The rake:

The frame rake is the same as any other softail, but the Springer has negative rake built in to pull the front wheel in closer to keep the trail where it needs to be.

I personally don't care for raked out bikes, so the tucked in look is great for me. She handles like a dream at all speeds. A bit heavy feeling, but I've never not been able to swerve.

 

The worst part about it is how many haters you will have on the forums like this trying to tell you what a bad bike it is.

However, you will soon learn that those haters are the vocal minority who are way to insecure to like anything different and tend to ride cookie cutter Harleys. Some of them have already creeped in here and responded. You will then have to get used to all the positive attention you will get riding around on it from riders and non-riders alike who will have far more positive to say about your Bones then they will about some other blinged out, tired out Harley model.

Besides that, I did not like the fact that the front end has to be serviced so often. The neck bearings have to be checked every 2500 miles and the rockers have to be checked every 10k miles. The good thing is that servicing your neck bearings is not that hard with the purchase of a specialized socket that costs around $45 and other common hand tools. Servicing the rockers is a little more involved but most dealers will service them for about an hour labor charge.

If you like the look then I don't need to comment on that.

As for handling? It is great and very comfortable. Some people say that it is easy to ride at very slow speed but I found the opposite to be true and have always heard that about Springers. The reason being is that those front forks are HEAVY! Everything is steel. Not like the hollowed out tubes of a telescopic front end. However, I found that over time I have learned to manage it quite well and I would in no way discourage anyone from getting a Bones for either of the above two reasons. And to put the handling thing in perspective, my Bones is my first and only motorcycle that I have ever owned and I bought it almost immediately after getting my endorsement. If a totally green rider like me can get used to it without any issues, then I don't see how anyone else couldn't do the same.

My dealer gave me a free advance rider course for purchasing my bike there. The instructor was a motorcycle trooper. He had to inspect all the motorcycles that people rode in on to make sure they met their standards. When he got to mine (the only springer there) he stopped and made it a point to tell everyone how he had ridden a Crossbones and it was the most comfortable Harley he had ever ridden and called it his favorite. I figured it was a reliable testimony from someone who makes a living by being in the saddle all day.

 

Been on this Street Monster since it came out in July 08. Did all i could within the First Year. If there's a Complaint about this CrossXBones is ... I have WAY to Many Compliments when on it !!LMAO

Twistin the Throttle & Budlight Bottles here in Guam on my Bike I Call " Black Buffalo " ..... Stay Solid & Ride Hard !

I am a CrossXBones Owner !!
John Blas - Guam USA

 

Skeez, good post and as you pointed out this bike will come with many criticisms by guys that just don't get it. My dad has a road king completely stock he also turn his nose up. It's ok though they just don't know what its like to ride a cool bike.

 

I don't understand how it's possible to turn your nose up to this bike. Maybe it's the cool guys that ride them, and we don't stick our noses up.

It's not like it's a bastard child motorcycle, it's a cool all around bike.

 

The Bones is a real classic and the springer front end is designed much in the same way as the Harleys of yesteryear. What is not to love about that? I think those of us who love it and ride it ARE the cool cats who can appreciate it's uniqueness and who are not afraid to be different and challenge the norm. We can love what we love and don't have to troll other thread to drop hate on what other people chose in order to elevate what we ride or the choices we make.

And as far as the haters (at least on this Forum), you can pretty much narrow it down to the same handful of people who make it a point to drop negative comments on any Crossbones thread that comes up. It's sad how desperately they try to convince everyone else that the Crossbones is such a bad and ugly motorcycle. It reminds me of being a kid and getting a cool new toy and showing it to the other neighborhood kids. Everyone who did not have their head up their @$$ would smile and tell you how lucky you were to have that cool toy. But there was always that one little $h!t who was either envious, or just rotten who had to try to **** on anyone's parade that got more attention than him/her. And the less attention that others paid him/her, the harder they tried to down your new toy. Those rotten kids are now all grown up and members of H-D Forums...!

 

My dad has been busting my chops about the Springer front end...hes trying to pushthe RK on me

 

The Crossbones is a real original. The RK (albeit a nice motorcycle) is just another Harley. There is no comparison in my opinion. But then you have to own one in order to experience what it's like to ride it and to see for yourself that we are not exaggerating when we say that we get ridiculous amounts of attention from the general masses.

 

I've owned my xbones for three years now and everyone loves it. I rolled the mini apes forward and put NYC Choppers solo seat and love it even more. The sixteen with no fender screams old school. If you get it enjoy it, it's a hell of a cool bike

 

It was between the bones and the nightster when I purchased my bike (bought the nightster and planned on buying a bones to add to the stable years later) well now they cancelled them so it sucks. if you have a chance to buy one. Buy one! Never once heard a bad thing about them except for usual things (seats or foot placement)