Did the unthinkable...

[buzzbomb]

If you immediately start scrubbing off dried insectae exoskeleton, it won't matter how soft a cloth you use, the dead bug itself will scratch your plastic, guaranteed.

When I clean my helmet shield, I wet a paper towel and drape it over the shield, let it soak five minutes or so, then gently wipe the bug guts off in one smooth motion. I then dry the shield (dab with a kleenex) and follow up with a quick spritz of Plexus and a microfiber polishing cloth. I know some folks think paper towels are evil, but my shield looks as clear as the day I bought it two years ago.

My bike' windshield, I spray with Aerostich's bike cleaner and let soak while I unwrap the hose and wet my chamois. Most of the bug guts come off pretty easily; I don't sweat scratches in my windshield as I never look thru it! Guess I'm not a very aggressive driver.

+1

A wet towel soaked over the bug encrusted visor (or even helmet, car bonnet or whatever is covered in deceased desiccated insect carcasses) will dissolve the little buggars, and the ramains can just be wiped off.
We have that problem with our lake here. A quick ride around the lake at night ends up covering the bike in smelly insects, and I've found the wet towel/cloth or paper towel works wonders.

BB

 

[steveindenmark]

The easiest way to get dried bugs of screens or visors is to soak a cloth in water and lay it over the screen for 10 minutes to soak the little buggers and then simply wipe off.

Steve

 

[damnpoor]

It's also pretty easy to just take the whole windscreen off to clean it. It only takes about 5 minutes and a small screwdriver. I drop it in a wash basin and use dish soap. You can get most of it off with just your fingers.

 

[sjryser]

It's also pretty easy to just take the whole windscreen off to clean it. It only takes about 5 minutes and a small screwdriver. I drop it in a wash basin and use dish soap. You can get most of it off with just your fingers.

Thats what i do when i wash my bike because i cant dry under the windscreen otherwise.

 

[scoobydrvr]

Best thing i've found is Plexus. Used to demo it on aircraft windows with a microfiber cloth. Those were some seriously stuck on bugs and the Plexus cut right through it. Spray some on there and let it soak. Then take one side of the microfiber cloth to wipe the big stuff off and use the other (clean side) to buff out the rest of the little smears and such.

As for restoring your current windscreen, there are two products available from the Meguiars Mirror Glaze line of products, Clear Plastic Polish and Clear Plastic Cleaner. The polish has the number 10 on it and the cleaner has the number 17, indicating the "grit" of the product. Get a little 6" orbital buffer and the softest pad you can find for it.

Take the windscreen off the bike and move to a location where you can get comfortable, it's going to take awhile. Put some of the Plastic Cleaner on the windscreen and work it around with the buffer (without turning it on). This minimizes the buffer slinging the cleaner all over creation. Once it's worked in, go ahead and turn on the buffer and work it across the windscreen, occasionally adding more cleaner. After 30 minutes or so (or until you just can't stand it anymore) get your microfiber cloth out and wipe clean the cleaner. You should be able to notice a big difference at this point.

Once you've regained feeling in your hand (and legs if that's where you rested the windscreen) repeat the process with the Plastic Polish. The amount of time you spend with this product is entirely up to you. The longer you spend with it, the more mirror-like the finish will be. It's a really fine grit, so it's going to take some time. Once you're satisfied, wipe it clean with the microfiber cloth again.

You should be set at this point. When I purchased my bike, the windscreen was really scratched up, like the owner had covered the bike with something pretty abrasive. I did the above steps and it cleaned up like a gem. Unfortunately, this won't take out the deeper scratches (like the ones i'm stuck with) unless you spend a bunch of time with it but it will definitely clean up the lighter ones. Also, those of you with aging cars, this will clean up your yellowing headlights and GREATLY improve the light output.

A few words about the Plexus and Windex:
Plexus was specifically designed for plexiglass and clear plastic. Not only does it clean the best, it also conditions the plastic and leaves a bit of a film that will help bug guts from sticking.
Windex has ammonia in it, great for glass, miserable for plastic. The ammonia will attack the plastic and cause it to become brittle and possibly fog up (I haven't seen it happen, but have heard claims that it will)

Hope this helps you (and others) out. Plexus will run you around $13 and will last forever. Had my can for nearly a year now and it shows no signs of running out. The Meguiars products will run you about $4 a piece and can be found at your local O'Reillys.

 

[Norm]

Good post. I've read about this a few times and been guilty of doing the same. I find now that warm water and a dab of mild soap on a microfiber cloth really do the trick on the windshield as well as my visor.

 

[DonahuePhoto]

+100 on the Plexus and microfiber cloths. I works great on just about the whole bike!


DO NOT GET ANY GREASE ON THAT MICROFIBER CLOTH OR ELSE ITS USELESS... So, buy extras!