The All things ROAD KING SPECIAL THREAD
#3601
10-17-2022, 09:14 AM
Cruiser
Yes sir all three shields give you wind in the face. I'm keeping mine just because i have $$$ wrapped up in WS shields and I do love the look of them on the Road King Special. If I knew then what I know now I would have gone with the traditional HD shield and bracket set up before buying any of the Freedom WS. My RKS came with the 16" HD WS setup from the original owner so I stuck with it since I had the brackets. Freedom Windshield does not have WS brackets they are proprietary to HD. You have to have the WS brackets in hand in order to use a Freedom WS. Freedom makes great shields for all model HD but I don't think they offer any brackets. Memphis Shades is another good company that offers shields and brackets for HD bikes but they do not offer the WS. Keep in mind for the RKS you have to buy the HD fork mount kit to run any shield. A little history on the Windsplitter shield it was originally made for the 2015 or 16 Road King CVO model but eventually HD released it for use on all Roadkings. Obviously this was years before the Road King Special was even conceived. Take my advice at your height you will not be happy running the Windsplitter. Go with the traditional brackets and shield which you can find in black for the RKS. I'm 6'3" and the wind is constant using the WS shield. I don't know how HD came up with the name Windsplitter cause it doesn't split jack ****.
#3602
10-17-2022, 09:27 AM
Last edited by Cornpipe; 10-17-2022 at 09:30 AM.
#3603
10-17-2022, 09:28 AM
I personally love the Wind Splitter and think the styling fits the RKS really well. I'm 5'10" and find it very comfortable, especially with the fork deflectors installed. I've found the vent makes all the difference. For the colder weather, I do have a Clearview coming in the wider width with the optional vent installed. I bought some standard, non-curved black hardware off Amazon and will mount it up to that and run it this winter. A bonus with that shield is I will be able to run my windshield bag which is so handy for things like glasses, garage door opener, and a charging brick to run a USB cable to my phone if needed.
#3605
10-17-2022, 10:04 AM
That's a lot of coin for him to invest just to find out it doesn't work and he's stuck with a 16" WS shield and brackets he can't use with any other shield. Like I said it's a height issue. Being 6' or taller makes the WS uncomfortable.
#3606
10-17-2022, 01:05 PM
Cruiser
#3607
10-17-2022, 01:47 PM
Good luck in your search. The are alot of choices and good aftermarket windshield companies out there.
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RAD1 (10-17-2022)
#3608
10-17-2022, 04:17 PM
Grand HDF Member
I'm only 5'6 and 16" is too short for me really. I'd think you could comfortably do a 20". The Long Ride Shield recurves are pretty nice for creating a good pocket by kicking the wind up at the top of the shield. Not everyone's style choice, but works well in my experience. Gives almost 2 inches of extra deflection from a standard shield design so 20" recurve will be about as quiet as a 22" standard shield. Good luck with your search.
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RAD1 (10-17-2022)
#3609
10-17-2022, 05:22 PM
Road Captain
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RAD1 (10-17-2022)
#3610
10-17-2022, 10:05 PM
Tourer
I sure wish you guys would have started the windshield conversation a few months earlier. It seems like all of us get drawn to the WS shield based on looks only to realize there are some design flaws. I ordered the 16” WS from HD and a 22” shield from Freedom Shields. My friend, who is a parts mgr at my local HD, had an extra set of WS brackets laying around that he sold me. The plan was to have 2 windshields, a 16” and a 22.”
I ran into the same issues the rest of you have. I thought I could lean my handlebars back to account for the curve, but I think that will only work for the 16” WS.
I may just bite the bullet and order the standard brackets from Amazon. Before I order, though, are the brackets from Amazon any good or should I order from HD?
Also thinking about selling the WS shields and brackets.
I ran into the same issues the rest of you have. I thought I could lean my handlebars back to account for the curve, but I think that will only work for the 16” WS.
I may just bite the bullet and order the standard brackets from Amazon. Before I order, though, are the brackets from Amazon any good or should I order from HD?
Also thinking about selling the WS shields and brackets.
Last edited by satxrider; 10-17-2022 at 10:18 PM. Reason: Added information
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RAD1 (10-18-2022)