Fix wind buffeting on your motorcycle

I tried multiple windshields on my Vulcan S and still could not get rid of the helmet vibrations from wind buffeting. The Heritage Softail is even worse, but in this video I figure out how to fix it using fork mounted wind deflectors.

[@shep68]

Fork fangs are amazing. Had them on every non fairing bike I’ve owned. Don’t care how they look…I ran them year round.

[@Samuel10463]

You're correct, buffeting cannot be fixed by the windshield size or its position. Turbulence comes from down below the gas tank. Tilted windshield pushes air upward and at the same time scooping air into cockpit from down below. And because there is some "vacuum" behind the screen, air stream happily jumps into cockpit from below, being "invited" there by the negative pressure... It hits your torso then rises up to the chin bar of a helmet causing buffeting... The only way to stop buffeting is to install lower wind deflectors angled the way so they push air downward. That will block the turbulent stream entering cockpit from below and you'll ride inside of a capsule of still air. Fork deflectors is a half measure only, as they're being tilted in same direction as windshield, but they're better than nothing.

[@jlloyd2004mcs]

The best windshield/wind deflector I’ve ever experienced was my ‘83 K100rs. It had a tiny adjustable lip on the very top-edge that could be dialed in to make the flow go right over your head. Man, that was a great machine.

[@chrisjensen101]

I bought them about 4 years ago for a Road King. I love them. Before I started using them the wind would create suction behind the windshield and make my ears hurt. I installed them and no more sore ears. Now I try to wear earplugs mostly. I guess I could take the fangs off but I do think they look cool.

[@boscodog4358]

I had them on my 17 Heritage. Works great in cool weather. Summer time you will experience a hotter moter approximately 20 degrees. I took mine off.

[@tbthomp2]

This issue with the fangs is not their looks. It's that they significantly increase felt heat. The right leg and crotch can get toasty with them installed. On hot days, you'll be begging for that extra bit of air coming up around the tank to cool you off. Do they also impact engine temps? Hard to say, but they might.

[@gunner9010]

I think they look pretty cool. I've been ceramic coating the front parts of my bike followed with some Bug Slide. It seems to help with the bugs.

[@jtdundee]

BINGO! Helmet shaking was terrible on my Shadow 1100 years back and being cheap, I made deflectors using clear Lexan, aluminum angle iron and hose clamps. The difference was night and day. The factory made chrome deflectors are only about $50 more - but are much less time consuming.

[@RadioManVeteran]

To fix my issue, I installed a honda gold wing windshield vent. I had to cut a hole in my windshield, but by eliminating the negative pressure behind it, I was able to get rid of 90% of the buffeting up to 80 mph.

[@johnd9031]

The 16” F4 Custom windshield worked for me. No buffeting. Glad you solved your buffeting problems with fork deflectors. They look ok to me.

[@slowridertv]

Fascinating how people have different tolerances and degrees of buffeting. I would like to try a recurve windshield, but it's too much money for a gamble.

[@kevinwrightHD]

Thanks for the video, I have a street glide and was experiencing buffering, installed lowers for winter riding and buffering is now gone

[@warlok9]

I took my first long trip on my 2022 GSX s1000 Gt +. 15 hours of riding in 2 days this past weekend. This was my first bike of the 5 I've owned with an actual windscreen. I always wear quality foam ear plugs for wind noise regardless so I thought I was safe. As the trip went on I could certainly hear and feel strong buffeting at 60mph and above right up inside the bottom of my helmet. I noticed if I shrugged my shoulders up the noise went away, but I couldn't ride like that long. I didn't think I was doing any damage to my ears at all because I had earplugs in. Boy was I wrong. Upon further research it seems you're better off not wearing earplugs if you're dealing with buffeting and turbulent air. The earplugs create a compressed pocket of air against your eardrum that is super sensitive to any turbulent vibrations in your head and neck. By time I got home my ears were ringing so bad I couldn't sleep. 3 days later I'm still ringing. It's worse in the mornings but gets better throughout the day. Hoping it subsides some over time. Anyways, lesson learned. I am seriously considering giving up riding or at least selling off this bike and go back to a naked bike or cruiser. I'd rather not spend time doing R&D trying to figure out how to stop the turbulence, switching screens, trying out gimmicky products and some downright goofy looking accessories. I treasure my hearing and I fear I've done some permanent damage unknowingly as I was wearing plugs.

