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I have heard and read of so many cures to eliminate or reduce the notorious "buffeting" associated with wind screens, I had to try and see for myself. I have the HD Compact wind screen for my SGC which has about 2" of travel on the 49mm forks. So I had a couple brackets made up to kick the lower end of the wind screen out about 2" to increase the angle. Tried multiple runs at 60+ mph sliding the screen up and down on the forks.
Results: My head wasn`t bobbing all over the place but it was a constant shaking like a paint can mixer but not that extreme.
So then I switched the brackets to the top to kick out the top of the wind screen and of course made multiple runs while sliding the screen up and down the forks.
Results: Way worse than angled at the bottom and also worse than the normal mounts.
So I realize that the air comes up from the bottom and around the tank but I thought I would give this a try. I`m only out $40.00 bucks for the brackets and who knows, maybe those with the addition of lowers or something else, the buffeting can be reduced or eliminated.
I am glad that you posted this and went through the effort. I was admiring a friends triumph explorer and the windshield that had factory adjustments like that. I thought for sure that moving the upper part forward would help, so I now I know not to bother making something.
Remove the windshield and the problem solves itself.
Sort of.
Have you tried one of the recurve windshields? I put a long rider shield on my Road King and it made a big difference. LRS will run some wicked deals every now and then making them very affordable.
For what it's worth I tried to make my own recurve out of an old windshield by heating the top 2-3" with an industrial heat gun and trying to bend it. It did not work. But I do have a windshield to cut way shorter if I ever want to.
Imagination, sometimes works out, sometimes not. You no doubt saved a few hours for someone else. Good post.
I also heard good things about the recurve. I'm lucky I guess, have no probs with mine on the Deluxe although seem only time I sport it is in the winter.
Wind deflector legs extending below the windshield along the outside of the fork make a big difference, and I've read that putting a solid piece, leather or plastic, to fill in the space between the forks and between the headlight and fender stop a lot of wind coming from below, too. None of that looks very elegant, but after buffeting for hours, a little bit of ugly doesn't seem so bad. I've given up on small shields to relieve body pressure; all I've tried hammer my head with buffeting, so now it's full shield or naked. And a lot of full shields buffet bad, too.
This is what I did. Fugly, but estimate it got rid of 80% of the buffeting. I haven't come up with an idea to keep the turbulence down when using the hi-way pegs. That seems to route the air flow up and right under the helmet, especially in a angled head wind. But then that was going 80-90 on the interstate.
Bought a couple clamps that fit the forks on Amazon and got some 1/4" poly-carbonate from a local window shop. Cut it with my little saber-saw and did some forming using a heat gun. You have to do some forming on them or they will vibrate like hell.
I am glad that you posted this and went through the effort. I was admiring a friends triumph explorer and the windshield that had factory adjustments like that. I thought for sure that moving the upper part forward would help, so I now I know not to bother making something.
Please remember that I have a SuperGlide Custom. You have a FL which could yield entirely different results because of the larger front end and tank. I think you should still try.
Originally Posted by Next In Line
Remove the windshield and the problem solves itself.
LOL. Yeah I wear a FF helmet so I am just trying to eliminate some body pressure at highway speed. I just recently added a Mustang backrest to my seat and the wind can only push me back so much now. What a difference!
Originally Posted by Tampa Fatboy
Imagination, sometimes works out, sometimes not. You no doubt saved a few hours for someone else. Good post.
I also heard good things about the recurve. I'm lucky I guess, have no probs with mine on the Deluxe although seem only time I sport it is in the winter.
I was looking at the laminar lip and thinking of giving that a try along with the brackets I made.
This is the best example I have seen yet, many thanks to the op.
Originally Posted by Qdog002
I have heard and read of so many cures to eliminate or reduce the notorious "buffeting" associated with wind screens, I had to try and see for myself. I have the HD Compact wind screen for my SGC which has about 2" of travel on the 49mm forks. So I had a couple brackets made up to kick the lower end of the wind screen out about 2" to increase the angle. Tried multiple runs at 60+ mph sliding the screen up and down on the forks.
Results: My head wasn`t bobbing all over the place but it was a constant shaking like a paint can mixer but not that extreme.
So then I switched the brackets to the top to kick out the top of the wind screen and of course made multiple runs while sliding the screen up and down the forks.
Results: Way worse than angled at the bottom and also worse than the normal mounts.
So I realize that the air comes up from the bottom and around the tank but I thought I would give this a try. I`m only out $40.00 bucks for the brackets and who knows, maybe those with the addition of lowers or something else, the buffeting can be reduced or eliminated.
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Windscreen experiment failed
