windhield riding

[nikster]

Hey All,

I recently bought a Memphis fats 17" gradient windshield for my VTX1300S. Love the color, love the looks, went on real easy (at least for a total tool-doofus like me). Took it out on the road today, and straight away, i noticed the difference...less air hitting your body. But at speeds greater than 40mph, I got this severe head buffeting, and my wife said she felt it too riding 2 up. I'm 5'6", and can just about see over the top of the windshield. Did i just get the wrong size, or do i need to live with the buffeting? any suggestions?

Nikhil

[ShortShifter]

Buffeting is an issue. I have a Wing and there is no buffeting on the head or the steering. And yes you will experience buffeting in the steering too. That will only go away with a frame mounted fairing. I had both types of buffeting with the "Bat Wing" style of fairings too. Your BackSeater will be the one really catching the wind-my BackSeater does especially when I accell to 80. :roll:

Enjoy the ride. It's a lot better than with out the windshield.

Cheers,
Rowland

[eagle1953]

Zero buffeting here with a national cycle shield and lowers, NO fairing. But that's only up to 120mph. Haven't had it over that.

[NDAna]

Get a set of lowers too. Greatly improves the air flow.

[budley3]

When I first got my windshield I had alot of buff. but with some adjustment most went away.Also like Sam says lowers help a great deal.I look over the top by about one inch.

[Todd WA]

Wax your helmet........that should stop it. :shock: :lol: :lol:

[pizzacowboy]

Ditto on the Lowers they should help, Ive been using Memphis shades for about 5 years now, I noticed the best position to prevent buffeting is when your sitting the top of the windshield should sit just below your nose. You should be able to ajust the shields angle and heigth slightly from the brackets.
Lee

[Bparrot]

Lowers. I just finally got some for my 1800 and what a HUGE difference!

Bev

[Dickf123]

+1 +1 +1 Lowers fix you right up, I think they are 125$$ or so from HDL. Prove it to youself by holding your left forearm parallel to the ground over the gas tank while doing road speed. Move your arm around & you should see the difference...That's my experience...

[nikster]

Maybe I'm being a real dunce here, but how would lowers help with wind buffeting? Or am I using the term wrong? What I meant is that my helmet starts to get knocked about while riding at high speeds. I'm just trying to understand how installing lowers under the windshield would help reduce the wind swirls at the top of the windshield?

[Dickf123]

Don't know the physics of it & wind tunnel stats, just know it worked for me. Someone suggested the parallel arm thing & that convinced me to buy the lowers & they work, they really do.

[NDAna]

Maybe I'm being a real dunce here, but how would lowers help with wind buffeting? Or am I using the term wrong? What I meant is that my helmet starts to get knocked about while riding at high speeds. I'm just trying to understand how installing lowers under the windshield would help reduce the wind swirls at the top of the windshield?

Nope- not a dunce, just a noob :lol:
As you can see that was said with a smile. LOTS of informed folks here and sometimes ya just gotta trust us! Most of the air knocking your head around comes up from below. Move your hands around and feel for it. Tilting and adjusting the WS may have some effect but greatest relief will come from lowers. Bike night at the Oxford in Snohomish this evening starting at 6. Come out and say hi if you get a chance.

[tubbythetuba]

Stock Honda Windshield...a little too tall, but I don't get knocked around with it. No lowers, but it's mostly a cold air thing and not a buffeting thing....

[bigd_74]

Nik - I have a Nat'l Cycle 2-Up shield & at freeway speeds I get a good amount of buffeting - it's exactly how you describe it: that your helmet gets bumped around. When I wear my full-face helmet & hit 70, it feels like one of my kids is on my shoulders & "drumming" on my helmet with their hands. :mrgreen:

I notice the buffeting a lot less wearing a half-helmet. If you want to know if lowers will work for you, next time you're on the freeway, take your left hand & place it on the tank left of the speedo housing & create a wall with your hand. You should feel an immediate change in the wind that is whipping up over the tank. The way I understand it, wind hitting an MC wind-shield will take a path over the wind-shield & also below the wind-shield. The wind below the wind-shield will come up over the tank & cause buffeting. Lowers will re-direct the wind that is moving below the windshield & deflect it either lower or off to the side. In a sense it seals up the gap between the tank & the bottom of the wind-shield, just like your hand on the tank will. :wink:

I don't have lowers yet & may not ever have them. I have gotten used to the buffeting & don't mind it that much. Course there are some hardcore guys like Pseudohippy, BobOnABoat, Redhook & others who don't ride with shields at all. Now that is a workout! 8)

Dave~

[nikster]

Thanks guys. I probably will remove the windshield for the 3 pass blast, I can take the fatgue to my body, but having your head knocked about for 6 hours will be a pain! :) also, I am going to check out the lowers. Although, I want to try them before I make a purchase. Anyone have Memphis lowers I can try?

[nikster]

Damn...just chgecked the prices at cruisercustomizing.com ... the lowers are $25, and the mpounting brackets are an additional $57.... Jeesz, now i really wanna try before i buy :)