If you're scraping your junk every time you ride then you need to learn to pick a better line around turns or slow down.

Blah Blah...the rest is just noise. Does ANYBODY actually ride like they do in the videos.....not really....despite what they claim on here.

You can find a tragic story to justify anything....people die from speeding every day but I sure as hell still do that too.

 

I lowered my 03 NightTrain (back when I had it) using the Arlen Ness kit in the rear (dropped it 1.5") and dropped the front using the HD kit (dropped it 1"). I was able to handle the bike way better (I'm 5'5"). Damn I miss that bike.

Basically it looked like a gloss black version of this bike:

 

Please understand? I didn't say I scraped every time I ride. I said I scrape every Harley I own.

I rarely scrape them and when I do it's an emergency. I'm doing an accident avoidance maneuver, or something "bad" is in the road or even another rider in a group who rides poorlyswerves too close.

It's at these critical moments when I need for my bike to do what I tell it to do and it does. That's how that guy scraped his Goldwing in that video - accident avoidance maneuver.

That's what happened to my friend who I watched get killed. He swerved to miss a car that crossed the center line, coming at all of us. The two of us had to first swerve hard to the right and then come back. That's a hard S turn when you're already in a curve at 50 mph.

That's expert riding and has little or nothing to do with picking a better line on a corner.

I had to swerve too but I was able to get the lean angle I needed safely. I didn't come close to going down but I took all the rubber off the outside bottom corners of both of my driver's foot pegs. I took a little paint off of the bottom ofmy muffler bracket. I ruined the heel on my right boot - new Harley boots, dmnnnn.

I was messed up mentally for a while too. First, the incident was a scare and second my friend was killed.

I agree that you guys have a right to do what you want - one of the great things about this country of ours. I'm just putting in this last shot in case there's anyone reading this who might just listen enough to check it out and maybe save a life.

Do as you please. It's your fanny.

Again, have a great weekend guys and have a couple of brews for me tomorrow at that barbecue.

PS I need to add that where I am they won't let you take the expert riding course on a lowered bike. The bike simply won't do the maneuvers and the rider would have a low-side crash from unloading wheel weight onto other hard parts.

Harleys don't have a great lean angle to start with, and lowering just makes it worse.

 

Agreed on all fronts... everyone has a right to decide for their own self. Glad you shared your traumatic experience though, JB - I know it's still gotta hurt as that's a pain you never fully heal from.

What most fail to consider (and which you're trying valiantly to point out), and more often than not get away with, are those extreme emergency situations. Many never have to experience them, so they "get away with it" andproclaim there's nothing to it. Some know better and take that into account. Then there's the small percentage who learn the hard way,often without having an opportunity to rewind and do over. For those, it's upto those left behind to spreadthe word in their place.

I myself won't be lowering my bike... I've already scraped both sides, minimally, on a couple of very easy turns... I'm not going to risk my wife and my own life or health just to look slightly more cool - I already look cool enough riding on my Fat Boy as it is [sm=smiley16.gif]No Russian Roulette for me, thanks.

To each their own, though! Ride on and be safe!

Roger

 

I'll be lowering mine soon. I already scrape the hell out of it so I'll just keep doing it until i HAVE to put forward controls on it. All I need is the excuse.

 

If Harleys scrape (stock height)during avoidance maneuvers inemergency situationsmaybe we all need to be riding sport bikes.

 

Scraping isn't a problem unless it unloads... if it's to the point where it unloads then you'd better be looking for a soft place to land!

 

I got 2inch back and two inches front used AN lowering in the back and white brothers kit in the front handles better now than before do to the front suspension. Dont drag to much anymore it did alot before when i slamed the rear and had nothing on the front but two inches feels great on my bike and still has great handleing. becareful of what pipe you put on because i had a fatcat and i always drugged it when i took a right. My footpegs do drag everyonce in awhile due to the heel rest i put on.

 

I have a 07 FXSTSSE The stealer told me it came 2 inches lower from the CVO factory. I rode it a month and lowered it another inch. I have no problems with cornering, I think it made the bike corner better.

If I was always safe I wouldent have kids...

 

I've ridden my new Softail Custom, which I lowered 1.5", through the tightest twisties I plan on ridin' and I did it 2-up about as fast as I would go through them. It was a fun, but safe speed. My dad was on his bike behind me and said I was about an inch from scraping the primary around the tightest turns. If that's as fast as I plan on going through the twisties and I did it 2-up, and still had an inch of wiggle room, I should be good. I lowered my bike for one main reason. I did it to get my feet on the ground better. I'm only 5'6", so the stock height is a little too high for me. I guess it's a trade off. It could possibly be more dangerous through tight corners, but I pull up to stop lights/signs and find the need to walk my bike much more often than I go through tight corners. Because I stop more often and need to walk the bike more often, I think lowering the bike so I can get my feet planted better so I don't drop the bike is more safe than leaving it at the stock height. And as a side benefit, the bike looks better too.