Wind buffeting around your head

I'm riding a Suzuki C50T and really love the bike.  But on rides of a few hours at highway speeds, I'm arriving at my destination more fatigued than I think I should be because of the constant beating (not really that bad but I can't think of a better descriptive word) that my head takes from the wind.  The stock windshield is set at it's lowest position which allows me to comfortably see over it when I'm sitting completely upright (I'm 5'8" tall).  If I raise the windshield I will lose that unimpaired sightline, but if I do raise it, what impact will that have on the airflow around my head and body?  Suzuki does not make windshield lowers for that bike, although the new C90T's and C109T's do have stock lowers included with their winshield package.  Aftermarket lowers that would fit my bike are butt-ugly so I haven't bought them, but do they work for this problem anyway?  Does anybody know of any data published pertaining to this issue and/or how to help me resolve it?  Thx.  Cheers.  Herb.  

I am having the same problem on my Victory Kingpin and I am going to raise the very small windshield and see if it helps. I will let you know soon, in a couple of days.  

Yep can be a pain Herba, mine nearly drove me up the wall I'm 5'8" also drilled a bit more out of the holes so the screen could sit fraction lower and tilted the screen as far in as is possible even 1/8 of an inch makes a huge diff...Now you may not of tried to do that so go and loosen the mountings and tilt your screen into the bike then go for a ride,,

The other factor is wind currents at times of the year our wind comes from different Quarters even that can play havoc, make sure the lip of your screen is real clean so the wind slips easily over the top, some helmets can make a difference also try everything I have at least got mine to work, and it is good....  

I had the same problem with a Kawi 800 Drifter, tried a couple of windshields on it, no change.

I started feeling around, and on my bike, at the light the wind was comming almost straight up. I ended up with a first aid kit in a large fanny pack on the bike. It got rid of the buffeting, and it was safer.

The quick test would be, take a jacket, stuff it between the shield, and the handlebars. Bungee cord it in place and go for a ride. You may be pleasantly surprised.  

Thanks to those who offered suggestions.  There is very little room to move the windshield, only about 1 1/2 inches up from the lowest setting, which is where my windshield was set.  Didn't seem to be able to tilt it at all.  Raised it as far as it would go and it made a world of difference.  Now there is only an awareness of airflow along the top of my helmet, but the buffeting is gone.  No more discomfort and excess fatigue. Took my trip across the prairies (1200 miles each way, but total 2700 miles plus)...no problem.   If you're experiencing this problem, try it.  Hopefully, it should work for you too.  Thx again.  Cheers.  Herb.  

the perfect shield should go up to your nose, that way you can see over it and still deflect the wind over your head. i personaly like the wind in my face feel. i have a vegas with a memphis shades pop top shield that just keeps the wind off my shoulders and chest. it can be raised and angled to deflect it over my head for longer trips.  
if the house is a rocking don't bother knocking, just come on in...SRV

Go to Jack Halterman's Leather AeroVest, windshielding accessories... watch the video the go out and do the arm test for yourself. Put your left arm across your chest at 60 like a salute and see if the buffeting is gone, if so, problem solved  

I bought a wind shield from cruiser customizer. The "chopped" from National Cycle.
When I researched on the internet on which screen to buy I found that they had the best product to fit my bike a Suzuki Boulevard C50. If you read the testimonies on there website : What Our Customers Say About SwitchBlade® Windshields You will find nothing else than positive reactions. There is even someone with same hight I am and it says the following:

"When you recently came out with your SwitchBlade Chopped™ windshield, my husband thought it would be worth a try. He was right!" Due to the fact that my husband is only 5' 5" tall, your largest windshield was not really an option for us. The new Chopped windshield is exactly level and even with the tip of his nose and he feels totally comfortable when riding. "I have also noticed a difference when we ride together. Even at ninety miles per hour, it is stable, and there is very little buffeting behind the windshield!" The gentleman who took our order over the phone was very nice and he did not lie when he said we would enjoy our purchase.


What a *** Sorry for the language but I'm totally disappointed about being falsely informed. This client could be genuine and be completely happy but I'm sure they must get a lot of reaction as from me by people totally disappointed.
I did not find on any of the windshield sites an explanation that buffeting could occur. In-fact I had never realised that this could occur. I just thought that I was going to get a screen taken the pressure of my chest and flying the bugs over my head. When I received the shield I went for a test drive and found that I could not read any signs and the line on the roads where triple! As soon as I came home I looked it up on the internet as I was wondering what was happening. And there the answer was......Buffeting!

