Read a lot about buffetting and how certain deflectors have an impact on air flow for rider and engine cooling. I'm not sure I have a buffeting problem. Replaced the stock shield with a National Cycle 7" V-stream. Only time I feel effects of wind is when I put my feet on the pegs, feels like the helmet is being lifted up. If I bring my legs closer to tank & engine, the effect is reduced. The 01 UC does not have the lower faring deflectors I've seen on newer models. Also don't have the batwing defelectors. How well do these work?

Thanks

 

Darn icky wind.......

 

I've got the fairing deflectors, added fork mounted deflectors, fork air baffle and lower fairings......all good here.

 

Wind = good.

Buffeting = bad.

Huge difference.

Birdmandave, what you're describing doesn't sound like buffeting, buffeting is when your helmet is rattling and vibrating so much that it blurs your vision. What you're describing (helmet lifting up) is probably caused by the same effect though. Due to the shape of the batwing fairing, wind tends to funnel under the fairing and upward. The taller the windshield then the larger and stronger the negative pressure zone behind it and the more "bad" air gets drawn up from under the fairing. It can cause buffeting, it can cause facial hair to blow up and block your vision, and it can cause that helmet lifting sensation you describe.

The tools people use to mitigate the problems are the fork baffle, the batwing deflectors, and the fork-mounted deflectors. The idea is to block or re-route the air coming in underneath so that you get nothing but good, clean, enjoyable wind over and around the windshield. What will work for you is hard to say because it's unique to each rider (it's affected by rider height, helmet type and style, windshield, seat, and what extras are installed). Luckily none of those three add-ons are terribly expensive, so you can try them one at a time to see what works for you. Personally the fork baffles are what worked on my ride, but others have reported success with just the fork baffle, or just the batwing deflectors, or some combination of these. Good luck!

 

I have "everything" on my bike: Fairing deflectors, fork mounted deflectors, and lower fairings but I have learned that a good aerodynamic windshield (mine is 8.5" Fastaire aero dynamic), an extended handlebar, and a low seat (Mustang lowdown seat) have put me in the position that almost no wind to lift my helmet as I always have, before adding "everything". The position:

1. My chest is away from the windshield, and hiding behind the gas tank.
2. My seat is low, so the head is also lowed to the point that the wind flows above my head, but I still can see above the windshield.
3. In addition to the "everything", I feel more comfortable at around 70-80 MPH.

 

Hey Dawg,

Tell me more about these fork mounted deflectors. I bought a set of glossy black ones yesterday from JES Custom Accents, and want to know if they really work.
I respect your opinion as you've always been spot on. Thanks.

 

I have the HD fork deflectors on my EGC. I am in the process of starting over because I get buffetting and cant wear a helmet. Without a helmet it is rideable but with a helmet it is unrideable above 50mph.

The fork deflectors DO work and work very well for me.

 

I believe a huge factor in buffeting is the windshield. I had a couple different wind splitter styles and though they worked good (the 8.5" Klockwerks worked the best but was too high for me) I have gotten the best results with the standard style "flip" top windshield. I have a 7" Fastaire and with the fairing mounted deflectors and the center fork deflector I get almost no buffeting at all.

I am sure those deflectors mounted on the side of the forks work great but I cannot get past the looks of them.

 

If you search the forum for those other discussions (and, there were several just recently) on "buffeting" and those various anti-buffeting devices, you'll see pretty much what you're looking for. No real benefit of re-hashing it all here.

But I have all three of these installed on my bike, and I remain convinced that they have no impact on engine cooling whatsoever.

The fork baffle is installed ABOVE the engine, and directs air DOWNWARD onto the engine - if anything, the cooling effect is enhanced. The fork-mounted deflectors are outside of each fork, well outside the engine cooling airstream, and they do a great job of cleaning up unwanted buffeting coming from under the batwing. They are, in fact, what finally made my ride "ridable". The batwing deflectors are so far above the engine that trying to argue they adversely affect engine cooling would be laughable.

I'm quite certain that the designers of all the flavors of these various devices were careful to ensure that engine cooling would not be adversely affected, and I think they accomplished their objective. Someone prove me wrong.

 

While I have a Road King, I do also use an aftermarket batwing fairing all winter. The HD fork chrome lowers 58121-85B ended the buffeting. Check to see if it will fit your motorcycle.

There are other chrome lowers available as well. National Cycle offers one for Harley's and when I was looking several years ago someone offered a louvered chrome lower but I do not remember which brand it was now.