I dont rrally care if you sound harsh or not. Its your opinion and we know what opinions are and since we are in America you are entitled to it and even entitled to share it. I dont have to agree with it. Id like to have thousands to just toss around. Id love to have a houae with a garagebso I could store a buncha spare bikes.
Now keep in mind before you read the rest of this Im not takong offense at anything you said. I wont ride a Jap bike as you say umtil I learn to ride. I found the Jap bike in the class harder to ride than the softail. Whioe my skill level is currently low it has been as I thought I mentioned(might not have) 2003 since Ive touched 2 wheels anhyjing and longer than that 2 wheels with a motor. I get the idea behind the lighter bike until building strength etc. Reality is you dont know me what my perceptions are on the bike or what I can and cant do. The turn from a stop is the only issue and its because partly the classes didnt actually really cover it except a passing mention. To you I may be wildly outnof control out there. Not the case. I can see how you may get that impression though its all good.
My perception is the bike is unstable at very low speeds not that its top heavy. I am not the only one who made that observation about MY particular bike NOT about softails. It could be a si.ple adjustment or change a previous owner made to get the bike to feel better for them. It doesnt take much to change the handling charaxteristics of a car and people do it all the time why wouldnt it be done to a bike to make it suit you better? I feel Harleys are the best there is but Im not enough of a fanboy to think that how they are setup from the factory is perfection and if one doesnt like it they should get a different bike.
So if there is amything adjustment wise to increase low speed stabiliry. Lower the front an inch or adjusting the preload on the rear shocks Im happy to give it a shot.
I would add 2 things. Ive done the turns on the bike after that ok. I dont have an issue with left turns. My issue was identified and that was not looking where I wantes to go. Big bike tiny bike same result. Looking is even more important on my street because its so damn narrow. And as I mentioned there is a huge campus not far away I plan to go to and just sit there for an hour or to putting that into automatic mode. Drilling it in. Making the muscle memory and the movements automatic. I know how long it takes to program myself.
Also the number of right turns done in the class was exaclty 2. And that was AFTER the evlauations were over for the state.
I don't think it is much a question of what to adjust on the bike. As they say, "it's the nut behind the bars that needs the adjusting".
What you need is what the others have been saying:
- Practice
- Look where you want to go
- Slip the clutch
- Feather the rear brake
- Don't be afraid to lean the bike and throttle up to keep the bike up
Slow speed maneuvering is the most difficult skill on a motorcycle. As a beginner, I wanted to keep the bike straight up, and go slow when making tight turns. But the way I found works better is to go ahead a lean the bike, slip the clutch, feather the rear brake, and give it more throttle if I feel the bike about to go over.
For an eye opener, turn your handlebars and duck walk forward very slowly and grab the front brake. You can really feel the force that drops your bike. Imagine that at speed!
Oh no dont get me wrong. Its kind of a seperate issue. Dropping the bike 100% on me for not looking and leaning far enough. I screwed the pooch. I may have hit the brake too but I was so close it was better to drop it than to hit the car and get real damage on the bike.
The adjustment thing is for low speed stability. Its something that while I dont habe the experience on granted I could feel. It was also mentioned to me by 2 other experienced riders. 1 of which was the guy at the dealer who filled the bike up and made sure all was good before handing it over. He said shes a bit unstable at lower speeds so be careful. My truck student who brought it home for me until after I got my license mentioned it too and he rides an 05 Softail. He has a 21inch front wheel which is not something I want. Other than that amd power only differences are cosmetic between mine and his.
So I think its 2 seperate issues. The stability didmt cause me to drop it my dumb *** did. The stability may affect my confidence but it could make me a better rider too.
Slow speed maneuvers are tricky and the only way to get over it is through practice and experience. Not sure why people are saying that the bike is unstable. That doesn't make sense at all.
You're looking for a scapegoat but after looking at your pic of the bike, it's not like it's anything out of the norm. It's a standard model that's been in HD's lineup for a long time and there's a crap ton of them out on the roads.
If something on the bike feels uncomfortable to you, we aren't going to know that, only you can. You look like a pretty big dude and to me, it looks like you're sitting up on the tank almost with the bars pretty close. That, to me, would cause some issues.
Won't be the last time you drop a bike. Don't worry about it. Been riding 50 years and one thing I know for sure about going down. It isn't if. It s when
Practice your tuns. You should be able to take and make turns from a dead stop and put your feet up immediately after starting off
Not looking for a scapegoat. Just feels that way. Im not quite as big as I look in that pic. I am close to the bars but I am all the way back on the seat. Its comfortable. Practice is the key andIm aware of that. Was just adding it in if someone had some insight. Again not the reaaom for dropping it that was 100 percent on me and I own up to it. If your experience says that being too far forward can cause issues I will try sliding back a bit. If it seems to improve things I will get a different seat that allows me to sit further back more naturally. We have a Harley salvage nearby so they are pretty cheap. So I appreciate it.
As for wont be the last time I hope you are dead wrong but you are probably right on the $$.
How heavy are you? If that is you in the fluorescent yellow jacket, you are going to want to adjust the shocks. If your shocks are bottomed out or are close to it, not only will the ride be rough, but the handling is going to be lousy as well.
Also worth noting is the deluxe is lower than a Heritage.
Im about 220 to 230. It doesnt feel like its bottoming out. Seems a bit soft bit I figured thays because its a cruiser so more comfortable ride. The previous owner was a woman. The bike was Pink and the dash has been bedazzled with fake diamonds.
Wow, Have fun taking the bedazzle off. lol. Unless, of course that is your sort of thing, we don't judge here... Okay I tried to say that last statement with a straight face and could not.
Dude, have fun and enjoy. I wish I was on my bike instead of in front of a computer screen.
Now, you know why we would rather a new rider start out on something smaller/lighter for the initial 4 or 5,000 miles. This is also the time when "drops" occur.
Just like in trucking, always evaluate entry/exit strategies when looking for places to park.
05-18-2017, 01:43 PM
