Buffeting... Is there a certain amount that you just have to learn to live with??
 

Working this issue on my 2018 Heritage. I've installed JES fangs/wind deflectors. That eliminated a lot of the air coming up from underneath/around the tank. I've tried two different sizes of Freedom Shields windshields. The current FS is 19" and appears to sit right at the tip of my nose. Doubt I could go any higher without having to look through the shield. The FS seems to help (although I'm going to re-install the stock for a direct comparison - it's been a while since I had it on and memory fades). However, there is still some buffeting. I've tried two different helmets. The buffeting is a little more present with the full face than the half helmet, but not by much. The turbulent air appears to be coming over the top of the windshield. I can place my hand directly over the top of the shield in front of my face and the buffeting stops. I can lean forward and tuck a little bit behind the shield and that gets rid of the buffeting. But, I wouldn't want to have to ride like that (plus it forces you to look through the shield.) The buffeting at speeds up to about 65 to 70 mph might be tolerable. The buffeting that exist up around 80 mph (interstate speeds) might be a bit much to tolerate. I'd have to wonder if a long run on the interstate would give me a headache after a while.

I've read several post where folks apparently claim that they eliminated all of the buffeting. I'm beginning to wonder if that's even possible unless one ends up looking through the shield. I've seen others claim that they got rid of most, but not all, of the buffeting (which is where I appear to be).

So is there just a certain amount of buffeting you just have to learn to tolerate?

The only bikes I've owned before that were not naked were sport bikes. They never had this problem due to many factors. I was on the interstate on my Nightster just the other day and it was fine at interstate speeds (as it has always been). The Nightster is naked and has drag bars that lean me ever so slightly forward. I hear people talk about the wind hitting the chest and causing fatigue over time. I don't really feel that on the Nightster. I can ride the Heritage without the windshield, but it sits me more upright and I do notice catching the wind more in my upper body. I can see where that might become an issue on a long run. The windshield does provide other benefits of course. Its much more calm an quite everywhere else (from the neck down) and it definitely helps when the air gets cold.

Short answer is yes. You're riding a motorcycle and even if you have a tall windshield or fairing, there's always going to be some wind coming in around it. As long as my head isn't wobbling like one of those bobble head toys I consider it normal. I think the only way to totally avoid it would be to ride in the car.

Eliminating the windshield should do the trick....

I went through multiple wind screen options on my dyna. Harley Windshield, Flyscreen, Memphis Shades Gauntlet and finally Memphis Shades Cafe Fairing.

I found my happy medium with the small cafe fairing as it takes the wind off the chest but my head is getting fresh air like I was riding without anything. There is still a slight bit of distortion but over time I've learned to live with it.

Duly noted. I've been riding all my life, so I'm familiar with motorcycles and wind. But as I noted, this is the first non sport/naked bike that I've had and this buffeting is something new and undesirable as compared to where I'm coming from.

That said, your short answer is starting to appear to be correct unfortunately.

There's a reason my RK doesn't have a windshield....no buffeting. :icon_bike:

It's weird you can feel the wind directly over the top of your 19 inch shield. I have a 16 inch Long Ride Shield, and the wind goes over the top of my head, not in my face. No bufetting. It was the same with a regular shield, too.



Maybe you should try one of these re-curves.

Ahhh.. Hydrodynamics. Sounds like your buffeting is a result of air attempting to refill the void created behind whatever you have that is pushing the air out of the way. In short, you have created a negative pressure area behind your shields. 'Bigger' and 'more' is not necessarily better when it comes to windscreens.

Take your bike out for a ride. When you start to experience buffeting, place your left arm horizontal across you chest and see if it goes away or is reduces. If so, the air is coming from below the shield/fairing. You need to eliminate that air flow. If this does not help, then the air must be coming over the top. I would recommend you use a shield that is around your chin. You can always tape off the top of the shield, draw a top profile line that pleases you. You can take a coping saw and cut away the excess. then file, then sand and use some alcohol to give it a wipe down to clean up. You may find this will remove the air flow causing buffeting. Also helmet design plays a roll in this as well. If you have a half helmet that is kind of big (not size wise, but large profile with substantial amount of helmet over the ears) that may catch a bit of wind. Sometimes these things are hard to find.

I have a Super Glide and a Road King. The Super Glide is sans windshield, fairing or deflector. All I get is nice clean air, no helmet buffeting. When it turns cold, or is cold at the start of the year, the Road King's windshield is a welcome relief but, for me, it's absolutely intolerable without the HD fork deflectors. I mean to the point of not being able to see clearly at speeds above 60mph no matter which way the wind is blowing. With them, it is reduced by about 90% and provides a nice ride. The deflectors divert wind from the engine and I've done back to back tests with them on/off using a laser temp gun. Not a lot hotter, about 15 degrees on average (measured at the heads, next to the spark plugs).

