This is a comparison between a stock Hondaline windshield and a Clearview windshield on a Honda Pacific Coast PC800 motorcycle.
Editor’s note: I am preserving Leland Sheppard’s PC800-related content after his passing. This is one of his pages that I felt the PC800 community would want to have preserved. Leland may be on his final Iron Butt ride but he is not forgotten.
The setup for the test.
Clearview
Clearview
OEM Honda
OEM Honda
The two shields WITHOUT a thick black line across the top are the Clearviews; the other two are stock Honda shields (OEM – not the tall Hondaline) with SAENG edging on them (the thick black line).
Personally, I see very little difference in optical quality. To my eye, the Clearview gets the edge but only slightly. Again, to my eye, there is a slight color difference: the Clearviews are lighter than the stock Honda shields. I can see no distortion through any of the shields.
Any questions contact: Leland Sheppard, iPCRC #72 [Editor’s Note: While Leland is away on his final ride, Douglas might be able to answer your questions.]
There are several options for the Honda Pacific Coast PC800’s windshield (windscreen for our UK friends). Most bikes came with a stock Hondaline windshield. However, there are two different stock Hondaline windshields — the 1989 model year windshield and the windshield that Honda used for all of the other years. Many of us have replaced our stock windshields over the years with a variety of options (discussed below). If you’re looking for a quick recommendation, I love my Clearview windshield as do many others.
A good windshield that is the correct height for your torso can really improve comfort on a PC800.
A Note on the Stock 1989 Hondaline Windshield
The vast majority of 1989 model year Honda Pacific Coasts have a somewhat defective windshield. It works fine in every way, ESPECIALLY in magnifying the sun into a point and melting the plastic on the motorcycle’s dash. If you have a 1989, you’ve probably seen the bubbled dash. Likely, a previous owner already replaced the windshield with a newer stock Hondaline windshield or an aftermarket windshield. If you still have an original 1989 windshield and are starting to get bubbles, the best thing you can do is to cover your windshield with a cloth when you’re parked in the sun.
A Note About the Air Bubble, Looking Through the Windshield vs Over, and Helmet Noise
When you’re riding your PC800, you can have one of three riding postitions:
Sit low enough behind the windshield that you’re fully encapsulated in the air bubble it makes. You’ll be looking through the windshield.
Have your head and helmet stick up above the windshield enough to be in the turbulent air coming off the top lip of the windshield which protects your body from the wind and allows you to see over the top of the windshield. However, this makes for a very noisy ride.
Have the windshield be low enough below the bottom of your helmet that your head is fully in the airstream which makes your neck more tired and allows you to see over the windshield. You will get some noise but not as much as Option #2.
I personally am in the Option #2 camp more because I haven’t decided how to address the problem than anything. I’ve tried riding on a bike where I was in Option #3 and it was good but my neck got tired. I also have tried Option #1 by slouching down and looking through the windshield but if the windshield is dirty, this isn’t a great idea. It’s also bad for my back!
When you’re choosing a windshield, the height of the windshield is important. Think about which option you want to be in and go in that direction. There are a variety of products that help to varying degrees to increase the height of the air bubble behind the windshield. Look below for a section dedicated to windshield lips and edging for more details on that.
Aftermarket Windshield Options
Most people are still riding with the OEM Hondaline windshield that came with the bike originally. A few bikes were upgraded to the optional Tall Hondaline windshields. Today, most people end up buying a Clearview windshield.
OEM Tall Hondaline Windshield
Check EBay for this option. Honda does not sell these anymore but they pop up from time to time. The tall windshield will give you a couple more inches of coverage than the stock OEM windshield.
Clearview Windshield
The Clearview windshield is what most people end up when they buy an aftermarket windshield. You can get a variety of taller or shorter heights according to your specifications. You can also get a Goldwing-style vent added which can help to allow a little air flow through during hot weather and helps to collapse some of the air bubble that can otherwise make a *fwhump fwhump fwhump* noise around your body and helmet.
I personally have a Clearview +5″ windshield with a Goldwing-style vent. One issue though is the Clearview windshields are thicker than the OEM Hondaline windshields. This makes fastening it to the bike a little more difficult especially with the valence trim. Don’t worry too much though — many, many PC800 riders have successfully installed Clearview windshields.
A number of people who ride Honda Pacific Coast PC800 motorcycles have been using Rifle windshields. The folks who have them generally seem to like them although I have seen a few reports of too much flex in Rifle windshields though. One nice feature, however, is that you can remove the windshield quite easily with this system if you want to have no windshield in the summer months.
Alex H. was kind enough to send in a few photos of his Rifle windscreen on his Honda Pacific Coast.
7Jurock Windshield
I don’t know any PCer who rides with a 7Jurock windshield but they are available for the PC800. If you ride with one and like it, please let me know and send me a picture!
A Few Unknown Windshields in the Wild
Over the years, a few windshields have popped up attached to bikes on Craigslist with very little information available.
A bike for sale at a used car lot in Florida in May 2018 popped up on Craigslist. One or two people on the PC800 Facebook group believe it might be a Madstad windshield that was grafted onto the Pacific Coast. As far as I am aware, Madstad never made a windshield dedicated to our bikes.
Former Options That Are No More
At one point, Cee Bailey’s used to manufacture a PC800 windshield but they no longer have it listed on their website. You might try calling them up to see if they still can produce one if you’re interested. I’ve only heard of one or two folks who ride with a Cee Bailey’s windshield although they have a pretty decent reputation for aircraft windshields.
Windshield Lips and Edging
A number of people have found it useful to add a lip or some edging to their windshields to make the air bubble behind the windshield be taller. I have played around with a DIY solution where I put some plexiglass on the front of my windshield. It in fact did help. At some point, I need to get around to installing something permanently on my bike.
Laminar Lip
Laminar Lip makes a good solution that allows you to adjust the height of your windshield with a piece of polycarbonate and some velcro. Quite a few PCers ride with one of these.
If you have a Laminar Lip, please send me a photo so I can put it here!
Saeng Micro-Swirl
A few PC800 riders have been experimenting with Saeng Micro-Swirl Gen 4 edging on their windshields. There has been some indication of positive results although I’m not sure I really buy their marketing material. Please let me know if you have used such a product and your experiences!
MRA VarioScreen
One Honda Pacific Coast rider used a MRA VarioScreen replacement spoiler on his PC800 windshield to create a different sort of windshield lip. He reports good results.
Windscreen Spoiler
Touratech sells a variety of clip-on windscreen spoilers that can be clipped onto a PC800’s windshield. A few folks have used different models over the years and have found them to be useful. If you’re using one, let me know and send me a photo!
Puig Clip-On Windscreen Visor
Justin H. from the PC800 Facebook group found a Puig Clip-On Windscreen Visor works well on the Honda Pacific Coast. It is adjustable and clips on easily onto both stock and aftermarket windshields.
DIY Options
You can always DIY an option as well, such as this DIY wind deflector that someone used on a Suzuki Bergman. The same principles can be used to build your own for a PC800.
Andrius K. on the PC800 Facebook group used his 3D printer to print some mounts that he attached to a piece of polycarbonate plastic and then attached the DIY wind deflector to his stock windshield. I should be getting the file that he used to print out the mounts in the coming days or weeks so that others can try this as well.
