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F4+4 does not bead rain!

4K views 17 replies 15 participants last post by  tfdeputydawg 
#1 ·
Windshield is 3 years old and the rain drops simply cling to the surface, regardless of speed. I clean with Windex and paper towels. It has been my understanding the windshield should bead off water by itself. Am I correct in this assumption or should I be using something routinely? Does the coating wear off with time?
 
#3 ·
The hard coating that they use does wear off in time (the rain beading part of it, not the hard coating itself). I use Aquapel on mine http://www.aquapel.com/ , get it off of eBay. Use it about once a year for the bike, about every 6 months on the car. Unlike rainx, it can be used on stock shields also without fogging them. Rainx is a silicone/alchohol based product, aquapel is a polymer. Works dang good, highly recommend it. I do the car's windshield first, then use the rest of the applicator to do the bike shield and mirrors.

Minor note on the windex - make sure it is the ammonia-free version. Shield plastics and ammonia don't mix.
 
#4 ·
Another note.. Papertowels, like most paper are made from wood.. they scratch.. I would only use a soft cotton cloth such as cheap washcloths sold at walmart in bundles..
 
#5 ·
I would not use windex on any plastic, lexan, plexi glass windshield that may be your only issue. Try a straight carnauba wax or any polish with carnauba in it. I don't think you went thought coating but if it has you will see round spots or wear areas in front side of shield.
the windex has clean deep in to surface and the carnaba will fill these and fix you up and also show wear spots to stand out.
 
#6 ·
F4 windshields is not made of the same plastic that OEM and other shields are made. It is very much harder plastic. Paper towels,windex and other cleaning materials that should not be used on the OEM shields CAN be used on the F4s. My F4 is about 3yrs old and still beads water fine. I clean it with Honda spray polish though which keeps it slick.
 
#7 ·
F4 windshields is not made of the same plastic that OEM and other shields are made. It is very much harder plastic. Paper towels,windex and other cleaning materials that should not be used on the OEM shields CAN be used on the F4s. My F4 is about 3yrs old and still beads water fine. I clean it with Honda spray polish though which keeps it slick.
Agree. And Rain-X works fine too.
 
#8 ·
F4 windshields is not made of the same plastic that OEM and other shields are made. It is very much harder plastic. Paper towels,windex and other cleaning materials that should not be used on the OEM shields CAN be used on the F4s. My F4 is about 3yrs old and still beads water fine. I clean it with Honda spray polish though which keeps it slick.
:agree: Mine still beads but I don't put anything on it (other than HP to wipe off the bugs).
 
#9 ·
F4 windshields is not made of the same plastic that OEM and other shields are made. It is very much harder plastic.
Actually:
1. Polycarbonate is a "softer" material than the "brittle" acrylic most windshields are made of.
2. The OEM Wing shields are also made using polycarbonate and are hardcoated.
3. F4 calls their coating speedglass. I have no idea if the coating on the F4 is the same as on the OEM shields but, both are "hardcoated".
IMO, Windex is one of the worst cleaners to use on any shield. I clean my whole bike using Original spray cleaner/polish and micro-fiber towels. Using Windex may in deed be why the OP's shield no longer displaces the rain.
Product Pink Violet Spray Material property

UPDATE:
MOST OF #3 IS TOTALLY WRONG FOR THE F4 SHIELDS. SEE MY CORRECTIONS BELOW!!!!!!!!!!
 
#11 ·
The hard coating that they use does wear off in time (the rain beading part of it, not the hard coating itself). I use Aquapel on mine http://www.aquapel.com/ , get it off of eBay. Use it about once a year for the bike, about every 6 months on the car. Unlike rainx, it can be used on stock shields also without fogging them. Rainx is a silicone/alchohol based product, aquapel is a polymer. Works dang good, highly recommend it. I do the car's windshield first, then use the rest of the applicator to do the bike shield and mirrors.

