Scraping in on corners
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Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2021
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From: Black Hills of SD
Scraping in on corners
Hi, being new to the HD world - I was riding my new to me FatBoy which is all stock and has the Dunlop tires. I was hooking around a corner and getting a feel for the new ride. Right when I was think - Boy this big bike handles pretty darn good for her size.... Scrape.... What the hell touched down ??? When I got home I checked it out and the main frame rail a couple of inches back from the bend upward to the steering head scraped. Being a sportbike guy most of my life I have dragged pegs many times but it did not seem that I was leaning it over that far? Is this pretty common ? I rode a Goldwing a couple of years while traveling for work and never touched it down and that big thing could really do some corning for it's size.
If it is I either need to adjust or make a skid pad to save the frame rails.
If it is I either need to adjust or make a skid pad to save the frame rails.
Road Master
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 1,216
Likes: 286
From: Buford, GA
It could have been your floor board scraping. Mine does that sometimes. A skid pad is going to be even lower than your frame and I don't think you want to lower your ground clearance even more.
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Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2021
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From: Black Hills of SD
That was my first thought when it happened also. Not a mark on it but there is witness marking on the frame rail where it scraped. I guess I'm going to have to just cool my roll.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 14,158
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From: San Diego, CA
The softails are known for scraping the footboards.....
The 2002 Fat Boy only has a lean angle (per SAEj1168): right 28.9° and left 28.7°
Even the big touring models have a slightly better lean angle than that... @ right 31.9° and left 31.8°
Unless you have customized suspension, tires, and/or footboards, the footboards always scrape first by design. You'll notice they are designed, so when they scrape, they give and tilt... That is the warning that you are reaching the limits..... If you lean where you scrape through the give of the footboards and hit hard frame parts, you are usually in trouble on a stock Harley. Scraping without any give, like on the frame, would unweight the tires at an angle greater than the limits of the bike, you'll lose some traction, and you'd have a high probability of the bike sliding out from underneath you........
There have been a few stories over the years of crashes from scraping hard parts on the roadway...
I can do twisties faster on my '16 Bagger than I can my '03 Heritage.... but I wouldn't even pretend that I would keep up with a sportbike designed for that kind of riding...
There is a ride I take near home, about 40 miles, round trip, of twisties with hills. The speed limit is 55 and 45 in some spots. There are a few real tight switchbacks... I don't ride crazy on either bike, but I have fun. I can call in advance, almost every footboard scrape on the Heritage. I haven't scraped a footboard on the bagger yet...
Enjoy the new bike, and as you learn its limitations... be safe!
The 2002 Fat Boy only has a lean angle (per SAEj1168): right 28.9° and left 28.7°
Even the big touring models have a slightly better lean angle than that... @ right 31.9° and left 31.8°
Unless you have customized suspension, tires, and/or footboards, the footboards always scrape first by design. You'll notice they are designed, so when they scrape, they give and tilt... That is the warning that you are reaching the limits..... If you lean where you scrape through the give of the footboards and hit hard frame parts, you are usually in trouble on a stock Harley. Scraping without any give, like on the frame, would unweight the tires at an angle greater than the limits of the bike, you'll lose some traction, and you'd have a high probability of the bike sliding out from underneath you........
There have been a few stories over the years of crashes from scraping hard parts on the roadway...
I can do twisties faster on my '16 Bagger than I can my '03 Heritage.... but I wouldn't even pretend that I would keep up with a sportbike designed for that kind of riding...
There is a ride I take near home, about 40 miles, round trip, of twisties with hills. The speed limit is 55 and 45 in some spots. There are a few real tight switchbacks... I don't ride crazy on either bike, but I have fun. I can call in advance, almost every footboard scrape on the Heritage. I haven't scraped a footboard on the bagger yet...
Enjoy the new bike, and as you learn its limitations... be safe!
Last edited by hattitude; Sep 7, 2021 at 10:54 PM.
Club Member
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 22,861
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From: Lafayette, Louisiana
Is the bike stock or does it have a lowered suspension? I also have observed many people lean a bike over much further than they need to. Also check the condition of your rear shocks.
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2017
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From: Ky
Watch some bike racing on tv, some newbies want to sit upright and make the bike lean into a turn, instead of sliding their butt to the inside of the turn and keeping the bike upright. Theres a few sigipcs around here proving they do that on the dragon.
If you take a class and practice what you learn that bike will get it done.
If you take a class and practice what you learn that bike will get it done.
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Thread Starter
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Stellar HDF Member
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From: Black Hills of SD
Thanks for the thoughts on this. It was 100%, not the floorboards There is not a mark on them and obvious fresh scraping on the frame rail. The bike is all stock with OEM Dunlop tires at the correct pressure. The bike is very low mileage and is all stock. I think it is just lower-slung than I am used to. I raced moto GP for years and have been a sportbike guy for years. The last sportbike was a few years ago with a Honda CBR1000RR and Yamaha R1.
I'll just have to adjust just kind of disappointed, I was not trying to ride aggressively or sport it just riding at a nice clip and admiring - what I thought was some pretty good handling for a bike its size. It's a cruiser so I guess I need to ride it like one.
I'll just have to adjust just kind of disappointed, I was not trying to ride aggressively or sport it just riding at a nice clip and admiring - what I thought was some pretty good handling for a bike its size. It's a cruiser so I guess I need to ride it like one.
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Joined: Oct 2010
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From: In a van down by the river
Next time you have 2 friends nearby, stand in front of your bike, have one buddy sit on your bike, the other help him support it and lean it over until the floorboards touch ground. Seeing it from that perspective will give you a better idea and will give you a better visualization of what exactly happens when you bring it into a turn and how much wiggle room you have to go with in an ideal situation.
Honestly though, in most situations I would figure the floorboard would scrape before you get to anything else like the frame rail. At least, I know with my bike it's always the floorboards. Could have been a gradient in the road or a high spot in the asphalt, maybe the shocks compressed at just the right/wrong moment?
Honestly though, in most situations I would figure the floorboard would scrape before you get to anything else like the frame rail. At least, I know with my bike it's always the floorboards. Could have been a gradient in the road or a high spot in the asphalt, maybe the shocks compressed at just the right/wrong moment?