My first Ride on my Wide Glide
#81
08-17-2007, 07:29 AM
RE: My first Ride on my Wide Glide
First and foremost thank you for 20 years of service for this great country. I humbly shake your hand and give thanks. We never do enough for our service people.
Congrats on the new bike. You are going to love it. I started riding back in the 50's. No not the 1850's, the 1950's. lol As most I started on a mini-bike (my first ridgid, lol). As to the Tach, I never look where the tach would be if there was one there. Like a lot of OLD riders I started on "Dirt Bikes" (had 9 different dirt bikes) and then later went onto "Street Bikes". My wide glide is my 13th motorcycle.
As far as the "lean" method versusthe "Counter steer method" goes, use the Countersteer method. I am not sure how big you are but I highly doubt you have enough **** to lean a 700lb bike. I know I don't and you can see by the picture below, I ain't exactly little, lol.
Dirst bikes weighing 250 to 300 lbs are easy to move around. Leaning is easy on a light weight bike. Get on a bicyle and push it to one side or the other while riding. Easy isn't it? Sure it is, it only weighs 20lbs. Same with a dirt bike, it is light in weight compared to your wide glide. You try leaning your wide glide, as an inexperienced rider and you are asking for trouble. I am happy to hear that you ALWAYS ride within your comfort zone.
As to these riders that claim they never push or pull on the grips to turn (above 30mph) I have one, ok 2 words for them: BULL S**t. You automatically push or pull with your hands whether you realize it or not. I had to chuckle to myself when I read where somebody THINKS they are man enough to LEAN a Harley (as much as they weigh) in a high speed turn. That one cracked me up, thanks for the laugh.
A bike going down a road is automatically going to stay upright. Its like a top spinning. The centrifical force of the rotating tires FORCES the bike upright. Some people WRONGLY think, WOW, those motorcycle riders must have a great sense of balance. lol. Belive me balance has little to do with it. I have a buddy with 2 left feet and clumbsy as all get out and he rides a Harley. If he can, ANYBODY can. lol.
When in a high speed turn, slightly increase the twist of that throttle. Remember the cicumferance of the wheel (tire) is less when you are riding on the side versus the outside diameter. You need to slightly increase the throttle to maintain the same speed.
I never took a motorcycle training class. I learned the old fashioned way. Fell off that mini bike a lot. lol. But when your akid your not to bright.
When you get your 1000 miles and your ready to take a trip, give me a yell. I would be proud to ride with you. I am always looking for people that enjoy taking 2 or 3 day weekend trips or longer.
Ole Geezer
Congrats on the new bike. You are going to love it. I started riding back in the 50's. No not the 1850's, the 1950's. lol As most I started on a mini-bike (my first ridgid, lol). As to the Tach, I never look where the tach would be if there was one there. Like a lot of OLD riders I started on "Dirt Bikes" (had 9 different dirt bikes) and then later went onto "Street Bikes". My wide glide is my 13th motorcycle.
As far as the "lean" method versusthe "Counter steer method" goes, use the Countersteer method. I am not sure how big you are but I highly doubt you have enough **** to lean a 700lb bike. I know I don't and you can see by the picture below, I ain't exactly little, lol.
Dirst bikes weighing 250 to 300 lbs are easy to move around. Leaning is easy on a light weight bike. Get on a bicyle and push it to one side or the other while riding. Easy isn't it? Sure it is, it only weighs 20lbs. Same with a dirt bike, it is light in weight compared to your wide glide. You try leaning your wide glide, as an inexperienced rider and you are asking for trouble. I am happy to hear that you ALWAYS ride within your comfort zone.
As to these riders that claim they never push or pull on the grips to turn (above 30mph) I have one, ok 2 words for them: BULL S**t. You automatically push or pull with your hands whether you realize it or not. I had to chuckle to myself when I read where somebody THINKS they are man enough to LEAN a Harley (as much as they weigh) in a high speed turn. That one cracked me up, thanks for the laugh.
A bike going down a road is automatically going to stay upright. Its like a top spinning. The centrifical force of the rotating tires FORCES the bike upright. Some people WRONGLY think, WOW, those motorcycle riders must have a great sense of balance. lol. Belive me balance has little to do with it. I have a buddy with 2 left feet and clumbsy as all get out and he rides a Harley. If he can, ANYBODY can. lol.
When in a high speed turn, slightly increase the twist of that throttle. Remember the cicumferance of the wheel (tire) is less when you are riding on the side versus the outside diameter. You need to slightly increase the throttle to maintain the same speed.
