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I see on the old batwings, the screen is separate from the body giving it a clean line where they (don't) join. I remember at one point you could use the brackets to have a Road King like windshield or the full Batwing.
Does it act any different from the later Batwings, i.e. you must get some kind of laminar flow of air coming up from inside the body via that gap. Does it change the air behind it, or does it add some turbulence?
This is my windshield, which I customised myself. The gap doesn't have any affect that I experience, it is in the wrong place to do any good, unlike the letter-box slot on the current bikes. Any air coming up the batwing is likely to go up the windshield, or split down each side, I suspect. The top of mine reduces helmet buffetting.
The gap doesn't have any affect that I experience ...
I was musing ...
One of the aerodynamical problems is that the space behind the screen is at a lower pressure than infront of it, hence the air going over the top is sucked down and in, and often up ... hence folk having their helmet, shades or beard lifted.
I just wondered if it was sucking air in there, to fill the partial and turbulent vacuum behind it, and was actually a design feature. Although I suspect it just originally evolved, as a bolt on in front of the Road King type screen.
Hi Ted, it does exactly as per your illustration! At least it did until I trimmed the top, as per my photo above.
You may recall those ugly BMW custom bikes with twin headlamps and a large windshield? They were around at the time I was installing my new to me batwing. I've also owned BMWs and they know a thing or two about air-flow, so I acquired a BMW catalogue and mimicked the profile. It certainly reduces buffetting around our helmets, Mrs B especially feels the improvement. We're a similar height, so she sits higher than me back there.
My FLHS had the early oval windshield, similar to the later RKs, which was a real swine to ride behind. It tugged at the bars in cross-winds, created awful turbulence and really spoiled the ride. I've ridden behind shields and fairings for over 40 years and that was by far the worst of the lot. While I don't have a beard, that shield had to go!
Nice bags, by the way.....
The only (fuzzy) photo we have of us in motion, somewhere in Germany, hence being on the wrong side of the road! You can see my re-shaped shield top.
Last edited by grbrown; Jan 10, 2016 at 06:32 AM.
Reason: Expanded.
Ted, my experience is that the wind always takes the shortest route! In other words it will come off the top edge of that shield at chest height. Looks fine, but I doubt if it will be very effective as a windshield. I certainly wouldn't want to ride behind it an a chilly day.
Sorry, it looks like some moderator is censoring my posts. I said ..
Actually, those are not my bags but Corbin's, who also did the animation.
Corbin also do an "advanced windshield" that, whereas I am sure it works, is an acquired taste, e.g. see below.
I wonder how your hack works aerodynamically?
Ted, that is odd! My reply above is to a post you made, in fact I've received three messages this afternoon about posts you've made on the subject! This is the Corbin fairing, for others to see:
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