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I'll bet the sponsoring dealer would take a dim view of their instructor disparaging a fatboy.
I'll mostly agree with everybody else, except that if your bars hit your knees during tight turns, you ought to adjust them. Remember, the course isn't supposed to teach you what to do when the "usual" stuff happens.
Forward controls will help a lot. I'm 6-4 and "in the upper twos" and I had them on an FXR with 16 inch apes on 3 inch risers. Super comfortable.
Them instructors leave a lot to be desired from my experience. I guess it all comes down to maybe you are too big to be riding your bike around cones in a parking lot. I wouldn't put too much stock in what the guy said if your real world experience has been different. That cone **** is stupid! I had that mastered when I was six years old. You want to teach me something.....teach me how to ride a wheelie on a touring bike for a couple hundred yards. When you can do that as an instructor I will concede you have something to teach.
I have heard the same thing from a few people who ride baggers up here at work, I'm 6'4'' bout 250 and ride a night train.. I get pissy when people call softails girl bikes...
Screw the instructor. IMO your already riding one of the coolest bikes ever made. Some great advice so far by the the other post. Forward controls, a bar adjustment, and maybe a seat that moves you back and your all set.
Plus one....I have 2010 Fatboy ....its a Softail....what bigger bike? I remember sitting on an Indian Chief when I was a kid...that was bigger? Maybe one of those v8 monsters....I don't get it.
FWIW (and I'm no expert) I agree - no reason to switch bikes, especially if you like the Fatboy. I just traded my FLHTC on an FLSTC and would have bought a Fatboy Lo if I didn't want the bags/bars/etc.
The Fatboy is a classic, as big or bigger frame-wise than anything out there and all in all a really super scoot.
Also agree with almost everybody else, the instructor is a blue-ribbon jerk; - not to mention really stupid pitching crap to a 6'5" 300lb. guy. I admire your restraint.
The girl-bike thing just never bothered me, I had a Deluxe I really liked that's supposed to fall in that "category" - in my line of work I'm around women all the time who are good-lookin' as hell and tough as nails - so as far as I'm concerned who cares. Any guy can ride a Harley, it's expected - but for a lot of reasons ya gotta respect all the chicks who want to do the same.
It's really just all about being in the wind anyway, right?
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