RE: 2007 Fatboy has a Design Flaw?
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RE: 2007 Fatboy has a Design Flaw? - 9/27/2006 7:39:54 PM
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Jerry L
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Sorry, Ghostwolf, let me clarify. All I'm wondering is why the 06 SE Fatboy is not offset, but the 07 is, both having the same tires. Just wondering why HD chose to do that, not a criticism of the bike, or HD, just wondered why they did it. I don't know of anyone who thinks their SE 06 OR 07 Fatboy veers one way or the other, which is why I wondered why HD changed the geometry when no one was complaining. I don't have either one, so just curious about "why" HD chose to do what they did, is all.
Jerry
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RE: 2007 Fatboy has a Design Flaw? - 9/28/2006 10:16:26 AM
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Babs
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From: NC
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I remember reading the old svc manual for my old 90 flstc.. It showed a top view of the bike for wheel alignment and from memory had gap specs drawn for the widths on left and right sides of the front and rear tire on a top view.. The two were not symmetrical as you would think. The front tire was off-center from the rear (as specified in the manual).. So it is by design for one reason or another. If you think about it.. makes sense geometrically.. As the bike is weighted off center to begin with, due to the engine setup, primary drive location, etc..
Ever wonder why the stock exhaust is so dang heavy compared to aftermarket.. It's not an accident, and they don't just want to waste extra steel piping and thick welds. I believe, (opinion coming) that they purposely make the exhaust heavy as a counterbalance to the weight of the primary on the other side. Interesting stuff.. Makes ya go hmmmm.  The geometry and physics involved is definitely more than just elementary. I'd love to talk to their Engrs about it.. as if they'd talk to a PSB like me..
 Is PSB even a term rather than RUB. There's RUB, but I sho ain't (r)ich and I sho ain't (u)rban. hehe  Is there a slang term for your average married, 2 kid shmo that lives in the country and counts the minutes until he can actually get away to go for a ride on a bike he financed?
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RE: 2007 Fatboy has a Design Flaw? - 9/28/2006 10:40:52 AM
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dugan
Posts: 568
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I stopped in to a dealer in St Louis yesterday while on a bizness trip and was talking to a service tech and he showed me what HD plans to do to remedy the fender fiasco. They will be replacing the fork covers with another set that is notched out at the end of the slider where it would meet the fender. Cheap fix on their part.
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RE: 2007 Fatboy has a Design Flaw? - 9/28/2006 11:00:14 AM
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Screamer
Posts: 687
Joined: 9/12/2005
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quote:
Sorry, Ghostwolf, let me clarify. All I'm wondering is why the 06 SE Fatboy is not offset, but the 07 is, both having the same tires. Just wondering why HD chose to do that, not a criticism of the bike, or HD, just wondered why they did it. I don't know of anyone who thinks their SE 06 OR 07 Fatboy veers one way or the other, which is why I wondered why HD changed the geometry when no one was complaining. I don't have either one, so just curious about "why" HD chose to do what they did, is all.
Jerry
I have the SE 06 and you pose a good question why the 06 SE Fatboy is not offset, but the 07 is, both having the same tires. Maybe the CVO SE design team is different than the other other? Not sure.
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RE: 2007 Fatboy has a Design Flaw? - 10/2/2006 12:00:26 AM
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aal
Posts: 60
Joined: 1/16/2006
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I don't have a fat boy, and not much I can add, except to say I'v got an 04 bmw rt 1150, and like most all bmws it pulls to the right if you take your hands off the bars. Bmw's are famous for it. Nonetheless, it's a great handling bike. If the fat boys go straight, I don't think there should be any problem. Sounds like just a cosmetic trade off - 200 mm rear tire for slightly offset front tire/fender. Personally, I think a 180 is a nicer looking size, and I don't care what anyone says, my 05 fxstb with the 150 handled better than my 06 fxstb with the 200. That said, I came to prefer the look of the 200 over the 150, and if I had my choice, I'd stick with the 200. I know Harleys aren't sport bikes, and I can live with their handling limitations, and I think this is true for everyone that's got a Harley.
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RE: 2007 Fatboy has a Design Flaw? - 10/3/2006 9:43:51 AM
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FLSTNI_Man_of_Steel
Posts: 337
Joined: 11/8/2005
From: OKC, Oklahoma
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Babs
... Is there a slang term for your average married, 2 kid shmo that lives in the country and counts the minutes until he can actually get away to go for a ride on a bike he financed?
AMDWB ?
(Average Married Dad With Bike)
(IF so, then I'm one too!)
And now back to your regularly scheduled topic!
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RE: 2007 Fatboy has a Design Flaw? - 10/29/2007 1:47:08 PM
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srandall25
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Joined: 10/14/2007
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I live in Germany and visited a Harley store over the weekend. They had a 2008 Fatboy and the front fender and wheel were dead center on the fork, unlike my 2007 Fatboy. I then called Harley Davidson's Service department and they informed me that Harley actually put a new front fork and redesigned the frame... I'm not sure what to believe now. They say there is no flaw, but if there is no flaw, why did they change it in the 2008?
