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As everyone knows the average highway speeds have gone up over the past 20 years and it seems now we have to be able to comfortably cruise at 80 just to stay with traffic. My removable windshield allows me to cruise long days and quickly remove the bug graveyard for the Main Street cruises at night.
I am on my 2nd Harley RG which means I always ride with a wind shield. I have a Clockworks 12". I used to have a Star Road-star. It was like a Road King, being a bagger with a detachable windshield. I would clean my bike up, take off the windshield because it looked so much better without it on and ride to town. I enjoyed the clean look and the freedom of wind blowing me around, but once I hit the freeway I missed the windshield.
Bottom line for me was if your concern is mostly how you want to look go without. If your concern is for comfort at speed or long rides go with the windshield every time.
I have a Long Ride windshield that stays on most of the time, keeps the giant Texas bugs out of my mug. It's a quick detach windshield, so I can take it off in about 30 seconds when I want to enjoy the breeze.
Have the detachable quarter fairing on my breakout for the long rides after 12 years of no shield at all. It does nothing for my head, but the chest pressure is noticeably less. But like bigblock59, I rode to Sturgis last year 1200 miles without it in an iron butt and didn't feel like I needed it. Lean angle is also helpful as noted. When I had my FXDL and switched from mini apes to a drag bar, the ability to go longer times at faster speeds was noticeable compared to having apes that turned me into a sail.
Yeah, big improvement when I switched from the stock semi-apes on my Dyna, to something close to a drag bar. The forward lean is similar to a Breakout.
Apes are for 1960s style posing, and don't lend themselves well to real motorcycle riding. Sure, I had 'em myself in the late 60's and early 70's, when I was a newish rider, and didn't know any better.
Anyone ever seen apes on a race bike, or as original equipment on a serious touring bike?
Putting apes on a bike these days isn't much different than wearing a patch that says, "Clueless wanna-be poser dork".
Last edited by Warp Factor; Jun 15, 2016 at 04:14 PM.
Have the Memphis Shade Bullet on 15 Lo and love how much wind it took off my chest, my head is still in the wind however, but I am ok with that since I wear a brain basket all the time.
I bought one for my breakout thinking it would only be on very occasionally, but I usually have it on now. So much nicer if you get on the highway. Around town I take it off, because it looks so much better
Windshield on my flstsc
