Introduction
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Stage II
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 2
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From: Maine
Introduction
Hi, I'm Paul in Maine. I owned 3 small bikes when I was a kid, the largest and last being a '71 750 Trident that I sold in 1978. I've been bikeless ever since. It must be a mid-life thing. Last August I demo'd 3 bikes at Beartooth HD in Billings: a dyna, soft tail & a V-rod. I was too intimidated by the size & weight of the baggers, but I've always wanted a big bike. I stalled the V-rod out twice in the parking lot and wrote it off as not enough torque. On my 1st ride since 1978, the Wide Glide, I near dropped (scraped) it. The Night Train was lovely with V&H pipes - loud.
Back home, I started renting, with a budget of 1 rent-day/month. I bit the bullet and rented in August a 2010 Road King and put on 350miles of twisties in the White Mountains, including (crazy) Jefferson Notch Road. It seemed very top heavy, not a back-roader and I was afraid to drop it. So in Sept I rented a Heritage ST Classic and put on about 400miles. But I was scaping the foot boards on the twisties north of Lake Winnepesaukee, so that is too low, not enough lean angle. In early October, I rented another 2010 Road King and put on 500 miles, including the upper Kancamagus harpin at an "appropriate" speed, not following a line of Winnebago's. It felt like a different bike than the 1st rental, but the dealer said that they were both 2010's. With miles I was getting my confidence and re-learning the center of gravity, averaging 10-15 > speed limit on the state secondary paved roads. So on my late October rental before the season closed I rented a 2011 ElectraGlide Classic with only 160miles on it, and put on over 600 miles. A different ride, listening to ZZ-top blasting out the speakers while weaving in traffic through Boston's Big Dig, but a happier interstate & US-highway bike than a back-roader.
After renting, talking with dealers and mechanics and so on, I am hunting for a 2009 FLHP after it comes off of a typical 2-year police lease in the fall of 2011. This seems to fit my want of a "big bike" as well as a performing back-roader, and does that unexpectedly better than the soft tails. I can't get my wife to ride on the back, so the police air-ride seat is fine. I want the biggest motor that I can afford, which means the 96TC with the Big Bore kit to 103cid, so 2007+. The increase to the 6gal tank means 2008+. And the frame redesign for a little more lean angle means 2009. The catalytic converter in 2010 I don't want, although I do like the 2010 many spoked (not laced) mag wheel over the 2009 5-spoke. I'm not a big fan of the 2009+ 2-1-2 exhaust system, since the "1" section isn't as easilly divided as just blocking the 2008- cross-over for true duals, so I'll need to buy a set of true duals.
That's me for now; I'll hit you with some questions later. Thanks,
Paul in Maine
Back home, I started renting, with a budget of 1 rent-day/month. I bit the bullet and rented in August a 2010 Road King and put on 350miles of twisties in the White Mountains, including (crazy) Jefferson Notch Road. It seemed very top heavy, not a back-roader and I was afraid to drop it. So in Sept I rented a Heritage ST Classic and put on about 400miles. But I was scaping the foot boards on the twisties north of Lake Winnepesaukee, so that is too low, not enough lean angle. In early October, I rented another 2010 Road King and put on 500 miles, including the upper Kancamagus harpin at an "appropriate" speed, not following a line of Winnebago's. It felt like a different bike than the 1st rental, but the dealer said that they were both 2010's. With miles I was getting my confidence and re-learning the center of gravity, averaging 10-15 > speed limit on the state secondary paved roads. So on my late October rental before the season closed I rented a 2011 ElectraGlide Classic with only 160miles on it, and put on over 600 miles. A different ride, listening to ZZ-top blasting out the speakers while weaving in traffic through Boston's Big Dig, but a happier interstate & US-highway bike than a back-roader.
After renting, talking with dealers and mechanics and so on, I am hunting for a 2009 FLHP after it comes off of a typical 2-year police lease in the fall of 2011. This seems to fit my want of a "big bike" as well as a performing back-roader, and does that unexpectedly better than the soft tails. I can't get my wife to ride on the back, so the police air-ride seat is fine. I want the biggest motor that I can afford, which means the 96TC with the Big Bore kit to 103cid, so 2007+. The increase to the 6gal tank means 2008+. And the frame redesign for a little more lean angle means 2009. The catalytic converter in 2010 I don't want, although I do like the 2010 many spoked (not laced) mag wheel over the 2009 5-spoke. I'm not a big fan of the 2009+ 2-1-2 exhaust system, since the "1" section isn't as easilly divided as just blocking the 2008- cross-over for true duals, so I'll need to buy a set of true duals.
That's me for now; I'll hit you with some questions later. Thanks,
Paul in Maine
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Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 2,043
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From: Central Arkansas
Welcome from central Arkansas.
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I think you already have the answer to your question as to what series/year. The '09 is what you have been bouncing around with and the issue about 2-1-2 pipes is easily solved with some SE pipes or Vance & Hines. Everything else is just riding style.
Welcome aboard and ride safe!
Welcome aboard and ride safe!