I have the 9" LRS and its perfect, Im 6'2"

 

Just bought a 15 FLHXSE Im 6'2" and the HD windsplitter works OK but like more wind buffeting correction. I think Im goin with the 8.5 " dark tint Klockwerks Is this the best choice U think???

 

At 6'2" it might not be tall enough for you. I'm 6' and it works great on the Street Glide but if I set up completely straight I'm almost back into the air stream. The KW 8.5" is considerably better than the 7" LRS on my bike at my height but your 2" taller and might need the 9" or 10" LRS to get the same protection. I will say this the KW 8.5" flare is 100x better than the factory 5" shield..lol

 

Thx for the tip Webo.. Im actually 6.1 but Ill check it out. I think KW makes an 11"?

 

As established, the stock 4" shield is problematic in terms of buffeting.

There are several variables you're working with. Your height (or rather, the length of your upper body), the seat you're using (how high you sit), and the height of the windshield. There's the issue of fork-mounted wind deflectors ('fangs') and lowers, but these can be addressed as a separate problem, i.e., airflow from below. Of course there's some interaction between the air 'above' and 'below'. But for all intents and purposes, my experience it that you can treat them like two different issues.

In terms of the air 'above', your body length is fixed. The variables are the seat you're using, and the shield on the bike.

At 6', using the stock seat, a KlockWerks 8.5" (or equivalent) ought to redirect the buffet and put the 'dirtiest' air above your head. You'll be able to see over the shield fine. This ought to eliminate the buffet quite a bit.

Next, you can try adding the fork-deflectors, and/or lowers, to see what additional improvement you might realize. The deflectors are the less expensive proposition, about 80 or 90 bucks and less than an hour of your time. Lowers (painted) as sold by Harley are about 700 bucks.

Get the seat you plan to use most of the time, put it on the bike, then start experimenting with the rest. BTW, the bars can make a difference, too, in that they can move your upper body (and head) either forward, or back, from the position the 'stock' bars put them. Generally speaking, the further back your head is positioned (relative to the edge of the shield), the more likely you are to feel some buffet. At least, that's my empirical wisdom.

The problem with buffet for me boils down to looks versus function. I could put a 12" or 14" (or taller) shield on my bike, look through it, and have very little buffet (I had a RK with a fairing set up that way, one time). But I don't like that look. So my current solution for 'long range' riding is an 8.5" KW recurve, a Sundowner seat, and fairing wind-deflectors. Lowers on order (primarily for another set of speakers though, rather than wind-abatement). There's still some buffet, with the severity depending on the ambient wind speed, the direction of the ambient wind with respect to my direction of travel, and my speed. In the worst case, the buffet is not objectionable. (BTW, I'm 5' 11" with short legs).

If you shoot for totally eliminating all buffet, I'm not sure how much it will take. But to get it down to a level where your vision doesn't blur, your helmet doesn't rattle, and where you aren't getting a headache…the right height shield, and maybe some wind-deflectors on the forks, can get you there.

Alan

 

What's the code?

 

All good points (nod to Alan!)... maybe you want to try something simple... like a set of soft lowers... helps minimize the wind coming up from below... http://www.leadermotorcycle.com/harl...n-rain-guards/

 

Good point Nevada! I increased my windshield size by 2" and it didn't make much of a difference as far as head-buffeting goes. Then, I added the fork fangs and it made a huge difference. But now strangely enough, as you mention, I am getting a lot of wind on my back. A cause & effect thread would be nice if everyone would pitch-in with their mods, height, etc. Then one would be able to piece it all together to determine which ones actually works best for their particular situation.

Right now many people have an opinion of what they like best, but we do not have a definitive comparative analysis to determine which mods actually work best when applied in unison.

 

Thanks for acknowledging that. Many many people think that you simply need to do "X" to make something go away. Then you too can be that guy cruising down the highway at 80 MPH wearing a ballcap. But, especially regarding airflow, there are prices to pay for altering air stream. If you do one thing, another is affected. And, as mentioned, every single instance is different. So it's very hard for someone to say - "Buy this windshield to reduce buffeting" when, in fact, it may not work for 90% of the people out there. But it worked for him, so as is the norm on forums, when he gets a negative response, the whole thread goes down the toilette with insults.

So yes, I would like to start a thread on this topic. I have been wanting to for years. I fear that the egos on any internet forum will have a hard time accepting that theirs is not a universal solution. But I'll forge ahead and post up my observations over the last decade of focusing on this topic. Maybe we can all come up with basic ways to alter air stream so that each participant can find their ultimate compromise. Because short of hanging it all out in the wind, that's what it will be. Which isn't a bad thing.

 

Brock275, what was it you didn't like about the 10" Windsplitter? I've got the 7" on my EG and I love it, except it's a little low for interstate riding, especially with my wife on the back. I've been looking at the 10" for winter and long trips, but can't find any comparison in height compared to stock.

Stock didn't really work at all because the top of the shield fell right at eye level. I haven't asked to see if my dealer has a demo, but that might be an option, too.