I  have been reading about it all weekend. I was shaking my head as I was getting more info by the minute and my wife, who could see I was very disappointed with my $400 spend on what was supposed to be the ultimate under the screens from national cycle, said "you write them and ask them for help"
I have experimented with it and placed card board where I thought it would help. I took some photos and did several test drives. I did send these photos to info@nationalcycle.com and after telling them that I found there product very well put to gather and looks smashing I followed questioning them about the buffeting experience I have. Now I have been told (and you find from a lot of advice on the net that this will help to reduce the buffeting) by a sales person from national cycle I have to install "Lowers"

I have never found anything mentioned about this on there website. And to be honest they should make us as customers aware of this. If you look at pictures of cruiser bikes fitted with a shield they most of the time have lowers fitted. Another cost on top of your mounting brackets and shield of another $130 plus postage of $30 to Australia. I also found info about a "lip" from Laminar. This product will offcourse redirects the wind and if you push it higher than your screen fitted it will offcourse reduce the problem further. It will reduce your vision (but there is no mention of that!) This shield is another $85 + postage. There is a product you stick on your helmet $15 Plus postage. You can buy a new helmet or just wear a half helmet. Wear goggles instead of sun glasses. or buy a whole new higher screen (to high) and cut it down a bit yourself till you find the hight just right.

So to have a windscreen it will cost you dearly, about $700 all up. That's my conclusion. I wish I never bought one.

To continue my experience with national cycle personnel. I told them that I also found by experimenting that a piece of cardboard stuck over the lamp did help some as well. The sales man told me they did not have a part to fit that. I reacted to his email  and at the end I mentioned the following:

David I have only found out about the buffeting after I installed the screen. I do feel that as a consumer I should have been informed about this issue before I bought the wind screen. There is no information on the buy website about this problem. Of course they want to sell but in all fairness I should have known about a need to purchase lowers.
I found that just about everyone that has a tall screen fitted (cruisers) need these lowers.
I now have to get lowers send up separately which means extra cost for postage but also another 5 weeks before they will arrive at my doorstep.

I also feel that there is obliviously a design problem with these screens.
I can't understand that I have to get a piece of plastic made up to fit behind the screen to reduce a problem by 50% while a company that has been in business for so long and must have wind tunnels haven't addressed this problem.

After this mail I did not hear back from him! Great isn't it? As soon as you are critical they don't respond any more, so much for good sales people as was stated under their "statement section on the website".

My point is this. We as customers should not just discus how we can resolve these kind of problems but make suppliers as "cruiser customizer" (who have so many videos, even about cutting your screen) and "national cycle" aware that they can't hold back info that could reduce there sales! They are spoiled as we are spending big dollars on aftermath parts that are basically crap, don't fit properly, not polished properly, or have a design defect. National cycle who is designing wind shields for over 30 years send us products that are designed incorrectly. They must have wind tunnels ....don't they? When you put a cruiser with a screen fitted they should be able with some smoke and fans to determine that they need another piece of screen at the top in front of the screen and a small piece behind the screen at the bottom? Than they produce it and show it and we can decide if we want it or not!

Speak up you fellow customers....let them now what your unhappy with and don't hide it!  

If the weather calls for wearing something more than a vest, you can use a set of knee mounted air deflectors to stop the buffeting. Find them at HYES, LLC  

Windshields have a fatal design problem. They're adjustable. When the shield is down, there's little gap around the headlight, but, bring it up 2 in, and that's a big hole.
On an engineering standpoint (and looks), the fix would be to have fixed point attachment at the 'lowest' setting.
Of course, if you ride 2 up sometimes, the windshield would be too high, and just right for 1 up...
My fix was to put a piece of gear that I needed on the bike right behind the windshield ( a trauma kit, if you need it, you don't want to be digging).
I have used lowers, and they didn't do much for the helmet buffeting, since I had saddlebags, it did clean up the air flow on the lower part of the bike, and added several mpg.  

You need to find or make a set of lowers like are pictured in this photo. They make all the difference in the world with helmet buffing.

Ride safe.

 

Thanks for kind suggestion for Wind Buffeting in Helmet around the head.  

The buffeting problem you have can be mitigated, but if you wear a helmet and ride with a windshield, there will always be some buffeting.  Sometimes, when the wind is blowing hard, there is nothing you can do to mitigate buffeting.

I ride a 2005 Honda Shadow Aero, and I started out with a National Cycle Switchblade "two up."  I added lower air deflectors, but I was never happy with the mounting hardware (it was too fragile) and I hated the shape of National Cycle's chrome lower air deflectors because they were anything but aerodynamic.

Now I have a Memphis Fats windshield from Memphis Shades, along with Memphis Shades' lower air deflectors.  I got a clear windshield and clear lower air deflectors because I don't want to hide the beauty of my motorcycle behind tinted glass.  This combination of an adjustable windshield and lower air deflectors has done a better job of mitigating turbulence, but I still experience some buffeting, especially at higher speeds.  Between 65 and 70 MPH, the buffeting is almost unnoticeable.

My favorite way to deal with buffeting is to ride without any windshield at all, but cold weather forces me to reinstall the windshield and lower air deflectors every fall.  Every spring, when I finally remove and store them, that first ride is a blast.  It feels like I am flying.