The leg over the side is the difference though lol...same here for a smaller guy with bad knees!

 

to mount the bike with the tour pack on, mount from the right. right hand on throttle, right foot on footboard, step up and over with the left. no swinging involved.....

my tour pack is in the solo position. it is actually easier to mount my bike with the tour pack on than with it off.

 

The Harley lowers actually force more air on the motor. So removing them removes the forced air.

 

Yeh, that is how I do it.

 

Had a detachable TP on my 11 FLHTK. I thought there was a huge difference in handling with the TP removed. Planning to eventually do the same with my 18.

 

I notice two differences. One is it's a little more top heavy at slow speeds. It also catches a bit more cross wind at 60+. But while noticeable...neither are huge differences.

Two notes about removable tourpacks. One is to make sure the connectors are securely kept up off the fender. I have an ugly paint patch where I learned that. The other is...I use the fixed mount instead of the "quick detach" kit. It still only takes me about 5 minutes to remove...but it feels a lot more secure when it's on (which is most of the time). Just my 2 cents.

 

Very big difference for me. I get used to it fairly quickly and forget its there..... Until I pull it off. Then I'm like, damn, big improvement in handling. But I ride a Road King and that may have an effect on why it acts that way, as Road Kings aren't as top heavy as a bike with a Fairing. So removing ALL the up high weight may have a more dramatic effect than just removing a portion of it.

 

11RK, never use the windshield. Always feels like a sail on the back at freeway speeds. Especially with xwinds or semi's. Rarely have it on.

 

I've got a detachable kit on my Limited and I can tell the difference. Nothing major, but worth taking it off when I don't need it. I only put the pak on when the old lady is with me or on long trips.

 

Notice the difference for a few miles when first swapped either way but you get used to it real fast. Biggest thing I notice is that exhaust sounds better...