Hi

Im after some advice from Forum users about wind buffeting and wind sheer .

My situation is

• I have a 03 Fattie
• Ive been on it for only a year (my background is off road riding for 20 odd years - go the Kato)
• I love the Fattie as much as my dirt bikes but i am having trouble with the wind buffeting at 100 KPH plus
• i mean i see other guys just drift past me without a windscreen and wonder why cannot i do that for Gods sake
• I personally dont like fairings or windscreens at all ( A Fattie is a toothbrush and Credit Card style of ride - less is more i say)
• so how does one get used to / overcome wind sheer ...............perhaps just throttle on and harden up .............easier said than done perhaps
• one thing that i am seriously afraid of is "wind shear" . I was told that the 03 style solid wheels were replaced by the new style (with the 20mm holes cast into them) as the solid wheels acted like a sail and pushed you off line if say a truck coming the other way gave off a lot of wind shear ............am i being led up the garden path here

I would really apprecaite any insight into the above windsheer and wind buffeting issues as i am sure that theer are many riders out there that have vast experience in these areas

thanks so much in advance to one and all if you can give me some guidance in this area

 

Interesting Kato. I have an 07 fatboy and get the same thing. Cop a flogging from the wind but dont think there is a fix save putting a windshield on. Mine has the holes in the wheels and I cant say I have experienced any wind sheer. Having said that I have only had mine about 18 months and havent done any huge rides as yet. I do ride along the surf coast in Vic a lot (windy at times) and doesnt seem to be an issue, except of course the buffeting bit. I too am not keen on a windshield, so will be interesting seeing the responses you get to your question.

Get a screen or suck it up, I have a screen on my Fatty, originally for long rides only but I haven't taken it back off I like it that much.

I have a screen on my 09 Fatty. I love it, wish I had had it a long time ago. Since putting it on I havent taken it off accept for cleaning. I do have 20mm holes in my wheels and some times in really strong winds its a pain in the arse, but thats some thing you have to put up with. One thing I have found with the screen is that you can actually ride harder because there is less wind pressure against you. It also depends on your helmet, how tall you are, and what seat you have.

The part number my screen is Harley part # 57400159

Having ridden jap bikes most of my life I sometimes find myself ducking my head down behind an imaginary screen and then realise I don't have a fukin screen on the fatboy.
I have a flip down visor on my lid and at anything over 100 ks it helps a lot.
I have the solid wheels but never had a problem with wind any more than any other bike, if it is really windy you will get blown around a bit no matter what your on.
I cut the eppilettes things of the shoulders of my jacket to reduce a bit of wind resistance but cant honestly say if it has helped.
A screen would help for sure but would change the character of the bike too much for my liking. I find myself sticking to the speed limit (120 max) which cant be a bad thing.
You do get used to it after a while Kato so toughen the fuck up mate!

Have you thought about Fork mount Wind deflectors. I have them on my FXST, they work With or Without the screen on.  These are made by Memphis Shades, But HD actually make a polished Stainless deflector, that looks nice.

PaulyBronco (and others) - i see your point . As always your advice(Pauly Bronco)  is on the money . I think i just need to harden the fork up like BeaverBasher said further down in the attached post/s .

Sounds odd but here it is . How many times i have sat on 100 KPH on say Fraser / Rainbow Beach up here in Qld on the Kato and not even given a toss about the "wind buffeting" and as soon as I hit the black top on the Fattie i notice it ..............why the fork is that

Must have soemthing tp do with the smoothness of the Fattie i expect

For those amongts us that have not tried this before - get a decent horse powered dirt bike and get onto the sand at low tide as the sun sets  and let it rip .

Its has to be one of the best feelings that one can EVER get apart from the feeling of a big twin on song (Perhaps i ought take the Fattie onto the beach up here at low tide for a full noise wind out at some  stage..........food for thought  

 

 

PaulyBronco (and others) - i see your point . As always your advice(Pauly Bronco)  is on the money . I think i just need to harden the fork up like BeaverBasher said further down in the attached post/s .

