The stock 4" "wind deflector" is a functional disaster, but good marketing for HD. It looks cool in the showroom and when you get suckered in and buy the bike you immediately realize the need to go out and buy a real WS. Cha-ching! That's another $100 out of your pocket to the Moco.

The SG has the same bat-wing fairing as the rest of the EG family, so getting the turbulence down to an acceptable level is a matter of installing a windshield that's the right height for your taste. I'm 5'10" and with the stock shocks, which I no longer have, an 8" Clearview with recurve was perfect for me. I was able to look just over it and wind protection was good.

FWIW, I've since installed taller shocks which changed my riding height, and while I still use the 8" WS most of the time I bought a 9" LongRide with recurve for trips. With my backrest the 8" is too short since the backrest pushes me to a higher eye-level, so for trips when I have the backrest installed I also fit the 9" WS. When I had the stock shocks I used the 8" all the time.

 

Long Ride Shields or Clearview...
Both make great shields...the trick is picking the right height. I have a wardrobe of them...

 

I think one common denominator here is that most riders want to look "over" the windshield and not thru it (why, I do not know). I am 5'-4" and use a Reach seat. Along with a 3/4 face helmet I look thru my windshield and for me it would be impossible to see over it. Because of this I have ZERO wind turbulence because I sit in clean air as it comes off the top of the W/S and over the top of my helmet. I have no problems looking thru my W/S I can see just fine in the rain.

 

I'm with Tito on this one. Even with the stock windshield, I had little or no buffetting. I went with a LRS 7" X-stream for the colder months, but didn't experience that much difference.

Shakey

 

I’m 5'11 and ride with a 9" re-curved Freedom Shield and after changing to the 9” shield from stock I have no buffeting (turbulence) on the helmet, I guess that’s what you guys are talking about.

 

Hey guys,
I have been lurking and researching bikes on here for a few months now and I use to have a 2001 BMW 1150 GS and those bikes also have the famous wind buffeting issue. The bike just sucked on the highway and people spent lots of cash looking for a fix with after market shields.

I love the Street Glide but after so many riders on here have confirmed wind buffeting I am now considering a Road King.

Wind buffeting is like somebody slapping your helmet and it really sucks.
The salesmen at the HD dealers will never tell you that you will be back the next day to drop another $100.00 on the $24,000 bike you just bought to replace a piece of plastic that is a design flaw.

 

I have an 8" clearview windshield, adjustable fairing wind deflectors, and a fork baffle. I have wind but no buffeting. My C&C seat drops me about 1" down and 1" back.

 

I rode for 4 years with no windshield and to be quite honest I'd rather have no windshield vs. constant pounding on the cranium from turbulence. Not about being 'afraid' of the wind rather than being able to focus on the road..at least with no windshield you can focus on the road.

 

Thanks all for the useful input. Gonna try a few things in the spring..lower seat, higher windshield etc. As a fairly new HD owner, this forum is extremely informative and more importantly un-biased. Thanks again!

 

I got one of these for my SG and it seemed to help with the wind turbulence and noise. I love the look of the short 4" windscreen, so I didn't want to get a taller one (though I plan to get a 6" Drag Specialties screen with the skulls on it this winter)