Just to drag this thread out of the ether. I just added the Bosch Icons to my R56 today. I will be driving from LA to Phoenix on Saturday. So I can definitely give a review on highway speed performance by next week. However install was a breeze, i wish all blades had that system, makes the others look like they will fall off any second.

 

are there any blade refills that are silicone like the Icons that fit into the stock wiper blades?

what rubber regular readily available blade refills fit into our stock blades?

 

I had the Icons...the driver's side fit well against the windshield of my R50...no matter which size I tried, I could never get the passenger side one to work properly. Only about half the blade (middle portion) would actually clear glass in rain, at highway speeds or otherwise.

I since switched to the PIAA silicone blades (I got them at OutMotoring.com for I think around $35) and they are flawless. The entire blade meets the glass on both sides, they clear amazingly, and after 5 months show no wear.

I would imagine PIAA refills would *fit*...they're just a thin blade much like the OEMs...but with the whole assembly, you lose that odd bulky look on the driver's side. And it's just easier, if you've never tried feeding a new blade into an old assembly...ugh.

 

I did notice that the passenger blade doesn't sit perfectly all the way to the right with the Icons. But it looked like the OEMs didn't fully fit either so I didn't think anything of it. I ran the blade with the wiper fluid after work and noticed that a small section at the beginning of the wipe did not contact, however it did eventually use the whole blade. It was definitely more than half of the wipe that used the whole blade, and the section that did not use it, was way outside of my peripheral I would need to look specifically at the area to notice.

For an R56 the sizes are listed 19" for drivers side, and 18" for passenger side. I did wonder if a 17" on the passenger side would get the whole blade.

 

So, after a long drive, I find that the passenger blade not fitting well isn't too much of a big deal to me. However I would prefer it to wipe the whole area. But unless I look I don't notice. At speed they worked wonderfully. Although I cleared most of my wiper fluid trying to keep the damn bugs off. The 10 is not a friend to cars, the bug just pile up.

 

Is there a problem with the OEM wipers? I've only had my Clubman for two months, but I think the OEM wipers work great in heavy rain, light rain, mist, etc.. The rear wipers are less effective as the wiper speed isn't adjustable, but the fronts work fine. I had a BMW before my MINI and I've always just purchased the refills for less than $5 each, and put on a new set each year. I didn't replace the BMW blades or arms in six years, just new rubber. Do the MINI wipers not hold up?

 

No blades for the rear. It's a particularly MINI 'thing'. You can get a Trico-type refill, cut it to length, carefully remove the old one and insert the new piece... or go to Mini and buy a new one and be done with it.
-s-

 

I found the OEM streaked badly, at any speed. After almost a year I decided to go with the Bosch Icons, I had wanted to try them on other cars too, but figured I would do it here.

I will say that the RainX fluid that claims to remove bugs is a bunch of crap. Nothing works better than elbow grease to remove the bugs.

 

^- Another plug for Icons.... they're amazing.