I never took a motorcycle training class. I learned the old fashioned way. Fell off that mini bike a lot. lol. But when your akid your not to bright.
When you get your 1000 miles and your ready to take a trip, give me a yell. I would be proud to ride with you. I am always looking for people that enjoy taking 2 or 3 day weekend trips or longer.
Ole Geezer
#83
08-22-2007, 03:04 PM
Road Warrior
RE: My first Ride on my Wide Glide
Funny... I have ridden since the 60's also... mini bikes, dirt bikes, raced motocross in the early 70's, streetsince the late 70's, and had never heard of this until I took rider training acouple of months ago. I tried it when I got my Fat Boy and was indeed amazed! It does work, and really well. There are many ways to turn a bike, and this is another 'tool' in the arsenal to have under your belt. I know early on, back in the day, I could have used it to save a fall... I used to have a Kawasaki H1 (500cc three-cylinder two stroke), and they werescreamers in a straight line.Because of the wide engine cases and associated gyroscopic effect, though, they didn't handle well at all around corners.I took a hairpin too fast one time and ended up hitting a pile of dirt and rocks on the outside of the corner and ate it. I'm sure now that I could have avoided it if I had just pushed the bars harder... I was already body-leaning as much as possible.
If you haven't tried it, get out on a road or parking lot with no traffic and work with it a little... it may save your tail some day.
Roger
If you haven't tried it, get out on a road or parking lot with no traffic and work with it a little... it may save your tail some day.
Roger
#85
07-02-2010, 05:00 AM
#86
06-25-2011, 05:22 PM
Wow cant believe this thread is still around. Still have my 07 Wide Glide and still ride as much as I can. Feel alot more confident these days though!!
On a side note, the wife rides a 09 Dyna Low Rider and starting to teach my son on her bike. Gonna sign him up for the Riders Edge course though!
Ride Safe!!
On a side note, the wife rides a 09 Dyna Low Rider and starting to teach my son on her bike. Gonna sign him up for the Riders Edge course though!
Ride Safe!!
#87
01-02-2012, 12:27 AM
Tourer
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Louisiana
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There is some terrific info in this thread!
In reference to the old "I don't use counter steering" argument -
It occurred to me while out riding this weekend, and I've never seen it mentioned or explained this way. I *THINK* maybe those that think counter steering doesn't work for them or that they don't use it, only steering by shifting their weight are initiating counter steer just the way they think they are. By Leaning.
Its simple body mechanics... Anyone thats ever done abit of boxing or the like can tell ya - If anything on the body moves, so does the bodys core and visa versa. So when you lean to the inside of a turn and have hold of the bars some of that shift in weight is transferred to the inside grip.
Try this: Place your hands flat, shoulder width apart on the desk in front of you and put a little weight on them in equal amounts. Without relaxing either arm lean your body to one side or the other... You can easily feel the pressure on your palm increase as you lean to that side.... This bit of pressure transfer is probably enough to enact counter steering to that side. Specially when augmented by the shift in weight.
Just my 0.02$ on the subject
In reference to the old "I don't use counter steering" argument -
It occurred to me while out riding this weekend, and I've never seen it mentioned or explained this way. I *THINK* maybe those that think counter steering doesn't work for them or that they don't use it, only steering by shifting their weight are initiating counter steer just the way they think they are. By Leaning.
Its simple body mechanics... Anyone thats ever done abit of boxing or the like can tell ya - If anything on the body moves, so does the bodys core and visa versa. So when you lean to the inside of a turn and have hold of the bars some of that shift in weight is transferred to the inside grip.
Try this: Place your hands flat, shoulder width apart on the desk in front of you and put a little weight on them in equal amounts. Without relaxing either arm lean your body to one side or the other... You can easily feel the pressure on your palm increase as you lean to that side.... This bit of pressure transfer is probably enough to enact counter steering to that side. Specially when augmented by the shift in weight.
Just my 0.02$ on the subject
#89
12-22-2014, 08:38 PM
Road Captain
somebody please repost what was so spectacular about this thread, don't make us read all 9 pages, I read a few of the posts and the mutiple "thanks" for the service to the country about make me puke, yeah, thanks for selling us out. living high off our tax dollars & putting us $18 trillion in debt, and screwing up the world like they did in Iraq and making us known as the great satan, and the morons cheer it on. disgusting.
what's so spectacular again?
what's so spectacular again?
#90
12-23-2014, 08:59 AM
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