Need Advice
#1
11-01-2014, 07:02 PM
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Vero Beach, FL
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Need Advice
Hey everyone, first post. So I am in need of advice and was hoping to shore the experience that has led me here. About a year ago my wife and I moved to a new town and I quickly made friends with a few guys who have become close friends. One of these friends has a group of guys that go for rides a few times a week up and down the coast; they are leisurely and fun rides and everyone has varying skill levels. After talking to me for months about joining his riding group I went and took the basic riders course and got my motorcycle endorsement.
I should mention at this point that a bicycle had been my extent of two wheeled motoring. I had never ridden a dirt bike or anything growing up. I did a lot of research after passing the class and decided that if I was going to end up with a Harley anyway then that should be my first purchase. I don't think that was necessarily a mistake, but what followed certainly was. On the day I went to the dealership I brought my father-in-law with me who spent ten years as a motorcycle cop. I was immediately drawn to the look of the 2014 street glide special. So we checked out two bikes and rode them around town for about thirty minutes. The bike did feel big at first (I am 5'6, 170 lbs with a 30'' inseam) but I figured it was because the riding course I took had us on tiny bikes. The first thing I noticed was I felt a bit off balance when stopped. My feet were barely flat. After riding around town my father in law mentioned how I had handled the bike like a pro. I took this as enough of a seal of approval and bought one the following week.
The following week I drove the bike an hour home. After purchasing it I immediately dropped it in the parking lot and had a fun time getting it upright. I made it home but the experience honestly left me scared, like I was borderline out of control with the bike. I rode it a couple more times and decided to sell it and thankfully recouped almost my entire investment.
So here I am about five months later and still have the bug. I am trying to forget about how uncomfortable I felt on the bike and convince myself it was simply a matter of lack of experience on my part. I am now looking for a starter harley that would suit me. I am short and feel like a low riding bike would suit me, such as the softail deluxe. I have read that the softail deluxe is the lowest center of gravity bike on the HD line. What concerns me is that it is only 80 or so pounds lighter than the street glide special. I feel stuck at square one and would love advice on how to proceed.
I should mention at this point that a bicycle had been my extent of two wheeled motoring. I had never ridden a dirt bike or anything growing up. I did a lot of research after passing the class and decided that if I was going to end up with a Harley anyway then that should be my first purchase. I don't think that was necessarily a mistake, but what followed certainly was. On the day I went to the dealership I brought my father-in-law with me who spent ten years as a motorcycle cop. I was immediately drawn to the look of the 2014 street glide special. So we checked out two bikes and rode them around town for about thirty minutes. The bike did feel big at first (I am 5'6, 170 lbs with a 30'' inseam) but I figured it was because the riding course I took had us on tiny bikes. The first thing I noticed was I felt a bit off balance when stopped. My feet were barely flat. After riding around town my father in law mentioned how I had handled the bike like a pro. I took this as enough of a seal of approval and bought one the following week.
The following week I drove the bike an hour home. After purchasing it I immediately dropped it in the parking lot and had a fun time getting it upright. I made it home but the experience honestly left me scared, like I was borderline out of control with the bike. I rode it a couple more times and decided to sell it and thankfully recouped almost my entire investment.
So here I am about five months later and still have the bug. I am trying to forget about how uncomfortable I felt on the bike and convince myself it was simply a matter of lack of experience on my part. I am now looking for a starter harley that would suit me. I am short and feel like a low riding bike would suit me, such as the softail deluxe. I have read that the softail deluxe is the lowest center of gravity bike on the HD line. What concerns me is that it is only 80 or so pounds lighter than the street glide special. I feel stuck at square one and would love advice on how to proceed.
#2
11-01-2014, 07:06 PM
Elite HDF Member
Hey everyone, first post. So I am in need of advice and was hoping to shore the experience that has led me here. About a year ago my wife and I moved to a new town and I quickly made friends with a few guys who have become close friends. One of these friends has a group of guys that go for rides a few times a week up and down the coast; they are leisurely and fun rides and everyone has varying skill levels. After talking to me for months about joining his riding group I went and took the basic riders course and got my motorcycle endorsement.
