The stock windscreen on the current models of the BMW R1200GS is a marvel of molding. The squared-off design is a futuristic angular beauty that, on the road, is more about looks than function. Sure, it keeps the wind from blasting you directly in the chops, but doesn’t really redirect the rain or substantially buffer buffeting from 18-wheeler bow wave or windshear on really windy days.
Plus, after about a year on the road, the tiny scratches from repeated washings in the West’s exceptionally dusty environment begins to turn the stock shield slightly smoky and soft-focus.
A really big windscreen is great in the rain. Full-on touring types always rave about their electrically adjustable see-through barn doors that they raise up with the flick of a switch and hide behind when the weather’s nasty.
Smaller windscreens look good, though, and weirdly enough, a big part of motorbiking is all about how you look.
It’s not easy to find a replacement windscreen for the GS that’s big but not too big; cheap but not cheap looking, aerodynamic and scratch-resistant, tough without being clunky, optically pure with minimal color, and free of lightwave interference lines at the plastic bend points. What’s wrong with wanting it all?
There are tons of aftermarket windscreens out there. The biggies include perennials Aeroflow, Cee Bailey’s, and Parabellum. Newer to the scene are Givi and ZTechik. All offer aftermarket windscreens specifically for the GS. Larger screens require additional hardware to keep vibration at a minimum.
The Z2242 from ZTechnik meets nearly all the stated replacement requirements, even though it would be better if it was just a bit bigger. It mounts easily in about 30 minutes using the existing windscreen hardware. It’s as clear as a bell. It’s made from 4.5 mm hardcoated polycarbonate, so it’s tough and scratch resistant. At about $150 it’s just about the least expensive windscreen out there. Its shape is rounder than the stock windscreen, and a modest 2 inches taller and 4 inches wider. But at 80 mph it’s an obvious improvement, blocking more wind with less buffeting.
It’s odd that you can’t order a ZTechnik product directly from ZTechnik, but must go through an authorized dealer. It’s not a big deal, though, as the Z2242 arrived from A&S BMW in about 10 days.
Just a couple of installation tips: Watch out for the vanishingly small nuts, bolts, and washers that easily drop out and disappear into the black hole of the garage floor. To reduce the stress on the plastic and to dampen potential vibration, add a couple of small rubber faucet washers to the front mounting points.
A bigger windscreen may eventually be part of the motorbike’s future. It’ll be interesting to see how the ultra-clear poly holds up over time and many miles and how well the design sheds the rain away. But for now, the ZTechnik fits and feels like an excellent alternative to the Star Trekian sheet of acrylic that comes standard on the GS.
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