I have recently purchased a FHLTCU and still have my 2008 VStar 1300 that I owned prior. Of course I've been riding the heck out the the HD since I picked it up about 3 weeks ago but I noticed I have had a couple close calls that I havent experienced with my Star and I was wondering why.

I hopped on the Star yesterday for a cruise around town and now I know why I had the close calls with the HD. I'M NOT PAYING ATTENTION like I do with the Star.
The Star doesnt have a windshield and has beach bars so it is all me spread out in the wind. I just feel like I'm on a motorcycle and I'm extra cautious because of it.
With the HD I have a windshield, gauges, backrest, and it just feels more like a car and I have noticed myself driving like I do with my car and not on heightened awareness like I should be on a motorcycle. Now that I know what's going on I'm going to be extra careful not to get lulled into complacency and ride like I should.

Has anybody else had this happen to them or am I the only weird one?

 

I live in Mexico. The only thing that keeps you alive is defensive driving.

 

I believe that completely as I've seen some of the driving down there.

 

I have an ultra but i ride like every car it out to hit me.

 

I think I know what you mean. My sport/race replica bikes were so damn twitchy fast that I was always kinda in race mode. My Road King is more of a comfortable cruiser and more than once I have felt like I'm kinda cruising along and not quite as sharp as I have been on other bikes.

 

I have to remind myself to pay attention from time to time. Especially when traffic is light or on a backroad where it's easy to just relax and assume no dogs, possums or deer will jump onto the road in front of me or a car may pull out of a driveway.

 

the first few rides on my 01 eg were kind of harry, too smooth you need to remember to pay attention, you end up trying to take turns at 55mph.. and i have been riding for over 20 years

 

Not sure how you got it backwards, but all my motorcycles have made me a more cautious car driver. I don't want to be on either end of a car/motorcycle accident........or any other accident for that matter.

 

To me whenever I put a helmet on I know I'm riding defensively....no other option

 

I'm always cautious, but I am more comfortable riding the big bike in traffic than I am on either of the 2 rice rockets.

This is something new to me, I guess it is part of getting old and afraid of crashing, because I never had a problem riding the rice bikes in close proximity to cars before.

When I go from bike to bike, when I first got the Harley, my biggest issue was not hitting the start button on the rice bikes thinking it was the right directional