Wind Buffeting
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 25,306
Likes: 2,443
From: Eastern NE
For OP...not all riders are "gifted" with the correct body/bike physics and are able to dial-in the right shield for their size. Also, mostly, men like to bitch about something so...why not how crappy they think their bike rides and indicating they don't have a clue on where to begin correcting the issue. 
I too, was wondering why I was not experiencing the dreaded buffeting and only heard about it since frequenting this Forum. I saw the fork baffle on a friends bike and put one on mine as I think it directs more wind to the motor. I installed Kuryakyn wind deflectors on my fairing to be able to open them to direct more wind to me in the heat of the summer. Also a Long Ride Shield X-stream shield during the summer, again to direct more wind to my sides and still not have wind directly in my face. During the winter I use a LRS Ultra recurve to help keep wind off of me and close the fairing wind deflectors.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 28,842
Likes: 16,582
From: Wisconsin, USA
Glad to hear that others don't consider buffeting a problem. I never considered it a problem. On my Vulcan 750 with a short Hellfire windshield, that was buffeting. On my FLHTCUI, just being in the wind.
Definitely not worth butchering the fairing over. Should have made an electric windshield an option, and left the fairing alone.
Definitely not worth butchering the fairing over. Should have made an electric windshield an option, and left the fairing alone.
Road Master
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 907
Likes: 8
From: Greeneville, TN
Yea, I remember buffeting. Way back when I rode a Sportster at high speeds behind big trucks, it would try to rip my head off. I fixed that, I sold the Sportster, quit riding behind big trucks at high speeds. It's all a learning process. No, I don't have that problem. I now ride a 2006 RKC and a 2012 TG. I'm happy, happy, happy.
buffeting and shmuffiting, its all good. There is truth to the 13 having less buffeting than an 02 lets say. Just check out the windshield on my 13 and by the way, I received my first piece of airmail through it just the other day, in the way of a small trash bag floating above the roadway. (what a surprise)!!!!!!!
Road Warrior
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 1,833
Likes: 35
From: Southern Maryland
i dont have a buffetting problem...never did, but i did have a lot of wind coming up from under the the bike from in front of the tank. a fork baffel and some fork lowers fixed that. no more issues. in the summer, its not a problem....come fall it starts getting chilly and 35 degrees and it gets pretty cool. most of the problem comes from under the fairing and up through in front of the tank....guys just dont realize it. no problems no more.
Road Master
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 1,081
Likes: 7
From: Canada
Buffeting in regards to the bat wings is the TURBULANT air being thrown up behind the fairing. Not the smooth flow of air associated with other styles of bikes. If you ride a bat wing at over 50 mph and your head isn't being rattled to the point of vision impairment, you have it dialed in properly. For some people this would mean the proper height windshield, fork baffle, fork side deflectors, fairing wings and so forth. For people that ride non batwing bikes to express their opinion on this matter are just talking out of their ***. I have owned many different types of bikes and the EGC has the worst aerodynamic properties of them all.
cheers
cheers
Banned
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 936
Likes: 21
From: Paying taxes in New York State
I don't get it. I read thread after thread how the 2014s have reduced the wind buffeting issue. I have to ask, what wind buffeting issue there?? I've been riding Harley's for years and through time I've learned to get the right windshield to match your height so that you are just looking over the windshield. I've never had a problem. Am I missing something?
With the bike dialed in for me, my face is in the wind. Isn't that part of the experience? Sure, there may be the occasional high wind day, but again that comes with the experience. HD made a bunch of what I expect will prove to be positives for those of us who truly buy them to ride them. I'm not sure if the fairing re-design wasnt a solution in search of a problem. If you read this forum enough and I suspect you do, I'm not sure why most of the posters bought Harleys. If you listen to them bitch and moan about how the Motor Company produces what they consider to be a problem-riddled product, you have to wonder why they would spend 20+ thousand of their hard earned money on these garbage bikes.
