Good day.
Want to get some feedback from riders who have windshields installed on their ride . Mainly the FX bikes, Dyna , Wideglide, Softail Customs. If ya ride a bagger comments are welcome, also. Never rode a bike with one, so what can I expect. Personally , I can't stand the look of them on the FX bikes, but age has made it a possible necessity to add one to the Lowrider . Went on a toy Run , this past Sat, temps were in the mid 50's, & wind was blustery, had full leathers on & lite gloves. Didn't get real cold, but with all the cold weather gear on, I acted like a big sail & caught a lot of air around the 70 mph mark & was pretty much beat down by the time I got back home. 300+ miles that day.
Are they worth the cost for what they do? What brand name do you have. Main question is, how well does one block air & is the bike harder to handle, with one on? These things are pricy & wan't to make sure I wan't one before I drop the coin. Thanks for any informative comments.
Ride Safe,
Harold

 

Leathers don't make good cold weather riding gear IMHO! Putting a wind resistant suit over them is quite another matter. I rode year round here in the UK for many years and keeping warm starts with using several layers of suitable clothes and, preferably, an outer touring style storm-proof thermal lined suit.

As for a windshield, I have the qd factory one on my Sporty, which is fine for speeds up to 80mph or thereabouts. Looks OK, works fine. In contrast I had an RK style shield on my Glide when I bought it new and that was awful! Caused a lot of buffetting and affected handling in crosswinds.

 

I have the removable one Harley sells for around $400. It helps a lot with a strong headwind and doesn`t affect the handling of the bike. I have a 2009 Dyna Superglide. Recently I added fork deflectors ( http://www.jpcycles.com/product/561-470 ) to prevent the buffeting of the wind at highway speeds caused by air flowing over the top of the tank, which the windshield does not stop. This was especially annoying, as my glasses were being shaken on my face, even with a headstrap. This kit works well and is easy to install. You will need the mount kit #561-471 sold separately. After shipping all of this came to $104. For me the money was well spent. This also helped to keep my lower half a little drier when I got caught in a thunderstorm.

 

Mine came w/ an HD one when I bought it. I have never measured it, but I can just see over it and I'm 5'11". I have rode with it on and off, and it helps take the full force of wind off my upper body, but it has an unusual buffeting effect, especially at higher speeds.
I can see where it would be helpful on really long rides, or really cold weather. Otherwise I prefer it off aesthetically. It's smoke tinted and looks fairly decent, though (for an Dyna).

 

Not sure if you consider a Heritage a bagger or not (a friend of mine sure does) but I have had both the Memphis Shades set up and (currently) the Harley OEM set up on my bike.

I don't have any problem with buffeting or having it act like a sail.
It helps a lot in the cold and the rain.
Good for bugs and gravel kicked up by the larger trucks.

I wouldn't go without one anymore.

 

When I put this one on Dr.Linda's bike:

she could ride an extra 100 miles a day. Gas mileage went down 10 MPG, from like 70 to 60 with the original carb.

 

I did a LOT of research on this- I think I read every windshield thread on this forum. I pulled the trigger on a windvest. It's small, doesn't look too bad as far as windshields go and it works great for me. My commute is 15 miles of interstate running 78-80mph. Without it, I was white knuckling the grips to stay on the bike. I've only tried with a full face helmet so far (the 1/2 helmet tried to take my head off like a parachute before the windshield). With the windscreen, it's a whole new bike. The air pressure is off my chest now, I don't have to hang on the bars. I love it.

 

NOW you tell me.... Twenty some years too late...

I can recall a few October trips from Michigan to Florida, in the early 90's through 2003, that started out in the mid 30's (Fahrenheit). On one, I didn't warm up until I reached Tennessee. On another, I never did warm up...

 

On topic: When I ordered my FLHS in 1992 (93 model) I didn't want a windshield. Never had one on either of the two previous bikes (Triumph Bonneville, BWM R75/5). In fact, didn't want any of those 'convenience' items: Radio, Cruise control, etc.

Then I took my first trip to Florida. Somewhere in Ohio, I began to wonder how the hell I ever rode without a windshield. And where the heck was the radio???

The windshield on my FLHS is big. I believe the Heritage Classics use a similar sized windshield. There is some buffeting. Combine that with the stock Dunlops, and (my perspective) it gets tiring, to cruise at speeds about 75 mph for any extended amount of time.

As far as keeping the cold off... When it's cold, it's cold no matter what. Those are the times I wished I had an Ultra Classic with full fairings.

 

My last 2 bikes came to me directly from the USA (I imported them myself) both Dynas and both came with a screen which lasted one ride....can't stand the things, they obscure my vision, make a racket around my head and suck air up my jacket from below. Shocking devices on a dark, wet night....they both ended up being sold.

Harden up boys and girls!!!!