every problem except the cosmetic one.

-Mike

[thunderbass53]

Thanks to all...I'll let you know what the results are.
Just in case...where is the best place to buy another Honda windshield?

Thanks!!

[MarkT]

Nobody mentioned that, the OEM shield has a thin, hard coating on it.  It's not the same plastic throughout.  Like Chrome vs. SS.  You can't really polish chrome with abrasives either, like you can SS.  So you're probably toast.  Of course it won't hurt to try, but...   Fortunately, the Honda plastic is significantly cheaper than the whole shield assembly.  I've replaced mine several times due to various incidents.  (bought it from a friend who had cut it down; accident; hit it with the garage door while it was high on the lift).  I always got mine shipped in by the dealer.   When you get it, you might want to think about tipping it instead of cutting it down, to see over it.  Lots of advantages to that method, which I won't go into here.  I wrote that up on my tech tips page - at the bottom of the Archive Articles list: http://www.horseapple.com/Valkyrie/Tech_Tips/tech_tips.html

[gordonv]

Here is what has been posted on another forum about removing the coating.

http://hondashadowacetourer.yuku.com/topic/11904

[Garfield]

I have a Memphis Shades windshield I don't need anymore. If you can't fix yours give me a PM and we can work out a Cheap deal on it.

[bigdog99]

i used it on a friends HD and it kept him from buying a new one.
 

ANYthing Honda you can put on a Harley, GREATLY improves the HD!!

(couldn't help myself!!)

R

i told jim that and he made me promise to never tell anuone.

[john]

97? ...
fogged windsheild ? ...   
its toast ...     
buy a clearview ...     
or ride sheildless ...     

[cutter]

My 99 I/S windshield was that way for a while. Since I can see over it I wasn't in a hurry to replace it. I was out on our annual hill contry ride and stopped at Enchanted Rock (state park) and they gave us a day pass with a piece of scotch tape to attach to the windshield. I place mine on the back side in about the middle. When I removed it, the area where the tape had been was clear again..... It was still that way better than a year later. 
 Hmmmmm time to see if this will work and if it didn't no biggie cause it needs to be replaced anyway. What I used was some cheap clear packaging tape because it was 2" wide and applied it to the entire back side of the windshield. Rubbed it down and slowly peeled it back off
 Dang, that worked pretty good. Had to hit a few areas again from the tape edges. It's now almost as good as new. Still looks good a year later. Not saying this will work for everybody but hey, sometimes it's the simple things that work.    

[longrider]

I've used Mirror glaze 17 to remove light scratches.  The front of the honda window has a lexan coating.  I purchased a honda window (just the plastic) two years ago.  It peeled in places within 6 months.  I think honda changed manufacturers as it is not the same quality as the OEM that came with the bike.  go to clearview for your replacement.

warren

I have just bought my first Valk  (a '97 stanard), and it has a Honda windshield that appears to be fogged by some chemical (the local shop mechanic thinks it was cleaned with a harsh chemical). Does anyone have any ideas on how I could clean or polish this out? They have advised me not to ride it as it is.

Thanks for any help!

Michael

[RonW]

.... What I used was some cheap clear packaging tape .... and applied it to the entire back side of the windshield. Rubbed it down and slowly peeled it back off. Dang, that worked pretty good.

that brooches the question on what's the chemical ingredients used in the adhesive, itself. Or in a cleaner that removes tape adhesive residue.

[RP#62]

Once you've got the hardcoat off, any plastic polish will remove any remaining residue.  Without the hardcoat, you will need to polish often as it will scratch if you look at it too hard.
-RP

[Michael K (Az.)]

As RP said, the thin skin is there to protect the soft lexan from scratching too easily. Without it, the lexan might as well be jello for all the scratch protection you'll get. I bought a Clearview and never looked back. (altho that could be because my neck doesn't bend that way very well.)

[John Schmidt]

As RP said, the thin skin is there to protect the soft lexan from scratching too easily. Without it, the lexan might as well be jello for all the scratch protection you'll get. I bought a Clearview and never looked back. (altho that could be because my neck doesn't bend that way very well.)

Mikey....good grief, neck doesn't bend that way?    I have to agree with my OLD(getting really old) friend and others on the Clearview. It's thicker and buffs out if you scratch it. MarkT and others have re. to the coating on the OEM 'shield, that's usually what is keeping you from polishing out problems. I finally went with a Clearview and the few times I've needed to, just apply some polish and a buffing pad/buffer...I use a slow speed one and it works fine. Plus, you can get different sizes from Clearview. With your old one just decide how high you want it and order one. You'll spend a lot of time with little results otherwise.

[thunderbass53]

Thanks to everyone for the great advice! I'm not familiar with the Clearview Windshield, but I'll check them out!!

[Michael K (Az.)]

http://clearviewshields.com/shop/manufacturer.php?id=2

[thunderbass53]

Thanks, Michael...
I looked through their website, and with the "end of season" discount, I'd be crazy to spend so much time trying to refinish the one that's on the bike...I'll just order a Clearview!

Again, many thanks to all!!

[Michael K (Az.)]

Thanks, Michael...
I looked through their website, and with the "end of season" discount, I'd be crazy to spend so much time trying to refinish the one that's on the bike...I'll just order a Clearview!

Again, many thanks to all!!

 

[gordonv]

Not all plastics can be polished. I brought my bike to the local plastic shop, had him look at the label for the type of plastic it was made from, and asked if it could be polished. He said no, it could not. That the plastic was too soft, that it wouldn't polish.

[thunderbass53]

Ordered a Clearview yesterday, and it should be here in about 2 weeks. End of season discount helped. Thanks again to all for the advice! (not to mention the advice on spark plugs, air/oil filters, Amsoil, tires, accessories, and...well you get the idea.)

P.S. John in Tyler...my wife and I are planning a trip to south MS. this October, and we'll be staying a night in Tyler with my nephew. I lived there for 4 years back in the late 80's...
Cheers, and good riding!

Michael

[blackcat]

even though it seems you have solved the problem with a new shield, i had the same problem with the coating yellowing and peeling

what i done is used a warm water pressure washer to knock off all the coating and residue, it will scratch easier but it got me by for a while

i ordered a clearview also but it took 3 months to get

nick