I look over my windshield and have tried taller and shorter, none worked well without the deflectors. I would ride it without a screen but the Road King doesn't lend itself to no windshield riding, at least not for me. I've ridden my Super Glide with no windshield tens of thousands of miles, but I can't tolerate the Road King without a windshield for more than 20 miles and even less at freeway speeds (that I sometimes ride at even though I'm not on the freeway). I think it has to do with a couple things. First, the more upright position really makes you a sail and second, with the tank mounted gauge the wind basically starts hitting you at the waist as opposed to the Super Glide gauges being front and center to divert the air up a little. It probably doesn't hurt that the frontal profile is a little smaller as well.

I love both bikes, but if my garage caught fire I'd tip over the Road King to get the Super Glide out.

You didn’t mention what helmet you have. It could be the problem. When I picked up my Glide I needed a hat so I bought the Harley branded helmet and it was terrible it made my eyes vibrate.
I spent a few $ on a good helmet and it is way better. I start to get a little over 70mph but very tolerable.
I have a 7” windsplitter I put the 10” on and it was still air at 50mph but I didn’t like the curve in my view.

My windshield is in storage. Rather have wind come right at me than up under the windshield. All those bolt on do-dads made to make you feel like your riding in a cage are just that, do-dads. My windshield, along with do-dads, screws up the looks of my bike too.

Yup, you wanna get rid of buffeting, lose the wind screen.

I thought this thread was going to be about Jimmy, anyway.

Is there any way to tilt your screen forward? Worked like a dream on my Road Warrior fairing. I still get wind coming underneath, but it's not buffeting. I have to get into triple digits before buffeting becomes a problem.

Maybe test ride some other bikes to see of there's one that suits you? Life is too short to ride an uncomfortable bike.

If you're riding a bike with no fairing, and a "clip-on" windshield, then, unfortunately, all you can do is try to make the buffeting less annoying for you. Based on your height, your riding posture, the type/style of windshield, and any add-on deflectors, you might get pretty decent results. Or not. All you can do is try.

I had a Madstad Engineering windshield on the '15 Road Glide, and although I don't smoke, I almost could have lit a cigarette while riding. Totally smooth, quiet air. Everything went right over the top of my helmet. It was awesome.

I have this problem when wearing a half helmet yet have no issue with my 3/4 on. May have more to do with the helmet than the screen.

This^^^

I ride a 2017 Slim. I have tried everything I can think of to eliminate buffeting. I thought I had the problem licked with a recurve windshield and fangs on the forks. I put the windshield on mainly so I could ride in cold weather which is mainly around town. It worked around town but speeds never exceeded 55 mph. Once it warmed up I had to take a longer trip where speeds were 70 or a little more. The buffeting was so severe that I had lost a wheel weight. So I have given up on the windshield and I am back to a naked bike. I will put it back on for the winter though.

The best setup was like the one below. This wasn't my bike but I had the same model BMW with the same Avon fairing. The air behind this fairing was completely calm and dry in the rain.It would produce a slight pressure on my back at higher speeds. Very nice in Colo thunderstorms and cold mountain temperatures.
kk

https://i67.tinypic.com/2rnijk0.jpg

I did something somewhat similar on my Deluxe, which as a very upright riding position. After fighting with buffeting, trying different height shields and lower deflectors, I went the opposite direction using the "Less is More" approach. Since the 16" windscreen was completely unusable to to violent buffeting, it served as the sacrificial lamb. I cut it down. First the top, then a little more off the top, and then some off the sides. Now it is little more than a "sport screen" at about 10.5" from the top of the headlight housing. Takes wind pressure off the torso and puts my helmet in clean air. No buffeting! I've done all day rides and it doesn't beat me up. I get that "In the Wind" feeling, without that wind trying to push me off the back of the bike.

So, just a thought if you have a spare shield. Might be worth the time to experiment the the "Less is More" approach
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.hdf...c3f71fb746.jpg

Hmm, I also have an 18 Heritage, I only really notice buffetting on windy days like 10mph or more. I wear a half helmet. Maybe it's also about how tall we all are, I'm 5' 5" so I do look through the windshield. Compared to my old Fat Boy the Heritage is more stable in the wind.

Keep an eye on the servers and jump when fresh trays come out.

No use doing that, you and the rest of your HOG chapter bros will already be standing there waiting for them.

I agree, when a person is on a motorcycle that's all a part of the experience. The way I see it, if a person can't make the necessary adjustments to riding a motorcycle, maybe they need to think about if riding a bike is for them or not, for many it isn't.

Here's my setup:
'18 Heritage, 16" LRS recurve, JES deflectors, Shoei neotec 2 helmet. No buffeting up to 102 mph. Fastest I've gone.

