Do Windshields Oxidize?

[Splais]

The wind shield on my '97 R1100RT is covered with some kind of white streaky staining, just on the outside. Makes it hard to see through. I have a Cee Baily coming, but just wondered if it is oxidation.

 

Now to the great info. I tried almost everything to get it off. Nothing worked until I tried Mequiar's Swirl Remover 2.0, mostly out of desperation. Wow! It takes a little work with a buffing wheel, but it has made that old dirty windshield look like showroom new. Clear as glass.

[David13]

Yes, plastic, just like anything else has a finite life. Some of this plastic I have had out in Palm Springs deteriorates into chips in 5 years.

What do they say, nothing lasts forever?

But Meguiars has quite a few good products, and, properly applied more life can be got out of a thing.

dc

 

[Danny caddyshack Noonan]

It is usually the protective layer applied over the lexan. It can be abraded off.

I've found that, I think rain-x, treated it to make it like new. I could be confused between that and some silicone liquid.

[biometrics]

Definitely not RAIN-X... the bottle specifically says not for plastics... must be some other product. Perhaps PlastX? That is what I used on the windshield of my 99 RT1100RT, and it made a tremendous difference in the OEM clarity... the only problem is you have to use it often because the protective layer is now gone... but it IS still very useable.

[Splais]

I just gotr my new Cee Bailey and RainX is one of the products it says to definitely not use.

[Mike]

Yep, the original Rain-X will cause plastic to delaminate. There's a new version called Xtreme Clean that is formulated for plastic. I've used Plexus and other similar products. They clean and act as a mild polish, reducing swirls.

[EddyQ]

Ammonia(Windex) and polycarbonate (Lexan, OEM shield) are not good together. I've seen many milky bike shields as a result of using windex.

 

So I've used with great results Plexus since '07 and my OEM shield still looks new.

 

[na1g]

Might be worth a try using the automobile headlight de-fogger stuff. Available in auto parts emporium. Car headlights are polycarbonate too and it doesn't hold up well in UV (sunlight) unless coated with a UV resist.

 

Of course, here in the NE we haven't been seeing any sunlight for a while, so it's not an issue.

 

pete

[Selden]

Definitely not RAIN-X... the bottle specifically says not for plastics... must be some other product. Perhaps PlastX? That is what I used on the windshield of my 99 RT1100RT, and it made a tremendous difference in the OEM clarity... the only problem is you have to use it often because the protective layer is now gone... but it IS still very useable.

Actually, if you want to totally remove the protective coating, Rain-X is a great choice, as it will partially dissolve the coating, allowing it to be scraped off (BTDT). One of the "advantages" of acrylic windshields (like the Cee Bailey) is that they aren't coated. Acrylic is relatively soft, and scratches easily, but by the same token, scratches polish out fairly easily.

 

I used an auto headlight polishing compound on the headlights of my old Subaru Forester, and was amazed at the improvement it made with relatively little effort. However, if the coating on your windshield has started to separate, your best bet is probably to strip it off.

[RAMBLIN RED]

I don't mean to hijack, but I've been using Rain-x on my Nolan 90 face shield with no apparant ill effects. Should I stop??

[RAMBLIN RED]

then again, you can ignore this.........what the hell..........

[Peter Parts]

Plastx from Meguire is super for cleaning and restoring car headlights and my home-brew acrylic screen. The less the better and best rubbed in with a human palm if you have one.

 

Anybody know about Lexan? Any easy way (besides looking for a label) to tell if something is Lexan?

 

Ben

spring in Toronto

[na1g]

Ramblin Red: you should definitely stop at those red, octagonal signs, if you can still see 'em through your visor. Seriously tho, if you haven't hurt it yet, I guess you should keep doin' what you're doin'. Maybe the visor is acrylic, which is more tolerant of chemicals and sunlight than polycarbonate.

 

Re the question about "Lexan" and how you can identify it. Lexan is a brand name for polycarbonate, formerly owned by GE but now used by some off-shore company. Commercial products are usually stamped in one corner with the plastic type, whether it's a plain sheet, a visor or a windscreen. If you want an earfull (eyefull) of info on plastic windscreens, visit the California Scientific website (calsci.com). They make some excellent windshields, have some definite opinions and offer good information.

 

pete

[Selden]

I don't mean to hijack, but I've been using Rain-x on my Nolan 90 face shield with no apparant ill effects. Should I stop??

If your visor had a coating that was affected by Rain-X, you would know in about 60 seconds. If Rain-X is working for you, use it. I used it for a while on my car windshield, and found that it tended to lead to rubber being trapped, which led to streaking, so I stopped using the stuff.

[RAMBLIN RED]

Ramblin Red: you should definitely stop at those red, octagonal signs, if you can still see 'em through your visor. Seriously tho, if you haven't hurt it yet, I guess you should keep doin' what you're doin'. Maybe the visor is acrylic, which is more tolerant of chemicals and sunlight than polycarbonate.

 

Re the question about "Lexan" and how you can identify it. Lexan is a brand name for polycarbonate, formerly owned by GE but now used by some off-shore company. Commercial products are usually stamped in one corner with the plastic type, whether it's a plain sheet, a visor or a windscreen. If you want an earfull (eyefull) of info on plastic windscreens, visit the California Scientific website (calsci.com). They make some excellent windshields, have some definite opinions and offer good information.

 

pete

 

 

Think I saw one of those funny signs a couple days ago.....kinda blurry

 

 

[Bologna]

I use the Cee Bailey polish!