Ok, I'm ready to get flamed. Now that I have a big touring bike with fairing, I find it has lots of turbulence on windy days. It can be frustrating holding this thing with the wind and trucks on highways trying to do 65-70 mph. When I had my cruiser with windshield and no fairing it seemed easier to handle.

 

you are entirely correct- that's the advantage of the road glide, the frame mounted fairing doesn't transfer gusts to steering input as with the batwing fairing bikes.


BTW I ride batwings, I like them better- but I see well enough the advantage of the frame mounted fairing- I have hundreds of miles on road glide and FXRP fairings which are frame mounted.

don't try to micro manage the "tiller" just go with it- the mass of the bike will want to keep going in the correct direction, and upright too!

the size of the "sail" will be part of this, the big windscreens ( can't comment on "recurve" styles ) fairing, fork and wherever deflectors etc. all add up and can compound this

BTW, learn how the winds come off a big truck--- AND DO NOT "sit" to the side of the trailer in the calm air, it drives the driver nuts, cause he knows he'll kill you if he has to swerve for that school bus full of kids broke down in the lane

Mike

 

thats exactly why I traded mine for a Road Glide.....The steering on the Road Glide is very light, a lot of guys cant get over the look of the fairing , others love it ... but it is by far the best "Driving".. HD touring bike ...

 

I have to agree with mkguitar, the RG handles differently than the Batwings on the road, I've had both.

 

Just something else we have to be aware of. While riding today with a friend, I had to brace myself every time I met a big truck. But it was a good ride.

 

Took me about a month to get used to my switch from a dyna to a Bagger. There were definitely some slight riding/reacting differences that I had to learn about but now I find the freeway trucks and higher speeds much easier and safer feeling than the Dyna. Might just take a little time to adjust to the change. My money would say you like it more in than your other ride in the near future.

 

My Ultra responds to wind the same way as the OP's. It is quite unpleasant to ride with that big sail in windy conditions. It just feels bad, although I do not believe the wind will cause you to crash into anything or go off the road (except in hurricane conditions). Then, even a high cube tractor trailer will get blown off the road.

Never ridden a RG. I just don't like their looks, but I accept the findings of RG owners that it is more stable in the wind.

 

Batwings take a little time to get used to. You wont even notice it after a few 1000 miles.

 

Just takes time getting used to the fairing. I have had 2 batwings and you will feel comfortable with it the more you ride.

 

[QUOTE=mkguitar;- I have hundreds of miles .... [/QUOTE]

I just cant compete here

sorry I just HAD to say it