If there's a lot of turbulence from wind or trucks I feel some of it but the only way you're going to avoid that is get in the car and roll the windows up.

IDK, but after nearly 40 years of riding experience, you think I may have answered that question already?

On just about every bike that I've owned - many here would say they were too uncivilized for them. Currently the Nightster that I ride is no sofa. Now that my age is starting to get hard to remember, I'm investigating - with this Heritage - what I've read and heard others exclaim about the creature comforts of a "proper" bike. Besides, the Mrs. is starting to complain - so I got to address that.

The 19" shield is a Freedom Shield. So essentially it is a re-curve.

It's a motorcycle.

My .02 - My old HSTC buffeted after I changed the shield. I switched to an LRS and the problem was solved.

I literally went through this exact approach as you did, with my RKS. I ordered an 18" and a 20" shield from Freedom to try. I am 5'8 and the RKS has a CVO seat so it sits down about another inch or so. 18" shield was unbearable. Also, the 18" shield was right at my top lip. Couldn't get up to speed without buffeting. Wound up looking up fangs and realized that JES was local to me. Great guy. Went to his house and bought some deflectors and he even put them on for me. Deflectors helped a bit, but still not great. Realized now, that I was getting air over the top almost slapping my helmet. Very annoying, and like you, I could duck down and it would go away. So I went home and threw the 20" on to see of there was a difference. Almost no buffeting or head slap at all up to 75mph. I didnt go any faster for the test. Problem was, I was now looking through the shield instead of over, and that didnt sit well with me. But I have been thinking. What is the stock shield size that comes on a RK?? I rented 2 over the winter and didn't really recall any buffeting. Anyway, my solution?? Harley windsplitter and JES fangs. No buffeting at all.

Yes yes yes

Pretty much sums up my experience so far. Except I'm not sure the fangs reduce the problem by 90% or would say they provide for a nice ride (may acceptable - but the jury is still out on that one).

I believe the Heritage would be OK without the shield for back county roads and smaller highways. But for interstates etc. riding at higher speeds... IDK.

In my case - in the same scenario - my Nightster might just win out.

I’m on a streetglide so it’s not quite the same.
For me, most all my buffeting issues went away with a high quality helmet. Once I bought my Shoei I didn’t have any more problems.

Except that I have a bad habit of not always wearing it.

SO afterwards (xthread points) I also switched to an 8” shield from the short factory one and it’s perfect for me, helmet or not.

Very nice. What was your method for cutting it down, and did you cut it on the top or bottom?

Interesting... Haven't been able to find much on actual user experiences with these on RKs/Heritages/Etc...

Finding the correct windshield height and helmet will cure all buffeting IMHO. I like my windshield to be about two inches below eye level. I look over it, but the air carries over my head. I use a Schuberth helmet, which is very quiet and aerodynamic. Angle of the windscreen probably also plays a part in this. One of my bikes is naked and the Softail has a stock Harley windscreen. I got a shorter windscreen when I put on my custom seat, because it was lower than the stock by about two inches.

Buffeting
 

It's a motorcycle so there will always be wind in the equation...That being said, it doesn't have to be buffeting. Bike without fairings, seem to catch a lot more wind and it has to be directed for it not to become an annoyance. On my dyna, I have a small roll bag that forces the wind over my head. The only buffeting I get is wearing a helmet with a bill on the front that seem to catch air and causes blurred vision at high speed. A 3/4 helmet with a face shield is fine with no shake.
Bikes with fairing are inherently more wind stable although they can also have buffeting problems. Riding without lowers will cause air to come up from in front of the tank and be a problem. Harley also makes a couple of clip on deflectors that mount on the engine guard that helps with the wind coming up. I would think the "fangs" provide somewhat the same effect by redirecting the wind.
I've seen both road kings and soft tails with bat wings and lowers that seem to be able to dispense with the wind very well. I've heard, not seen, the new windshields with the built in vents can stabilize the air better than without the vent.
Finally, as mentioned before, your helmet can play a big role in the stability of your head in the wind. It is a tedious process to get worked out but worth it when accomplished on long road trips.

It was an LRS recurve, so I had to cut the top. Seems a bit over the top to use a new and perfectly good recurve, but it was unusable on my particular bike, and the shipping made it impractical to sell.

I used masking tape over the whole thing, used a paper template to mark the lines with a sharpie. To cut I used an abrasive cut-off wheel on a small angle grinder. It did leave a bit of melted plastic on the edge. It came off easily by hand, and then block sanded the edge with 180 grit "wet-or-dry" sandpaper.

I have a Shoei Neotec and still had buffeting.

Thanks. I have a Memphis Shades Shooter on the way. I think it'll be low enough, but if not, this gives me some guidance.