Riding tips for speeds of 70mph plus
#71
07-23-2018, 01:10 AM
Extreme HDF Member
I had a buddy of mine test ride my bike. He is not a certified motorcycle Mechanic but he has worked as a auto Mechanic for over twenty years and he has owned, ridden and wrenched on many bikes, many of which were Harley's .
He rode the bike for about twenty minutes and he got the bike up to 100 mph on the freeway. He said the bike rides great but the front end is affected much more by wind and rider input than his current street glide. All in all he said the bike rode great and that he didn't feel anything abnormal.
His advice was to invest in a frame mounted fairing in the future if I really wanted the bike to ride great at higher speeds in windy conditions.
I am still learning to ride so I can cross thatbridge later on down the road. I think I will find a dyna with a frame mounted fairing to test ride first before I even start thinking th need a fairing.
As far as my front end being very responsive I would think it's because I added the Fat Bob trees which have negative 1 degree of rake.
He rode the bike for about twenty minutes and he got the bike up to 100 mph on the freeway. He said the bike rides great but the front end is affected much more by wind and rider input than his current street glide. All in all he said the bike rode great and that he didn't feel anything abnormal.
His advice was to invest in a frame mounted fairing in the future if I really wanted the bike to ride great at higher speeds in windy conditions.
I am still learning to ride so I can cross thatbridge later on down the road. I think I will find a dyna with a frame mounted fairing to test ride first before I even start thinking th need a fairing.
As far as my front end being very responsive I would think it's because I added the Fat Bob trees which have negative 1 degree of rake.
I do recommend better shocks, fork springs, and a heavier fork oil. Depending on your height and weight you may want to get a shock that's a bit longer for the rear. Progressive shocks and springs will do. No need to break the bank.
The rake on your fork is negligible.
Last edited by ChickinOnaChain; 07-23-2018 at 06:56 AM. Reason: Multiple posts
#72
07-23-2018, 01:36 AM
At only 200miles under your belt? Take it easy, apply MSF skills to your own bike. At higher speeds things happen quickly. NEVER RIDE BEYOND YOUR SKILLS. Work up to it slowly, stick to suburbs, and get proficient with that, working your way up in speed. My first bike (metric) i didn’t go over 45mph until after break in. At speeds over 65mph a windscreen is key to comfort, or you may feel like you have to grab tight on the Bars. COUNTERSTEERING on the highway is essential knowledge.
#73
07-23-2018, 03:06 AM
With my riding skills where they'are at now I don't feel that I need to upgrade my rear suspension quite yet. I figure I will address rear suspension a little furthure down the line.
#74
07-23-2018, 10:57 AM
Supporter
I had a buddy of mine test ride my bike. He is not a certified motorcycle Mechanic but he has worked as a auto Mechanic for over twenty years and he has owned, ridden and wrenched on many bikes, many of which were Harley's .
He rode the bike for about twenty minutes and he got the bike up to 100 mph on the freeway. He said the bike rides great but the front end is affected much more by wind and rider input than his current street glide. All in all he said the bike rode great and that he didn't feel anything abnormal.
His advice was to invest in a frame mounted fairing in the future if I really wanted the bike to ride great at higher speeds in windy conditions.
I am still learning to ride so I can cross that bridge later on down the road. I think I will find a dyna with a frame mounted fairing to test ride first before I even start thinking that I need a fairing.
As far as my front end being very responsive I would think it's because I added the Fat Bob trees which have negative 1 degree of rake.
He rode the bike for about twenty minutes and he got the bike up to 100 mph on the freeway. He said the bike rides great but the front end is affected much more by wind and rider input than his current street glide. All in all he said the bike rode great and that he didn't feel anything abnormal.
His advice was to invest in a frame mounted fairing in the future if I really wanted the bike to ride great at higher speeds in windy conditions.
I am still learning to ride so I can cross that bridge later on down the road. I think I will find a dyna with a frame mounted fairing to test ride first before I even start thinking that I need a fairing.
As far as my front end being very responsive I would think it's because I added the Fat Bob trees which have negative 1 degree of rake.
But do those high speeds when you have more mileage under your belt. For now, stick to what you're comfortable with. You clearly have the right attitude from your previous posts, so don't let anyone or anything get into your head and dislodge that.
Sounds like the bike is sound. Good job in getting someone with some know-how to check it out! Now ride, learn, and keep that shiny side up!
#75
07-23-2018, 11:49 AM
Grand HDF Member
I am a new rider. I only have maybe two hundred miles of riding under my belt. I literally only passed my road test thirty six hours ago.
A friend of mine invited me to a cook out that his MC was having. We met up last night and we ended up riding the freeway for about twenty miles to get to the cook out. He led and I followed him on his sport bike. He entered the freeway and made a B line for the HOV lane. He then proceeded to cruise one handed at 70mph the entire twenty miles making it look easy. I was able to keep up but at times I felt totally uncomfortable. Uncomfortable like I was not ready to be doing 70mph on a busy freeway.
The other thing is, my bike feels great at 50 to 60 maybe even 65mph but at 70 not so much. I see other Dyna riders posting about riding at 85 and 95mph. At 70 mph my bike feels like it's going to shake apart, and my hands go numb from vibration. It makes me wonder if their bikes ride as rough as mine does at 70mph. I have no experience on any other bikes to compare mine to.
Also I weigh close to 300 pounds without gear. I run race tech emulators in my front susspension and I have noticed a huge improvement over the stock set up but I am still running stock rear shocks. I wonder if I am too heavy for the stock rear susspension and that's part of the reason the bike rides so rough at 70 plus.
