No chicken strips on a Harley?I've raced sportsbikes on racing tracks for many years and the thought of any chicken strips on those bikes does not even exist.Not at the speeds we attack corners but on a Harley?really guys,how high up are your footpegs?are the exhaust running over your ears?not to mention other parts.I had a Fatboy Lo which has the 200 rear tires and I craved so much to lean the bike but the footboard scraps like crazy.I've got the SG now and I can tell that it has better ground clearance but to try and have no chicken strips?On a sportsbike I need to change my knee sliders periodically but I'm not good enough to lean a Harley that low..you guys are at a different level.
To all you guys who think having a finger over your brake lever on standby is for pussies?It makes a difference.It's proven.You don't need to do that on the highway cruising along but in the areas where you think you may have to brake any second,just have a finger or better still 2 fingers over your brake lever.It's an art to get used,to have the index finger and middle finger over you lever and getting your thumb and you last 2 fingers to grab the grips.Although the tourers have better better brakes as compared to say the Softails or Sportster unless you have real big strong fingers,I suggest using at least 2 fingers to stop the bike real fast.

 

I don't think anyone is a ***** for having one or more fingers over the front brake, but please cite a reference where it is "proven" to be a good thing.

The time difference between having fingers at the ready and having to move them from the grip to the brake can probably be measured in hundredths of a second.

 

signs of an experienced rider :
1. limp from bike wrecks while gathering experience
2. scarred knuckles from slipped wrenches while working on bike.
3 bad case of monkey butt form road trips.
4. empty wallet from parts bills , beer , and wenches

 

And that hundredths of a second is what makes the difference.Ask any dirt biker with proper training and they may tell you the same.I don't have the time to search for literature to prove this but this is something That I was thought(by professionals)during my dirt bike years and it is very applicable for road use too.If you've rode competitively,you'd know what I mean.Try this the next time you're on a clear road,quick repetitive braking with 2 fingers on the lever and then with all your fingers on the grip. In any case,if you think you're fast enough then you don't need to practice this.

 

The difference between crash and no crash.

 

Hey if you aint crashed you aint been riding long enough, don't worry, it will come!

 

It's not a matter of if ... it's a matter of when.

 

Amen and pass the Easy Riders!

 

I actually find it almost laughable that "fingers on the brake lever", is viewed by some, as a newbie/***** thing... If you're doing it because you lack experience and are truly unsure of yourself, that's one thing. However, anyone who has ever ridden a motorcycle aggressively, whether on a dirt scoot or a street bike, will tell you that this is "how it's done"... Don't even need two fingers... And the lever is not being "covered", just in case... It's being aggressively worked, when and where necessary...

On the other hand... Cruising down the highway, doesn't even require your hands to be on the bars...

The "chicken strips" issue... I could grind the floorboards and brackets off of any softie in short order... Enough on that...

 

That has got to be one of the most asinine statements ever quoted in my opinion. I would love to see the stats that back it up.

The same could be said regarding driving a car or falling in the shower and would be just accurate.

Nothing more than fear mongering and trying to make others feel they are dependent on the one saying it for an education to insure their safety.