Some thoughts on the front fork air baffle

[Pastor John]

My '08 Road Glide had the front fork air baffle, so when I noticed that my '11 Ultra Classic did not have one, I bought one since it made a noticeable improvement in wind management on the Road Glide. I didn't really notice any difference with it on the Ultra Classic, but I left it on. So yesterday I'm traveling between the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Cherohala Skyway and I start to hear a pinging from the engine when under load at mid rpm's. I back off the throttle and/or shift to control it, but I'm not too happy. Of course, it's 90 degrees outside and I had just finished a "spirited" hundred miles on the BRP, so I'm sure that the engine was quite hot. So anyway, I stop at a pullout on the Skyway and up comes a fellow on a brand new Electra Glide Classic, and I ask him if how his engine is running on this hot day. No pinging, he says, and points to my air baffle. "That's your problem - the top end of the engine isn't getting enough air to stay cool." So I whip out my tool kit and remove the baffle. Let the engine cool down a bit while I ate my lunch and admired the view. After getting on the bike and finishing my ride - in fact, all the way home back to Atlanta (with temps bumping 100* at street level) - no pinging at all. I know these bikes run lean and would be prone to the pinging on such a tough day, but I was surprised at the difference removal of the air baffle seemed to make.

[MNPGRider]

The parts manual description on the fork baffle tells you to remove it in hot weather to aid in evacuating hot air around the heads, to help cool the rider !! It doesn't mention the engine.

I do know that without mine, my beard will blow straight up to my nose from the center blast of buffeting air coming from the front of the tank.

[mkguitar]

interesting- !

I know that the baffle does help with rain spray coming up under the fairing- so maybe I can mount mine with velcro* and make it part of the "wet weather kit".

I'll keep that in mind when riding around AZ, I gotta wrench, so easy enough to do some testing.

Mike

* supposed to be a joke---maybe wingnuts

[NoCoLoco]

I've got the front fork air baffle on my 10 RGC and I've never had any pinging riding in 100° heat.

[hoofnhog]

I put one of these on my RoadKing and found the results to be just the opposite.... she runs 10-15 degrees cooler with that thing on there... I think it actually kicks more air down towards the motor....... ?????

[desertwolf]

Got one on mine and haven't noticed any difference when running in 100 degree temps

[toothmansteveb]

Off in summer....on in winter

[alkrisma]

I've got the front fork air baffle on my 11 FLHX and I haven't had any pinging (yet) riding in 100° heat?

[SCFLHX]

The baffle was standard equipment and came on the bike, wonder why it would effect temperatures on newer bikes? I keep mine on all the time and have 19 stops in 15 miles to and from work. The constant stops in 97 degrees this week were not an issue, the oil temperature was 230 degrees when I arrived home. This was using the digital oil temperature dip stick.

[hdman]

I have one on my glide............ I have also got a PCV and motor has been tuned....
much richer than the extra lean stock tuning when new..... Never a pinging problem.........................................hd man.