I know the more I ride the more comfortable I will become. After my experience last night I vowed not to push myself just to impress others. In the future if I feel like I'm pushing beyond my skill set I will just let who ever I am riding with go on without me and I will meet them.at our choosen destination.
I found a huge parking lot so I plan on practicing maneuvers at higher speeds. I am going to practice turning and swerving.
If anyone has any advise or maneuvers I could or should practice, I would love to hear them.
Also, can the Dyna owners out there let me know how your bike rides at 70 and beyond. Is there anything I can do to make my bike run smoother at high speeds?
Here is my 2012 FXDB Street Bob with FXDG Fat Bob trees.
A friend of mine invited me to a cook out that his MC was having. We met up last night and we ended up riding the freeway for about twenty miles to get to the cook out. He led and I followed him on his sport bike. He entered the freeway and made a B line for the HOV lane. He then proceeded to cruise one handed at 70mph the entire twenty miles making it look easy. I was able to keep up but at times I felt totally uncomfortable. Uncomfortable like I was not ready to be doing 70mph on a busy freeway.
The other thing is, my bike feels great at 50 to 60 maybe even 65mph but at 70 not so much. I see other Dyna riders posting about riding at 85 and 95mph. At 70 mph my bike feels like it's going to shake apart, and my hands go numb from vibration. It makes me wonder if their bikes ride as rough as mine does at 70mph. I have no experience on any other bikes to compare mine to.
Also I weigh close to 300 pounds without gear. I run race tech emulators in my front susspension and I have noticed a huge improvement over the stock set up but I am still running stock rear shocks. I wonder if I am too heavy for the stock rear susspension and that's part of the reason the bike rides so rough at 70 plus.
I know the more I ride the more comfortable I will become. After my experience last night I vowed not to push myself just to impress others. In the future if I feel like I'm pushing beyond my skill set I will just let who ever I am riding with go on without me and I will meet them.at our choosen destination.
I found a huge parking lot so I plan on practicing maneuvers at higher speeds. I am going to practice turning and swerving.
If anyone has any advise or maneuvers I could or should practice, I would love to hear them.
Also, can the Dyna owners out there let me know how your bike rides at 70 and beyond. Is there anything I can do to make my bike run smoother at high speeds?
Here is my 2012 FXDB Street Bob with FXDG Fat Bob trees.
Look ahead. Be aware of conditions well ahead of the car/truck in front of you.
Scan the sides, both the breakdown lanes, but into the ditch or bushes as well for any thing that might bolt into the road.
Relaxed grip.
Practice, trust countersteering. It must be your instinctive reaction in an emergency.
Practice emergency braking, bike upright, front wheel straight, 70/30 front/rear...do not lock up the rear tire. Foot pedal is easy to slam hard in an emergency if you have not practiced. Better to t-bone a vehicle at 15 mph than slide into it at 50.
Now the hardest part, don't over think it. Thinking slows the brain and your reaction time. Practice basic skills until they seem natural. If you are not enjoying it, slow down until you are...or if your skills support it, speed up and hit those corners like you are in the isle of Mann.
#76
07-23-2018, 01:18 PM
Stellar HDF Member
An open face helmet will move around a lot more than a full face helmet. Lots of guys on cruisers go open face. I've been hit with too many things. An 80mph bee hurts, a chunk of ice can put you down in traffic, and rocks from a dump truck suck. At higher speeds I lean a bit more forward. Being behind a trucks creates lots of buffering behind it, get around it or increase your distance.
I took off the windscreen off my Heritage Softail. I like the wind and the visibility. The downside is that unless you have your jacket zippered up to the neck, it's a bug catcher.
On trip to WY from VA I finally gave up stopping to empty my jacket of bugs. As long as they were not stinging me I waited until the next gas stop or restroom break.
Oh always check your helmet before you put it on. I got bit by a brown recluse spider while I was riding. It was above the nose between my eyes. They are venomous. So the skin and tissue underneath turns into a liquid that they can take in. Had to get a shot for it. The skin has depressions where it liquified the skin and tissue.
I took off the windscreen off my Heritage Softail. I like the wind and the visibility. The downside is that unless you have your jacket zippered up to the neck, it's a bug catcher.
On trip to WY from VA I finally gave up stopping to empty my jacket of bugs. As long as they were not stinging me I waited until the next gas stop or restroom break.
Oh always check your helmet before you put it on. I got bit by a brown recluse spider while I was riding. It was above the nose between my eyes. They are venomous. So the skin and tissue underneath turns into a liquid that they can take in. Had to get a shot for it. The skin has depressions where it liquified the skin and tissue.
Last edited by Oakers3; 07-23-2018 at 01:29 PM.
#77
07-25-2018, 01:10 AM
Cruiser
OP you're a big boy. Have someone who is experienced set up your (rear) suspension for your weight. Preload has to be adjusted for your particular weight or you'll be bouncing all over the road. That 2012 street bob is a sweet bike but the 103 in a dyna frame shakes so much it gave me a concussion when I rode a low rider, and I failed to adjust the suspension properly, which meant on the highway I was being shaken like a rag doll from the bumps, then when I slowed down the engine would shake me like a paint mixer.
TL
R adjust your suspension and you'll be fine
TL
R adjust your suspension and you'll be fine
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#78
07-25-2018, 11:43 AM
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#80
07-25-2018, 03:21 PM
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