Heritage Springer..... TALK ME DOWN GUYS
Grand HDF Member
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 3,636
Likes: 1,208
From: Ohio
To keep the zombie thread going...
Springers just evoke nostalgia and the reek of coolness. The design not only works but is really a thing of beauty to look at. Too bad Harley has dropped them from the lineup.
Springers just evoke nostalgia and the reek of coolness. The design not only works but is really a thing of beauty to look at. Too bad Harley has dropped them from the lineup.
Road Captain
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 509
Likes: 92
From: ALABAMA
96 Bad Boy coolest thing I ride, no problem with shimmie, hard braking feel a slight calapes of front end, may be imaged. Wife wanted to go to dealer to look through motor clothes, she got what she wanted and so did I. 96 Springer setting as deal of the day, left a deposit, went back next day and rode it home, if you get a chance to get one do it.
NOT A MODERATOR
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 27,753
Likes: 23,344
From: Paradise
Hey guy----you asked for a talk down--well here goes:
I bought a brand new Springer in 1999 because ,like yourself, I fell in love with the ride,the seating position was to die for and all the chrome on the front end was soooooo coooool ! Bet it wasn't 3000 miles until I almost died over that bike , not because it was so cool but because the front end began a high speed shimmy while I was in a turn. Luckily I averted disaster,mostly from pure luck and marginal riding skills ! This was at interstate speeds in a long but rather tight curve.
I took the bike to my dealer and was told that,"Springers are infamous for producing this (high speed shimmy) effect and the dealer had no suggestions other than for me to , BE AWARE ". May you take heed-- I immediately sold the bike(does this give some type of answer as to why people sell low milage bikes).
Most recently I bought a 2008 FXSTSSE2, one of the fancier Springers,because the cooool factor overrode my better judgement. I will say that the new ones are better in corners and have somewhat overcome the high speed shimmy. They still have a long way to go to compete with a regular front end. I sold that 2008 due to overbuilding the engine and having terminal problems with it ! Again--"low milage almost new bike"-----beware--Springers doing the "shimmy" and old guys screwing up a bike ,then dumping it is very normal.
Hope this sheds some light on your inquiry.
Please don't think ill of me for being truthful and wanting to assist a fellow rider.
I bought a brand new Springer in 1999 because ,like yourself, I fell in love with the ride,the seating position was to die for and all the chrome on the front end was soooooo coooool ! Bet it wasn't 3000 miles until I almost died over that bike , not because it was so cool but because the front end began a high speed shimmy while I was in a turn. Luckily I averted disaster,mostly from pure luck and marginal riding skills ! This was at interstate speeds in a long but rather tight curve.
I took the bike to my dealer and was told that,"Springers are infamous for producing this (high speed shimmy) effect and the dealer had no suggestions other than for me to , BE AWARE ". May you take heed-- I immediately sold the bike(does this give some type of answer as to why people sell low milage bikes).
Most recently I bought a 2008 FXSTSSE2, one of the fancier Springers,because the cooool factor overrode my better judgement. I will say that the new ones are better in corners and have somewhat overcome the high speed shimmy. They still have a long way to go to compete with a regular front end. I sold that 2008 due to overbuilding the engine and having terminal problems with it ! Again--"low milage almost new bike"-----beware--Springers doing the "shimmy" and old guys screwing up a bike ,then dumping it is very normal.
Hope this sheds some light on your inquiry.
Please don't think ill of me for being truthful and wanting to assist a fellow rider.
Shimmy...what a bunch of malarky...
Advanced
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 60
Likes: 0
From: chicago
Hey guy----you asked for a talk down--well here goes:
I bought a brand new Springer in 1999 because ,like yourself, I fell in love with the ride,the seating position was to die for and all the chrome on the front end was soooooo coooool ! Bet it wasn't 3000 miles until I almost died over that bike , not because it was so cool but because the front end began a high speed shimmy while I was in a turn. Luckily I averted disaster,mostly from pure luck and marginal riding skills ! This was at interstate speeds in a long but rather tight curve.
I took the bike to my dealer and was told that,"Springers are infamous for producing this (high speed shimmy) effect and the dealer had no suggestions other than for me to , BE AWARE ". May you take heed-- I immediately sold the bike(does this give some type of answer as to why people sell low milage bikes).
Most recently I bought a 2008 FXSTSSE2, one of the fancier Springers,because the cooool factor overrode my better judgement. I will say that the new ones are better in corners and have somewhat overcome the high speed shimmy. They still have a long way to go to compete with a regular front end. I sold that 2008 due to overbuilding the engine and having terminal problems with it ! Again--"low milage almost new bike"-----beware--Springers doing the "shimmy" and old guys screwing up a bike ,then dumping it is very normal.
Hope this sheds some light on your inquiry.
Please don't think ill of me for being truthful and wanting to assist a fellow rider.
I bought a brand new Springer in 1999 because ,like yourself, I fell in love with the ride,the seating position was to die for and all the chrome on the front end was soooooo coooool ! Bet it wasn't 3000 miles until I almost died over that bike , not because it was so cool but because the front end began a high speed shimmy while I was in a turn. Luckily I averted disaster,mostly from pure luck and marginal riding skills ! This was at interstate speeds in a long but rather tight curve.
I took the bike to my dealer and was told that,"Springers are infamous for producing this (high speed shimmy) effect and the dealer had no suggestions other than for me to , BE AWARE ". May you take heed-- I immediately sold the bike(does this give some type of answer as to why people sell low milage bikes).
Most recently I bought a 2008 FXSTSSE2, one of the fancier Springers,because the cooool factor overrode my better judgement. I will say that the new ones are better in corners and have somewhat overcome the high speed shimmy. They still have a long way to go to compete with a regular front end. I sold that 2008 due to overbuilding the engine and having terminal problems with it ! Again--"low milage almost new bike"-----beware--Springers doing the "shimmy" and old guys screwing up a bike ,then dumping it is very normal.
Hope this sheds some light on your inquiry.
Please don't think ill of me for being truthful and wanting to assist a fellow rider.
Only time I got the shimmy was when the neck bearings and races needed to be replaced. On my 89 and also on the 91 which were never changed until 38k miles
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Stage I
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
From: Fort Collins, CO
I've got a 2002 Heritage Springer, original owner. There is something to shimmy. I get it at about 38-43 mph. I've had balance checked, checked rim trueness, springer maintenance, all good. Shimmy was worse until I found out rear tire was out of balance. Got better but still there.
Wouldn't trade it for anything and this is my 3rd HD. Good luck.
Wouldn't trade it for anything and this is my 3rd HD. Good luck.
Road Master
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 867
Likes: 160
From: Vermont
had an 03 that i loved until i hit a small pothole at around 65 mph. The front end compressed past the travel limits and wound up never being the same ride even after replacing the entire front end. Also if stopping means as much to you as going then you will want to think about upgrading the front brakes as the stockers are pretty weak.