MH company makes aftermarket windshields
Published in the Sept. 16-29, 2015 issue of Morgan Hill Life
To watch Morgan Hill Life’s business profile video of WindVest, please click HERE
By Robert Airoldi
Photo by Marty Cheek
From left, Tami Dober, her brother Doug Dober and their mother Marilyn Dober in the shop of their WindVest business in Morgan Hill.
Norm Dober took a long, wind-blown, bug-ridden motorcycle ride to Sturgis, S.D., in 1989. He was determined not to return to California without better protection. He fashioned an old, beat-up windshield to his handlebars and made the return trip mostly bug free and with less wind in his face.
Upon his return, Dober realized there was a market for high-end motorcycle windshields. He began tweaking his invention. After seven years of fine-tuning the design, he released the first WindVest windshield. Soon, one biker after another asked him to build them one for their motorcycles.
“It took a long time to actually get it on the market,” said Doug Dober, Norm’s 45-year-old son who now designs the windshields for the company after Norm died in 2008.
“My dad was pretty laid back and an engineer without being schooled,” said Tami Dober, Doug’s sister and WindVest’s CFO.
The original windshield was designed by Norm in his garage and the hardware was designed and built by a local machinist and parts were polished in a spare bedroom. A plastics company was located to mold the windshield.
And as with many small companies, WindVest eventually moved out of the garage and has never looked back. Today, WindVest Motorcycle Products ships to the far corners of the world.
“We are continuously researching and developing new screens and other products that are of the highest quality,” Doug said.
The windshields are unique in that they are attached to the handlebars instead of the frame, and they are from four to 10 inches taller than others.
“Traditional windshields are big and bulky and make the motorcycle not handle as well,” Dober said. “We make a windshield that is nice looking, functional, durable, detachable and it looks like it’s part of the bike.”
The windshields are designed similar to an airplane wing with a contoured surface. When wind hits the face causing high and low pressure, the air underneath is pushed up and overhead quickly, Dober explained. WindVest products are made of aluminum and Plexiglas. They are lighter and more aerodynamic than traditional motorcycle windshields, resulting in an easier ride with increased efficiency.
“It took a lot of trial and error and many different prototypes to get it right,” Doug said.
After moving to Morgan Hill from Campbell five years ago, the family-owned and run business consists of Doug, Tami, and their mother Marilyn Dober, who runs the office. WindVest also has four employees at its Morgan Hill site. It sells the windshields through distributors who sell to dealers. They also have about 1,000 dealers worldwide to whom they sell directly. The products all American made, Doug Dober said.
One reason WindVest relocated to Morgan Hill is because the 2008 recession hit and they sold several buildings, then later outgrew the facility they were in. The Dober family also wanted to relocate to Morgan Hill because Tami and her mother lived here and the two wanted to end their long commutes.
“Everything happens for a reason,” said Doug, who moved to Morgan Hill from Campbell almost two years ago. “We’ve never looked back and we love it here.”
One thing the company and family — who all ride motorcycles — enjoy is hosting the annual Norman Dober Memorial Run in May. It began as a memorial to the WindVest founder as well as a customer appreciation day. The day includes a run, vendors, food and entertainment.
“It’s a special day for the company, our customers and our family,” Doug said.
