I had the same problem too , the Windspliter windshield solved it .
Windshield Turbulance
I just bought my first Harley (2012 RK Classic) and have a question for you Veteran riders. I've noticed some pretty bad wind turbulence at 65+ MPH, my bike has the stock HD 20" Windshield and I'm wondering if anyone else has had the same issue and what you did to fix the problem? the wind pretty much goes over and around me but the handling above 65 gets a little squirrely especially in cross winds. I'm looking at Memphis Shades and Long Ride Shields, I was told they really cut down on Turbulence and add much needed down pressure to the front wheel. thanks very much for the help, if this is posted in the wrong section I apologize.
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Thanks Nash, I appreciate the help. Do you like the Windsplitter and have you tried any of the other's? the reason I ask is a Mechanic at the HD Dealer told me to stay away from them, he says the Memphis Shades, Long Ride Shields and Klockwerks are much better. I have nothing to go by but his experience.
I put the front air deflector under the forks and it knocked it down quite a bit for me.
Thanks dc, I was just looking at deflectors, what kind did you get?
I have the same bike (year & model) that you do. I experienced the same buffeting when the speed increased to 60 mph or higher. The buffeting would really cause my helmet to flutter and blur my vision. I have addressed the turbulence in a couple of ways:
(1.) I purchased a new helmet without a visor and it has a much more snug fit to my head. My old helmet had a visor, was over 5 years old and probably one size too large for me; plus I had dropped it a time or two so it was time to retire it.
(2.) I recently installed a 20" Long Ride Shield and have been pleased with the results. The new shield helps with the buffeting that comes over the top of the shield. However, the air that comes up from underneath (around the gas tank) is still there and would probably only be eliminated by installing the fork baffles. Even with that said, the air behind the new shield is much calmer now than with the stock windshield.
Installing the new LR Shield is super simple; just unscrew the old shield from the hardware, then screw the new shield in place. The LR Shield (in poly-carbonate) is $140 before shipping. I would recommend the Long Ride Shield as a good starting point for addressing your turbulence issues.
One additional thing for your consideration. Since the top of the LR Shield is curved upward, this may encroach on your field of vision. My LRS is 20" to match my stock shield. I could see easily over the stock shield, but have found that the LR Shield seems taller due to the upward curve. It is not something that I have regrets over, but if you are barely seeing over the stock shield, then you may want to drop back a size on the LRS so you won't have the recurved section at your eyeline.
(1.) I purchased a new helmet without a visor and it has a much more snug fit to my head. My old helmet had a visor, was over 5 years old and probably one size too large for me; plus I had dropped it a time or two so it was time to retire it.
(2.) I recently installed a 20" Long Ride Shield and have been pleased with the results. The new shield helps with the buffeting that comes over the top of the shield. However, the air that comes up from underneath (around the gas tank) is still there and would probably only be eliminated by installing the fork baffles. Even with that said, the air behind the new shield is much calmer now than with the stock windshield.
Installing the new LR Shield is super simple; just unscrew the old shield from the hardware, then screw the new shield in place. The LR Shield (in poly-carbonate) is $140 before shipping. I would recommend the Long Ride Shield as a good starting point for addressing your turbulence issues.
One additional thing for your consideration. Since the top of the LR Shield is curved upward, this may encroach on your field of vision. My LRS is 20" to match my stock shield. I could see easily over the stock shield, but have found that the LR Shield seems taller due to the upward curve. It is not something that I have regrets over, but if you are barely seeing over the stock shield, then you may want to drop back a size on the LRS so you won't have the recurved section at your eyeline.
Prez, thanks for the help, I was looking at the Long Ride Shields also. My brother pulled the stock shield off of his new Street Glide and swears by the LRS, I do have another question for ya, I'm not seeing anything on their website that says anything about down pressure on the front wheel, does it matter? Also I have a 20" stock shield now, I was looking at the 18" from LRS, I'm about 6' and was hoping the 18" would work. I just went down and bought a new full face helmet, I screwed up and bought a modular first....what a mistake.
Yes, if changing the windshield isn't enough anding these to the forks will also help.I put the front air deflector under the forks and it knocked it down quite a bit for me.
I bought the chrome one from Harley, $25.00 and two bolts even comes with the allen wrench to put it on.Thanks dc, I was just looking at deflectors, what kind did you get?
Worked great on my Street Glide.
