When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I am getting ready for a multiple-day ride from CO up north through Wy and the Dakotas. I am guessing I will encounter all the seasons (rain, possibly minimal snow). I am interested in the soft lowers on my EG Classic for warmth and helping to keep my feet dry.
I do have boot covers and wonder if the soft lowers might be overkill. The HD catalog has cautions in regards to using the lowers in temps above 50f due to possible overheating issues.
You can always just carry them in your saddlebags like rain gear, use 'em if you need to. That's what I'm going to do.
FWIW, I just - as in five minutes ago - finished some serious research on soft lowers, and ended up ordering a set of Sage Brush Designs Engine Guard Chaps. Worth a look for you, anyway > http://www.sagebrushdesigns.com/
I have the HD soft lowers for my Road King and they are the best money I ever spent at a dealership (they were cheap, maybe $40.) They work astonishingly well for keeping your legs warm and are easy to install and remove. But they aren't kidding about not using them over about 50°F - much above that and you can smell the engine running hot if you sit for a minute.
I agree with Eglin47 about Sagebrush. They cost more than the stock ones but these guys do great work. You can have them in your bags and slap them on easily when needed. For a couple more dollars you can fancy them up with whatever embroidery you want. Good people-good product.
I have the HD soft lowers for my Road King and they are the best money I ever spent at a dealership (they were cheap, maybe $40.) They work astonishingly well for keeping your legs warm and are easy to install and remove. But they aren't kidding about not using them over about 50°F - much above that and you can smell the engine running hot if you sit for a minute.
If you sit for a minute, it doesn't matter weather you have soft lowers or not, its going to get hot. Besides, the ultras owners don't ever take there lowers off in the summer time. Just saying
I have 'em...use 'em in early spring and fall.
Have never noticed any real 'heat' problems.
Have used them on the last three 'baggers' I've owned.
As someone else posted, I too carry them on trips for rain protection.
EZ on & off.
I was at a swap meet a couple of weeks ago and a guy had a set that were maybe used once or twice... I wasn't really looking for them, but when the guy said they could be mine for 4 bucks I jumped. I'm looking forward to using them, but so far (and I'm not complaining) it hasn't been cool enough to use them.
I had them for my VTX from Chilhowee in Grants Pass OR. They were more expensive than some here but very nice quality and good folks to work with. www.chilhowee.net
If you sit for a minute, it doesn't matter weather you have soft lowers or not, its going to get hot. Besides, the ultras owners don't ever take there lowers off in the summer time. Just saying
Oh, but I also have an Ultra, and the Road King with the soft lowers gets hot way faster than the Ultra does, regardless of whether the Ultra's lower vents are open or not. I think that the soft lowers are blocking a lot more cooling flow to the engine than the Ultra lowers do. If I ride both bikes on similarly chilly days (say 40°F) to work, the RK will "smell" hot after idling for a minute and the Ultra will not. Same engine, both 100% stock (2007 RK, 2009 Ultra).
H-D must think so, too, or they wouldn't have a warning with the soft lowers . . .
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.
Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.
Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.