Hi all, this is my first post as I need help making an important decision about whether to keep or sell my Harley. First some history.... my last bike was a Suzuki GSXR750 that I hated riding because it was so uncomfortable. I would get back, shoulder, neck and arm pains after 30 mins so it was mostly parked in my garage rather than being ridden (the only times I enjoyed riding it was the two times I took it to the track). It got stolen about 4 years ago and I didn't replace it with another bike because I wasn't getting much enjoyment from it anyway.

Fast forward to this year and I decide to buy a brand new Harley Iron 883 for the cruiser comfort! I've put 1000 miles in 2 months and absolutely love riding it except for one major issue.. I keep scraping the pegs when I take it through the local twisties. Each time it happens it scares the hell out of me!

Unfortunately I came off my bike yesterday because I straightened up mid turn after scraping the peg, crossed the opposite lane hit a grass ditch and slid over! I'm lucky that an on coming car didn't hit me and that I wasn't injured by the fall. With some help I was able to pick up my bike and ride it home. Up until that point I was really enjoying riding the Harley and was even thinking about upgrading to a Low Rider S but now I'm doubting whether Harley's are the right bike for me since I don't want a bike where I'm regularly scraping the foot pegs. From what I can see if I want a Harley with a better lean angle my only option is the new Street Rod 750 which doesn't personally appeal to me.

So do I just mentally and physically train myself to stay the line even when my foot pegs scrape or would it be best for me to find some other manufactures bike that has a mix of comfort and lean angle? Obviously I could go slower around the turns but I don't think I was going very fast in the first place... Should upgrading to a Low Rider S now be out of the question since I do a lot of riding through the twisties?

All opinions welcome.. thanks!

 

I don't ride a sporty, and never have rode one as aggressively as you seem to. That being said, I can ride my road king (with extended footboards) through Twisties and most of my bud's on other bikes can't keep up. I often catch up to sportbikes etc.

This makes me wonder about your choice of entry speed, and the lines your are choosing. I'm not a track guy, but perhaps choosing different lines would help. Or, making a peg change?

Or, you can just slow down. If you want to ride that aggressively, get a bike meant for it and go to the track.

 

I ride a Softail and my wife has a Sporster 1200 Custom with the 21" front wheel. I came from riding sport bikes and still am rather aggressive in the corners. I have had to change my riding style, although I am still aggressive (less then before), I now ride with a different mindset. I still lean , but not as hard and I do enter the corners slower yet I am still getting a good line and exiting well. The sportster sits higher then my Softail so I do not scrape often and she has forward controls. I like the forward controls, they allow you to be more comfortable and honestly I like the "chopper" feel my wife's '02 Sporty has.
I think you need to re-evaluate your riding style and adjust it for the new bike. I might even suggest going on a ride with a group of Harley riders as it will force you to temper the riding aggression and get the idea of a softer rider into you, plus it will help you get better on a new bike.

 

Not trying to be a jerk, but the best thing you could do is to ride within your abilities and within your bikes limits. With that said, dragging foot pegs is not necessarily a danger if you know what your doing. I don't think a low rider s would have any more usable lean angle than a Sporty.

 

Learn to lean your body a bit more and the bike a bit less.

 

One of the reasons I bought a Sportster in '87 was to slow myself down, and that worked. Plus I realized that I could enjoy riding without having to be on the edge all the time.
You can certainly make suspension upgrades front and rear that will help enormously in how the bike handles and rides without making it uncomfortable. Longer shocks will give you better lean angles and cornering ability.
But it will never be a sport bike. Enjoy and appreciate it for what it is, and if that's not good enough then it's time to start shopping.

 

Another idea is to quit riding like a fool. Public roadways are not race courses.

 

2 things... I ride a Harley and up until very recently I rode a CBR1000. You are not riding the Harley for its intended purpose. Its not a sport bike. It doesnt ride like a sport bike, or handle like a sport bike

End of the day, you're on the wrong brand

 

When I bought my first Harley in 2008 (Heritage Classic) the first time I scraped my floorboard while leaning hard into a corner I about $@it myself. Scared the hell outta me. From that moment on I learned just what my bike was capable of.
As said above, ride within your capabilities & more importantly within your bikes capabilities or start shopping for a sport bike. Harleys aren't sport bikes & sport bikes aren't Harleys. Two completely different animals.
That being said, I have no issues riding my Roadking in the twisties but I have friends that can run through the twisties faster than I. Good luck with your decision/.

Clay

 

Do yourself a favor and slow down. I have ridden most of my life like that up until recently. Having slowed down enough to not be scraping anything has shown me that I still enjoy the ride. Besides that, the people that ride with me appreciate it.