Hell of a first bike ... I guess you'll figure it out or (hopefully not) die trying. Seriously there's aspects of a touring frame Harley that are totally unique and no amount of riding 250cc bikes at a msf course will prepare you for. Basic riding principles on the other hand can be learned on any bike. I've been riding for getting on 40 years and it still took me over a year to become totally comfortable with my e-glide (that's pretty darned comfortable mind you). Be careful out there.

 

Yeah I think that was me that revived it, WPB. Thanks for starting it, this helped me to make my decision. I put the down payment on my 2005 Road king today!!

Thank you all for your feedback even when it was directed to West. I think I'm going to buy the pro dvd's too. Very Excited to join such a friendly and tight knit community.

Thanks again and happy riding to you all!

 

Follow his advice,in the beginning I dropped my Ultra 3 times when I used the front brake at slow speed with the front wheel turned,then I bought the "Ride like a Pro" DVDs and book and later took one of their courses in Pensacola,Fla and that helped a lot too.I found the instructions in the DVD very useful and I suggest you buy it and you'll learn how to handle the beast.Good luck and enjoy your new bike!
P.S.After dropping the bike the first time I bought the crash bars protections in case i did it again and didn't want to scratch the bars.

 

You'll do fine. Just heed all the advice. It comes from people who have booked many miles.
I bought my 09 Ultra after not riding since my (new) '78 Kawaski kz1000. Put 30k on in 3 years and just traded for a '12 CVO Ultra. Doing a 5k trip in a couple days. I love it!
They're heavy bikes but thats half the fun.
Be careful, safe, and enjoy!

 

Practice, Practice, Practice!! Slow and easy until your comfortable. Stay OUT of high traffic areas until your confidences grows and your skill level increases. Try side roads and empty parking lots to hone your skills. Always think defensively on a bike, stay out of blind spots and try to anticipated what other vehicles are going to do. Keep an escape route in mind in case you need to do a quick maneuver to get out of danger! Get comfortable with the front brake and its capabilities so It's instinctive to you in a quick stop situation, the last thing you want to do is lock up that front wheel in a emergency situation.....hell ANY situation for that manner! Jeez I could keep going on and on but just be man enough to admit that your not ready sooner than you actually are! No room for egos and macho stuff on a 800 pound bike! Take the riders course you won't be sorry you did, it will help immensely!

CONGRATS!
Ride safe!

 

I was very nervous too rode very small bikes back home and 25 years later I bought an UC lost sleep for few days worrying about it, but after riding it every 1K miles I got very comfortable with it, get familiar with it in some empty parking lot and don't worry if you lay it down can't hurt it but you will see what this bike is capable of.After taking few long distance ride more then 200 miles a day you will feel real good and proud of your bike and yourself.

 

Well, first...welcome...take the Riders Edge Course (SOON). Oh, and I loved that comment you made about buying exactly want you wanted now so you wouldn't have to spend more money down the road...REALLY? had you ever talked to a HD owner? We are worse than golfers when it comes to spending money on our bikes.

 

UPDATE: Love my Road King Classic. Love riding its so freeing, (is that a word?) Thanks to all the advice here. Ride safe all!

 

I bought a 1200cc Sportster HD before I knew how to ride. My fiance has a Fat Bob. Wanted to learn how to ride. Passed the RENJ (Riders Education of New Jersey, same curriculum as MSF) class. Difficult for someone never on a motorcycle before. Feels like I'm starting all over. Learned on a 125cc metric! Not giving up...Will get there with practice! I am very tentative with my Harley in a parking lot being as it is so much heavier. I feel like I lost my confidence after I dropped my bike in class in the figure 8's manuever (still passed with a 92 !). Luckily my guy is very patient and is supportive with his encouragement.

 

If your previous equipment did not have manual clutches, you are in for a learning experience. I won't waste a lot of space here but pm me if you have never ridden a gadget with a clutch lever. Everything has been mentioned except-backing up. You may need to do that at some point. Especially when turning while backing, the front wheel may seem to want to roll out from underneath you and you can't back peddle your feet fast enough to keep up. In this case, the front brake can lock the front wheel and let you catch up and locking the front wheel when getting on and off can stabilize things also. DON'T confuse this with front brake use while riding forward.