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RE: 2007 Fatboy has a Design Flaw? - 10/29/2007 5:38:53 PM
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txfatboyz
Posts: 185
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quote:
ORIGINAL: srandall25
I live in Germany and visited a Harley store over the weekend. They had a 2008 Fatboy and the front fender and wheel were dead center on the fork, unlike my 2007 Fatboy. I then called Harley Davidson's Service department and they informed me that Harley actually put a new front fork and redesigned the frame... I'm not sure what to believe now. They say there is no flaw, but if there is no flaw, why did they change it in the 2008?
Thats what i am thinking ! If it wasnt messed up then why did they change it for 08.
Oh and I can tell you that when I look at my back tire the wear in more towards the right side and not in the middle.
This tells me that the bike is having to be leaned to the right to go straight.
My lower back on the left side is getting muscle strain because of the unbalanced bike.
When i do sit up straight the bike will go off to the left UMMM sumthin aint right here.
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RE: 2007 Fatboy has a Design Flaw? - 10/29/2007 6:36:52 PM
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GrampsWyatt
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My 07 rear tire wears just fine. Right down the middle. My front tire/fender is offset to the right side of the bike. It is my understanding that it came about because of the 200 rear tire on the 07 fatboy. Design flaw, probably, rides fine to me. Half the people here would not have know it unless pointed out to them as it was pointed out to me.
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RE: 2007 Fatboy has a Design Flaw? - 10/29/2007 6:57:39 PM
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Lamo70
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This problem was fixed for the 2008's
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RE: 2007 Fatboy has a Design Flaw? - 10/29/2007 7:35:47 PM
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Frisco Mesa
Posts: 28
Joined: 10/25/2007
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I dont know about you but, I lean my bike over in turns. My handlebars dont turn much if at all in turns.
quote:
ORIGINAL: Broken Leg Rider
There can be no good reason for this. Having the wheel off center of the forks means physically the one handlebar must travel further than the other in a turn. It means there will be asymmetrical steering. Also, impact loading on the front end will not be distributed evenly between the two forks. These are just the physics of the arrangement and of the materials being used.
I like my suspension to be symetrically ballanced all around, so when I am taking a turn and hit bumps, the frame does not flex or wobble. It's the safest way to go.
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RE: 2007 Fatboy has a Design Flaw? - 10/29/2007 8:09:54 PM
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peterson24
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Joined: 10/13/2007
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Not sure what I think about it, mine rides fine, however I am curious why they changed it for 2008 if nothing is supposed to be wrong with it.
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1998 Fatboy
2007 Fatboy
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RE: 2007 Fatboy has a Design Flaw? - 10/29/2007 8:50:34 PM
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Far 3ast
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Damn, this thread is like Lazarus, back from the dead!
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RE: 2007 Fatboy has a Design Flaw? - 10/30/2007 5:14:35 PM
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Broken Leg Rider
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So I bought an 03, 100 Year Model Fatboy with 4,000 mile on her, which predates most of the problems of the 07. Sure like the 08 though.
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RE: 2007 Fatboy has a Design Flaw? - 10/30/2007 9:41:07 PM
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mhalla78
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Do any of the other 07 Softails with 200mm rears have this issue? Such as Custom or Nightrain
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RE: 2007 Fatboy has a Design Flaw? - 11/2/2007 1:36:55 AM
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tk353
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It is a feature. A collectors item. I can only notice when taking a sharp turn and leaning way over. The truth is when the engineer designed the front for a wider tire instead of starting in the center and adding both directions they started from the left side and widened it to the right. I just tell my friends it is the right hand model.
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RE: 2007 Fatboy has a Design Flaw? - 3/17/2008 6:01:09 PM
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tk353
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OK the answer. Harley screwed up and when they made the front tire wider they measured from the one side to the other instead of starting in the middle. If you check the 08 model they corrected this error. Harley claims it has no effect but my front tire was scalloped on one side and i had to replace it when it still had tread.
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RE: 2007 Fatboy has a Design Flaw? - 3/17/2008 9:14:12 PM
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kato1964
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Makes me glad I decided on a gently used '04 FB, vice a new '07, when I bought last year. I never noticed this "flaw", but I'm one of those fellas who is awfully worried about buying any first year production item, regardless of manufacturer. I like to get them a few years in, once all the kinks have been worked out.
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RE: 2007 Fatboy has a Design Flaw? - 5/20/2008 1:07:05 AM
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Michelle1969
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I was surfing the net to see if anyone had the same delima with the off-set front tire of the 2007 Fat Boy and had come across your postings. I understand that this was a "flaw" or a "screwup"...but what's the remedy?....I bought my bike july 07 had it customized and when my chrome front end was in place, i noticed the off-set tire...since then i've been trying to get some answers...i haven't really noticed a problem in the ride but i had to have the sliders replaced with cut-outs to accommodate the front fender...i dreamt of this bike for so many years and finally got it...with an eye-sore...I was in touch with the corporate office and they said there wasnt anything wrong with the bike, it was the design of the 07...i mentioned that the 08's are in line and cheaper and the reply was that they decided not to carry over the "off-set" feature for the 2008s...i dont think it should be considered a "feature"...i dont see the benefit...i'm not impressed at all....
Michelle
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