My personal favorite is all the crying about heat. Guess what? Your *** is inches away from an air cooled internal combustion engine...that .... Wait for it.... Generates heat. What did you expect? Sure, I'd like less heat too, but I really I don't think you can make headway without completely water-cooled engine. Even then there will be some heat. When/if that happens the forum will be alive with complaints that HD "ruined" their bikes.
When, I bought my first HD in '08, there were many about "throttle-by-wire nearly killed me." I hadnto post asking if i was some how doing it wrong, because i wasn't having any of the problems. People don't like change (and the reactions to the '14s confirm this). Honestly, some times the biggest problem with these bikes is the nut connecting the seat to the handlebars!
The issue for the Motor Company is how to attract new buyers and keep happy those who like to have real expensive garage ornaments that they ride a few miles each year. But, honestly some the new changes will benefit everyone regardless of their personal definition of riding.
HD Forum Stories
The Best of Harley-Davidson for Lifelong Riders
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Verdad Gallardo
8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever
Pouria Savadkouei
Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In
Verdad Gallardo
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Verdad Gallardo
Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept
Verdad Gallardo
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Verdad Gallardo
10 Motorcycles You Should Never Buy
Joe Kucinski
10 Things Harley-Davidson Needs to Fix in 2026
Verdad Gallardo
You mean the stock windshield can be changed, air deflectors can be used and there's a fork baffle??? No way! With the bike dialed in for me, my face is in the wind. Isn't that part of the experience? Sure, there may be the occasional high wind day, but again that comes with the experience. HD made a bunch of what I expect will prove to be positives for those of us who truly buy them to ride them. I'm not sure if the fairing re-design wasnt a solution in search of a problem.
If you read this forum enough and I suspect you do, I'm not sure why most of the posters bought Harleys. If you listen to them bitch and moan about how the Motor Company produces what they consider to be a problem-riddled product, you have to wonder why they would spend 20+ thousand of their hard earned money on these garbage bikes.
My personal favorite is all the crying about heat. Guess what? Your *** is inches away from an air cooled internal combustion engine...that .... Wait for it.... Generates heat. What did you expect? Sure, I'd like less heat too, but I really I don't think you can make headway without completely water-cooled engine. Even then there will be some heat. When/if that happens the forum will be alive with complaints that HD "ruined" their bikes.
When, I bought my first HD in '08, there were many about "throttle-by-wire nearly killed me." I hadnto post asking if i was some how doing it wrong, because i wasn't having any of the problems. People don't like change (and the reactions to the '14s confirm this). Honestly, some times the biggest problem with these bikes is the nut connecting the seat to the handlebars!
The issue for the Motor Company is how to attract new buyers and keep happy those who like to have real expensive garage ornaments that they ride a few miles each year. But, honestly some the new changes will benefit everyone regardless of their personal definition of riding.
With the bike dialed in for me, my face is in the wind. Isn't that part of the experience? Sure, there may be the occasional high wind day, but again that comes with the experience. HD made a bunch of what I expect will prove to be positives for those of us who truly buy them to ride them. I'm not sure if the fairing re-design wasnt a solution in search of a problem. If you read this forum enough and I suspect you do, I'm not sure why most of the posters bought Harleys. If you listen to them bitch and moan about how the Motor Company produces what they consider to be a problem-riddled product, you have to wonder why they would spend 20+ thousand of their hard earned money on these garbage bikes.
My personal favorite is all the crying about heat. Guess what? Your *** is inches away from an air cooled internal combustion engine...that .... Wait for it.... Generates heat. What did you expect? Sure, I'd like less heat too, but I really I don't think you can make headway without completely water-cooled engine. Even then there will be some heat. When/if that happens the forum will be alive with complaints that HD "ruined" their bikes.
When, I bought my first HD in '08, there were many about "throttle-by-wire nearly killed me." I hadnto post asking if i was some how doing it wrong, because i wasn't having any of the problems. People don't like change (and the reactions to the '14s confirm this). Honestly, some times the biggest problem with these bikes is the nut connecting the seat to the handlebars!
The issue for the Motor Company is how to attract new buyers and keep happy those who like to have real expensive garage ornaments that they ride a few miles each year. But, honestly some the new changes will benefit everyone regardless of their personal definition of riding.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post