General Harley Davidson Chat Forum to discuss general Harley Davidson issues, topics, and experiences.
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

How to increase lean angle?

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Jun 26, 2007 | 10:20 PM
  #11  
redsled's Avatar
redsled
Cruiser
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 193
Likes: 1
Default RE: How to increase lean angle?

Technique-wise one of the biggest mistakes people make is not getting on the gas early enough in a corner, resulting in loading up the front end, reducing corner clearance, and scraping more than necessary. Being on the gas at the apex, and not on the brakes, will give you a little more clearance. (As will hanging off, or even just bending your body into the turn at the waist - no hanging off per se).

After that, on a Fatty, I don't know of much else, by way of suspension or wheels, unless you do something radical. I guess you could add longer forks, but again, on a Fatty that might look kinda odd.

FWIW, the cornering lean angles for all the bikes are published in most of the specs I've seen (haven't looked lately). Used to be there often a degree or two difference from left to right - kickstand or pipes was usually the culprit.
 
Old Jun 26, 2007 | 10:32 PM
  #12  
YUCK's Avatar
YUCK
Road Warrior
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,814
Likes: 1
From:
Default RE: How to increase lean angle?

I like putting metal to the pavement,,,,enjoy the light show at nite,,,,scrape it till it falls off....thats Y floorboards fold....
 
Old Jun 26, 2007 | 10:43 PM
  #13  
electaRICK's Avatar
electaRICK
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 10,920
Likes: 6
From: Upstate New York
Default RE: How to increase lean angle?

I've rubbed the crome off my derby cover
 
Old Jun 26, 2007 | 10:51 PM
  #14  
YUCK's Avatar
YUCK
Road Warrior
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,814
Likes: 1
From:
Default RE: How to increase lean angle?

using your tongue,,,don't count,,,damm thats getting down....
ORIGINAL: electaRICK

I've rubbed the crome off my derby cover
 
Old Jun 26, 2007 | 11:45 PM
  #15  
michaelbarry's Avatar
michaelbarry
Banned
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,397
Likes: 2
From:
Default RE: How to increase lean angle?

ORIGINAL: spike95

Tryhanging your body off the side like the sport bike guys do. I had a hell of a time after I put on my Thunderheader. It'll scrape before the board even touches. I personally don't like that feeling at all, especially when I'm hauling a@$. I lean forward a little and hang my butt off the seatas much as possible, and I rarely ever touch the ground any more.
My LongShots do the same thing..They're dragged flat on one part of the bottom one now.
 
Old Jun 26, 2007 | 11:59 PM
  #16  
Tripper's Avatar
Tripper
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 7,950
Likes: 4
Default RE: How to increase lean angle?

Use a grinder wheel to remove excess metal from your floor boards or just let the sparks fly until they wear down enough to clear the pavement.
 
Old Jun 27, 2007 | 01:27 AM
  #17  
Boxjoint's Avatar
Boxjoint
Tourer
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 413
Likes: 1
From:
Default RE: How to increase lean angle?

I'm feelin' ya Anibuss. I am also an ex-sportbike guy.
Me-I plan on getting a Buell within 4 years. I like the superglide but I do miss tossing around a sport bike. The danger is with the peg scraping is that if you are already scraping you have very very little room for corrections mid corner before hard parts start digging.
 
Old Jun 27, 2007 | 09:11 AM
  #18  
1flhtk4me's Avatar
1flhtk4me
Seasoned HDF Member
15 Year Member
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 10,675
Likes: 95
From: Billings,Mt.
Default RE: How to increase lean angle?

Buy a Road Glide!
 
HD Forum Stories

The Best of Harley-Davidson for Lifelong Riders

story-0

7 Times Harley-Davidson Chucked Tradition Out the Window

 Verdad Gallardo
story-1

7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles

 Verdad Gallardo
story-2

8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-3

10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-4

Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In

 Verdad Gallardo
story-5

Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?

 Verdad Gallardo
story-6

Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept

 Verdad Gallardo
story-7

Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II

 Verdad Gallardo
story-8

10 Motorcycles You Should Never Buy

 Joe Kucinski
story-9

10 Things Harley-Davidson Needs to Fix in 2026

 Verdad Gallardo
Old Mar 23, 2010 | 01:02 PM
  #19  
Klotz's Avatar
Klotz
Novice
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 19
Likes: 0
From: Jefferson Twp, NJ
Default

You could always switch from floorboards to pegs, they're a lot cheaper to keep replacing.
 
Old Mar 23, 2010 | 01:37 PM
  #20  
oct1949's Avatar
oct1949
Club Member
15 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 145,895
Likes: 821
From: 40 miles Northeast of Indy..
Default

I'd think that those who lower there bikes should expect the floorboard to touch easier.
Most riders that get aggressive in turns have them scrap anyway even at stock height.

As far as something to help from grinding the floorboard off I'd think one could make something like a small piece of metal that would go under the floorboard and contact the road before the floorboard itself hit the road and would keep it from grinding off the edge of the Fl Board.

Here in the flat lands of Ind. we don't have many twisties.
In 25k I think mine have hit once, so scraping is not an issue. But I an older dude and the bike is stock height and don't ride very hard either.
 



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 01:51 PM.

story-0
7 Times Harley-Davidson Chucked Tradition Out the Window

Slideshow: Harley-Davidson built its reputation on nostalgia, but every so often, the company took a hard left turn into the future.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-20 11:18:19


VIEW MORE
story-1
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles

Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-29 16:50:35


VIEW MORE
story-2
8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

Slideshow: Not every Harley gets it right, but these are the ones that genuinely earned their reputation.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-04-15 14:23:21


VIEW MORE
story-3
10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-04-01 20:01:09


VIEW MORE
story-4
Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In

Slideshow: Killer Custom's "Jail Breaker" build focuses more on stance and visual aggression than mechanical overhaul.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-18 19:20:32


VIEW MORE
story-5
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?

Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-07 16:15:30


VIEW MORE
story-6
Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept

Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's new RMCR concept revives the café racer formula with modern hardware-and it may be exactly the reset the company needs.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-04 12:23:37


VIEW MORE
story-7
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II

Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-02-24 18:19:44


VIEW MORE
story-8
10 Motorcycles You Should Never Buy

Slideshow: There is no shortage of great motorcycles to buy, but we would avoid these ten.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-02-19 14:50:51


VIEW MORE
story-9
10 Things Harley-Davidson Needs to Fix in 2026

Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-01-13 18:33:17


VIEW MORE