Hello! First post and first HD. New to these forums but not new to riding. Been on hiatus (in a cage) for the past few years after 10 straight years when I didn't own a car and motorcycle was my only means of transportation (Living in CA).

My previous bikes have all been metric. I recently rented a Heritage Softail and decided I NEEDED to ride again and it HAD to be on a Softail... LOL. It was such an amazing experience I was blown away.

So I was thrilled to locate a 2017 Heritage Softail and bought it yesterday - see attached pic! It looks GREAT and felt great on a low-intensity test ride.

Since the dealership is an hour from my home I had a decent stretch of CA freeway on which to shake it out... Which brings me to my point... Once I hit about 70-75 MPH on the 5 Fwy (concrete surface with grooves) the bike began to vibrate in a way I would characterize as unpleasant. Seemed to rattle my eyeballs.

The RENTED Heritage felt smooth as silk ... my last bike - a 99 Honda Shadow 750 - did 80-85 on the same roadway with no windshield and nothing like what I felt today.

Thought perhaps it was the road surface ... but I hit a few stretches of asphalt and, while smoother, something still felt off to me.

Tried various speeds and positions but it just seemed a rough ride at anything over 70. When I arrived home I noticed the tail light cover at the bottom of the rear fender was GONE - I think it must have rattled off!

I'm also finding it HARD to get the bike in neutral while running - if I shut the engine down I can hit neutral without too much problem ... and noticed the bike pulls forward a SLIGHT bit unless I have the clutch lever ALL the way in against the grip - the pressure required seems excessive and the rental didn't exhibit this behavior.

I'm going to contact the dealer when they reopen on Tuesday - they're closed Monday - this could all be my noobishness with HD - I'm not expecting a metric-like experience. Just wanted to check to see if anyone had similar experiences or issues with Softails and had any advice to lend.

Thanks!

 

I have a 2016 Slim S w/400 miles on it and I still have a hard time finding neutral.

 

Clutch and cable adjustment will help with engagement and lever position, and will make neutral somewhat easier to find. I personally like my clutch to engage with lever just off the grip. Running a good transmission fluid like Redline shockproof heavy or royal purple max gear will make shifts smooth and neutral easy to find.
Have the dealer adjust shock preload....not sure what to think of tail light housing.

 

First, welcome & congrats on the sweet ride!

Also, I'm sure the dealership will get everything right. Take 'er back and voice these concerns...give them the 1st stab b/c it's still a new bike and covered for free.

Enjoy the ride & many miles of smiles to you & the new steed.

 

Hi my US friend
..same here about N gear..to find it it's a nightmare! friend of mine told me it's ok on brand new HD bike..as bike is driven more&more, N will show itself easier..
I've a new 2017 Heritage Classic..

..instead, no problem about shaking..I've driven up to 80mph (120kmh) and no issues, obviously that a Touring one could be smoother at higher speed..

 

Thanks for the replies so far! It's a loooooooong wait till Tuesday ... LOL.

I know it's subjective ... But I'm very curious how Heritage Softail owners would describe their ride at 70-80 - those speeds are pretty much required to mix it up on western highways.

I'm hoping it's just be the setup on this particular cycle since the rental rode solid and carefree.

 

Congrads on your bike and Picking Harley.
I believe it just needs some adjustments and checking every nut/bolt.
Start w/tire pressure (solo) and shock adjustment (solo), both on the min or lower.
Loose motor mounts will cause this for sure, esp on ST's.
Don't worry about "N" until later, it will get better.
My '05 is smooth as silk and N is easy. Had a new '12 also no problems.
They probably didn't get something tight or whatever. Just humans w/nuts and bolts.

 

Morrison, Another thought is this, if you haven't ridden the other Heritage. However, just for thought, maybe you didn't ride the other bike outside of town or fast enough.

You are now on a m/c w/solid mount engine, yes balanced, but all engines are balanced, this one just has a compensator to take away some vibrations..being not use to this feel, could cause you to think this.
Case in point. When I traded my '11 EG for '12 Heritage the first ride home seemed like it was going to shake me to death and I thought something was wrong and just realized...wait....... I'm on a Softail again!.. By the next day never thought another thing about it. They do kinda smooth out after breakin. The tail light might have been just loose. I say go out and ride it and at 500 service deal with it, unless it is obvious!

 

Another thing is; the concrete is terrible, esp if the shocks are adjusted too stiff and if the tires are overinflated or out of balance. Being new to the softail, etc. Just check the stuff and ride it again. Couple weeks ago a rumble strip knocked one of my wheel weights off and the vehicle shook terribly.

 

Yep - appreciate your take on this ... I wanted to ask around cause I'm sure I don't know much about how Softails are supposed to feel.

The rented heritage was a twin cam - not sure of the year exactly but at least 3-5 years old. I rode it on the trans-Canada highway - Those trucks were going FAST! LOL. While keeping pace with them I caught myself thinking 'huh - so this is what a highway ride should feel like?' - i was aware of the motor vibration - definitely more present than my metrics - but it wasn't unpleasant.

The concrete is a definite X-Factor ... if I hadn't had lots of miles on LA freeways previously I would totally chalk it up to that.

I'm hoping it's just down to some adjustments ... the ride home definitely felt ... effortful... as compared to the Harley rides I've taken in the past.

FWIW - this bike has a smooth rim with tubeless nitrogen filled tires. Checked the pressure this AM with a good gauge and found the rear about 3 psi low - the front was pretty dead on. I'd say the disturbed feeling was more toward the front of the bike than the rear if that makes any difference ... or sense.

For now the hours pass slowly... The conversation helps!