Ok, so I have a 1995 1200 Sportster that is in fairly decent shape. I'm having some difficulty maneuvering it in slow speed maneuvers such as U-turns and also turns from a complete stop. The cause of the issue is that the throttle just opens up when I barely turn it. Is this normal for a 1200 Sportster? It seems that one should be able to apply the throttle just a bit for turning as well as other slow speed maneuvers. If the application of the throttle were spaced out a bit more, as in you have to rotate it a bit more to make the bike really take off then everything would be great. I'm totally comfortable with the bike size and weight, I'm just currently not crazy about how I can't seem to be able to give it just a little gas to get moving. I'm tempted to adjust the idle so releasing the clutch allows the bike to start moving without applying the throttle. (good idea or bad?)

Is there a way to adjust the throttle to spread it out a bit so I'm not having to worry about hitting it so hard in slow speed maneuvers?

I should also mention that I am a new rider (MSF course completed, still lots to learn). I suppose it's entirely possible that my lack of experience is the root of the issue and that a sensitive throttle like this is typical and that my skill level isn't adequate to properly control it at the moment. I'm hoping it can be adjusted.

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

Do what you're already doing, but just don't let the clutch out all of the way. Let the throttle do what it's doing and use the friction of the clutch and your rear brake to control your speed.

This method will also help you a lot with balancing the bike at lower speeds. The force to the rear wheel from the throttle will help mimic the gyroscopic effect that naturally keeps the bike upright at higher speeds (20 mph+). You just limit it by using the friction of the clutch/rear brake as previously mentioned.

 

Don't know about the fuel injected sporties, but with a carb, you're going to lurch at real slow speeds just using the throttle; it's just geared too high. You have to slip the clutch to make it accelerate smooth. If you're at walking speed in first, back off the throttle, and try giving it more, it'll lurch a bit before smoothing out. When you want to give it gas at really slow speeds, pull the clutch and use clutch and gas to accelerate just like you do taking off from a stop. My clutch gets a workout in slow town traffic, not much fun.

If you're having trouble using the clutch smoothly, practice taking off from a stop on level ground without touching the throttle. I've had guys tell me you can't do it, but when you master the clutch, you can do it with any Harley, and when you can consistently start moving smoothly with clutch only, no throttle, you'll have a good feel for that clutch.

 

Unless there is something wrong with your throttle cable, the problem
is what others have said. The clutch is your problem, not the throttle.
Don't let the clutch all the way out, learn to slip it more, don't worry, it
can take it.

 

It's good to practice "parking lot practice" (PLP)

Remember your MSF training. Use the clutch to adjust the power to the rear wheel for limited space maneuvers. You can use the rear brake to control speed also, but that is a more advanced technique. Leave this for later.

When you took the course, you rode lesser powered motorcycles. These required a good "twist" to get the training bikes moving smartly.
Now that you have a much more powerful motorcycle, you don't need to twist as much to move off smartly. Your muscle memory is still tuned to ride a lesser powered motorcycle. The "re-learning" will take a short while of PLP.

Find a parking lot, that's empty & clean. Start by practicing the "friction zone" just like you did in your MSF range exercise. Remember early on, when you just "rocked back and forth" on your feet? Didn't need to touch the throttle much at all.

You can always start with large circles (3 parking lot width) and turn tighter and tighter, until you are turning inside 2 parking spaces. It's easy to become dizzy when you do this, so take a break or ride the other direction to "unwind."

You might even find limited space maneuvers for motorcycles on a site like yoo toob...

 

As has been said before, the more you practice in a large open parking area, the more comfortable you will become and the easier it will be to execute the low speed maneuvers. Stay with it and you will be making u-turns and figure eights like a pro.

I would also practice swerves (danger avoidance) and braking exercises.

 

As all have said, feather the clutch, learn to ride slow and practice, I take new riders to parking lots and have them serpentine and figure 8 the parking spaces, riding slow is the challenge, Sportsters sit higher than most other Harleys adding to the challenge, anybody can ride fast and straight, the bike does that on its own.


Sportsters have a lot of low end torque, the clutch is the answer, given a chance that 1200 would run right out from under you.

 

That popped up an old memory; buddy with a panhead (not so old at the time), suicide clutch, and buckhorn bars did a fast takeoff one day - well, the bike did. Talk about panic, riding behind the riderless bike down the road, slowly drifting across the oncoming lane; no cars came, and it idled down into a grassy ditch and fortunately leaned against the grassy upslope - not a scratch. When the unhorsed rider caught up, we had a good laugh. Still seems amazing it didn't just fall over.

 

Thanks for the advice all. I've been getting on my bike practicing everyday now and I'm really starting to warm up to this throttle. The technique is fairly different than the smaller MSF bikes which threw me off a bit. It's getting a lot easier to control (and a lot more fun).

I ordered some additional instructional material that should help increase my skill level. Also there is a "skills day" put on by the local Harley dealership next month that I'm going to try to attend.

 

You should remember the friction zone training from your MSF class.


Like others said above it's a mixture between the throttle and clutch..


The lurch is more noticeable because you're on a lot higher cubic inch model than you used in your class which are more often 250cc and sometimes 500cc. You simply have more HP and torque.