WHD, it's not a question of one riding "rougher" than the other at low speeds, it's the "shake" in the bike as a result of the unbalanced motor that some of us find uncomfortable. If you take a look at any bagger (or dyna for that matter) sitting at idle you'll notice that the motor is jumping around in the frame lake a caged animal and as a result the whole bike shakes violently. The "A" motor used in all big twins except the soft tails does not have counterbalance shafts to reduce vibration like the "B" motor used in the soft tails does. Instead, the "A" motor is rubber mounted to the frame of the bike and as a result there's a whole lot of shakin' goin' on at idle and low rpm's. If you're used to riding a softy, climbing on an "A" motor bike can be a little disconcerting. At idle, the mirrors shake so hard you can't see a thing out of them. The hand grips, foot rests, seat, etc., all buzz like a chainsaw at low rpm's.

The "B" motor has a pair of counterbalance shafts that serve to reduce the engine vibration considerably. This technique has been employed by auto manufacturers for many years, especially in four cylinder engines, to reduce engine and drivetrain vibration and noise. The downside to this practice, if there is one, is that one or two horse power are lost due to the mechanical load imposed by the additional moving parts. There may also be a minor limitation on high performance mods to a "B" motor because it's not supposed to spin as fast as a non-balance motor due to the additional rotating mass. That said, there are still plenty of high performance mods available for the "B" motor and unless you plan on building a completely tricked out race bike, you shouldn't worry about it.

My advice to you is to rent each of the bikes you're seriously considering and spend some real time riding under the types of conditions that are typical for you. Many Harley dealers have a rental program and you can spend a lot of hours and miles on the bikes you're looking at. This is what I did prior to making a decision to buy my 2004 FLSTFI FatBoy. At the end of the day you have to choose what's best for you. I'm sure most all of us who ride a Harley are happy with our choice, whether its a softy, a dyna, a sporty or a bagger.

Good luck with your decision. Have fun and ride safe.

-Randy

 

My '06 Low Rider has engine shake at idle, but not the miror-shake kind you descibe. I barely feel it at all.

Friends of mine have Road King Classics and they don't shake your teeth either.

Maybe a broken motormount on the bike you rode.

Sammi

 

I'm kind of confused on all this. I used to own a 2000 zx-6r ninja and after a 25 mile ride my hands vibrated bad. Then about 4 months ago I got to ride a 1996 soft tail and after a 50 mile ride my hands vibrated, but then I got on a 2005 RK classic right after the soft tail and man that thing road so smooth. I barely felt any vibration and I could see out of the mirrors perfect. Plus I thought the RK had a B motor in it and was rubber mounted. Just trying to understand what people are taking about with this vibration with the RK. Beside it being very heavy I thought it road like glass. Just my 2 cents


Rico

 

My RK is just like your Low Rider, engine shakes at idle, but very little mirror shake and I can see fine with the mirrors at idle so I also don't know what he's talking about. And when I start moving it smooths out and rides great with no buzzing vibrations at highway speeds. JMHO

 

It's all about personal preferance. What one person perceives as a "lot" of vibration or shaking another person might shrug off as insignificant.

Sammi, I agree with you that the dyna's don't "seem" to shake as bad as some of the baggers. I can't really explain why this might be true. Maybe it's the extra sprung weight of the bags, fairings, etc. that pick up the resonance of the motor. And maybe it's just my perception. I spent a lot of time on an '03 Low Rider and thoroughly enjoyed it. It shakes more than my FatBoy but it's not objectionable. As far as the touring bikes I've ridden, I've spent time, a couple hundred miles each, on both a 2004 and a 2005 RKC and a 1998 Ultra. With any of those bikes, sitting at a stop light at idle, the mirrors shook so bad they were virtually unusable. Now again, this is my perception. Bear in mind that my ride is a 2004 FatBoy with the "B" motor and it's what I'm used to.

