Originally Posted by Ghostman574

I am having major issues with wind buffeting on my 2012 SG. It is to the point where my head rattles and the shaking impairs my vision. I was able to fix the low speed buffeting with a KW 6.5 windshield but once I hit 70 - 75 MPH the buffeting gets bad. My question is will the following options help:

1. Front Fork Air Baffle
2. Adjustable Air Deflector

I'm not looking to kill all air flow and be in bubble nirvana (I have a truck for that), I just want to take care of the safety issue. I wear a full face helmet, and I am not willing to compromise on that either (Seen too many instances where a full face would have helped major disfigurment).

Originally Posted by Retrop

Why is it that so many riders are adverse to looking "through" a motorcycle windshield? Instead, many prefer to look over the windshield.

Originally Posted by Retrop

Why is it that so many riders are adverse to looking "through" a motorcycle windshield? Instead, many prefer to look over the windshield.

Originally Posted by grbrown

I've been riding behind a windshield for around 40 years and the only safe way to ride is by being able to look over it. You can look through it while it is clean, but rain, insects, generally travel dirt will slowly build up and make the shield less easy to look through. If you can't see over it you risk riding into trouble, unable to see properly, especially when riding into the sun. Doesn't take long to learn that!

Originally Posted by AlanStansbery

My experience is, you need to move the 'dirty' air that's coming off the windshield, either upward so it goes over the top of your helmet, or downward, so it hits below your chin. By 'dirty' air, I mean the roiling, buffeting air that is coming from the passage of the windshield through the air. You can move your hand up and down, as you ride, and feel where the 'smooth' air-flow ends, and the 'dirty' air begins. Chances are, that 'dirty' air is hitting your helmet above eye-level, nearer the top than the bottom of the helmet. The faster you go, the broader the zone of dirty air, so by the time you hit 70, it's very strong and you feel it in a pronounced manner. (It's still there at 60, just not strong enough it's objectionable to you).

The former (moving the dirty air up) will make the 'bubble' you speak of. Your helmet will run through 'clean', relatively quiet air. The latter (moving the dirty air down) will be as if you are riding without a windshield, as far as your head/helmet are concerned (though the fairing/windshield will still deflect air from your body). With the second method you'll get a lot more wind noise than you would if you were to deflect the air above your helmet, but it will be 'smooth' air, and won't buffet.

To achieve the former state, you can use a taller windshield. To achieve the latter, you can use a shorter windshield. I know Klockwerks makes an 8.5". They also make a 3.5". (You can move your hand up and down, in the method described here, to kind of guesstimate whether either of these heights will be sufficient for your need).

To estimate how much higher or lower you need to make the windshield, use your hand as you ride, and move it up, and down from about the middle of your chest to up over your head. Note as you move it where the air feels 'smooth', and where it buffets. You want to move that buffet (the 'dirty' air) either above the top or your helmet, or right at or below your chin.

As for the 'dirty' air, as you move your hand up from your chest you'll feel 'no air flow' (well, there will be some, but the majority will be blocked by the shield), an area where the air buffets (gets 'dirty'), and above that, smooth air that is unaffected by the windshield. Three zones. It's the middle zone--where the air's dirty--that's likely causing your issue.

If you don't mind the look, get the tallest windshield you can find, and that should solve your buffeting issues. (How tall are you, anyway? Obviously your height will affect where the 'dirty' air hits your head for a given height of windshield).

The problem is, most of us prefer the long/low windshield look, and don't want a 12" windscreen.

I have a Memphis Shades fairing with a 6.5" Klockwerks windshield. I adjust the fairing to its lowest setting, then lowered it another 3/4" inch, and angled it back toward me. The net effect was, I moved the 'dirty' air down around my chin. I can go literally any speed, and the buffet is sometimes felt, but only vaguely.

Your helmet (shape) can also contribute to the bobble-doll syndrome you describe, too. Some helmets are more aerodynamic than others.

Short of putting a really tall windshield on your bike, you're going to have to futz around some to sort this out. There's a certain amount no one can tell you, and you'll just have to figure out through trial-and-error. There are many person/windshield combinations and no one solution of windshield height will work for all.

There are probably other ways to approach this, too, with deflectors (on the forks, added on the the windshield, etc.) But I've found, for violent buffeting such as you describe (that blurs the vision), it's not wind coming up from below. The main culprit is the height of the windshield versus the height of the rider, and more specifically, where that 'dirty' air is hitting your head. You have to move the 'dirty' air so it won't hit your helmet...

Alan