[@slowridertv]

Oh wow. Sorry to hear that! I imagine a different windshield would help, but it’s such a waste of money if you try a new windshield and it doesn’t work. I have the same bike as you and I installed a little cheapo clip on shield at the top. It helped a bit. You might consider that before giving up. You can adjust the clip on shield to get an angle that works best for you.

[@thomasfrawley5798]

I put fork deflectors on my2017 Heritage ,they work great,I keep them on all year round.

[@dickfulthorp2363]

I have the deflectors on my Honda Shadow and they work well up to about 70mph, then the wind over the windshield hits the helmet and you get buffeting again. 75 is about all I can take with glasses on because you get helmet vibration, sun glasses vibration and eyeglasses vibration all going at once.

[@armadilllo]

Fork deflectors work great on my road king, the only thing that stopped buffeting completely, BUT, they also block the wind from cooling your legs and there's some weird winds that when you're on the freeway in traffic kinda wobbles the steering, doesn't hurt anything, just kinda sketchy. In the summer where I live there's a lot of 100 degree days so I take them off, they're great in the winter for blocking the cold though..

[@chrisjensen101]

I notice the “wobbling” when I’m coming up to a semi. Can feel the steering go left and right as the wind comes across the deflectors.

[@peterhart5882]

i have a 2016 bmw rt1200. no helmet buffeting at all. low wind noise compared to other bikes. best bike i have ever had.

[@ekimandersom4478]

That means nothing without knowing what other bikes you had!

[@larrynorsworthy8582]

Bmw actually studied this.

[@ironcast]

I agree with your assessment and have experimented in different ways with differing amounts of success

[@royrich7336]

With a windshield the air comes up blows my beard up into my face

[@QuinnEdwards1]

Trying to look cool, corresponds directly with comfort. Example: gorilla bars, naked bikes, no suspension, no windshield, crotch rockets, etc. Some of those bikes are torture after an hour. It just depends on the values held.

[@petethepunisher3015]

Yes I had buffeting on a FreeWheeler. 16" Harley screen. Gave me migraine. So I put a harley wind splitter. On solved it. It has a adjustable vent on it .

[@audreycrowe1780]

I wear a half helmet when I ride and I took off the small visor on the front and that helped to solve my issue.

[@alanhayward6719]

Fork deflectors? I've never heard of them but I'm certainly going to try them now.

[@thelatenightbar]

Gotta love the Heritage Classic, I've thought about purchasing the fork mounted wind deflectors myself. I don't really find the buffeting to be something that is bothering me all that much though. On my 2016 Heritage.

[@peacewithyou503]

Thanx for the vid. I installed a pair and it does make a difference.

[@anthonyresto8596]

nice bike i think they compliment the bikes front end but i have an electra glide so maybe the fairing & all help them to blend in better just my impergect opinion.

[@vishnumohannair8791]

How do you prevent wind buffeting in the lower half of your body. Essentially the parachute effect when you sit with your leg forward. How to prevent that feeling that you are about to take off.

[@123edwardzpad]

I've seen some seriously fugly wind deflectors on a old Goldwing Lol Those don't look bad.

[@gordonflash8976]

They look just fine. Leave them on if they work.

[@ericslotsve3982]

Has anyone tried soft lowers on a heritage? I’m just wondering if they help reduce buffeting.

[@thomasborger6548]

I use soft lowers on our Heritage and Road King during cooler or wet weather with no noticeable difference. The big change came using fangs and a Freedom windshield

[@winonabarter2540]

So glad it worked good job.

[@bertbirge3617]

I think they look good on there!

[@encinoman903]

I've actually been considering lasik surgery because of this. Wearing open-faced helmets over 60kmh with glasses on could give an epileptic a seizure.

[@mikepurdy3952]

They don't look as bad as You think... I actually think They Look Good 👍

[@GuaranteedEtern]

They don't look too bad - but I hear you it's one more thing on your bike. I installed some plexiglas lowers and I found it helped the buffeting a lot - but I think I need to get a more aerodynamic helmet to reduce it any further. Interesting about the glasses - do you think this is because the the arms allow more wind to get up under the helmet? I wear glasses and I can't ride without them... I may need to wear contacts if it's that big of an impact.

