I recently bought a 2006 Fatboy. It has the Harley-branded Dunlops on it (rear is a 150 though, I believe as stock they came with a 140 rear). I've had the floor-boards scrape a couple of times but not going fast. So my question is how fast can these things go around corners with the foot-boards scraping hard enough to be pushed upwards on their pivots? It's not that I want to go mental on it, I just want an idea of the safe limits (mainly for getting through roundabouts a bit quicker). I've read these tyres aren't great in the wet but I don't ride in that unless caught out anyway.

TIA.

 

I think that you will find that your cornering will be limited more by the pre 2018 Softail handling characteristics than by what tyres it's wearing.

 

Not as Much as these .. ( Pirelli Night Dragons ) Also a 150 , 150/80B/16

 

It's no Fireblade, lol, but the handling's not as bad as I thought it was going to be.

But forgetting high-speed cornering, how much welly can I give it through roundabouts? They're not particularly fast, maybe 40mph tops IF I can safely drag the footboards down and gas hard coming out. Will the rear end let go?

Maybe a good comparison of what I'm after is like those Japanese police-bike courses (and US ones too) where they practically get their knees down on Harleys and the Jap equivalents.

 

It will happily drag everything around corners without making a break for it and without being pushed hard generally speaking. One of the most voiced criticisms of the pre '18's is that they ground so easily. There is no substitute for experience, so just ride it and get to know it and push it a little bit harder by increments each time you ride until you think, Yup, that'll do'.

 

What's the fastest you've done with a footboard dragging?

 

Ditch the footboards and go for pegs it may act as a placebo. It took me over 7 months to finally harmonise my own abilities to the limitations of my Breakout before I felt right at home. No other bike took me so long. 'Fastest you've done with footboard dragging' is not any benchmark as it is the rider's comfort level, confidence and ability which will determine this. Get some miles in and if you suffer any 'pucker moments' you know soon enough if you've exceeded your comfort zone?

 

My comfort zone is partly informed by whatever knowledge I've gleaned regarding the rear end letting go and spitting me down the road. Knowledge I'd rather gather 2nd-hand. Lol. I'm not going to make the mistake of thinking "this is just another bike" or "not much different to a Fireblade in fundamentals". I have no idea of how the extra weight and different geometry might affect things.

So, if somebody tells me they've dragged the boards through 60mph corners, that's going to inform my confidence getting a bit aggressive with cornering.

I'm just under 6' 6", forward pegs don't agree with me (tried them on previous test-rides of various Harleys).

 

Mine's a 2019 Softail, different kettle of fish. I suppose the ony thing to say is the older ones don't have any vices, they don't suddenly let go and f*ck you off down the road. You get (lots) of early warnings from grinding away various bits and bobs well before you run out of lean.

 

You are thinking it wrong wanting to know how fast through a corner. Some corners are sweepers and you should be fine. Shaper corners you need to go slower.
Once your floorboards hit that is Max lean angle and you can not turn any sharper.
I totalled a touring bike in a corner when my floorboards scraped. It was leaned as far as it would go and ran out of road. I broke 5 ribs and damn near killed me and my wife. A tourer has a pretty good lean angle compared to a Softail.