Harley Davidson Motorcycle Windshields
Harley Davidson Motorcycle Windshields
Everyone, thanks very much for all of the help, I have the windshield narrowed down to the LRS and Windsplitter, I will also be getting a set of fork deflectors. after that I guess I'll just have to pull on my big boy britches and suck it up. I'm sure that a lot of the issue here is my inexperience, I figured after riding and racing Dirt bikes for 30 years a street bike would be a walk in the park....man was I wrong! went for a 50 mile ride today and stopped for some water, a bunch of vet Harley riders came over and started talking like we knew each other for years, there is more of a bond among Harley riders than I ever saw at the track....great group of people helping each other out, thanks for having me!
Thank You Z, I'll check them out also, never heard of Freedom Shields but they look nice. BTW- That's a sweet bike!
Not looking forward to dealing with the buffeting with my new Softail and windshield. Took me a year or so to eliminate most of it with my Honda Shadow. Anything that can reduce air getting up into the helmet should help. The chin guard on my helmet helps. I found that a windshield that was nose height helped more that a higher one. A high windshield seems to create a vacuum behind your head and accentuates the air flow in that direction, at least that has been my observations.
I do not notice any additional down pressure with the LRS vs. the stock. The steering seems to be the same either way. The biggest thing that I notice is the calmer air behind the LR Shield.Prez, thanks for the help, I was looking at the Long Ride Shields also. My brother pulled the stock shield off of his new Street Glide and swears by the LRS, I do have another question for ya, I'm not seeing anything on their website that says anything about down pressure on the front wheel, does it matter? Also I have a 20" stock shield now, I was looking at the 18" from LRS, I'm about 6' and was hoping the 18" would work. I just went down and bought a new full face helmet, I screwed up and bought a modular first....what a mistake.
I am 6'-1" and sit on a police solo seat, which puts me a little higher than the stock seat. Therefore, I was really easy to see over the 20" stock windshield. I ordered the 20" LRS thinking that there would be no issues. Since the LRS is curved up (vertical) along the top edge of the windshield, this creates the sensation that the LRS is taller than stock. It really is not, but due to the molded shape, the top edge of the shield is more pronounced in my field of view. I think if you went with an 18" you would be in good shape.
Thanks for the info Prez, my new LRS is on order. Stopped by the HD Shop today to check out the Wind Splitter, when they told me it runs $439 my mind was made up, got the LRS for $114. thank again everyone.
I went back and read your original post again and realized that you mentioned the unstable feeling on your RKC when moving at highway speeds. This is not something that I have noticed with my bike. Most of the turbulence for me is the wind moving around (over/under) the windshield. Taking the steps that I mentioned in an earlier post addressed most of the turbulence in my case. I have had no mechanical issues with steering or wobbling at higher speeds. If you find that you are still experiencing these symptoms after changing your windshield and installing fork baffles, you may need to consider getting a technician to look over your bike. Things like steering head bearings, loose fasteners, tire wear, tire pressure, spoke adjustment, rim out-of-true, wheel hub bearings could all have some effect on motorcycle handling.
At that price you likely ordered the acrylic shield. They offer two types: acrylic and poly-carbonate. There are debates/arguments for each camp but I decided to go with the poly-carbonate as it is similar construction as the OEM.Thanks for the info Prez, my new LRS is on order. Stopped by the HD Shop today to check out the Wind Splitter, when they told me it runs $439 my mind was made up, got the LRS for $114. thank again everyone.
I'm not sure if it's a mechanical issue or simply the wind. Here's the story, I bought the bike from Dream Machines in Dallas Texas, not sure why but the bikes in Texas are 3-4k less than AZ or anywhere else that I checked. My brother flew up, got the bike and rode it back for me(I was out of town on business and he just retired from the USMC and think he wanted away from his wife for a couple of days). he noticed a small slit in the front tire so I told him to stop by the next HD shop and get it replaced. Barnett's HD in El Paso was the next stop, $326 later he hit the road, called me that night and said the front end is not tracking right and feels like it's vibrating. he got the bike to my house, got on his Street Glide and headed out. I took the bike to HD and they said it's fine, that's when I was told it is probably the wind on Windshield causing turbulence and causing vibration. I've seen where other folks have changed the front tire and had the exact same problem....bike rides smooth, change the front tire and the front end wobbles but no one has said what they did to fix it. I did have HD rebalance the tire, check the spokes, check fork alignment, check to wheel....they said everything is fine. Not sure what to do next.
Maybe try riding without any windshield. If you still have the vibration, it ain't the windshield.
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