[@slowridertv]

In my case, the helmet touches the side arms of the glasses. Since the helmet is bouncing around in the turbulence, the glasses move with it. If that's the same for you, contacts will eliminate that. Bonus, you don't have to deal with glasses fogging up. I have used four different helmets and they all vary in how the buffeting affects them. I would love to try a really high end Shoei or something known for its aerodynamics.

[@ducati135]

I think they look fine.

[@douglasradowick508]

Hey Slow, did you use the word "fugly" at the 4:30 minute mark? I'm not sure, that's what I thought I heard and just wanted to be sure. Doug🏍️👍🧸

[@TheSgbarter]

Lol yes, that seemed the most appropriate word at the time.

[@jerrylong381]

@Stratoliner5 There's a bar near me named Fugly's. It used to be a church. I wouldn't call it a biker bar, although the owners are bikers and they get a fair amount of bikes. More of a small town tavern with Great food. Fugly's, East Lynn Missouri.

[@SouthOzShadowRider]

New Subscriber Australia. Helpfull video, well done👍

[@mikebenefield6690]

If you are over 6’ tall the only way to stop buffeting is to install a piece of 4’x6’ lexan.

[@slowridertv]

🙃I'm about 3 inches away from having that problem

[@kenkaras4698]

I believe you mentioned you have a Kawasaki Vulcan S, is that correct and if so what have you done to that bike to resolve this issue please? Thanks

[@slowridertv]

I never solved it for the Vulcan S. I even tried an adjustable Madstad shield that made almost no difference.

[@larrylangley9128]

Something to know these can be simply made with sheet aluminium for a 10th of the price, I built mine with scrap laying around my shop, and Im in camp they look OK to me.

[@MaxStax88]

Pro tip on how to fix buffeting!!!! And its a free tip also, not charging anyone for this tip. Ok, are you ready? This will change your life!!! Here it is, TAKE OFF THE WINDSHIELD!!!!!! You get clean wind hitting you straight on there is no buffeting at all.

[@slowridertv]

Well that is true 😁

[@tombrewer1540]

I installed those on a Heritage and truthfully did not feel any improvement. Just my experience.

[@taraschepurny2709]

Would have been more helpful if you included the install process

[@mikec3158]

They look great.

[@brettgodfrey9536]

I think they look just fine on your motorcycle. When you shot the video you just weren't used to the look. They look like they're part of the bike. No worries.

[@slowridertv]

Thanks Brett. You’re right. I did get more used to them.

[@predragbilbija9993]

Do these help for kawasaki vulcan s?

[@slowridertv]

I have not found any that fit the Vulcan s

[@predragbilbija9993]

@@slowridertv is buffeting so horrible with windshield it’s better not to have one at all? Because I just bought me a Vulcan and wanted to put the windshield on

[@slowridertv]

@@predragbilbija9993 I tried two different windshields, the Kawasaki medium, and a Madstad. The buffeting was really bad for me so I never used the windshield.

[@Myseachaser175]

Ugly? I think not. Pretty cool looking.

[@myronman3]

reduce buffeting & cook your engine all in one fell swoop!

[@stevesmith1493]

Flare windshield

[@slowridertv]

I have been interested in trying one of those.

[@19merkez79]

No windshield, No buffeting!

[@frederickking1660]

Harleys need all the air they can get over the engine.

[@nwatson4022]

Easy to cure: just abandon HD and buy a BMW 🤣

[@monokheros5373]

Windshield dont wear a helmet wear a helmet REMOVE The windshield best easiest answer its YOUR FACE and i do not have to look at it the rest of YOUR LIFE

[@lowrider96]

HD ruined the look of their deflectors. They look like spoons now. Wyatt Gatling makes the original angled deflectors still sold by either J&P or D Kirk. Glad youre happy w the air part of yiur results.

[@donhenderson5100]

We have a 2005 Kawasaki Nomad that we bought new. It came with fork deflectors from the factory. Seem to work good.