Sounds odd but here it is . How many times i have sat on 100 KPH on say Fraser / Rainbow Beach up here in Qld on the Kato and not even given a toss about the "wind buffeting" and as soon as I hit the black top on the Fattie i notice it ..............why the fork is that

Must have soemthing tp do with the smoothness of the Fattie i expect

For those amongts us that have not tried this before - get a decent horse powered dirt bike and get onto the sand at low tide as the sun sets  and let it rip .

Its has to be one of the best feelings that one can EVER get apart from the feeling of a big twin on song (Perhaps i ought take the Fattie onto the beach up here at low tide for a full noise wind out at some  stage..........food for thought  

 

 

Gotta say the more you ride the less you'll notice it. A good fitting helmet/jacket/glasses and you come to appreciate how awesome and freeing that wind really is.

BeaverBasher - " ducking my head down behind an imaginary screen and then realise I don't have a fukin screen on the fatboy." 10/10 ...what  a crack up

                      - You do get used to it after a while Kato so toughen the fuck up mate!.........another corker . (plus i still  ride in my Shoei VFX off road helmet with Red Baron Aviator goggles so that pulls few oddball looks  so hardening up may not be so hard after all )

when you are cruising the highway, something on the bars will help with the wind, I have had a back pack occy strapped to my bars, you could probably put a leather tool roll or bag, but to just take a bit of the buffeting off is good,

If you open it right up to where the wind starts pushing your feet off the pegs Slowing down to 100 will feel pretty tame.

Buy a dyna. The buffeting won't kick in until at least $1.60...

Hey I rode a few jap bikes when I was younger in Perth and I never had an issue with buffetting at all, Am older now and have recently got my first harley which turns out to be a fatboy as well.

I am in the wheatbelt WA and my smallest ride is 50km all highway and I have the same problem. Strong cross winds and big MC trucks can be quite a handful, so I bought a detachable screen from

a member on this site and I can personally say it was instant relief. There is I think the culture of being cool and looking cool , but when it comes to practicality the screen wins hands down.

I think slower residential speeds you definately dont need one, but highways I personally noticed a big differece in my favour. . But I still like the wind in my face and some days I just take it as it comes

 The jap bike ride is different riding position which makes a big difference. I was always almost lying on the tank where the harley you're more sat up like a sail and you catch everything.

Do yourself a favour see if you can get a ride on one to see the difference. I picked up mine for a couple of hundred bucks for a quick detachable type that you  can take off/ put on in seconds.

hope this helps

Fat Tom

 

I have a Fatboy also I'm built like an air riffle pull through I have no issues until I'm up around 160 plus
id go to bunnings get some cement have a ladle full and Harden the fuck up
or sell the fatty and get ya self a moped
Just my thoughts

+1 for the screen. I got a detachable one for my 08 Fat Boy and any time I know I will be spending an hour at highway speed on it goes.  I have done 8 hrs on the highway in one day and didn't notice the wind at all.  They are worth it for sure.

I have the Road King and of course the clip-on screen. I don't go out of town without a screen.......................on anything!

Thanks everyone for ypur advices and assistance on the wind buffeting - very much appreciated and some hilarious responses from people that have ridden some big kms and have real world experience

 

Looks like i have to buy a carton of harden the fork up followed by a slice of concrete in the guts

 

without a screen  i am buggered but i dont like the look of a  screen .............makes one look like Chips (that bloke that rod  a HD as a highway patrol bike - they were the days)

Wrong thay rode jap bikes Kawasaki kz1000 

Gunna add my two cents after following this thread for a while.
I too have a fatty (07) and your right you do get blown around. Didn't really pay much attention to it as its just the way it is. As some have said suck it up and get on with it, so I did.
Well I have just got my hands on one of HDs full face helmets. (Thanks Santa) and as much as some will poo hoo wearing one on a HD I took it for a test spin out on the highway today. No change with the wind obviously, but I found my head wasn't copping half the flogging it gets when I wear an open face. With the visor down at between 100 and 120 the helmet catches nowhere near the amount of wind/air the open face does. No doubt due to the fact that its basically a sealed shell I suppose.
There are a shit load of open and shut vents on these helmets so they dont get hot inside. Plenty of air flow. At $160 its a cheap part fix to this problem. May be the answer your looking for apart from a screen. Give it a try, Im sold......