Cee Bailey Customer Service and Total Failure of Windshield

Joined
May 1, 2013
Messages
716
Location
McAllen, Texas
Bike
2010 Silver NT700
I was the second day out during my ride to Spearfish, on US 83 north of Childress (just into the Panhandle) when my Cee Bailey +6 totally came apart. Here is the photo.



I am still a bit amazed I was not hit in the head when it let go - but I found no mark on my helmet. I had no warning - no spider web - no cracks - no nothing. I might add, it was quite a shock to get a sudden blast of wind while at 70mph, but the back rest of my Russell Day Long saddle actually made it fairly easy to ride.

Of course, I contacted Cee Bailey as soon as possible. My windshield was out of warranty, but they didn't care - they offered to replace my windshield at no cost. I did ask that the new one be two-day shipped to Spearfish, and I was willing to pay that extra cost. While talking to the tech at Cee Bailey, he warned me to be sure the motel desk knew of the arriving package and to sign for it. On the day it was supposed to arrive, I did indeed check with the desk - - and found that Cee Bailey had already called and told them the package was on the way. Now that is excellent customer service.

I had a chance to talk to Joe, a technician in production, about the failure. He said he had worked there for 17 years, and this was only the second total failure he had seen. He seemed genuinely interested. Yes - he knew of a number of windshields that had cracked and all that - but a total failure was something else. (To myself, I'm saying "If this is the stuff airplanes windows are made of, I might starting getting a little nervous the next time I fly.)

After a lot of conversation, this is what we came up with: I had just ridden past a large truck. As you see often in Texas, slower traffic will often pull over onto the paved shoulder to let faster traffic pass. The truck kicked up a lot of rocks from the shoulder - I remember a rock hitting my left glove and right boot as I was passing. If you look at the bottom of the broken windshield, you can see that a crack began right at the edge. This is the vulnerable area for the windshield. If the rock had hit on the main surface, it would have done what all the other rocks do when they hit our windshield - leave a little pock mark. But this one hit directly on the edge itself, and was probably quite large. That makes sense to me - the edges of an aircraft window are inside the body, so there is no edge to hit. Most likely, there was a crack when the rock hit, but I couldn't see it as the lower edge of the windshield is below my line of sight.

With all that, I am very very happy with Cee Bailey's customer service. They were prompt, courteous and professional - and they technically didn't even have to replace the windshield, but they did. Good company to do business with.
 
Joined
Dec 12, 2010
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148
Location
Austin, TX
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2010 Silver NT700 ABS
Amazing! Glad you weren't hurt Doug. Bravo CB on the excellent customer service.
 

Frosty

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Spokane, WA
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Doug,
I cracked my Cee Bailey +2 on the way to Spearfish last year. I called to order another for the ride home. As your experience, they replaced the windshield without charge even though it was out of warranty. They are great to work with and they follow thru. I would have paid for the new windscreen without complaint, but they replaced it without cost.
The difference is ... I fixed mine with duct tape until the new one arrived.
Wind screen 2013.jpg
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2013
Messages
41
Location
Orcutt
Bike
'10 nt700v red
Cee Bailey's customer service is outstanding. Their windshields, not so much. My first Cee Bailey started to crack near the mounting bolts and sometime later it totally broke off, hitting me in the face, similar to the picture you posted. This bloodied my nose and I have since gone to a full face helmet. I called Cee Bailey, sent them pictures of the broken windshield and they sent me a new one with no charge. I installed it, being very careful to follow their instructions. About six months later I noticed cracks radiating from two of the mounting bolts and I tried drilling the ends to stop their travel. The cracks continued and I removed the windshield. I am currently running a V-stream which is, so far, working out well. I really like the looks of the Cee Bailey with the light tint and flip on the top edge, but I will never buy another one. Just my two cents.
John
 
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OP
OP
Comanche
Joined
May 1, 2013
Messages
716
Location
McAllen, Texas
Bike
2010 Silver NT700
Cee Bailey's customer service is outstanding. Their windshields, not so much. My first Cee Bailey started to crack near the mounting bolts and sometime later it totally broke off, hitting me in the face, similar to the picture you posted. This bloodied my nose and I have since gone to a full face helmet. I called Cee Bailey, sent them pictures of the broken windshield and they sent me a new one with no charge. I installed it, being very careful to follow their instructions. About six months later I noticed cracks radiating from two of the mounting bolts and I tried drilling the ends to stop their travel. The cracks continued and I removed the windshield. I am currently running a V-stream which is, so far, working out well. I really like the looks of the Cee Bailey with the light tint and flip on the top edge, but I will never buy another one. Just my two cents.
John
I'm sorry to say I have to retract my recommendation of Cee Bailey windshields. Despite their excellent customer service, I no longer think very highly of their product.

I only have 35,000 miles on my NT, yet I just had my third Cee Bailey windshield crack. As I mentioned in another post, I was only doing 60 mph when the crack appeared at the right mounting bracket. I found a gentleman who stopped drilled it for me, and I was able to finish my long trip, but its time for me to try another brand.

John40 - how do you like your National V-Stream?
 
