...and as Misbehaven forgot to mention, rip off the fork reflectors immediately !! Once you go to the thread, you'll see.

 

Congrats Mr. Ego on being healthy and the new ride.

3 months ago I took delivery of my first bike after taking the riders edge course. My slim sat in the garage 24 hours until the rain stopped, and for the next 3-4 days I just rode around the neighborhood. The next few days I hit some local streets (THAT was a rush, out in traffic) and continuously expanded the radius around my house. Confidence grew with each mile, and then the basic performance mods came, and now with 900 miles under my belt, most of my nervousness has dissipated, but I still practice and follow religiously all the safety tips learned from the class.

I had the same hesitancy about the weight as you, but as you will see, it is very manageable and you will learn very quickly to maneuver your machine when riding slow. I installed a mustache engine guard to shore up my confidence and lessen my worry about dropping the bike. Haven't dropped her yet, but have come close a few times.

Good luck to you, the hardest part will be waiting until she is delivered. The second hardest part will be deciding what to change out on that bad boy!

Andy

 

The mustache engine guard is a great idea!
I had one put on mine when I got it, just in case, and have ended up really liking how it looks. Can save you a lot of money!

 

Congrats on beating the big C!

Just take it slow on the bike, take a riding course, and do not become over confident. A lot of bike accidents are within the first year the person starts riding. It's pretty easy to get overly confidence in your riding ability only to find out your ability in unanticipated avoidance maneuvers is lacking. It's also not a bad idea to take a second riding course a few months after your first to fix/double check any bad habits you may develop. I've probably taken 6 or 7 riding courses since I began riding and I still develop my skills every time I ride.

The FB is a great bike. Enjoy!

 

Congrats on both your health and your new bike
While waiting for your ride, You can check out youtube for some video tips from "Ride like a pro" I find them very informative and very helpful in re-instating some of what you learned from the MSF course. e.g. clutch friction zone, avoiding target fixation, proper u turns etc...
Since you're a bicycle rider, You can relate to some of his videos. He uses bicycles as an example during his training course.
Anyway,my first ever harley was an 06 roadking, and coming from lighter metric cruisers, I was a bit intimidated by the weight. A few miles down the road cured that

 

She arrived - at last, and I took her out on a spin... Felt comfortable taking her out on the back streets and spending an hour at the church parking lot... just working several exercises... WOW! It is everything I have wanted...

THe feeling of riding her around cagers is scary... But - i think i will wind-up being the agggressive in your face rider... I found myself scanning eyes of cagers, their mirrors, making eye contact, etc...

I have a lot of respect for this amazing piece of engineering... i have a long way to go... but I can tell you that the hour went by so fast, my body is exhausted... but it was just too fun and challenging...

Thanks everyone!
Cheers...

 

.... and can someone PLEASE be so awesome and let me know how I can add a picture of my bike in my signature like everyone else? Just can't seem to get it... I already created an album and uploaded a photo...

THanks.

 

Checked out your album...good lookin' bike dude. Have a blast, and welcome. Damn; I just realized you're just a short hop from me, as I'm in the Tulsa area.

 

Lets go riding! Maybe you have the patience to tach me something - been practicing at church lot everyday!

Tanks - love the bike... Sounds just amazing!

 

JJ,
Congrats on all of your accomplishments! Glad you beat cancer and followed your heart on the FB Lo. I bought my preowned 2012 Heritage in December of last year. It was my first Harley and the first bike I'd been on in over 20 years. I didn't have a license and hadn't taken a rider safety course at the time, but I knew, like you, it was the right thing. The 280 mile trip home in below freezing weather was a ride I'll never forget. I was aprehensive to say the least. The dynamics were different than the Kawasaki 440 LTD I'd last ridden. The curves were the most notable difference. I got it home and parked it, mostly, for two weeks before I could get into a rider safety course and then get my license. I have since put over 4000 miles on my bike. Take your time, gain your confidence and skill. Be especially watchfull at intersections, including driveways, and in large store or mall type parking lots. A Sheriff's deputy, cutting across lanes, and I nearly had an incident. If I had not been watching, there would have been a collision. Fortunately, I was able to take evasive action. I was angry and he was embarrased.... rightfully so on both counts.

I'm only about 6 hours from you and if I get up your way, I'll give you a shout. Fat Boy was my first real HD crush.

Ride smart, ride safe, and God speed!

Jeff