Fork air baffles
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Road Captain
Joined: Oct 2006
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Fork air baffles
Has anyone actually checked rear head temps during the summer?? I love the look of mine but don't think it really helps in cold weather to direct the air away from rider. I have read on here some guys say they read in a manual some where to take it off in the summer. Then i asked the write up guy at my local h/d and he thought it was orginally made to make the eng run cooler. If anyone has seen it in a manual can you scan it and e-mail it to me or tell me where i can find it on the net .thanks
Road Master
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 880
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From: California
Are you talking about the single small baffle that goes between the forks, or the larger ones that run down along the outside of the forks? I have both, and would be interested in knowing how the affect engine temps also.
Banned
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 1,036
Likes: 67
A side bar on the fork baffle
The baffle on FLTRs is located at the top of the fork and is held in place by 3 heavy screws which are easily removed for summer riding. When installed, it directs the fresh air downward as it comes across the front fender area. It is an airfoil or dam if you like. Normally it is removed during warm weather.
Remember that with a sharknose fairing there are a lot of "air movement" dynamics going on that you would not normally think about because that fairing moves and redirects a huge amount of air.
If you have ever noticed that when you spread your knees outward on your Road Glide when traveling at high speed, there is a huge influx of air which is immediately directed up towards your chest from down below. Believe it or not your shin bones act somewhat like mini lower fairings, although not quite as effective as the real things. When you remove the front fork baffle that huge amount of air that would normally be rushing upward and causing some head buffeting for some is drastically reduced by about half.
So put the fork baffle on in cool weather and pull it off when it warms up. Or, you can do like most do and just forget about it. It does serve a purpose though.
Remember that with a sharknose fairing there are a lot of "air movement" dynamics going on that you would not normally think about because that fairing moves and redirects a huge amount of air.
If you have ever noticed that when you spread your knees outward on your Road Glide when traveling at high speed, there is a huge influx of air which is immediately directed up towards your chest from down below. Believe it or not your shin bones act somewhat like mini lower fairings, although not quite as effective as the real things. When you remove the front fork baffle that huge amount of air that would normally be rushing upward and causing some head buffeting for some is drastically reduced by about half.
So put the fork baffle on in cool weather and pull it off when it warms up. Or, you can do like most do and just forget about it. It does serve a purpose though.
Last edited by texaswiz; May 22, 2009 at 12:56 PM.
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From: Cypress, TX
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Intermediate
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 36
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From: Newport NH
well my thinking is that it moves the air down where the heat is, soo it should cool the engine ....
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Tourer
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 270
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From: Manchester, TN. & DeLand, FL.
I don't think leaving the air baffle on hurts anything. I leave mine on all the time. The older bikes came with them. I think Harley quit putting them on at the factory so they could sell them to us later. Just my 2 cents.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2007
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From: SW Minnesota
The parts catalog says removing the baffle during the summer will help evacuate heat on top of the heads, under the tank.
They quit putting them on the Ultra's in '06. I use one to stop the blast of air that came up in front of the tank, causing my mustache to blow up my nose. I leave mine on year around.
They quit putting them on the Ultra's in '06. I use one to stop the blast of air that came up in front of the tank, causing my mustache to blow up my nose. I leave mine on year around.