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I have zero issues with wind on my chest or on my helmet without a shield. My goal was to keep some of the cold air off me and my chest as we head into the colder months in the Northern Hemisphere.
Did my research, made sure the height was such that I was looking over it and that it aligned with my nose when I was in my typical seated position.
But WTF? This thing creates terrible buffeting from 35 mph on up. I wear a full-face helmet and from 35 mph on up its like someone is grabbing on to my helmet and shaking it. It only gets worse the faster I go. It makes me motion sick after several minutes at freeway speeds. I tried ducking well below the screen and and its still there. I tried standing above the screen and ONLY when my head was way above the screen and it was in "clean air" did the buffeting stop.
I removed the screen and did a shorter loop that included 75 mph on the freeway. Way smoother without the shield. The sensation is almost reversed. You'd think all the buffeting be would be without the shield and smoother with it. There is actually NO buffeting without the windshield. Just air moving around the helmet.
So, am I missing something here? Are these shields meant to be used to be used without a helmet? Since I still felt buffeting even when I ducked well below the shield is it air coming up from below?
Looking for some help cause as of right now my 400 bucks was not well spent...
Shields have issues which have to be dealt with in most cases.
The angle of rake is critical to make the bike stable at speed. If the shield comes mounted too upright it will act like a brick wall and shake the entire bike and wiggle in crosswinds etc.
If it is tilted too far back it won't be tall enough to cover up what you bought it for---mainly to give your helmet a break from "bobble head' on the highway.
If it fits too tight around your front headlamp it may creat a big vacuum pocket behind it where you get sucked into the air space behind the shield which is all messed up air and causes buffeting big time.
This requires you "break" the vacuum seal created by the shield moving through the air. perhaps raising the shield enough to leave a "slot" at the bottom to let air go around to the rear of the shield and neutralize the air pocket.
New Harley shields may have some form of 'mail slot" to bleed a little air into the vacuum and remove the buffeting.
I finally decided it would be simpler to simply build my own shield out of a good plastic with a built in reverse lip (National Cycle F15 Touring)and go make brackets from aluminum bar stock at Home Depot.
I made some practice hardware to adjust the thing until I found the magic spot and then cut the bar stock to fit it perfect.
Looks clean.
Works amazing.
Great protection.
Zero buffeting at any speed and I can finally cruise at 90mph which is not unusual up in the Adirondacks on the super slab.
Here's a photo of it.
Took me four years to finally get a perfect set up but it works for me.
I don't have an answer but when I ride my sisters VRod I get that from her windshield. She doesn't at all. I'm 5 inches taller than she is. I did notice if I shift my head to the left or right of the windshield the buffeting stops.
I have a wind vest windshield that clamps on the handlebars...you can tilt it to try different angles. it works well for me...It keeps the bulk of the wind off my body at highway speed so I don't have to fight the air...it used to feel like it was lifting my helmet off at highway speeds so I tilted it down/back a little an it's much better now.
rleedeuce - I did more research after you mentioned the vacuum pocket. I see what you mean. Lots of "well designed" windshields account for this "dead air" behind the screen. It makes sense since no matter how low I tucked under the screen the buffeting was still present.
I really like look of the windshield as it fits the whole FLSS look, but I see it was "looks" first, "function" a distant second. There are ZERO adjustments on this windshield as well.
I'm wondering if this windshield works for anyone...
Originally Posted by rleedeuce
Shields have issues which have to be dealt with in most cases.
The angle of rake is critical to make the bike stable at speed. If the shield comes mounted too upright it will act like a brick wall and shake the entire bike and wiggle in crosswinds etc.
If it is tilted too far back it won't be tall enough to cover up what you bought it for---mainly to give your helmet a break from "bobble head' on the highway.
If it fits too tight around your front headlamp it may creat a big vacuum pocket behind it where you get sucked into the air space behind the shield which is all messed up air and causes buffeting big time.
This requires you "break" the vacuum seal created by the shield moving through the air. perhaps raising the shield enough to leave a "slot" at the bottom to let air go around to the rear of the shield and neutralize the air pocket.
New Harley shields may have some form of 'mail slot" to bleed a little air into the vacuum and remove the buffeting.
I finally decided it would be simpler to simply build my own shield out of a good plastic with a built in reverse lip (National Cycle F15 Touring)and go make brackets from aluminum bar stock at Home Depot.
I made some practice hardware to adjust the thing until I found the magic spot and then cut the bar stock to fit it perfect.
Looks clean.
Works amazing.
Great protection.
Zero buffeting at any speed and I can finally cruise at 90mph which is not unusual up in the Adirondacks on the super slab.
Here's a photo of it.
Took me four years to finally get a perfect set up but it works for me.
Yea there's a low pressure area behind the screen that air is rushing back in creating buffeting ,i know that's simplistic but it's an easy way to say it.
Rlee well done I've thought about making a lexan screen many a time ,would of wasted my time without your post here.
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Windscreen Creates Buffetting!
