Today the Flare® is one of the most recognizable windshields on the road. Walk through any rally parking lot and you'll spot its signature shape on Street Glides of every generation. But the Flare® didn't start in a design studio. It started on the Bonneville Salt Flats, with a bagger that didn't want to go straight.
This is the story of how the Flare® went from a race fix to the Harley Street Glide windshield riders trust, and how to choose the right one for your bike today.
Image: The Klock Werks World's Fastest Bagger on the Bonneville Salt Flats
The Origins of the Flare® Windshield
From Biker Build-Off to Bonneville
In 2006, Klock Werks took on Discovery Channel's Biker Build-Off. While most builders turned out long, raked choppers, Brian Klock built a performance bagger, a custom Road Glide®, and won the public vote. That bike went on to Bonneville as the WFB, the World's Fastest Bagger, with Laura Klock in the saddle.
On the salt, the team ran into a problem. At speed, the WFB developed a high speed wobble. The stock windshield was creating drag and lift, and the front of the bike was getting light exactly when it needed to be planted.
The Inspiration Behind the Flare® Design
On the drive home, Brian held his hand out the window and watched how it moved in the wind. Angle your hand one way and it lifts. Angle it another and the wind pushes it down. The team realized the wobble came from the front end lifting at speed, and that the windshield could be shaped to push it down instead.
The Breakthrough Design and Testing
That idea became the two features every Flare® still has today.
- The flip at the top edge redirects air upward, reducing lift and sending turbulence over the rider's helmet.
- The hips on each side route wind around the rider and create downforce on the front end.
The result was a more stable bike at speed and a calmer pocket of air for the rider. The WFB went on to set multiple land speed records, and you can watch it run at Bonneville. For the full story, read how Klock Werks built the World's Fastest Bagger.
Want to learn more about how the patented Flare® design works? Our Flare® Windshield Guide: The Real Fix for Motorcycle Buffeting and Wind Blast breaks down the science behind motorcycle Air Management, what causes helmet buffeting and how the Flare® helps redirect airflow for a better ride.
From Racing to the Street
Riders who saw the WFB wanted that stability on their own bikes. In 2008, the first Flare® windshield went on sale, built for the Road Glide®. Street Glide® owners were close behind.
The Introduction of the Flare® Windshield for Street Glides
The success on the salt flats and the validation from the wind tunnel testing led to the first Flare® Windshield being introduced to the market in 2008. Initially designed for Road Glides, the overwhelming demand had us quickly shifting gears to expand to Street Glides. Recognizing this, Brian swiftly developed a 6.5" FLH Flare® Windshield that mirrored the stock size but delivered ten times the performance. What truly made this windshield such a game changer was the end design and shape.
The first model was mocked up on a 2006 Street Glide, affectionately named the Crimson Bagger, owned by Brian’s friend Jerry Thomsen from Mitchell, South Dakota. The success of this initial size was nothing short of epic, with sales skyrocketing.
The first Street Glide Windshield sold in Sturgis 2008
Growth and Expansion: New Sizes for Street Glides
Riders wanted options, and the lineup grew. In 2009, Klock Werks added an 8.5 inch shield for more protection and a 3.5 inch shield for a low, clean look. Over the years, sizes grew in both directions, with wind tunnel testing guiding each height and tint.
The Flare® also evolved with the bike. Harley-Davidson® changed the Street Glide fairing several times, from the original five bolt mounting to the 2014 Rushmore fairing to the new style fairing introduced in 2023.5. Each time, Klock Werks redesigned the Flare® to fit.
From 1998 to 2024, Harley-Davidson's fairing designs evolved significantly, and we have kept pace with every change. Whether it was adjusting the windshield to fit new fairing designs or responding to customer advice and opinions for better performance, the team remained at the forefront.
But the story doesn’t end there.
Innovating With Color: The Ice Kolors Series
In 2020, Shannon Pranschke of Gjerde Production Painting asked for a lime green shield to finish a Nardo Grey Road Glide. It was meant to be a one off. Two years later, artist Ray Drea asked for a fluorescent orange shield, and the idea for a full color line took off.