Joined
Dec 14, 2010
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2,007
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Tijeras, NM
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1984 Moto Guzzi T5
I do think the CB shields, if +2 or shorter, would be fine. It is when you go to the +4 and +6 that the leverage is stressing it. If I had kept mine I probably would have added a reinforcing strip of steel to the bracket to move the lever arm up a bit higher (4-6" higher).

The problem out here is 80+ speeds, high winds and trucks. The windshield flexes more than 3" at times where my stock shield would only move an inch or two.
 

Woodaddict

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I'm sorry to say I have to retract my recommendation of Cee Bailey windshields. Despite their excellent customer service, I no longer think very highly of their product.

I only have 35,000 miles on my NT, yet I just had my third Cee Bailey windshield crack. As I mentioned in another post, I was only doing 60 mph when the crack appeared at the right mounting bracket. I found a gentleman who stopped drilled it for me, and I was able to finish my long trip, but its time for me to try another brand.

John40 - how do you like your National V-Stream?
maybe those with brackets that are not matched or out of line? 3 of them is hard to understand. had mine now for about 90,000 miles no issues
 
OP
OP
Comanche
Joined
May 1, 2013
Messages
716
Location
McAllen, Texas
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2010 Silver NT700
maybe those with brackets that are not matched or out of line? 3 of them is hard to understand. had mine now for about 90,000 miles no issues
Sometimes, I think it is me, David. :) In another instance, I had the pannier mechanism fail within 8 months of ownership, while others have never had a problem.
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2013
Messages
41
Location
Orcutt
Bike
'10 nt700v red
I'm sorry to say I have to retract my recommendation of Cee Bailey windshields. Despite their excellent customer service, I no longer think very highly of their product.

I only have 35,000 miles on my NT, yet I just had my third Cee Bailey windshield crack. As I mentioned in another post, I was only doing 60 mph when the crack appeared at the right mounting bracket. I found a gentleman who stopped drilled it for me, and I was able to finish my long trip, but its time for me to try another brand.

John40 - how do you like your National V-Stream?
Comanche-So far I like the V-Stream very much. It offers more coverage and is less prone to scratches, but it's too bad they don't offer a tinted one. As I said in a previous thread, I think the CB is better looking.
John
 
Joined
Dec 30, 2010
Messages
800
Location
Houston, TX
Bike
Silver NT700V
I added a Laminatr Lip to the stock screen and like that set up a lot. There is little to no additinal stress so breakage is not a problem. In the middle slot, it throws the air stream up and over my head (5' 6") and I look over the screen for the most part. I have tried running in the fourth slot up but for some reason the screen vibrates and settles in the third. If you go to the Laminar Lip site, the NT photo is my bike.

Good luck,

Chuck
 
OP
OP
Comanche
Joined
May 1, 2013
Messages
716
Location
McAllen, Texas
Bike
2010 Silver NT700
I added a Laminatr Lip to the stock screen and like that set up a lot. There is little to no additinal stress so breakage is not a problem. In the middle slot, it throws the air stream up and over my head (5' 6") and I look over the screen for the most part. I have tried running in the fourth slot up but for some reason the screen vibrates and settles in the third. If you go to the Laminar Lip site, the NT photo is my bike.

Good luck,

Chuck
Hmmm - - hadn't even thought about that, Chuck - thanx, and I'll think this over. I still have my OEM screen.
 
Joined
Mar 28, 2012
Messages
205
Location
SW Michigan
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Sprint GT, 2010 NT, MS950
I found out today from a friend, and confirmed it on their website, that Cee Bailey has left the motorcycle windshield business. There is no longer any mention of motorcycles on the website; aircraft only now.
 

DirtFlier

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Dec 13, 2010
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Troy, OH
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2010 Silver NT700V/ABS
It seems clear that running an extra-tall Cee Bailey in an upper position at speeds common in the west is not such a good idea.

I have a +2 and rarely run it all the way up, mostly position 3 or 4, and limit my highway speeds to 70-75 mph but if I lived out west, I'd have to add 10 mph to that number!

By the way, I had a SlipStreamer that I fitted for the winter months because it offered more wind protection to my shoulders but I never cared for the shaking and also the distortion at the top of the windscreen. it's gone now.
 
Joined
Mar 28, 2012
Messages
205
Location
SW Michigan
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Sprint GT, 2010 NT, MS950
I hear you. My (cracked) SlipStreamer is in a box and my CB +2 is on the NT. I guess I should have bought a spare when I had the chance!
 
Joined
Nov 7, 2017
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50
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Sun Valley, CA
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I do think the CB shields, if +2 or shorter, would be fine. It is when you go to the +4 and +6 that the leverage is stressing it. If I had kept mine I probably would have added a reinforcing strip of steel to the bracket to move the lever arm up a bit higher (4-6" higher).

The problem out here is 80+ speeds, high winds and trucks. The windshield flexes more than 3" at times where my stock shield would only move an inch or two.
Typically the OEM windshield is made of polycarbonate, which is the best material to use for a windshield. Cee Bailey's are made of acrylic, which is a hard plastic prone to shattering.

Polycarbonate can flex and twist while still maintaining its mechanical strength. While acrylic will stress crack and fail catastrophically, like the one in this post. :eek:
 
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