I should mention at this point that a bicycle had been my extent of two wheeled motoring. I had never ridden a dirt bike or anything growing up. I did a lot of research after passing the class and decided that if I was going to end up with a Harley anyway then that should be my first purchase. I don't think that was necessarily a mistake, but what followed certainly was. On the day I went to the dealership I brought my father-in-law with me who spent ten years as a motorcycle cop. I was immediately drawn to the look of the 2014 street glide special. So we checked out two bikes and rode them around town for about thirty minutes. The bike did feel big at first (I am 5'6, 170 lbs with a 30'' inseam) but I figured it was because the riding course I took had us on tiny bikes. The first thing I noticed was I felt a bit off balance when stopped. My feet were barely flat. After riding around town my father in law mentioned how I had handled the bike like a pro. I took this as enough of a seal of approval and bought one the following week.
The following week I drove the bike an hour home. After purchasing it I immediately dropped it in the parking lot and had a fun time getting it upright. I made it home but the experience honestly left me scared, like I was borderline out of control with the bike. I rode it a couple more times and decided to sell it and thankfully recouped almost my entire investment.
So here I am about five months later and still have the bug. I am trying to forget about how uncomfortable I felt on the bike and convince myself it was simply a matter of lack of experience on my part. I am now looking for a starter harley that would suit me. I am short and feel like a low riding bike would suit me, such as the softail deluxe. I have read that the softail deluxe is the lowest center of gravity bike on the HD line. What concerns me is that it is only 80 or so pounds lighter than the street glide special. I feel stuck at square one and would love advice on how to proceed.
I should mention at this point that a bicycle had been my extent of two wheeled motoring. I had never ridden a dirt bike or anything growing up. I did a lot of research after passing the class and decided that if I was going to end up with a Harley anyway then that should be my first purchase. I don't think that was necessarily a mistake, but what followed certainly was. On the day I went to the dealership I brought my father-in-law with me who spent ten years as a motorcycle cop. I was immediately drawn to the look of the 2014 street glide special. So we checked out two bikes and rode them around town for about thirty minutes. The bike did feel big at first (I am 5'6, 170 lbs with a 30'' inseam) but I figured it was because the riding course I took had us on tiny bikes. The first thing I noticed was I felt a bit off balance when stopped. My feet were barely flat. After riding around town my father in law mentioned how I had handled the bike like a pro. I took this as enough of a seal of approval and bought one the following week.
The following week I drove the bike an hour home. After purchasing it I immediately dropped it in the parking lot and had a fun time getting it upright. I made it home but the experience honestly left me scared, like I was borderline out of control with the bike. I rode it a couple more times and decided to sell it and thankfully recouped almost my entire investment.
So here I am about five months later and still have the bug. I am trying to forget about how uncomfortable I felt on the bike and convince myself it was simply a matter of lack of experience on my part. I am now looking for a starter harley that would suit me. I am short and feel like a low riding bike would suit me, such as the softail deluxe. I have read that the softail deluxe is the lowest center of gravity bike on the HD line. What concerns me is that it is only 80 or so pounds lighter than the street glide special. I feel stuck at square one and would love advice on how to proceed.
#3
11-01-2014, 07:10 PM
Seasoned HDF Member
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Upstate N.Y.-Rochester Area
Posts: 14,985
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You might want to talk to your friends, the H-D dealer etc about options to bring the bike down to suit your size.
I'm also short, a Mustang seat and dropped shock/front fork made my FLHS (Think Road King.) much easier to handle.
Welcome to the forum.
I'm also short, a Mustang seat and dropped shock/front fork made my FLHS (Think Road King.) much easier to handle.
Welcome to the forum.
#5
11-01-2014, 07:21 PM
Road Warrior
I'd suggest going to a demo day at your dealer where you can ride several bikes. The FatBoy Lo might be a good place to start as well as the Dyna Low Rider. I'm just a bit taller than you and have a Fat Boy and a Street Glide and the center of gravity is very different between the two. You're on the right track looking for something lower as a newer rider, but there are several options - you really need to take the time to ride them. It's a big purchase, don't rush it. You might even consider a different, (less expensive), brand and a used one just to get your chops. You will drop it when you're learning, better to get all of that out of the way on a beater for the first year or so.
