Lower Fairings Quandry - which one
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 9,980
Likes: 5,218
From: Michigan
I have a litte of each.
I have a '98 Heritage Springer with no wind deflectors and no lowers.
Boy is that ever a "cool" ride!
I have an '03 RK with wind deflectors but no lowers.
A little more protection than the previous bike.
My wife has an 08 Heritage with the wind deflectors AND a pair of the H-D "soft lowers" that strap onto the engine guard.
THis is better than both previous bikes and the "soft lowers" can be folded and placed in the bottom of the saddlbags until needed in cooler or even wet riding conditions.
I have an Ultra with the batwing fairing with the Kuryakyn adjustable wind deflectors and the lower fairings with added Hogue manual vents.
I also have the center fork wind deflector.
THis is by far the best of our four bikes for riding in cooler or wet weather conditions.
For a SG, I'd go with the wind deflector and a pair of soft, removable lowers.
Lowers are made by a variety of suppliers and I've read that tests show they actually provide more cooling for the engine that was previsously thought and can be used in warmer weather as rain protection for our feet.
We bough tthe one's for my wife's Heritage because we got caught in a cool, wet weather front and her feet were cold and wet.
I think they're one of her favorite accessories!
I have a '98 Heritage Springer with no wind deflectors and no lowers.
Boy is that ever a "cool" ride!
I have an '03 RK with wind deflectors but no lowers.
A little more protection than the previous bike.
My wife has an 08 Heritage with the wind deflectors AND a pair of the H-D "soft lowers" that strap onto the engine guard.
THis is better than both previous bikes and the "soft lowers" can be folded and placed in the bottom of the saddlbags until needed in cooler or even wet riding conditions.
I have an Ultra with the batwing fairing with the Kuryakyn adjustable wind deflectors and the lower fairings with added Hogue manual vents.
I also have the center fork wind deflector.
THis is by far the best of our four bikes for riding in cooler or wet weather conditions.
For a SG, I'd go with the wind deflector and a pair of soft, removable lowers.
Lowers are made by a variety of suppliers and I've read that tests show they actually provide more cooling for the engine that was previsously thought and can be used in warmer weather as rain protection for our feet.
We bough tthe one's for my wife's Heritage because we got caught in a cool, wet weather front and her feet were cold and wet.
I think they're one of her favorite accessories!
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 20,616
Likes: 4,440
From: anacoco, la
the ff lowers are supposed to be virtually identical to the hd. if you can paint, or know someone who can, then you can save a few bucks going that route. however, if you're like me and can't paint and don't have a vivid black bike, then you will have to add the cost of painting into the mix and the color matched hd lowers can actually come out cheaper, esp. if you have one of those expensive specialty colors.
this is assuming that you are ordering from one of the discount retailers. i got my denim black lowers for $480. for some reason, they were cheaper than the vivid black ones......
the ff lowers are reported to have a lower quality glove box as well.
this is assuming that you are ordering from one of the discount retailers. i got my denim black lowers for $480. for some reason, they were cheaper than the vivid black ones......
the ff lowers are reported to have a lower quality glove box as well.
Tourer
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 317
Likes: 11
From: Arizona
Keep in mind that your big fat feet (mine are 12's) will probably snag the vent when open. This is something that I'm cautious about on my new Ultra. The vents kept it cool enough, though, for most of the ride to Colorado, through the San Juan's and back again.
Former Sponsor
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 416
Likes: 3
Poor man's lower fairing! :-)
Easy on/off wind deflector/rain guard: http://www.leadermotorcycle.com/dese...s-rain-guards/
Easy on/off wind deflector/rain guard: http://www.leadermotorcycle.com/dese...s-rain-guards/
Road Captain
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 721
Likes: 1
From: Buckeye, AZ
I have a 2006 Street Glide also. I had HoggChopps on my bike for about 5 years and was very happy with them. They were well made and functioned as advertised. I recently sold them because I picked up a pair of factory lowers on Ebay for a steal. They were even Black Pearl so I didn't have to paint them. I wanted to add speakers to the lowers and as posted earlier this is not an option with Hogg Chopps. As far as functional differences I can't say that the HC were any better or worse than the factory lowers. Both sufficiently divert the air away from your legs. The biggest difference is the lower aspect of the HC is much more narrow than the factory lowers. As such they do not offer as much protection from rain/water than the factory lowers do. I live in Arizona so rain isn't really a concern for me. IN my opinion the decision of which lowers to chose is a matter of aesthetics. If you like the look of the HC and you have no need/ desire for glove boxes or speakers then Hogg Chopps is a good choice. If you think you may want the glove boxes or speakers then go with the factory style lowers either Harley or fairing factory. Hope this helps a little.
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