Boards are killin' me!
Thread Starter
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Tourer
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 302
Likes: 4
From: Edmonton, AB, Canada
Boards are killin' me!
OK, granted that this is my first Harley Davidson in 44 years of motorcycling, and granted that I just got off a Ducati and got the Harley, but c'mon!
I just acquired a pretty little smokey-gold/black 2004 Heritage Classic with 20k miles on her. She's a lot more nimble than I thought she'd be but geeeeez, Louise, she won't go around corners!
We have one nice little urban road here in town that can be quite a bit of fun if the Laser Patrol is somewhere else. On the Duc, it is easily navigated at 60-70 mph, and some (no names to protect the guilty) have done it at 80 or 90 mph when they felt a little silly.
I took the new mount out for our first little toot and came home via that little twisted road, last afternoon. At 40 mph I was dragging the boards and having to go wide on the turns to keep it upright.
Now I know she's no rice-rocket, but I have ridden a buddy's GoldWing up that same road, and it did WAY better than this... WTF?
1. Is there something wrong with my pretty new ride?
or is this what they mean when they laugh and point?
2. Is there a way to raise the boards or switch to pegs so that I can get around the corners in a bit more of a hurry??
(I rode a Night Train, and those forward controls are not the answer!!)
Help me out!
I just acquired a pretty little smokey-gold/black 2004 Heritage Classic with 20k miles on her. She's a lot more nimble than I thought she'd be but geeeeez, Louise, she won't go around corners!
We have one nice little urban road here in town that can be quite a bit of fun if the Laser Patrol is somewhere else. On the Duc, it is easily navigated at 60-70 mph, and some (no names to protect the guilty) have done it at 80 or 90 mph when they felt a little silly.
I took the new mount out for our first little toot and came home via that little twisted road, last afternoon. At 40 mph I was dragging the boards and having to go wide on the turns to keep it upright.
Now I know she's no rice-rocket, but I have ridden a buddy's GoldWing up that same road, and it did WAY better than this... WTF?
1. Is there something wrong with my pretty new ride?
or is this what they mean when they laugh and point?
2. Is there a way to raise the boards or switch to pegs so that I can get around the corners in a bit more of a hurry??
(I rode a Night Train, and those forward controls are not the answer!!)
Help me out!
Last edited by BrianG; Nov 6, 2011 at 04:37 PM.
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 4,501
Likes: 26
From: Sheboygan,Wi
I just ain't gonna handle like a sport bike. It is a cruiser. You'll figure it out. I scrape boards on my Fatboy lo all the time but it don't stop me from having a good time on it. Love it when people look and get alarmed when they see sparks and hear the scrape.
Thread Starter
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Tourer
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 302
Likes: 4
From: Edmonton, AB, Canada
I can take a joke just fine, but I'm actually serious.
I like the bike, but there has to be a little better performance buried in here somewhere!
Last edited by BrianG; Nov 6, 2011 at 05:32 PM.
Hi Brian. Too funny, I've been Ducatisti for the past number of years as well.
I'm actually about to take the footboards off my Softail and put forward control pegs on. I prolly won't be able to test 'em out till next Spring but I'm curious as to how well they'll work. Yeah, I know it's a cruiser but IMO the boards drag WAY too soon!
Did you see this thread in the Touring section? Pretty cool, an Aussie took his Bagger out on the track had a good time and got some good pics. He talks about the scary part being when you're leaned over so far you go past the board and touch down on the frame lifting the rear wheel off the ground! I don't like touching hard parts. Did that with the heads on my 'ol BMW R100S.
Good luck and have fun, Mark H.
I'm actually about to take the footboards off my Softail and put forward control pegs on. I prolly won't be able to test 'em out till next Spring but I'm curious as to how well they'll work. Yeah, I know it's a cruiser but IMO the boards drag WAY too soon!
Did you see this thread in the Touring section? Pretty cool, an Aussie took his Bagger out on the track had a good time and got some good pics. He talks about the scary part being when you're leaned over so far you go past the board and touch down on the frame lifting the rear wheel off the ground! I don't like touching hard parts. Did that with the heads on my 'ol BMW R100S.
Good luck and have fun, Mark H.
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Thread Starter
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Tourer
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 302
Likes: 4
From: Edmonton, AB, Canada
Hi Brian. Too funny, I've been Ducatisti for the past number of years as well.
I'm actually about to take the footboards off my Softail and put forward control pegs on. I prolly won't be able to test 'em out till next Spring but I'm curious as to how well they'll work. Yeah, I know it's a cruiser but IMO the boards drag WAY too soon!
Did you see this thread in the Touring section? Pretty cool, an Aussie took his Bagger out on the track had a good time and got some good pics. He talks about the scary part being when you're leaned over so far you go past the board and touch down on the frame lifting the rear wheel off the ground! I don't like touching hard parts. Did that with the heads on my 'ol BMW R100S.
Good luck and have fun, Mark H.
I'm actually about to take the footboards off my Softail and put forward control pegs on. I prolly won't be able to test 'em out till next Spring but I'm curious as to how well they'll work. Yeah, I know it's a cruiser but IMO the boards drag WAY too soon!
Did you see this thread in the Touring section? Pretty cool, an Aussie took his Bagger out on the track had a good time and got some good pics. He talks about the scary part being when you're leaned over so far you go past the board and touch down on the frame lifting the rear wheel off the ground! I don't like touching hard parts. Did that with the heads on my 'ol BMW R100S.
Good luck and have fun, Mark H.
I had a few days on a friend's Night Train, and ripped it up pretty good down in the Montana mountains a few weeks ago. The NT's clearance was really quite good with the kick-stand touching down on the left side, and the lower pipe on the right, if you really had it heeled over.
I was quite happy with that more-than-adequate clearance on that NT, but I don't like the controls so far forward, hence my question about either lifting the boards, or changing to pegs. I saw a picture of one HD model with mid-mount pegs, but I couldn't make out the model/year, so i was hoping to get some assistance in identifying parts options on this forum.
Unfortunately, there seem to be more short-dick over-sensitive little girls posting up here, than knowledgeable people with useful information to share with a fellow rider..
Ride safe!
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