My most recent experience with a bagger was in late August when my brother and I took a 3 day, 800 mile trip through North Eastern Pennsylvania. His bike is a 2005 Road King Classic with SE Stage 1 intake and SE slip on mufflers and the necessary EFI map download. Our trip was a mix of roads from little two lane low speed twisty's like Rt. 32 along the Delaware River to Interstate's like 78 & 80. Most of our riding was intentionally kept to winding secondary roads with few controlled intersections and speeds varying from around 45-65 mph. We swiched bikes often so each of us could get a really good feel for the other's ride under differing circumstances. On the interstate blasts there was no argument that the King was King. The combination of the soft saddle, upright seating position, wind screen, cruise control, smooth suspension, etc. combined to make the ride absolutely stellar. I completely understand why so many people ride these bikes, especially for any kind of long distance travel. On the other hand, both of us agreed that on the secondary roads, even the fast ones, the Fatty was more fun to ride. Maybe because you sit lower on the bike and it feels like you're sitting more "in it" than "on it" and you're just closer to the road. Maybe it's becasue the handling, while not exactly sport-bike light, is lighter than the bagger. And maybe it's just that without the windscreen it's a more sensory experience.

Rico, you are also correct that at speed, especially at sustained highway cruising speeds, an HD touring bike will typically feel smoother and create less vibration and tingling in your hands, feet, etc. than a softail. Most folks will agree that at low rpm's the softails feel smoother but at sustained highway speeds many people complain of a vibration through the grips and the foot rests which becomes tiring. The touring bikes smooth out over 2500-3000 rpm and at cruising speeds are a joy to ride. I won't deny that if cruising the interstate at 80 mph is your typical ride, you'll be well suited to a bagger.

I'm not knocking the baggers or any other Harley model. They're all different and they're all fun to ride in their own way. It's just that each of us has a different riding style and preferences. If I had an unlimited budget (and a huge garage) I'd probably own my softy, a low rider, an RKC, and a 1200 Sporty. And I'd ride them all on different days for different reasons and on different kinds of trips. Since I can only afford one Harley right now, the FatBoy is the bike that most closely meets my (current) needs, serves my purposes, and is fun to ride and own.

Again, spend some time on everything you can, think about how and where you'll ride the most and pick what's right for you.

That's just my opinion, I could be wrong.

-Randy

 

Excellent analysis, Randy.

My RG has a bit of shake at idle, but it fortunately does not spend much time there.

 

Thanks Randy, I'm still stuck on getting the Night Train because of it's low mean look about it and I definitly like sitting in a couch position low to the ground. The RK is a great machine and very comfortable to ride, but I plan on setting my NT up pro street style after I buy it in March. Custom bikes is what I like, but having the Harely name behind it would be something that interest me most.

Rico

 

You got that right Tripper! These guys complaining about shaking and vibrating must be the guys that just sit idling and showing off their bikes. I have an SG and the only time it shakes is at lights and I don't spend too much time at lights. On the road the shaking smooths out instantly. Isn't that where you enjoy the bike anyway. I do agree there is an issue with the passenger pegs and "walking" the bike. If you have long legs there is no problem. You just have a wider walk. Besides you are not supposed to walk the bike too much anyway, maybe just getting in and out of parking spaces. I have learned to "walk" my bike through parking lots and traffic by putting my feet on the boards and balancing. That's what is taught in all the training courses.

If you spend a lot of time riding you will realize how good the tourers are with their windshields,bags and tunes. If you want to go bar hoping you can't beat a FB. It's all what you are looking for. I wish I could afford both.

 

Thanks, Tripper. Sweet looking Glide you've got there. I've never had the chance to ride one but, from what I've read and from folks I've talked to that own one, the Road Glide is the best kept secret in the Harley stable. I understand that the frame mounted fairing essentially eliminates the minor steering corrections that you have to (constantly and unconsciously) make with a handlebar mounted fairing and this makes for a more comfortable, more stable, and less tiring ride. Maybe when I hit the lottery I can buy one of each of the Harley models, LOL. There's so much to like about all of them.

Have fun and ride safe.

-Randy

 

Well, Thank you, Randy and Hardly. About 85% of my riding is done 2-up and after renting almost the entire Harley line the Wifey and I settled on the RG as the best ride for us. Some people may have differing opinions, but it would be a boring world if everybody rode the same make and model bike.