Toggle sidebar

New SGS owner, need help please.

T

tattoomaniak

New member
Sep 12, 2016
9
0
0
Hey guys, I'm new to the forum and I'm needing suggestions on how to make my 2016 street glide special rideable above 50 MPH. The buffitting, and turbulence is so bad there is no way I can ride this bike. I've owned lots of bikes, I traded in my road king and my sporty to get this street glide, and I've never experienced this terrible paint shaker effect on any other bike I've ever ridden. It really sucks! And, I really don't want to have to buy a bunch of stuff that bolts on the bike and makes it look ridiculous, but somehow makes it rideable. A twenty five thousand dollar bike should not need a bunch of accessories slapped all over it to make it ride somewhat smooth.
Anyway, sorry about the rant, please let me know how you guys get around this problem, I tried to take the bike back and trade it in on a road king, but they told my brand new bike was not worth anything, and they wouldn't even consider taking it on trade. So now that I'm stuck with this bike, I've got to do something.
Thanks guys.
 
Hello Tattoo, welcome and congratulations on your new SGS. It's a great bike. Unfortunately the stock windshield is too small for most riders. I upgraded to a HD 7 inch Wind Splitter and that did the trick for me. I'm 5'9 with a 31 inch inseam. There are other sizes and brands out there. If you do a search you'll see many threads about it.
 
Last edited:
Hey Ruknrole, thanks for the reply.
I've tried the 7" and the 10" HD wind splitter shields. They didn't do anything for me. I'm hoping that other after market shields function better. I really do not want anything taller than 10", I think it kinda ruins the sporty look of the street glide and makes it look like an ultra classic instead. Lol
I'm considering a 9" freedom shield, and (much to my displeasure) those bolt on side fairing air deflectors.
I'm 6'3", and I've installed a low profile solo seat, so it sits a little lower and further back than the stock seat.
If anyone can let me know about the freedom shields and the side fairing air deflectors that would be awesome.
 
I have a 7" Freedom Shield and it is great! They are a very high quality shield and you can return them if you need a different size. (Just don't remove the film.) I also have the fairing wind deflectors and like them also. They really don't help much with head buffeting, more for air coming up under the fairing. They do work great when you turn them out to get more air when it is hot.
 
15 SGS 6-1 34" inseam.. Freedom shield 7" absolutely no buffeting period.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
tattoomaniak said:
Hey guys, I'm new to the forum and I'm needing suggestions on how to make my 2016 street glide special rideable above 50 MPH. The buffitting, and turbulence is so bad there is no way I can ride this bike. I've owned lots of bikes, I traded in my road king and my sporty to get this street glide, and I've never experienced this terrible paint shaker effect on any other bike I've ever ridden. It really sucks! And, I really don't want to have to buy a bunch of stuff that bolts on the bike and makes it look ridiculous, but somehow makes it rideable. A twenty five thousand dollar bike should not need a bunch of accessories slapped all over it to make it ride somewhat smooth.
Anyway, sorry about the rant, please let me know how you guys get around this problem, I tried to take the bike back and trade it in on a road king, but they told my brand new bike was not worth anything, and they wouldn't even consider taking it on trade. So now that I'm stuck with this bike, I've got to do something.
Thanks guys.
Click to expand...

Tattoo, Are you able to determine if the buffeting and turbulence you are experiencing being transmitted through the bike itself or is it your body's exposure to the wind causing this experience? I am a first time SGS owner, when I got the bike I also got a new HD 1/2 helmet that had a small visor attached. That thing had my head all over the place at highway speed, and it not only created a lot of buffeting and noise but at certain angles it wanted to force my head up or down or left or right. The first upgrade I did was get the appropriate sized wind screen for my height and eye level. That didn't help, but a few hundred miles later I lost two of the three screws securing the visor on my helmet, so I removed it. For the most part that solved my problem of noise and turbulence, I have since replaced my helmet and no issues. If you can determine that the bike is experiencing the buffeting and not riding some what streamline I would take to the shop, you may have other issues.
 
danoday said:
Tattoo, Are you able to determine if the buffeting and turbulence you are experiencing being transmitted through the bike itself or is it your body's exposure to the wind causing this experience? I am a first time SGS owner, when I got the bike I also got a new HD 1/2 helmet that had a small visor attached. That thing had my head all over the place at highway speed, and it not only created a lot of buffeting and noise but at certain angles it wanted to force my head up or down or left or right. The first upgrade I did was get the appropriate sized wind screen for my height and eye level. That didn't help, but a few hundred miles later I lost two of the three screws securing the visor on my helmet, so I removed it. For the most part that solved my problem of noise and turbulence, I have since replaced my helmet and no issues. If you can determine that the bike is experiencing the buffeting and not riding some what streamline I would take to the shop, you may have other issues.
Click to expand...

Yes I also switched over to a 1/2 helmet w/o any visor ..... it made a lot of difference .....

I took my 1st real ride up to Cape Cod and back a couple of weeks ago and it was a great ride ..... No issues other than not hearing the BoomBox all that well at 60+ mph .... Oh well, I guess I'll need an amp and additional speakers ......
 
w1smc said:
Yes I also switched over to a 1/2 helmet w/o any visor ..... it made a lot of difference .....

I took my 1st real ride up to Cape Cod and back a couple of weeks ago and it was a great ride ..... No issues other than not hearing the BoomBox all that well at 60+ mph .... Oh well, I guess I'll need an amp and additional speakers ......
Click to expand...

