First time on a Harley (Softail) in the Blue Mountains near Sydney Aus.
All went well till we got into the mountains - rain, low visibility and steep roads. Wasn't the most enjoyable journey as the roads were not particularly good. In fact a bit scarey to say the least!!
Can't make my mind up whether this has put me off a Harley or not - or whether the bike just isnt suitable to those conditions?
No idea whether it's just Harley ribbing or whether it's true but some say Harley's were never meant to go round corners, only in straight lines. Ya can't do much cruising on a slope tho eh? lol
Harleys ride ok , they don't have a huge amount of ground clearence and they will touch down on bends. However , coz of the shallow rake they are very stable . Potholes and ruts on a bend are taken with ease . You will never ever get a tank slapper on a hog. I ran a evo lowrider for 10 years and loved it. If it wasn't for marriage, divorce and solicitors bills . I would still have one. Women grrr. I suppose to be fair, I did change the front springs to Progressives same with the shox. Crane cam , mikuni HS40,Manley valves and springs, S&S adjustable pushrods. New ignition module. Went like s**t off a stick. Word of warning. They do tend to turn into a hobby. A great bike , fantastic engineering, designed to last forever. I miss mine , everytime I throw my leg over that rice burner I've got. Grrrr I've been divorced six year and at times , I still hate that woman lmao ... Dusty
Hi DTR...not ridden a Harley but I'm an Aussie and the condition of rural roads in Aus can be a hazard to any bike at times especially with the weather extremes. Combined with poor weather conditions in the Blue Mountains isn't good...if ya make it over the other side though there are some great roads for biking
haha...JP I did the same with my Bike....timing is everything....hehehe
Nice one JP , I probably shouldn't mention this on a dating site , but ,, after my 2nd divorce , she got the house , I got the Harley. After my 3rd divorce . She got the dosh and I kept the house . I can't see a harley in my immediate future , well , un less I get married again . 2 can live cheaper than one ha ha . So any single ladies (with a job ) ...... give me a call . lol
I am by no means a Harley worshipper but I am now into the fourth year of riding my Nightster and I bloody love it!
First impressions on the test ride were not that impressive and in fact my brother was so unimpressed he went down the Triumph route. However, I sensed something when I rode it (maybe just a challenge) and took the plunge...
Once you get used to its little anomalies and make them work for you instead of against you, you can really ride the thing.
It is a quite versatile bike - we tour on it two-up fully loaded (on steep Highland roads) with no problems at all but riding solo you can actually sit on the tank and push it through the corners (think motocross rather than GP). I have taken it up to ski slopes in snow and ridden it in way below freezing conditions where I have had to frequently stop to let the oil warm up as it was getting too thick to flow. I regularly take it up a steep potholed farm track (with bermed corners) to a friends house and it more than copes with that.
I think you get out of it what you put in... and unfortunately that doesn't just mean time, it can mean money too. Definitely get rid of the Dunlop tyres as they are far too slippery for UK roads. Then you can change exhausts, filters, fuel management, suspension etc.
Also, be aware of the rust/paint issue - low quality fasteners and the thinnest of paint finishes really let the bike down. However, swap to SS fasteners and be prepared for a bit of remedial work and she will be just fine in even the heaviest of rain.
Riding a Harley is not for everyone, but it may just be for you.
On a hot Summer's evening, with the Sun setting, we have even been know to lose the helmets and just ride. A pure Soul Session....
TeeCee, totally agree , good write up.
Came to Harleys last year after 20 odd years throwing sports bikes around roads and tracks, and will never go back.
Love my sportster which does go round corners when forced my short shots pay testament to that. Totally scraped .
And can't wait to spend the summer on my new street glide
DTR i have only had my harley a year but i absolutely love her to pieces and i have ridden her in torrential rain on more than a couple of occasions and through thick sludgy mud at rallies fully loaded with gear!!
Every time i ride in the rain she has felt nothing but solid on the road and never once have i felt like rain is a problem - i test rode a bike that hadnt been run in so it was a bit of a mare to ride and soooo different to my bandit to ride as i was used to caning it in each gear!!! you cant do that on a harley....i wasnt sure if i would get bored on a harley but something in me same as TeeCee said buy one!!.. something made me feel more in touch with the ground under me, i felt the bike had more heart and soul and i just went back and bought one and have loved it ever since!!
My bike also loves hills, harleys eat hill climbs with all that low down power!! totally different ride yes but so amazing and solid and well like they say you either love em or hate em!!
the only reason my bike dont like corners is coz of it being an extra low i same as BD keep scraping my pegs and exhaust clips!! but thats ok you just get used to riding wiht the bike and loving it more each time you ride ..
Give another one a test ride DRT and see what you think
I once had a loan of an Electra Glide for a few days. So very different from the usual Euro-Jap bikes, but it's more an attitude of mind. Once you start thinking Harleys it all starts falling into place. The Glide had the best wind protection of just about any bike I've ridden. There was nothing scientific about it, just a bloody enormous screen that kept the draughts away, and the bike had enough low-down torque not to notice. Also the best bike I've ridden for starting conversations with admiring ladies....sigh... Razz it through the twisties like, say, a CBR600, and it'll scrape the pegs/footboards on either side and if really pushed it will bite - a Harley trying to high-side you is not fun, as I discovered! If I had a stable of bikes I'd have one. Wouldn't stop me making tractor jokes, though
Hi DTR, I love my Harley's and have had a quite a few over the years,both hardtail and std models.If you are coming from Jap bikes you may want to consider Dyna's instead of Softail's.They are the HD to throw around.I say this as i hired one in Tenerife a few weeks ago and was following a local on his Softail through the mountains there,t shirt and cutoff in January...Ahhh.I digress.The point is it is hairpin mecca up there and i was making corners so much easier on the Dyna than he was on the Softail and i was two up. All this from a Softail rider!! You can push them and i consider foot boards to be consumables much the same as pads and tyres.The other thing is in the rain i have never had a Harley suffer from the wet.I have ended up waiting for Jap bikes to dry out though!! Finally the Twincam Softails handle way better than the Evo version though i wish i still had my Evo Springer! It's all contradictions i know but that's Harley's for ya! All the best.
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