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My Fork Mounted Wind Deflectors Arrived

2K views 9 replies 5 participants last post by  Foto Joe 
#1 ·
I've been thinking about getting a set of these things for some time now and after getting beat to death a few times on windy days in the last couple of months I finally pulled the trigger. I'll share some observations.

First off I ran a set of these things on an Electra-Glide for almost 160k miles and do remember that they made some difference on the Glide. I was hoping for some improvement on the Vic but what I got was a totally different bike at highway speeds. Although my wife says she really doesn't feel much if any difference she does think that it cut down the wind on her legs a bit. From my perch on the front seat though it's like nite and day. I no longer have the visor on my helmet going into a high frequency harmonic that will blur your vision and only seldom when I meet an oncoming vehicle will I get a momentary vibration from the wind blast. I'm definitely on board with recommending these things to anybody who is having buffeting issues with a XC or XCT.

Now on to a couple of nitpicks on the product. My personal opinion is that they are UGLY but that's just me. I'd rather have my clean front end back but on the other hand I'd rather be comfortable more than the clean front end, I'm sure that they'll grow on me.

Here's a big one though. They arrived from WitchDoctors with NO instructions. Now I'll grant you it's not rocket science to install these things but you'd think that there'd at least be some sort of instruction sheet included with suggestions like "turn the handlebars full left and install the left deflector so it doesn't hit the crash bar". Like I said, they aren't difficult to install but little helpful hints on angle etc. would have added a professional touch to the product. Also the hose clamps that came with mine had a longer through bolt on one than the other three and necessitated a trip to the hardware store for spacers. I'm not really impressed with the mounting system itself but I really don't think it can be improved much other than QC the damn hose clamps before they get packaged. Time will tell whether they stay tight enough to withstand 80-100 mph winds over the long run.

Over all I'm quite happy with the product. My stereo is now easier to hear, my lower legs seem to be getting no wind at all and the high frequency buffet of my noggin is a thing of the past.
 
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#4 ·
I'll try to find a day when I can actually roll the bike out of the garage and take a picture. Currently we're still waiting on summer to arrive and it's rained most of the day.

The wind deflectors are the flat black on a Sunset Red Cross Country. They look okay but I sure liked the clean looks of the front end without them.
 
#7 ·
Foto Joe comes with having been a commercial photographer from 1980 to 2000. Now the only camera I own is my phone and I don't miss those things;)

As far as the window is concerned the stock one was the FIRST thing to go when I bought the bike, it's got a Klockwerks flip on it. By the way, our daughters live in Havasu and I wouldn't trade our lack of summer yet for AZ for nothin'. I have no desire to go back to using an oven mitt to open my car door. It'll warm up around here soon enough I'm sure, I just wish those Canadian storms would slow down a little we're still at about 150% of snowpack for the time of year right now. Every time it warms up a little another storm blows through and drops a pot load of snow on the mountains. I've been seeing a lot of tourists on bikes get educated about mountain riding in June in Wyoming.

We'd like to go ride the Beartooth next weekend if the highway department can keep it open. I'm curious how the Vic will handle 12,000 feet riding two up.
 
#8 ·
Ha! I know all about Havasu. I moved up to Kingman a year ago from there after 7 years and don't miss that heat one bit. If I do; all I have to do is ride around 60 miles to get back there. You would like Kingman. We actually have trees and mountains at our doorstep. I have 11 fruit trees on this .5 acre property I just bought last month. I can actually open the windows at night. ;) The cold water out of the faucet is actually cold instead of hot. I know some folks in Havasu who turn the water heater off in the Summer and use the hot water side to get cold water from the water heater; at least until the outside water catches up.

I'd like to get up to Beartooth one Summer and catch Sturgis during the week before the actual event. Was there in 90' but haven't been back since. Too old for the big crowds now but the smaller pre-crowd would be ok. Now that things are settling down in my life; maybe I can make it next Summer.
 
#9 · (Edited)
Foto,
Beartooth is no problem 2-up! Went up there the first week of Sept last year along with 3 other bikes that were all 2-up (2011 SG, 2013 RK, & 2008 Kawi 900) and none of us had any issues. Coming down we were passed by a GL1800 and an old V-Max that the guy on the SG and I ended up racing to the bottom. The bikes that passed us were both solo - we couldn't pass them but we kept up!

We'll be doing pre-Sturgis the end of Jul and Yellowstone and last week of Aug so maybe I'll see you on the road.
 
#10 ·
@BBob
I spent 35 years in Havasu and I'm over it. We did winter there this year in our youngest daughters driveway, that's where I picked up the Vic. I've got a few friends that moved up to Kingman for the same reason you did. I don't mind the winter so much in Havasu but the traffic sucks, I'm just too used to small town life anymore.

@ammo umb
Having grown up in the Cody area I've been up and over the Beartooth more times than I can count on a bike, some trips more memorable than others. This year they've had a little trouble keeping it open. I was up Dead Indian last week and they had signs up saying it was closed due to another winter storm. The wife and I have been planning for the last three weekends to go over the top and into Red Lodge but the weather has just been too iffy. I figure if it's 60° and cloudy down here at 5,000 feet I'm not about to poke my nose up above the timber line and play crash test dummy, hail hurts. A few years ago we left a little late in the morning with friends from Arizona and paid the price. We were above timber line in a nasty storm and lightening struck one of the snow poles behind me and in front of one the guys. It blinded him and slid on the hail and went into the ditch. All I new was that when the "Flash/Bang" went off was that I apparently hadn't been hit and I couldn't see in my mirrors so I kept rolling. When my buddy caught up to us at Vista Point on the Red Lodge side he said he was glad he was soaking wet so nobody could see that he pee'd himself.

Send me a pm when you get up in this area and if I'm not working maybe we can meet and lie to each other in person.
 
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