BoomBox has been a multi-year disappointment, that comes with a significant price. Its to bad because it really has a lot of great features and potential capability that just needs tweeking.
 
All great ideas have been given... Fork Fangs are a BIG improvement on the wind that get you in the chest from up under the tank area... Windshield height will be another VAST improvement over stock.

The other thing our great members here have not mentioned is positioning on the scoot. Your upper torso could be long.. or longer than some and puts you in that buffeting zone. A seat that moves you back away from the fairing can be beneficial to reduce the buffeting as well as give you a bit more room to stretch your legs out.

A good combination of a seat, windshield and Fork Fangs ( as well as style of helmet was mentioned ) will give you the best results in achieving the maximum reduction of buffeting.

( on a humorous note... you can always convert over to a Road Glide... LOL!!! Don't beat me up too bad.. I have had both..hahaha! There is a big difference )
 
w1smc said:
Yes I also switched over to a 1/2 helmet w/o any visor ..... it made a lot of difference .....

I took my 1st real ride up to Cape Cod and back a couple of weeks ago and it was a great ride ..... No issues other than not hearing the BoomBox all that well at 60+ mph .... Oh well, I guess I'll need an amp and additional speakers ......
Click to expand...

Do your research on audio and don't 'fall' into the Boom! upgrade. You have WAY better options for upgrades. Just saying this here since you mentioned it... not the thread for it... but DO YOUR RESEARCH and spend once and wisely.
 
Spazz said:
Do your research on audio and don't 'fall' into the Boom! upgrade. You have WAY better options for upgrades. Just saying this here since you mentioned it... not the thread for it... but DO YOUR RESEARCH and spend once and wisely.
Click to expand...

Thanks .....

It's too early at this stage in my plan to worry about a sound system upgrade of any kind .....

My next move is running an FP3 tune on my recently upgraded A/C, headers & mufflers ..... then a new set of bars ........
 
I had the same problem as you it was like someone was sitting behind me slapping my head around. Installed the 10 inch wind splitter before I left the dealership new and I still had lots off buffeting so I added the fork fangs or wind deflectors and that made the ride a whole lot better. Ditched the wind splitter last year for a Clearview wind shield and now life is good. I'm 6-1 with a long torso so I sit pretty high up also. The thing you have to think about is comfort over looks. When your riding nobody will notice how tall your windshield is but sitting they look funny to some. There are lots of windshield makers out there and you maybe able to test ride some depending on dealers and local shops that sell them.

Good luck and keep us posted on what you find works for you.
 
I had some buffeting but the 7 inch windsplitter helped me. I'm 5'11" so you may need a little more windshield. When I place may hand near the top of my head there is no doubt that the wind i feel is coming up from under the fairing. I thought about the fork fangs and fairing wind deflectors but like you I don't like a lot of stuff hanging off my bike. I wear a half helmet with no visor, even in the rain, and I'm pretty happy with just the windshield upgrade. I also like to feel the wind so to each their own.

Also, not sure if this makes much difference, but make sure your fairing vent is open. HD advertises that it helps lower the turbulence when it's open.
 
Thank you guys for all the help!
I just installed the lower fairing air deflector, or I think they call it a dog dish or something. Lol
I noticed much more of a difference with the air deflector than with the wind shield. It is actually rideable from 50 to 60 now! But the buffitting was in full effect at 70 MPH. I'm going to order the freedom shield, hopefully the combination of the two will make the difference. The guy in the parts department said those side air deflectors didn't do anything to help against the buffitting. I might try the cheap non adjustable ones first before I spend a hundred and twenty bucks. I will look into those fork deflectors, I really hate the way they look, but if they really help, I'll get them.
Does anyone have those soft lowers that clip around the crash bars? I was wanting to check those out for winter riding.
 
Look at the fork air defectors for $90... worth every penny

Sent from Note4 via TapaTalk
 
Yea, I looked at a lot of the fork deflectors on the inter web, and I really hope the windshield fixes the problem. The fork deflectors just look hideous to me. Like gluing a giant clown nose on to the front of a nice sports car. Giant wind shields and fairings sticking out everywhere just ruins the whole look and feel of the street glide. Oh well, I'll see how it goes, but I have a feeling I'll be trading for a road king as soon as I am able too. Lol
 
tattoomaniak said:
Yea, I looked at a lot of the fork deflectors on the inter web, and I really hope the windshield fixes the problem. The fork deflectors just look hideous to me. Like gluing a giant clown nose on to the front of a nice sports car. Giant wind shields and fairings sticking out everywhere just ruins the whole look and feel of the street glide. Oh well, I'll see how it goes, but I have a feeling I'll be trading for a road king as soon as I am able too. Lol
Click to expand...

They (Fork fangs) do look hideous but they grow on you quick when you see how much buffeting goes away. A good windshield with some recurve at the top helps too.
 
I have no problem with buffering at all. Love the ride. I wear a half helmet and at 80 mph alittle wind, but hell thats normal. I think. And about the music I hear mine just fine at highway speeds. Just turn up the volume. Be safe and enjoy the ride.
 
Hey Mojo, I ordered a 9" freedom shield today, kinda the same deal, I hate the thought of putting a tall windshield on the bike, but if it makes riding the bike better than I guess I'll at least try it.
I'm really hoping the windshield and the dog dish cures most of the problem and I won't have to worry about the fangs. Lol
 
You must log in or register to reply here.


Latest posts

Forum statistics

Threads
8,043
Messages
69,512
Members
15,232
Latest member
Back on Black

Share this page

Share this page
Top Bottom
Back