2014 Wide Glide

[AllanB]

Actually my biggest bitch about Harley specifically is if I am out fanging it on my Jappa thinking I'm doing really well and some arse on FXRSSST is keeping up with me..............

I blame tyre pressures ...............

[Trade_nancy]

What a load of internet Arse biscuit.

Brakes on this bike are fine. Mostly I use one finger to operate the front. Two for a yellow light. The main reason for twin discs on high performance bikes is heat dissapation. Not such a big deal on a cruiser.

Handling on this bike is also good. Yah - I've been riding it for two weeks and it's good.
Much better than the rake and 21" front wheel would indicate. Good geometry compensates.

Only gripe I have is the cornering clearance is limited on the exhaust side. Otherwise it's well mannered and stable.

Lovely to ride, great lookin' bike.

I have a tourer - not a high performance bike as such and don't generate much heat in braking. I think 2 sets of disks in front of 400Kg including rider and pillion is a damned fine idea and the Wideglide front end typifies a choice made - form over function.

[Drew]

I have a tourer - not a high performance bike as such and don't generate much heat in braking. I think 2 sets of disks in front of 400Kg including rider and pillion is a damned fine idea and the Wideglide front end typifies a choice made - form over function.

Dave is on the money, you are clearly not understanding the principles I'm afraid.

To give this some context, we'll go to yet another of the silly things I've done on a race track. Bike was an FZR750, racing it in post classics. Unfortunately it had one warped brake rotor, and would get quite interesting under heavy brakes. So I took the bent one off, and ran with just the other.

Could brake harder and deeper than ever before on the bike. The only down side, was that it literally melted the disk. The trailing edge of every vent hole in the disk, was very thin and the material dragged back to the leading edge of the next hole.

Still got the disk, I'm quite proud of it. Stupid Buel disks are notorious for doing the exact same thing.

So it's not about braking power mmmkay, it's about maintaining that power without things getting too hot.

[Crasherfromwayback]

You know the best update I would like on a HD like that is a decent pair of front brakes. Fucking cruiser single front brake shit - darn things weigh 30% more that a 'regular' ride but have half the brakes. I'm happy to cruise at a steady 110 but I expect to be able to emergency stop in a bloody hurry regardless of the motorcycles 'style'.

I have a tourer - not a high performance bike as such and don't generate much heat in braking. I think 2 sets of disks in front of 400Kg including rider and pillion is a damned fine idea and the Wideglide front end typifies a choice made - form over function.

It's no good putting another disc/caliper of the front of the bikes with the 21" front wheel. The tyre's contact patch is tiny and very easy to overwhelm. The reasonably large floating disc and big caliper they have on 'em is just fine. And others have said...you can use a shitload of rear brake too to help haul 'em up. They're all ABS equipped too. So youi can just jump on everything. You'd be surprised how quickly you can stop the things.

[RDJ]

The main reason for twin discs on high performance bikes is heat dissapation. Not such a big deal on a cruiser.

Ah, didn't know that, worth remembering. I thought (= assumed) twin discs would be better because of the ability of twin discs to cool faster given the doubled area for the same braking effect. I do prefer the twin setup but it's good to know that if I rent a single-disc during my travels I'm not worse off for brakes .

[Big Dave]

I thought (= assumed) twin discs would be better because of the ability of twin discs to cool faster given the doubled area for the same braking effect. .

Isn't that what I said :-)

Less likelihood of fluid boiling too.

I had a fairly long talk with Erik Buell about it and heat outcomes in the ZTL perimeter brakes - at a bar in outback Victoria. That was a 'pinch me' moment.

Anyway, Wide Glide doesn't go hard enough for heat dissipation to be the issue and the brakes are fine.

I did 150km on a new Heritage with a single front stopper yesterday. It needed more lever effort than the Widey, but there was still nothing at all wrong with the brakes. Particularly for a 360kg vehicle.

If you put 'savage' stoppers like a sportsbike on them I bet the old timers would tuck them for sure.

[ruaphu]

Actually given HD's vested interesting it producing lots of Screaming Eagle bits it is surprising the front end is not set up to carry a second brake as a SE 'performance' modification. They must be slipping in the marketing department.

I shall pen them a stern letter.

Yep moot point Al, it's the golden rule when making cars more powerful. more power = more brakes. My ole Suzuki 1500 cruiser had the single front disk with only singe pot caliper, was scary compared with the GSX 1200Y I was used to pootling around. However a mates honda little 750 cruiser has a sinlge disk front, works a treat. We finally dumped the Suzie for a 2000cc Kawasaki cruiser thats near on 400KG and has a twin disk front end, I'm amazed how well the behemouth pulls up. So set up is critical I suppose to get efficient braking. Horses for courses stuff eh.

Dave, that Harley looks awesome, look forward to seeing the write up. Have to say, those exhausts look like copies of Vance and Haynes products, shame HD didn't lift them up and inch or two to improve clearance eh. Cheers Ando

[Big Dave]

Thanks. Article is done and dispatched. Ride impressions and a bit of the model's history.

I have a new Fat Boy with my Heavy Duty magazine hat on this week.
Been chalking up some very enjoyable miles on that too.