I think I have to sell it?
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Road Captain
Joined: Apr 2006
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I think I have to sell it?
Went out today on the LIE got blown around six ways to Sunday
My friend was riding with me on his softail and had no complaints
I love my sporty but man what a difference
I really cant afford to upgrade but today was a lesson
What do you guys think
KMM
My friend was riding with me on his softail and had no complaints
I love my sporty but man what a difference
I really cant afford to upgrade but today was a lesson
What do you guys think
KMM
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,167
Likes: 7
From: FL & SoCal
RE: I think I have to sell it?
I know the feeling but personally, all bikes will suffer from some kind of wind buffeting. I got a friend who has a Honda Rune that big beastly but ugly looking almost 900lb bike with a 6 cylinder engine and he still has problems with the wind from time to time even when passing trucks. One thing that helps is making sure your air pressure is perfect. I notice the bikes stability is different when I run different air pressures. What year is your Sporty? The rubber mounted engines are easier to ride at highway speeds because they cut down on the vibration. That's where the Softail is also going to excel over the Sportster. Smoother ride because of the longer wheelbase and bigger engine. As far as wind buffeting, all bikes are going to get that to some degree.
Tourer
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 308
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RE: I think I have to sell it?
The previous post is very true, all bikes are effected by the wind.
How experienced at riding is your friend versus you?
I have found that an inexperienced rider tends to tense up and get a death grip on the bars when they experience wind/buffeting. This only magnifies the problem and makes the bike feel WAY more loose. Don’t get me wrong, even the most experienced of riders will feel the effects of wind from nature and traffic, but it can be minimized by allowing the bike to do what it does naturally, especially at 65+ miles an hour… and that’s go straight and stay upright.
So, before you give up, try it again and try to keep a more relaxed grip.
Good luck!
- Jeremy
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 8,641
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From: Ozark Country
RE: I think I have to sell it?
Center of gravity and wheelbase have a lot to do with how well a bike will handle in higher wind conditions (especially crosswinds).
When I first got my 2005 1200C it was less stable in high wind conditions than we riding my Dyna WideGlide. Wasn't that much of a difference in the weight of the 2 bikes (about 50 pounds or so), but the FXDWG has a "stiffer" 41mm front end with a 65" wheelbase, while the 1200C had a "softer" 39mm front with a 60.3" wheelbase.
I'm down around the Kansas/Oklahoma/Missouri border area, and high wind conditions are normal during the majority of the year.
After installing the 41mm WideGlide front end on my Sportster (which increased the wheelbase to 70") high speed cruising in severe wind conditions was improved 1,000%. With the wider forks, stiffer front end, and longer wheelbase the bike just cuts through the wind.
One on the worse bikes I evern rode in high wind conditions was a 2006 Kawasaki KLR650 that I had for a couple months. Lightweight (about 380 pounds) short wheelbase, and the seat height was right at 35". If the wind was gusting at 25 MPH or stronger I was afraid to take it out on the highway.
When I first got my 2005 1200C it was less stable in high wind conditions than we riding my Dyna WideGlide. Wasn't that much of a difference in the weight of the 2 bikes (about 50 pounds or so), but the FXDWG has a "stiffer" 41mm front end with a 65" wheelbase, while the 1200C had a "softer" 39mm front with a 60.3" wheelbase.
I'm down around the Kansas/Oklahoma/Missouri border area, and high wind conditions are normal during the majority of the year.
After installing the 41mm WideGlide front end on my Sportster (which increased the wheelbase to 70") high speed cruising in severe wind conditions was improved 1,000%. With the wider forks, stiffer front end, and longer wheelbase the bike just cuts through the wind.
One on the worse bikes I evern rode in high wind conditions was a 2006 Kawasaki KLR650 that I had for a couple months. Lightweight (about 380 pounds) short wheelbase, and the seat height was right at 35". If the wind was gusting at 25 MPH or stronger I was afraid to take it out on the highway.
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