Not only can't they corner

[Robert Taylor]

Morons ride all sorts of bikes.

In the last couple of years I've trippled my following distances.

(note that I'm assuming that I'm not a moron!)

With a decent set of rear shocks, Race Tech emulators and springs in the front and careful attention to geometry they can in fact be made to handle very well. A lot of my Harley customers will testify to that.
Plenty of other brands of bike need such attention as well.

There re plenty of Japanese bike dealers whod love to be able to sell Harleys at present, they actually give dealers profit.....

[Spearfish]

Would agree there is a certain amount of this. On the other hand, i spent around $3000 trying get some form of Handling out of my Wideglide and it still disappointed me. Off the showroom floor it was an absolute disaster. Not sure what you actually mean by "they handle well for what they are" type of thing. I expected a hell of a lot more than what i got for my nearly $30g.

At 30 grand I would to, especially after another 3 on top.

What year was yours, and would you say as a rider you would expect to push your own boundarys more often than finding the bikes (maybe to early), rather than just cruising, if you don't mind the questions?

[Big Dave]

when you ride with Auckland HOG i would have to agree. Bunch of the idiots pushed thier way across 2 lanes of traffic in front of me the other day. On the brakes hard out in a 44 ton truck with no where to go.



Was going to mention the video that i have since seen turn up.



Would agree there is a certain amount of this. On the other hand, i spent around $3000 trying get some form of Handling out of my Wideglide and it still disappointed me. Off the showroom floor it was an absolute disaster. Not sure what you actually mean by "they handle well for what they are" type of thing. I expected a hell of a lot more than what i got for my nearly $30g.

Like I said too - the last harley I rode that was 'agricultural' was a wide glide. The new ones ('10+) are reasonable tight. Still a raked cruiser, but 'good for one of them'.

As for the 08/09 Touring Chassis onwards - Super Glide, Ultra, Road King. They tip as good as any in class.

[MarkH]

I watched the video and my first thought was: "I wonder how long he's had his license for?".
I believe that in the US of A you don't need to buy a bike like a 250cc learner type thing for your first bike - you can get a bike license and buy a Hayabusa or a Harley or a GSXR-1000.

I think that the rider of Bike 1 and probably the rider of Bike 2 also were noobs, in NZ they would probably have been on GN250s or something similar.

[Grubber]

Like I said too - the last harley I rode that was 'agricultural' was a wide glide. The new ones ('10+) are reasonable tight. Still a raked cruiser, but 'good for one of them'.

As for the 08/09 Touring Chassis onwards - Super Glide, Ultra, Road King. They tip as good as any in class.

I always notice that you put "they tip as good as any in class". Hmmmm...what class is that exactly??
Went for a ride on a very recent sporty and a superglide thingy. Sporty was not too bad but the other was very much De ja vu.

Video in OP is definitely the dickhead on the back. Think any bike would have been dead with him on it. Still not sure how the hell he did it though.

[Grubber]

At 30 grand I would to, especially after another 3 on top.

What year was yours, and would you say as a rider you would expect to push your own boundarys more often than finding the bikes (maybe to early), rather than just cruising, if you don't mind the questions?

Questions are good.
Firstly it was a matter of slow cruise home from Welly to Auckland only to find that the rear stepped out on nearly every corner. Definately not pushing it at all as most of it was done a night so was reasonably cautious i thought.
As i got more used to it i expected to see some change but it just got worse. Hence the $3000 spent. It did swing round corners much better but at the loss of some comfort.
I kinda thought after spending $30g that i was buying a bike that should have gone to the moon on one wheel but was really dissapointed that it was quite so bad.
Age. First one was 1995 and tried again many years later with one of the new engine s etc and it was just as bad as the first.
Can see what your trying to say here. Would have been my first questions too.

[Spearfish]

Questions are good.
Firstly it was a matter of slow cruise home from Welly to Auckland only to find that the rear stepped out on nearly every corner. Definately not pushing it at all as most of it was done a night so was reasonably cautious i thought.
As i got more used to it i expected to see some change but it just got worse. Hence the $3000 spent. It did swing round corners much better but at the loss of some comfort.
I kinda thought after spending $30g that i was buying a bike that should have gone to the moon on one wheel but was really dissapointed that it was quite so bad.
Age. First one was 1995 and tried again many years later with one of the new engine s etc and it was just as bad as the first.
Can see what your trying to say here. Would have been my first questions too.

Great, thanks for the answers.

[cheshirecat]

Apologies apologies to all you HD riders - I've been under the wrong impression all these years.

Today on a jount over the Masterton to get my Continental RA Mk2 bedded in, no less than 5 Harley riders waved to me including some dude with the architype German WW2 helmet. (that really threw me) My little world will never be the same.

Or is there another reason?

[Big Dave]

I always notice that you put "they tip as good as any in class". Hmmmm...what class is that exactly??

Super-heavyweights.

Including Metric Cruisers over 1600cc, Rocket III and Thunderbird, Gold Wing, Victory Tourers, any of the large capacity 'behemoths'.

They all handle and work well - till the size and girth of the vehicle limits how far it can lean over. That's why I always put the proviso. The comparison is conditional.

There must have been something wrong with the Super Glide or it was a pre-current touring Chassis rig. From my experience anyhoo.

Every touring chassis vehicle (quite a few) I've tested has been first rate. Solid, stable and planted over undulating surfaces, maneuverable and actually quite confidence inspiring, with one ABS finger brakes.

[jafar]

Done Deal's Gap yet my friend? once you have, then come back and roll out your barrel

I've done deals gap. Got the tee shirt to prove it too

Ive stood under the parts tree, seen the truck they take away the dead bikes with & spoken to the driver of it too.
A 45 foot long semi loaded with dead & dying bikes, it is the guys main living picking them up from deals gap & taking them to asheville to get them sorted out.

Do I get a barrel too ?

[RDJ]

I've done deals gap. Got the tee shirt to prove it too

Do I get a barrel too ?

You've again proven it's the rider not the bike...

[jafar]

You've again proven it's the rider not the bike...

Correct, it is the rider that pushes the machine, the bikes @ deals gap were a vast range of types & models from nearly every manufacturer . Most of the ones going on the wrecker were of the sports variety though. Plenty of harleys & other cruisers were there having a good day out & none crashed that I saw.

[paturoa]

With a decent set of rear shocks, Race Tech emulators and springs in the front and careful attention to geometry they can in fact be made to handle very well. A lot of my Harley customers will testify to that.
Plenty of other brands of bike need such attention as well.

There re plenty of Japanese bike dealers whod love to be able to sell Harleys at present, they actually give dealers profit.....

What do you have for the bit between the ears?