Harley admits that customers had asked for an adjustable windscreen on the new Touring range, but they rejected the idea.
Senior product engineer Abid Jeevraj says they believe they have achieved a better solution than an adjustable screen.
He says they took prototype windscreens to a couple of university wind tunnels to test the aerodynamics with a variety of rider heights.
The end result is a windscreen with a central splitter that allows air to pass behind the windscreen to reduce negative air pressure.
It is a similar system to the one used on the Honda Gold Wing to great effect.
The result is an appreciable decrease in buffeting.
And all this with a windscreen that is actually lower than the previous model.
On the launch ride, I tested the Ultra and the Street Glide both with the central splitter, toggling between open and closed.
With the vent closed, there is as much buffeting as before, but with it open, the buffeting is almost nil. I’m not even sure why they have the option to close it.
Making the windscreen shorter allows riders to see over the top, which is particularly handy in the type of wet conditions we experienced today.
While I could see over the top of the windscreen, the rain was also directed over my head and my visor hardly copped any more than a sprinkling of drops, despite some heavy falls.
This is just one of more than 100 updates in the new Touring range of Harleys. Basically the only thing that remains the same is the frame.
While we are used to a slow evolution from model year to model year, this time Harley has started a revolution.
I’ll be writing more articles in coming days about various aspects of the new Harleys, so stay tuned … And don’t forget to tick the “follow” button in the bottom right corner of your screen.
Meanwhile, check it the other stories I have written abut the new range of Harleys.
