There is no universal windshield height chart worth trusting, because the right height depends on your torso, your seat, your helmet and how fast you actually ride — not on the model name alone. What you can do is measure properly and compare like with like. This guide gives you the measurement method, tells you what changes when a screen gets taller or shorter, and lists which screens we stock for each platform.
Measure your own screen first
Do this on the bike, with the screen fitted, and write the numbers down. Manufacturers describe height inconsistently, so your own measurement is the only reliable baseline.
- Height, along the screen plane. Hold a tape at the lowest mounting point of the screen (not the fairing below it) and measure to the highest point of the top edge, following the surface of the screen rather than dropping vertically. A raked screen measured vertically reads much shorter than it is.
- Width at the widest point — the figure that tells you whether a screen will foul the mirrors or the bars at full lock.
- Hole pattern. Measure centre-to-centre between mounting holes, and note how many holes there are. A screen with the right height and the wrong hole spacing is scrap.
- Thickness at the mounting area and whether your stock hardware includes spacers or rubber grommets.
Photograph each measurement with the tape in frame. Two photos — one from the side, one from the front — plus your model year are usually enough for us to check a replacement against your bike.
Find your eye line
Height only means something relative to where you look. Sit on the bike in your normal riding position, feet on the pegs, hands on the bars, and have someone hold a straight edge at the top edge of the screen. Then note two things:
- Do you look over the screen, or through it? Most street riders should be looking over it; a screen you look through has to be optically clean and unscratched, and it will be the part you clean most often.
- Where does the top edge sit in your field of view? If it cuts across the middle of your vision, it will be visible on every ride, and a tinted screen in that position is a real compromise at dusk.
What actually changes when a screen gets taller
A taller screen moves the point where airflow separates further up, which typically reduces pressure on your chest and shoulders. Whether it also reduces noise at your helmet depends on the gap between the top edge and your helmet — get that interaction wrong and you can trade chest pressure for helmet buffeting, which most riders find more tiring.
A shorter, race-cut screen does the opposite: more air on the torso, a cleaner view over the top edge, and a front end that reads as track-focused. In a full tuck on track that is the right answer. On a two-hour highway ride it usually is not.
Two honest caveats. First, buffeting is helmet-dependent: the same screen can be quiet behind one helmet and noisy behind another. Second, small changes in angle often matter more than a few centimetres of height, so adjust position before buying a second screen.
Match the profile to how you ride
| Riding pattern | Screen type that suits it | What we stock |
|---|---|---|
| Daily commute, mixed speed | Moderate height, clean top edge, light tint | 450SR V3 Front Windshield, from $239 |
| Track days and short street stints | Lower race cut, darker tint, aggressive edge | 450SR Racing Modified ($199), 675SR-R Split Racing (from $269) |
| Highway miles, taller protection | Tall profile with a wide top edge | ZXMOTO 500RR Tall Windshield ($199) |
| Scooter commuting, weather protection | Trim-level replacement, dark finishes | XMAX 300 Front Windshield ($99–$399) |
| Race-replica look with an edge choice | Ridged or rounded top edge, polycarbonate | ZXMOTO 820RR Windshield ($199) |
We deliberately do not publish millimetre heights for every screen, because listings that do are often measuring a different way. If a height figure decides your purchase, ask us and we will measure the actual part.
Material and tint: the two decisions people regret
Material. Polycarbonate (PC) is impact-resistant and tolerates temperature extremes; acrylic is stiffer and clearer but more brittle. The ZXMOTO 820RR screen is PC — thickened and hardened, stable from -40°C to 120°C, flame-retardant. The CFMOTO 450SR screens are high-strength acrylic, impact-resistant and UV-protected. Neither is "better" in the abstract: PC survives impacts, acrylic resists scratching slightly better in day-to-day cleaning.
Tint. Clear and light gray are the safe choices if you ride at night or in rain. Dark and black tints look sharper in photos and cut contrast at dusk, especially if the top edge sits in your eye line. On a screen you look over rather than through, a dark tint costs you less.
Check clearance before you commit
- Turn the bars to full lock both ways with the screen fitted — check lever, mirror and fairing contact.
- Compress the front suspension (or have someone hold the front brake and push down) and confirm the screen does not meet the helmet or bars.
- Check that the screen edge does not sit where your hand goes when you adjust a mirror or a phone mount.
- Confirm the screen does not cover a light, intake or homologation marking it should not.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a windshield height chart by rider height?
Not a reliable one. Two riders of the same height can need different screens because torso length, seat position, bar height and helmet shape all change the airflow. Measure your current screen and your eye line instead.
Does a taller windshield always reduce wind noise?
No. It usually reduces chest pressure; whether noise drops depends on where the top edge sits relative to your helmet. Sometimes a taller screen makes helmet buffeting worse.
How do I measure a screen that is already off the bike?
Lay it flat and measure along the surface from the lowest mounting hole line to the top edge, then record the hole spacing separately. Note the shape of the top edge so a replacement matches the silhouette.
Will a screen listed for the 450SR fit a ZXMOTO 500RR?
No. Screens are per platform — the hole pattern and stay geometry differ on every bike in this catalogue. Match the listing to your model and year.
Which screen for a ZX-500RR?
The ZXMOTO 500RR Tall Windshield — the only screen listed for that platform here. The 820RR windshield does not cross over.
Screens by platform: 450SR · 675SR-R · 500RR · 820RR · XMAX 300.
