I’m contemplating the day I may need to downsize bikes. Interesting to me is the majority of threads on wind noise and buffeting are talking about Road Glides and Ultras. How is the wind on a stock Heritage and if not great, what are some things riders do to mitigate?
You should ride one with a stock windshield and see if it's right for you. Windshield height matters as does the type and quality of the helmet that is worn, if a helmet is worn at all.
I like the top of my Road King's windshield to be 2" below eye level. The type and brand of seat that is used can make a difference here.
I used to wear a half helmet; now I wear a Shoei FF. That makes a difference too.
Memphis Shades sells quality windshields of various heights.
Very subjective topic as many things play into wind noise and buffeting and one's sensitivity to both of those. After chasing "clean air" on many bikes, I've learned you either need a barn door type windscreen or no wind screen at all. Everything else is a compromise at best.
For noise nothing beats a good full face helmet that fits correctly and ear plugs of some sort. Having gone through many many helmets I've found the Shoei GT Air II works best for me.
Depends on the kind of riding you will be doing. Lots of highway riding at high speeds having no windshield will wear you down faster especially if you don't have a very good full face helmet with ear plugs and a good tight fitting jacket & pants that don't flap in the wind.
More local riding and short trips I prefer a naked bike. Having a windshield takes a bit of the motorcycling fun away for me.
I currently have a street glide and have had a road glide in my past. I had severe wind buffeting issues with both and these are the only 2 I have had that issue. I must be the right height and my head not aerodynamic enough. Both were sorted out with different windshields and fangs that direct the air to a different spot.
I do appreciate the RG & SG when it is cold and/or raining plus the storage is nice. I never use the radio.
I have also had a Vrod and Softail slim. I liked both more for shorter rides.
The best would be to have both a highway and local cruiser if you have the time to ride both.
Last edited by Walter White; 01-12-2023 at 12:20 PM.
I bought a new 22 for my wife, and she never complains about the wind or buffeting. FF, half, or none at all doesn't matter to her. When I ride it, the wind hits pretty hard in the chest, so I put fangs on it. I hated them and she hated them, but it was because of the heat. They cut the airflow so much that between the ambient heat in the desert southwest combined with engine heat it was unbearable. Fangs weren't the answer for me.
Same. My wife has a 2021 Heritage and I have a 2019 Heritage. Wind is wind but neither one of us has ever been bothered by it enough to get down about it, look for a higher windshield or contemplate purchasing those fork "fangs" Geeze that would be 2 or 3 cases of beer!
We both wear half helmets.
Seriously in all fairness, it all depends on you in relationship to the bike, your legs, the bike itself, how you sit, how high is your windshield, etc. etc. Guys on here complain about buffeting every day. If that includes ear popping, then yes, I have that sometimes. If I will be on the highway for any more than 20 or 30 miles, then yes, I will use a bandanna as a dew rag and cover my ears. Helps saves my hearing as well. But I have never felt "blown back" due to the wind. Even on a Honda VLX going 75 with no windshield.
Thanks guys. Great picture by the way 702. I’ve got loads of experience on the full deckers and wind has never been an issue for me. Just concerned a windshield bike might change all that. Rode a windshield Kawasaki Vulcan for a while last year and on the highway I got beat up somewhat.
Many factors can determine one's luck with buffeting. There appears to be two primary sources... turbulent air over the top of the windshield and turbulent air coming up around the sides of the tank. How you sit the bike, how a seat sits you on the bike, your physical dimensions, etc. etc. will be determinative. Some things that I've concluded with time and experimentation...
Shield vents help (see ClearView Shields for an example). Concept is that the vent helps eliminate some of the pressure differential created behind the shield (which leads to the production of turbelent air).
Fangs work... However... They work too well. As has been noted, they can rob the rider of desperately needed cooling air. Plus they increase the felt heat in the crotch area/seat and and the right leg/calve. There's also the question if they impact engine cooling. To me, the tradeoffs are just too much. I no longer use the fangs. Fortunatly, my recurve ClearView shield with vent mitigates things to an acceptable state of afairs and neither I nor the bike have to deal with the heat.
As an experiment... If you are having buffeting problems... put your hands out - palms down - just past your knees and see what happens.
Decent info on dialing in the appropriate sized windshield...
As noted... to save $$$/irratation, resolve seat issues first.
Oh... If one decides to get a ClearView shield... It should be noted that - at least at the time that I ordered mine - their larger (taller) shield sizes don't come in the tombstone shape of the stock shield. The larger (taller) shields come in their older design pattern (reminds me of the shape of a womans fingernail). If you want the tombstone shape of the stock shield you need to request it (special order). If considering an order, I would give them a call an inquire about this before placing it.
01-12-2023, 11:16 AM
Heritage softail and wind
