I have a weird issue that perhaps someone can help mewith. I have been in Florida or NorthCarolina for the last 9-1/2 months.During that entire time, I rode a big touring bike (Victory CrossCountry Tour).A few days ago, I returnedto Michigan and my beloved 2006 Harley Softail (FLSTi) which is much like aHarley Fat Boy. It was my first "real" bike and we always remember our first

Upon mounting my Softail, it felt weird. No big deal, it always feels weird gettingback on it after being away for the normal 6 months of winter.This time, however, three things felt oddwhen sitting or riding it.They are:

1) It feels like it is sitting a little lower than what Iremember. This could just be the factthat I sit so much higher on my touring bike.

2) I have scraped the footbeds four times just going aroundcorners here in town. I have scraped thefootbeds on my HD many times in mountain twisties but never once when goingaround a city corner.Maybe I’m just usedto riding the touring bike on which I’ve never scraped anything since it has somuch more ground clearance.Maybe ridingthe touring bike with the high ground clearance for so long caused me to leanmore in simple city turns.Or maybesomething is wrong.

3) If I turn the bars a little bit like for a lane change ora highway turn, the bike seems to behave normally. That is, the bike seems to want to returnback upright and the bars/wheel/front end want to return to going straight. However, when I turn the bars a lot like for a90 degree city corner, the bars/wheel/front end don’t want to come backstraight.Instead, they seem to want toturn all the way to full lock and stay there.I have to push more than I remember to get the bars to go backstraight.This doesn’t seem right but Icould just not be remembering things correctly.

The bike sat unused and on its tires/wheels/suspension for9.5 months. It was on a battery tender andit fired right up after I put the proper amount of air in the tires (40 psirear, 38 psi front which is what I’ve always run).It was parked covered on a concrete floor inmy garage.There was absolutely zeroleakage of any fluid below the bike when I returned.

What is going on? Isit all in my head (likely)?Could somethinghave happened with the bikes suspension that would mess up the front steering (rakeand trail?)?Could the rear shocks havegone bad?What would be the symptoms ifthey had?I’ve been driving around town withnormal bumps and small potholes and have not bottomed out either the front orrear suspension.What should I look forto see if I have a suspension problem?


Thanks for any help you can offer.


G'day,


Vinish

 

What's going on? Nothing! You've left the poor thing too long since you last rode it. Or in other words you need to spend some value time in the saddle, to get back into the groove. Fill it up, ride and don't turn back for home until you need to refuel. That should fix things for ya!

 

I agree with the, of course it feels different it's been 7 months of being unfaithful. But you probably do own a yardstick and a level. Get the specs and check it out. Test the shock, try Google. Try Fix My Hog web site. If you have a buddy with a subscription they allow the videos to be shared. However some are by purchase only no matter who you are. If you want peace of mind, put some effort into finding it.

 

Well, at least you were on two wheels the whole time (unfaithful or no).

 

Hehehe. Yep. Best not tell my softail. She doesn't know I was cheatin' on her


G'day,


Vinish

 

It wouldn't hurt to lube the neck bearings and with the front end off the ground, measure your front fork fall away. This check is described in the service manual.

From the OP first post that's the only thing I would say stands out as something to look at. Every other description seemed pretty normal for softail imo.