I have a 2008 Street Bob. I put the 1" lower blocks on the rear, didn't lower the front any. I have a C&C seat that lowers me slightly and brings me forward slightly, because I am short in height, and therefore a shorter reach. All in all the bike is comfortable for me now and for the most part, I really love it.

My problem/question is this. Why does it feel like I have to muscle my bike around twisty turnies. I am not talking slow turns, I'm talking about fairly tight winding roads with POSTED speeds averaging 30, 35, 40 miles per hour. It seems EVERYONE I ride with navigates these twisties with ease and no effort. I seem to really have to lean, push the bars, you name it. I feel like I am leaning WAY over, and when I look at riders ahead of me they all seem not to be leaning anywhere near how far I am. And they do these roads at 15 to 20 miles per hour over the speed limit. At BEST, I can manage 10 miles per hour SOMETIMES.

I feel exhausted at the end of these rides.

The bike I had before the Street Bob was a Nightster, and I had put mini-apes on it because the stock bars were too much of a reach. I had the same probelm on that smaller bike. I had a Suzuki Intruder before that and it had similar bars on it. SO I guess I'm saying all the bikes I have had are similar in style.

Could it be that I would find it easier to maneuver a bike with lower style handlebars, (I have a few friends with Heritages and Softail Deluxes for example).

Can anyone comment on the ease of navigating mountainous twisty turnies on a Street Bob versus another style bike?

O.K. Guess I'm wondering - is it me, or the bike, or a combination of both.

Thanks in advance for any constructive advice/comments. SEE MY LAST COMMENT ON 2nd PAGE - I THINK the problem is solved, or at least MOSTLY!!

 

Well, the first thing I'd try is sliding the tubes up in the triples. When you lowered the rear you changed the steering geometry creating the effect of more rake which means slower steering.You can slide them up as much as an inch but I'd try a 1/2" first. Then if you're not happy try wider bars that will give you more leverage which will also make it steer easier.Or just take the lowering blocks out. Note my signiture pic those are Flanders wide flat track bars. Low speed steering is pretty much effortless, my bike is lowered 1" in the rear with Progressives and 1/2" in front by sliding up the tubes. It still gets a little wiggly in high speed sweepers at speeds over 80 but there's nothing to be done about that without spending a bunch more money on a true track.

 

I agree that you probably changed the geometry of the bike which could affect the handling. Different bars can have a big effect on how well you can handle it, so you could try that at some point. And this may seem too basic, check your tire pressures. On my SB I run 30 front/36 rear.

 

It is possible you are riding with your arm muscles tight, rather than relaxed. That could explain why you are exhausted. Try riding on your own, so there is nobody to follow or keep up with, but relax your arms and shoulders. To turn into a gentle right turn you push gently on the right grip. May sound strange, but you must go out there and prove it works!

You may find you are already doing it, but I suspect you are currently fighting your bike, rather than guiding it.

Let us know how you get on.

As Nevil suggests, check your tyre pressures!

 

Dumb question but you are counter steering right? My bike has 10.5 struts on the rear and slides through the twisties just fine...

 

Hey all, thanks for the input. Yes, I know all about counter steering, I practice it, I read riding tips, I've watched videos (although I'd like to get the Ride like a Pro video). My major problem is higher speed, relatively sharp twistie-turnies. I love "sweeping", curving roads, but these twisiting roads through the Berkshires, or we do a lot of riding in Vermont, are just wearing down my confidence. I am in my 5th riding season and today was alternating between ranting that I should give up riding, and tears, and being ashamed of myself for not being able to "keep up" with people. (Then again, I figure I should ride in my comfort zone - but I challenge myself and hate to fail!)

Maybe I OVER analyze when I encounter such roads?

But I WAS wondering about if I changed the handling by putting in the lowering blocks and not lowering the front. And I have been wondering about changing out the bars (although I have to deal with the damned triple tree, having the integrated risers -- aarrgggh). I hadn't put many miles on the Street Bob before I put in the lowering blocs and got the lower seat, etc., etc, so I can't compare really how it felt before I did that.

 

Had my FXDXT for a few years and did every mod to it that would make it handle better; then last fall went on an Edelweiss tour in Italy on a BMW R1200RT. Took a couple of days and some coaching from other riders before I was able to easily keep up to the pack; THOSE are twisty roads; haven't seen anything like it for mile after mile here. Anyhow; I'm looking for an advanced riders course; gonna suck up the ego and get some lessons. Went to Sturgis and back this summer and with the Italy experience, I sure feel a lot more confident in the tight stuff. I remember as a young man I read Playboy for a couple years; but it didn't prepare me for the real thing like I thought it would.....
Oh yeah; keeping the FXDXT for sure.

 

I have 1" lower shocks in on my SB, and maybe I am over looking something but are you in a low enough gear? It helps me to be in a lower gear in the turns.

 

All i can think of is ...do you feel comfortable and relaxed on that sucker? Otherwise Gbrown mightta nailed it when he said--~

 

I feel comfortable and love my bike - until the dreaded tight twistie turnies. Love the bigger, sweeping curves, love the highway. Feel fine in traffic. I try really hard to "loosen up", not tense up, not "anticipate", just try to feel "one" with my bike. That helps up to a point, but then yes, I believe I tense up and maybe try to "guide" the bike. That's what I mean when I said maybe I over analyze.

Besides just plain finding it difficult to lean the bike any more than I do, I then start worrying that because I can't sem to do the turns tight enough, I will encounter a car coming the other way and be too close, or swing too wide and go into the ditch. But these thoughts don't enter my mind at first. They seem to creep in when I am in the middle of the ride and mentally exhausted, and to some extend physically.

I know, practice, practice, practice. And I do. But why is it not coming to me, and why does it feel like I struggle, and other people I ride with who have different bikes seem to do it with such ease - and even worse, people with a lot less time and a lot less miles under their belt.

I am willing to acknowledge my skills need honing, but I am wondering if PART of the problem is the style bike, or how it is set up (the lowering blocs, and not lowered in the front - and the mini-apes as compared to a different style bar).

Again, many thanks for the input. Oh - and I will check the tire pressure - believe it or not, I had thought of that at one point but it slipped my mind to check. I should see where other people with Street Bobs have theirs. (Thanks nevil for sharing what you run with).