Hello fellow Springer Riders. I have kind of acurious question but I will give it a go....

I have a 05 Springer Classic with 23K on it. I got it with 18500K in May 2007. So I have had it for 4 months now and have put almost 5K on it. When I bought it, it was smooth riding, soft on the bumps, just an overall beautiful ride. I posted several weeks back about a front end wobble problem I was having and long story short the dealer ending up rebuilding the front end, new brakes, and a new tire.

Since I picked it up, the ride is completely different. I like the way it's riding, it's still good...but different. Now it is smooth riding, but kind of bouncy....bobberish, springy----hence the name springer???

So my question is, this is the first Springer I have ever rode-is the way it is riding now normal for the Springer(hence the name) or should I have it re-inspected for other problems? It feels like it's probably normal and I am just now riding the true Springer considering I think the problems had already started once I bought it. But as most agree once you have a mechanical problem with something, even if it's fixed you always have that doubt in your mind....

So anyway, sorry for the babbling, that's the girl coming out of me.....

Should it be riding springy? Or completely smooth and you think I have other problems?

 

I also have an 05 Springer it had a wobble for a while but now it is fixed, as far as any other riding issues i havent had any! I handles great & the ride is occasionally rough but not as bad as any other HDs ive ridden, i think you are just still getting used to it, it is a little springy, sometimes it rattles, sometimes it squeaks thats what having a springer is all about!

BG

 

Mine was "wobbly", would shimmy at low speed, until I had a local indy shop true the front rim/spokes.
What a difference!

 

Thanks for the reply. I am almost sure I'm just being paranoid but considering I was 1000K from home when my front end died was a little rattling (10 years of riding & never had any major malfunctions).....I appreciate it very much, it will probably take another month or so before I can stop worrying about it! I figured it was probably normal, like I mentioned "hence the name springer". I have a feeling that my bike already had problems at the time of purchase and they were just mild at the time, therefore I wasn't really riding the true Springer until now. Like I said before I like the way it's riding now as well, just a new adjustment for my brain to realize it's normal and no longer broke. Thanks again, and take care.

 

I guess I'm fortunate that my '03 hasn't had any frontend problems and I'm pushing almost 50,000 miles on it. One thing that does seem to go "soft" pretty quickly is the front shock. The factory shock wasn't designed to handle the front end and HD hasn't done much to fix it.
Some better aftermarket shocks are available from Progressive, the best so far...and most expensive...is a new air adjustable shock from Fournales.
You also have to realize that there is limited travel/rebound with the springs so you'll feel bumps quicker than other bikes. Going into driveways that have a "lip" on them bangs pretty good unless you go slowly.
Another thing that I do is every 10,000 miles I have my mechanic take the front end apart, check everything and make sure the springer is adjusted properly and that the spokes are tight and trued up.