#6
11-01-2014, 07:34 PM
Cruiser
most important thing is to find one that can have your feet firmly flat on the floor. Otherwise you can very easily lose balance from the slightest nudge and then gravity takes over.
#7
11-01-2014, 07:38 PM
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#8
11-01-2014, 07:58 PM
Elite HDF Member
It is more to a motorcycle than how it looks or how cool it is. Motorcycling is a sport and just like any sport you don't start off being a pro. You work your way to being a pro through practice and perseverance. I seen many threads about getting a Harley as a first bike and I always recommend getting a small, used, metric bike to build skills and confidence.
There are threads dedicated to people dropping their bike and a lot of these guys have been riding for decades. Harley tourers are certainly not the best motorcycle for a beginner and neither is a softail, dyna, sportster, or vrod. Being a motorcyclist is about the ride not what your riding on.
There are threads dedicated to people dropping their bike and a lot of these guys have been riding for decades. Harley tourers are certainly not the best motorcycle for a beginner and neither is a softail, dyna, sportster, or vrod. Being a motorcyclist is about the ride not what your riding on.
#9
11-01-2014, 08:19 PM
Road Warrior
I started on a Sportster, which is considerably lighter than what you've picked out, but I found this helpful: https://www.ridelikeapro.com/
Once you get master the technique, the weight won't be an issue. Find an empty parking lot, and practice, practice, practice. Just make sure you're wearing boots, pads, etc. in case of a low-speed drop. The engine guard will protect the vital components of the Street Glide, though if you're nervous about damaging the aesthetics, wrap it with leather or something similar.
Learning on something that big means there's a good chance things will go wrong in the parking lot. When they do, as long as you're not hurt and the bike isn't damaged, pick it up and repeat what you were doing when you made the mistake. That way you won't go home feeling overly anxious about, say, U-turns from a stop.
I think this is the video Izzo meant to link:
I've had to do it more than once.
You're going to get a lot of good advice here. If you take anything away from my take on it, let it be this: Whenever you've got the chance, get on and ride. Early on, it can be terrifying, exhilarating, nerve-wracking, etc., but just keep putting on miles. The more of those miles are in the parking lot practicing difficult maneuvers, the better. Just keep that up, don't put yourself in dangerous situations, and you'll leave the nerves behind without realizing it.
Once you get master the technique, the weight won't be an issue. Find an empty parking lot, and practice, practice, practice. Just make sure you're wearing boots, pads, etc. in case of a low-speed drop. The engine guard will protect the vital components of the Street Glide, though if you're nervous about damaging the aesthetics, wrap it with leather or something similar.
Learning on something that big means there's a good chance things will go wrong in the parking lot. When they do, as long as you're not hurt and the bike isn't damaged, pick it up and repeat what you were doing when you made the mistake. That way you won't go home feeling overly anxious about, say, U-turns from a stop.
I think this is the video Izzo meant to link:
You're going to get a lot of good advice here. If you take anything away from my take on it, let it be this: Whenever you've got the chance, get on and ride. Early on, it can be terrifying, exhilarating, nerve-wracking, etc., but just keep putting on miles. The more of those miles are in the parking lot practicing difficult maneuvers, the better. Just keep that up, don't put yourself in dangerous situations, and you'll leave the nerves behind without realizing it.
#10
11-01-2014, 08:27 PM
Road Warrior
Get a smaller, lighter bike for a while. Get your feet wet for a season or two. Just my opinion, but I think learning to ride on a Harley for your first bike ever is a mistake, especially the way you got into it in the first place. It's not so much the being heavy, it's just a whole different kind of balance thing. Think medium sized rice burner for a while.There's a lot more things to learn on the road then you'll experience in a class and it doesn't sound like your comfortable or confident right now. Good luck whatever ya do.
