I need some sound advice on the bike iam about to purchase. I have about 4 months experiance riding street bikes. I learned on a On a 600cc
Shadow but I realy want the new Wide Glide! I ride every day and feel like I can handle the bigger bike. The bike I am getting weighs about 160 lbs more than the one I'm riding right now, but man I want that bike. I sat on one the other day it felt perfect. Is it too much bike? Will it handle alot differant that the bike I got?

 

No, it probably isn't too much bike for you... but you should ride a Fat Bob before you commit to that monthly payment.

 

Tell us about yourself? Height, weight, strength? Riding is mostly attitude but being able to hold the bike during parking lot maneuvers does help.

 

I would keep the Shadow for the at least a year build up those skills. The Wide Glide has forward controls how is your skills on that set-up? I am 5'5" and I have issues reaching the controls properly.

 

My wife has a 600 Shadow. Decent bike for a beginner. She is constantly complaining about not havinng a 5th gear and the non-cancelling turn signals though. Like Domenic said, provided that you are at least 5'6" or so and can reach the forward controls (your Shadow has forwards, but not as forward as these), you shouldn't have too much trouble. Just remember...it's the slow speed stuff that usually gets you when you drop a bike.

 

My First bike was a 1999 Kawasaki Ninja ZX6R great bike i had alot of run with it...When i was looking into the cruiser world i tried alot of bike sat on a ton but riding them is different now the guys i knew with Harleys i didnt want to ride there bike just in case something went wrong... so i rode the cheaper bikes that i knew people had.. but none with forward controls thats the big difference. So my first cruiser was a 2007 Sportster 1200c with forwards. Very light and agile bike great for turning and cornering. When i first got on this bike i could not adjust right away on how to turn it thank god it was a sunday and there were not many cars on the road. but after a couple days i settled right in and now 3 months later i own a 2010 Wide Glide. so there is my story hope it helps you. by the way im 5' 11" about 195 lbs and this bike fits me perfect.

 

Personally, I don't even own a harley yet however I will order a '10 Wide glide around January/February.

I've been considering all different scenarios about buying a cheaper bike to learn, like a Honda shadow or such, however I've come to the following conclusion:
I know that I would just end up feeling bad about a purchase of a cheaper bike like a shadow after a couple of months and I don't want to have to go through the hassle of re-selling the bike again after a few months in order to get the bike I REALLY wanted.
Seeing as a bike is such a personal thing, I personally know that I will just end up regretting how I spent the money if I don't get something that feels right for me!

If you want the WG, if you think you can handle the WG and if you feel you can afford the WG then why not just get the WG?

 

You shouldn't have a problem with the 2010 wide glide. I bought one after taking the rider safety class. I had never ridden before. I have had no problems with the bike! I'm 5'-11" tall as well.

 

Go for it. 6 months experience should be more than enough if you feel like you can physically handle the size and weight of the WG. It won't be long before it doesn't feel too big or heavy at all. My first street bike was the one you see in my sig below. I didn't take a class or buy a smaller bike. I was comfortable with it the first time I sat on it. I bought it and rode it home - an hour at highway speeds. I have a lifetime of dirtbike experience though. I don't recommend just anyone jump on a big bike and just ride.

And i don't blame you, while I don't think it should be called a WG, it's my favorite dyna other than mine and I would buy one today if I were in the market for a new bike.

 

A few years ago a lady I know purchased a Softail Standard, about the same size of the WG and a little heavier.

It was her first 'street bike'...

She took her time learning about the bike, building up her confidence, and getting 'on the road' experience.. She has never dropped the bike, been involved in any type of accident, and now has over 25,000 miles on the Standard.

She is about 5' 7" tall, and and can't weigh much more than 125 pounds.

I know another guy that picked up a 1999 WD as his first 'street bike' and has never had a problem.

I own quite a few Harleys (rigid frame Panhead chopper, modified 1200 Sportster, RoadKing, Softail FatBoy, and some Dyna's (including 2 WideGlides), and to me the WideGlides seem to be the easiest to ride.

Just purchase what you want, use common sense when getting use to the bike, and you should be fine.