Deraking a softail
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Joined: Jun 2017
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From: cali
Sounds like you want a Dyna.
As I've already stated on a prev post, I test rode a Switchback a couple months ago
(I ride an 00 Heritage) In handling & susp, it's leaps & bounds better than mine (AND better than the 18 Heritage I rode!!
My issue was the excess vibration. I've ridden other (older) Dyna's & they were deadnuts smooth at freeway speed.
The S/B is just as comfortable as the Heritage.
I really felt I could hit a turn @ any reasonable speed.
As I've already stated on a prev post, I test rode a Switchback a couple months ago
(I ride an 00 Heritage) In handling & susp, it's leaps & bounds better than mine (AND better than the 18 Heritage I rode!!
My issue was the excess vibration. I've ridden other (older) Dyna's & they were deadnuts smooth at freeway speed.
The S/B is just as comfortable as the Heritage.
I really felt I could hit a turn @ any reasonable speed.
I have the 0* triple trees, but switched to FLST length fork tubes(22.5" If I remember right). So I didn't get any height in the front. May go back to the FX length tubes. But in so I will lose some steering speed. I had it lowered an inch or so in the rear, and it drastically reduced the handling capabilities. Not only in clearance but steering as well. Cranked it back up(about .5" higher than stock) and my handling was so much better
I'm really looking to get this entire bike up about an 1-1.5", front and rear, and maybe lose a small amount of rake. If all I can do is raise it, that would help very much.
Last edited by scuba_steve; Oct 16, 2017 at 06:36 PM.
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From: cali
Hey Steve, I am surprised you are scraping after having changed the trees to a sharper angle.
You should be sitting higher in the front now.
I have lean angles in the 40 degree range which is not sportbike territory but notfar from it.
I can lean the Deuce over far enough to keep up with my buddy on his BMW sport touring machine at 60mph in 30 mph turns---no where near touching down.
If you are running a narrow tire 80/90-21 you might be happy just with switching to a 90/90-21 for more meat on the front.
Otherwise it is a big change to relace the wheel to a 19" in a 3 1/3 width and put on some serious racing sized rubber. I run 110/90-19 on an aluminum alloy 3 1/2 wheel from Buchanan's Wheels in Calif.
These bikes do not turn into crotch rockets no matter what because they are big heavy road bikes.
But my Deuce will out handle my souped up Triumph Bonneville T100 which is supposed to be the best handling classic road bike on the planet.
I predict that young guys are going to find the Softail Cruisers are easy to get to handle, cheap and fun as heck once they are sorted.
Plus they are bad a**.
You should be sitting higher in the front now.
I have lean angles in the 40 degree range which is not sportbike territory but notfar from it.
I can lean the Deuce over far enough to keep up with my buddy on his BMW sport touring machine at 60mph in 30 mph turns---no where near touching down.
If you are running a narrow tire 80/90-21 you might be happy just with switching to a 90/90-21 for more meat on the front.
Otherwise it is a big change to relace the wheel to a 19" in a 3 1/3 width and put on some serious racing sized rubber. I run 110/90-19 on an aluminum alloy 3 1/2 wheel from Buchanan's Wheels in Calif.
These bikes do not turn into crotch rockets no matter what because they are big heavy road bikes.
But my Deuce will out handle my souped up Triumph Bonneville T100 which is supposed to be the best handling classic road bike on the planet.
I predict that young guys are going to find the Softail Cruisers are easy to get to handle, cheap and fun as heck once they are sorted.
Plus they are bad a**.
another thought I had was to get another swingarm, and shorten the shock mount maybe .5 or .75", which hopefully would pull my swingarm down, raising ride height. Any thoughts on this??
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Joined: May 2011
Posts: 537
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From: DELMARVA
Better Handling Harley is a snap
What bike model are you running?
My Deuce has a wide 160 on rear and 110/19 on front.
With four inch over extensions for stability and a neck rake increase to 38 degrees I got the upward tilted stance I was hoping for but only a modest increase in steering heaviness.
Now the bike feels heavy, planted, easy to predict in corners with wonderful counter steering "feel" and I can dial in just how far over I wish to lean it at speed.
It is like a huge heavy crotch rocket!
Biggest improvements on my part was to relocate the seat to move it forward over the middle of the bike for "feel" and higher up so that I felt "balanced " on the ***** of my feet with forward controls.
I would ask any know it all rider of today to please take a look at where the seat and pegs USED to be on Harleys made for a six foot rider back in the 60s and 50s.
The seat was HIGH UP and FORWARD and the floorboards were comfortably UNDER your legs.
TODAY the bikes have a super rear mounted Low seat that feels so awkward it is pathetic.
To my way of thinking what needs to be fixed on Softails is improve the front forks, move your seat UP and FORWARD to give the whole bike a better "centered" feel and put better control into the shocks by putting Intiminators in the front and better softer /more rebound control shocks on the rear.
If you do all that the big heavy Harley Softail Cruiser becomes a formidable handling machine.
I let my BMW sportbike buddy ride it and he said "I am AMAZED!. It feels like it has the exact same BALANCE points that my BMW has but it is more stable and is even easier to countersteer into a sharp corner at high speed."
"I can't believe it but a chopper looking Harley Cruiser is a GREAT HANDLING MACHINE!"
I rest my case.
I have sport track bikes and a souped up Triumph T100 and this Deuce is still the champ when it comes to "fun to ride" quotient.
YMMV.
My Deuce has a wide 160 on rear and 110/19 on front.
With four inch over extensions for stability and a neck rake increase to 38 degrees I got the upward tilted stance I was hoping for but only a modest increase in steering heaviness.
Now the bike feels heavy, planted, easy to predict in corners with wonderful counter steering "feel" and I can dial in just how far over I wish to lean it at speed.
It is like a huge heavy crotch rocket!
Biggest improvements on my part was to relocate the seat to move it forward over the middle of the bike for "feel" and higher up so that I felt "balanced " on the ***** of my feet with forward controls.
I would ask any know it all rider of today to please take a look at where the seat and pegs USED to be on Harleys made for a six foot rider back in the 60s and 50s.
The seat was HIGH UP and FORWARD and the floorboards were comfortably UNDER your legs.
TODAY the bikes have a super rear mounted Low seat that feels so awkward it is pathetic.
To my way of thinking what needs to be fixed on Softails is improve the front forks, move your seat UP and FORWARD to give the whole bike a better "centered" feel and put better control into the shocks by putting Intiminators in the front and better softer /more rebound control shocks on the rear.
If you do all that the big heavy Harley Softail Cruiser becomes a formidable handling machine.
I let my BMW sportbike buddy ride it and he said "I am AMAZED!. It feels like it has the exact same BALANCE points that my BMW has but it is more stable and is even easier to countersteer into a sharp corner at high speed."
"I can't believe it but a chopper looking Harley Cruiser is a GREAT HANDLING MACHINE!"
I rest my case.
I have sport track bikes and a souped up Triumph T100 and this Deuce is still the champ when it comes to "fun to ride" quotient.
YMMV.
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