Hello
Thread Starter
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Tourer
Joined: Sep 2018
Posts: 458
Likes: 282
From: West Virginia
Hello
Hi folks,
This is a little long, please bear with me:
Just entered the world of Harley Davidson yesterday. I rode motorcycles most of my younger life (I'm 53 now). When my wife and I were married, a motorcycle was all I owned. Once kids came along the bike went away, replaced by 4-wheels. We always said that once the kids were grown we would get another bike. Well, it took 29 years but our youngest just graduated HS and is off to college. It didn't take the wife a week to start talking about getting a bike. I have always wanted a Harley, but never owned one...until now.
So off I go to the DMV and get a learners permit since I haven't ridden in so long. It's like riding a bicycle right? uh, no. It isn't. That's especially true if the last bike you rode was a Yahama Virago 700 back in 1989, then the first bike you jump on 29 years later is a 2013 Dyna Street Bob with 12" ape hangers and a gigantic 103 with Vance and Hines pipes, forward controls, and Screamin Eagle emblems where ever you look.
Yeah, I'm a (insert the expletive of your choice here) IDIOT. An experienced rider would probably say, well that's no big deal. But it is. It might as well have been my first time ever riding. The test ride should have sent warning flares up all over the place. The ape hangers and forward controls were so alien to me I never really felt in control. Plus, I'm only 5-9 and the controls were a stretch for me. But I was blinded by that Harley rumble, you know? I just told myself it was rust and a little time on the seat would iron it all out.
Wrong. Bad decision. Like I said, I'm an idiot.
You can probably tell where this is going. Yep, wrecked it the very day I brought it home. I rode it all the way home without incident, but knew it didn't feel right for me. But I just kept telling myself I would get used to it. Later in the day I got back on it for a ride in the country to continue "getting used to it". It was going well and I was feeling better about turning at speed and the bike wasn't drifting as wide in curves. But then I came to a stop sign and was turning left. The road I was turning onto was tighter than 90°, maybe 110°. I was already struggling with those types of turns (turning from a dead stop) but had managed to keep it together (waiting for that whole getting used to it thing to kick in). This time it went horribly wrong. As I started into the turn I'm not really sure what happened. I have gone over it a thousand times in my head, but it happened so fast. I think I must have rolled the throttle while trying to tighten the turn so I didn't overshoot it. The 103 was unforgiving. In a second I was across the road and slammed into a gas meter. I think the bike laid down just before impact, but it happened so fast I cant be sure. I ended up in the grass of the homeowners front yard. My beautiful Dyna was laying on it's right side with the front wheel stuck under the meter. It was horrible.
I think the bike and I suffered equal injuries. We're both banged up a bit, but we'll survive. Full coverage insurance will repair the dent in the tank, bent right foot peg mount, broken rear break linkage, and the Screamin Eagle breather. Oh, and the deep scratch in the front fender. For me, I've got some pretty good bruises, but no doctor required.
So, the bike is going to the shop for repairs, and I'm enrolling in the HD riders course and the state sponsored course and any other course I can find locally before I get back on that bike. I'm also replacing the ape hangers and moving the forward controls to mid controls. It wont have the look the Bob was designed to have, but I will be able to ride it with more confidence.
Yeah. I'm a dumb***. I admit it freely. But as scary as that was, I'm not giving up on this bike yet. I'll be posting in the Dyna section for help in replacing those bars and moving those controls. I sure would appreciate any help I can get.
This is a little long, please bear with me:
Just entered the world of Harley Davidson yesterday. I rode motorcycles most of my younger life (I'm 53 now). When my wife and I were married, a motorcycle was all I owned. Once kids came along the bike went away, replaced by 4-wheels. We always said that once the kids were grown we would get another bike. Well, it took 29 years but our youngest just graduated HS and is off to college. It didn't take the wife a week to start talking about getting a bike. I have always wanted a Harley, but never owned one...until now.
So off I go to the DMV and get a learners permit since I haven't ridden in so long. It's like riding a bicycle right? uh, no. It isn't. That's especially true if the last bike you rode was a Yahama Virago 700 back in 1989, then the first bike you jump on 29 years later is a 2013 Dyna Street Bob with 12" ape hangers and a gigantic 103 with Vance and Hines pipes, forward controls, and Screamin Eagle emblems where ever you look.
Yeah, I'm a (insert the expletive of your choice here) IDIOT. An experienced rider would probably say, well that's no big deal. But it is. It might as well have been my first time ever riding. The test ride should have sent warning flares up all over the place. The ape hangers and forward controls were so alien to me I never really felt in control. Plus, I'm only 5-9 and the controls were a stretch for me. But I was blinded by that Harley rumble, you know? I just told myself it was rust and a little time on the seat would iron it all out.
Wrong. Bad decision. Like I said, I'm an idiot.
You can probably tell where this is going. Yep, wrecked it the very day I brought it home. I rode it all the way home without incident, but knew it didn't feel right for me. But I just kept telling myself I would get used to it. Later in the day I got back on it for a ride in the country to continue "getting used to it". It was going well and I was feeling better about turning at speed and the bike wasn't drifting as wide in curves. But then I came to a stop sign and was turning left. The road I was turning onto was tighter than 90°, maybe 110°. I was already struggling with those types of turns (turning from a dead stop) but had managed to keep it together (waiting for that whole getting used to it thing to kick in). This time it went horribly wrong. As I started into the turn I'm not really sure what happened. I have gone over it a thousand times in my head, but it happened so fast. I think I must have rolled the throttle while trying to tighten the turn so I didn't overshoot it. The 103 was unforgiving. In a second I was across the road and slammed into a gas meter. I think the bike laid down just before impact, but it happened so fast I cant be sure. I ended up in the grass of the homeowners front yard. My beautiful Dyna was laying on it's right side with the front wheel stuck under the meter. It was horrible.
I think the bike and I suffered equal injuries. We're both banged up a bit, but we'll survive. Full coverage insurance will repair the dent in the tank, bent right foot peg mount, broken rear break linkage, and the Screamin Eagle breather. Oh, and the deep scratch in the front fender. For me, I've got some pretty good bruises, but no doctor required.
So, the bike is going to the shop for repairs, and I'm enrolling in the HD riders course and the state sponsored course and any other course I can find locally before I get back on that bike. I'm also replacing the ape hangers and moving the forward controls to mid controls. It wont have the look the Bob was designed to have, but I will be able to ride it with more confidence.
Yeah. I'm a dumb***. I admit it freely. But as scary as that was, I'm not giving up on this bike yet. I'll be posting in the Dyna section for help in replacing those bars and moving those controls. I sure would appreciate any help I can get.
Cruiser
Joined: Sep 2018
Posts: 142
Likes: 8
From: Beech Island, SC
Welcome to the forum! My father started riding motorcycles at 55 years old. He took a break somewhere in-between the last 6 years for a year or two and just jumped back on and is doing well with seat time. Keep it up!
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 15,793
Likes: 1,133
From: NorCal916
Welcome!!! 