That became the Kolor and Ice series. Kolor windshields deliver true, saturated color, while Ice windshields add a fluorescent edge that glows when the light hits it. "To be honest, I had no idea how complimentary people would be with the colors," Brian Klock says. Riders surprised everyone, pairing fluorescent green Ice shields with blacked out bikes. Today, colored Street Glide windshields are some of our most requested Flares.
Which Street Glide Windshield Fits Your Bike?
Every generation of Street Glide fairing has its own Flare®. Find yours below, then use our Find Your Flare® size guide to choose a height you can comfortably look over in your normal riding position.
1996 to 2013 Street Glide (FLHT, FLHX)
The Flare® Windshield for 1996 to 2013 Street Glide comes in 3.5, 6.5, 8.5, 10.5 and 11.5 inch heights, in Clear, Tint, Dark Smoke and Solid Black depending on height. The Kolor Flare® comes in 12 Kolor and Ice colors, at 3.5 inches in Ice and 6.5 inches in every color. Finish the look with matching windshield trim.
2014 to 2023 Street Glide (FLHT, FLHX)
The Flare® Windshield for 2014 and newer Street Glide with the Rushmore style fairing comes in 4, 5, 6.5, 8.5, 10.5 and 11.5 inch heights in Clear, Tint, Dark Smoke and Solid Black depending on height. The Kolor Flare® brings all 13 Kolor and Ice colors to this generation.
2023.5 to 2026 Street Glide With the New Style Fairing
The Flare® Windshield for 2023.5 to 2026 Street Glide comes in 6.5, 8, 10 and 12 inch heights, and the Kolor Flare® comes in 6.5 and 8 inch heights in 13 colors. It fits the 2023 and newer CVO™ Street Glide®, the 2024 to 2026 Street Glide®, and 2025 to 2026 Ultra and Limited models. Read the full story in Flare® Windshield: The Ultimate 2023.5 to 2026 Street Glide® Upgrade.
Every tinted Flare® is made in the USA from Lexan® polycarbonate with an FMR hard coating. Solid Black windshields are opaque, so choose a height you look over, not through. Not sure which fairing you have? Use Shop Your Ride or browse our Street Glide® collection.
Why Riders Choose the Flare® for Their Street Glide
Nearly two decades after the first one sold at Sturgis, the Flare® is still built on the same idea that saved the WFB: manage the air instead of just blocking it. Riders tell us they notice less helmet buffeting, less wind noise and a more planted front end the first time they hit the highway. That's why so many consider it the best windshield for a Street Glide.
Complete your front end with Flare® Hand Guards in matching Kolor and Ice colors, and keep your shield clear with Shine Werks and our Flare® Care guide.
Looking to the Future
The Flare® has followed the Street Glide through every fairing change Harley-Davidson® has made, and it will keep evolving as the bikes do. New sizes, new colors and new materials, like the Carbon Fiber Flare® developed with Arlen Ness, all come back to the same goal Brian had with his hand out the window: a more stable, more comfortable ride. Follow along on the Klock Werks YouTube channel to see what's next.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was the Flare® windshield invented?
The idea came after the 2006 Bonneville runs of the World's Fastest Bagger, and the first Flare® went on sale in 2008.
Why is it called the Flare®?
The name comes from the windshield's flared shape: the flip at the top and the hips on each side that redirect air and create downforce.
Which Flare® fits my Street Glide?
It depends on your fairing. Klock Werks makes separate Flares for 1996 to 2013, 2014 to 2023, and 2023.5 to 2026 Street Glides. Check the fitment guide above or use Shop Your Ride.
What Street Glide windshield sizes are available?
Heights range from 3.5 to 11.5 inches for older Street Glides, and from 6.5 to 12 inches for the 2023.5 to 2026 new style fairing.
Are colored Street Glide windshields available?
Yes. Kolor and Ice Flares are available for every Street Glide generation, in up to 13 colors.
Is the Flare® made in the USA?
Yes. Every Flare® windshield is made in the USA.
Experience the Original
Born on the salt and built for the street, the Flare® has been changing how Street Glides ride since 2008. Find the one made for your bike.
Shop Flare® Windshields for Street Glide
It's your ride. You decide.
