solid wheels
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 14,778
Likes: 69
From: Badlands of ND
I have a night train with a solid rear wheel and a spoke front. No probems what so ever. Now if you want to talk about large amount of surface area in a cross wind, my Ultra has any Fat Boy beat all to heck. No one talks about those bikes in a cross wind.
Road Master
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 784
Likes: 10
From: SE Pennsylvania
Crosswinds will affect anything that is in it's path. I had a Fatboy for several years and never noticed anything unusual about having two solid wheels. There is more surface area between the two wheels, including the body of the rider, that will be buffeted by the wind than two wheels close to the ground ever will. Wind speed close to the ground is far less than that up higher, but we're REALLY nitpicking on this issue of solid wheels vs. open.
What gets buffeted by crosswinds more.... a car with solid wheels or one with spokes?
What gets buffeted by crosswinds more.... a car with solid wheels or one with spokes?
Club Member
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 2,697
Likes: 10
From: San Angelo, Texas
Road Warrior
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 1,396
Likes: 146
From:
These guys can post all the theories that they want about surface area and spokes becoming like solids at 40 m.p.h., but how would Jamie and Adam do it on Mythbusters? After all this has been called a "myth." Maybe ride a FatBoy in the wind with solid disc wheels then change to spokes. Is that just too logical? That's essentially what I did. What did I find? There is a significant difference in the way the bike "feels.' It's only the front wheel the affects this. So it's not surface area being hit by the wind like rear wheels, saddlebags etc. it's the force on the front wheel affecting the fork. I had both wheels on my Fat Boy and rode it both ways in a lot of wind. While it doesn't really get you blown all over the road the bike feels more unstable with discs in the wind. Solids aren't unsafe but cause some concern to the rider because of the way the bike feels in the wind. There is a difference! Myth confirmed!
Road Master
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 751
Likes: 0
From: 'Merica
I dont think it affects it. When your riding not much wind is going to make it between your spokes anyway. I just rode 300 mi saturday/sunday and it was pretty windy and it didnt feel like the bike was being pushed around more than anything else i've ridden. Of course my last bike was a sport bike so the 750lb Fatboy feels much more sturdy than that anyway, but i wouldnt worry about it. If you like them go for it. It's one of my fav things about a fatty
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Road Master
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 1,062
Likes: 20
From: Batavia, NY
I'd like to see a mythbusters on this, because I think a spoked wheel being "solid" at speed is bs. In order for nothing to pass through a spoked wheel, in which the spokes only make up about 25% or less surface area of an entire circle, that thing would have to be spinning faster than 40 mph. Not to mention, a spoke is not a flat surface area, its round, so any wind that does hit them is deflected at an angle through the wheel. A solid wheel is flat no matter what speed, and is about as perfect a wind barrier as you're going to get.
Road Master
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 784
Likes: 10
From: SE Pennsylvania
This is never going to end regardless of whatever fly-by-night Mythbuster test people want to quote. People's experience and perception will differ. I had a FatBoy for several years and noticed nothing. Some have the same bike and say they do. some people would even try and argue that an Electra Glide with spokes will be buffeted by wind less than a FatBoy, and some who ride a Sporty say because it's so thin and has spokes, it's the most streamlined of all bikes.
Buy the bike you want and ride it.
Buy the bike you want and ride it.
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