Minor note on the windex - make sure it is the ammonia-free version. Shield plastics and ammonia don't mix.
Thanks for the recommendation. I'll give this a try. My F4 also doesn't bead anymore (1 yr old), and I've been using windex on it like the manufacturer recommends. Back to my original spirits.
 
#12 ·
+ 1 on Plexus.. Been using it for 8 or 9 years.. also works great on my glasses :)
 
#13 ·
The hard coating that they use does wear off in time (the rain beading part of it, not the hard coating itself). I use Aquapel on mine http://www.aquapel.com/ , get it off of eBay. Use it about once a year for the bike, about every 6 months on the car. Unlike rainx, it can be used on stock shields also without fogging them. Rainx is a silicone/alchohol based product, aquapel is a polymer. Works dang good, highly recommend it. I do the car's windshield first, then use the rest of the applicator to do the bike shield and mirrors.

Minor note on the windex - make sure it is the ammonia-free version. Shield plastics and ammonia don't mix.
Thanks for the link :) I have been using Rejex on my bike, shield & even my eye glasses with good effect, going to get some of this & see which works better
 
#14 ·
Thanks for the recommendation. I'll give this a try. My F4 also doesn't bead anymore (1 yr old), and I've been using windex on it like the manufacturer recommends. Back to my original spirits.
For me, Windex seems to be about the worst thing to clean any kind of windshield, so I never use it. The water just seems to smear around, rather than bead up or run off in sheets.

Just a towel soaked in hot water works best for me, or plain old car soap and water when washing the rest of the bike. Maybe once a year I'll wipe on a coat of Rain-X. Thw water runs off just fine.
 
#15 ·
Use on the windshield whatever you wax the bike with. Rain isn't going to run off until you get to about 40 mph. I like a paste wax.
 
#16 ·
I wax my bike with Turtlewax ICE and I wax my OEM windshield with it for the first time. WOW...water ran off that thing like never before. (an IBA'er told me that was the best thing to clear windshield. just make sure there's no ammonia in cleaning product!)

ICE is the best wax I have ever used...slap that stuff on everything on the bike but the tires! it is amazing...makes bike shine with showroom finish! Makes the black plastics look new again...no wax in cracks...nooks or cranees! no toothbrush detailing! It buffs out as fast as it goes on! It's not a once a year wax. As a matter of fact...maybe a 3 or 4 times a year wax...but you will not mind because it is so fast and easy to use with eye popping results! Amazing stuff!
 
#17 ·
F4 Rain Shedding

The F4 has a proprietary coating that will continue to she'd rain. Sometimes riders use wax, polish etc. and then the coating can't do it's job. If you have a rain shedding issue on any F4 windshield just simply clean it with rubbing alcohol and paper towels and it will restore it to original. Hope this helps.
 
#18 ·
The F4 has a proprietary coating that will continue to she'd rain. Sometimes riders use wax, polish etc. and then the coating can't do it's job. If you have a rain shedding issue on any F4 windshield just simply clean it with rubbing alcohol and paper towels and it will restore it to original. Hope this helps.
How true! It amazes me the number of comments on how to do "something" from those that know absolutely nothing about the subject.
ME INCLUDED AS I WAS WRONG ADVISING THE CLEANER I USE ON MY CURRENT SHIELD!
Just got my new F4+4 tinted/vented and the first thing I did was read the sheet on care/cleaning of the F4shields.
DO NOT USE ANYTHING TO CLEAN EXCEPT F4 CLEANER OR WINDEX AND PAPER TOWELS. SPRAY THE PAPER TOWEL, THEN WIPE THE SHIELD.
USE OF PRODUCTS SUCH AS PLEXUS, PLEDGE, SPRAY CLEANER/POLISH WILL LEAVE A FILM THAT WILL NOT ALLOW THE WATER SHEDDING PROPERTIES OF THE SPEED GLASS TO FUNCTION!
There was also a comment about the coating "wearing off". The hardcoat on the F4 is baked on and bonds w/the base material(polycarbonate). Not sure I'll live long enough to see it "wear off"!!! To remove this film, instructions advise to use alcohol to clean shield.
 
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