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Lurked this thread for a bit, but never posted before now. I have been riding for 15 years or so, and as of my 4th bike - I bought a Harley. A Dyna Wide Glide to be precise. My bikes in chronological order: - Honda Shadow A.C.E. 750 (this was my starter bike and it was a GREAT starter bike) - Ultra Jackhammer ST (big goofy chopper) - 2011 Honda Interstate ABS and now: - 2014 HD Wide Glide Now back in the day when I made a lot less money and used to dream of owning a Harley - the Wide Glide always had my eye. The Interstate was a very solid bike. Plenty of power, smooth ride, all the creature comforts. So why did I only have it for 2 years? Honestly - it rides like an Old Guy Bike(tm) and while I am pretty old - I'm not ready for my old guy bike yet. So I was pretty certain on the Wide Glide, but the Street Bob had caught my eye lately so I took both out for a test ride. Heh. I'm not sure who engineered the Street Bob, but I'm pretty sure he HATES tall people. At 6'2" I was so folded up it might as well have been a Miata. If I pressed the back brake all the way my toes were pointing straight down. Not even a little comfortable. I sat on one with Forward Controls and even that didn't help much. Tall man is tall. The WG on the other hand, was like a warm hug from an old friend. I was sold on it in about 30 seconds. Couple that with a buddy who is the Sales/Business Manager at the dealer and I was off to the races.  So I picked it up this past Saturday and holy poo poo am I in love. You may wonder why I didn't buy used. One simple reason: ABS - which as of 2014 is standard on the WG. After having it on the Interstate, I'm not sure I could go back to not having it. But I gotta say - for years I had been under the impression that going from a metric bike to HD would be something of a step backwards, technology wise. I guess I was basing that opinion on the Jackhammer, which as a 2005 model still had a fuel petcock (and was American made? Maybe that's why I was thinking HD's would be more 'old school'). I bought the Interstate and was thinking "see? this is the future! No petcock at all." But yeah - I am really impressed with the Harley. The break-in is killing me, but I did about 160 miles of it in a day, so it's going fast at least. Attached a pic. Before you ask: I do leather work, and I LOVE how white leather looks when it starts to age and gets a little dirty - hence the white seat. That pillion has since come off. It was only on to get it home from the dealer. The grips were a suggestion from the chrome guy and it makes for a nice little touch. My plan is to black out most everything else. First up: a set of V&H Big Radius pipes in black.
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Oct 29, 2013 13:52
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Safety Dance posted:Oh wow. I always assumed the Softail was a hard tail, and they just called it Softail for some dumb reason. That's a hell of a find. Wha? What an odd thing to assume.
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Nov 16, 2013 17:52
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Safety Dance posted:They call it a softail but it doesn't have any obvious rear suspension. I thought it was just a name. Right but if I make a car and call it a Turbo, and it doesn't actually have a Turbo in it, but I'm still selling it as a Turbo - I'm pretty sure that's like...illegal.
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Nov 16, 2013 18:35
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Rev. Dr. Moses P. Lester posted:You should see the Chinese scooters I work on. Quite a lot of them say "supercharge" or "turbo" on the side. Some even say "ABS" on the brakes. They don't have ABS. That should be loving illegal. Wasn't it you who was telling me someone sued one of the manufacturers because he thought his bike had ABS when it didn't because he assumed the light being on meant ABS was working or something like that?
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Nov 17, 2013 20:13
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Gay Nudist Dad posted:It was a Harley: I'm not sure how it works on non-ABS models, but on both ABS bikes I've owned, it's on when you start it, and goes off as soon as you go over 6 mph, unless something is wrong, then it stays lit. But at least you can tell the light is doing SOMETHING. Topic jump: does anyone know off the top of their head of an accessory plug/harness which hooks up to a 2014 Wide Glide? I have a plug under the seat which it attached to what seems to just be a piece of plastic. it's in a little slideout slot, but it's definitely not wired to anything, and didn't even have any metal contacts on it. So it looks like it's maybe just there to hold the plug, or is a sub for something which appears on other models. I've seen some accessory sockets which plug in under the seat so you don't have to go DTB, but I'm wondering if that's the plug I would use, and what might fit it. HaB fucked around with this message at 21:40 on Nov 18, 2013 |
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Nov 18, 2013 21:38
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Errant Gin Monks posted:Its not the trickle charger port? Yeah after confirming with the parts guy at the dealer, the 2014 doesn't have the unused accessory port. The one I see under the seat is the antenna port for the security system, which I don't have - hence it not being connected to anything. Checked with a service guy and he said Direct to Battery is the way they usually do them, so I guess I'll go with that.
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Nov 20, 2013 17:39
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So Real Talk: what are my options for blacked out Dyna parts? They seem limited, assuming I don't want 'RSD' or 'Arlen Ness' stamped all over every inch of my bike. (hint: I don't). Is there a way to buy unfinished (or at least un-chromed) parts from somewhere? Didn't think it would be so difficult to find parts to black out a bike, but apparently I was misfused. Constaken, even. Thanks.
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Apr 3, 2014 19:39
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clutchpuck posted:Find stock take-offs and have them coated or painted. Er. I'm new to customizing. Where does one find stuff like this?
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Apr 7, 2014 04:22
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Also: Wrapping pipes vs powder coating. Pros / Cons? I found the pipes I want, but they don't make them in a black. I like the Rat Bike look of wrapping, but I'm cool with a black powder coat as well. Anyone have experience with either?
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Apr 11, 2014 16:08
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I gotta try and figure out a way to relocate the plate on my Wide Glide. I'm converting it over to a bagger, so I have a kit to relo the turn signals, but I'm pretty sure the plate is going to be just as much of a problem. Really would just want it center mounted on the rear fender if possible. I don't have a tail light - the turn signals double as the brake/tail lights. So it might be as simple is drilling a coupla holes in the fender after I find something that will fit. Edit: now that I think about it, the bag I ordered are basically rigid. Wondering if I can just screw it into the back of the Left saddlebag and call it a day. Is there some law I don't know about regarding it needing to be directly attached to the vehicle or something?
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Mar 20, 2015 17:59
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clutchpuck posted:Check your state laws but I don't think you'll have trouble with it on a case. There are probably height, orientation, and illumination requirements though. Yeah just checked the code. Assuming I can also move the light so it's visible 50' from the rear - I'm good. Shouldn't be a problem.
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Mar 20, 2015 18:20
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antisocial86 posted:I'm 6'4 and 285lbs and have very little riding experience. Money isn't really an issue, I just don't want to immediately die. My friends and biker buddies are split 50/50 on if I should just say gently caress it and get a street bob, which is my dream bike, as my first bike because they said most idiots get a sportster to start on but I'm way too drat big for one so just start with the bob. Idiot idea or just take it easy and it'll be fine? Have you actually sat on a Street Bob? I'm 6'2" / 200lbs and I had to fold up to get on one.
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Mar 28, 2015 04:54
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antisocial86 posted:Yeah, I've sat on a few. With forwards it was comfy. Ah. Forwards must make the difference. With the stock controls, my knees were below 90. Like I felt like I was leading with my knees. I went with a Dyna Wide Glide in the end.
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Mar 29, 2015 01:23
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Scrapez posted:The black exhaust looks nice. I almost always prefer them to chrome. Gives it a cool contrast and matches up with the black paint on your bike. I have started to abhor chrome on bikes I ride. Currently working through eradicating every piece of it I can on my Wide Glide. Pipes are next. It's almost as if everything on the WG dash/top, from the hours of 11am till 3pm in Georgia is deliberately angled so as to STAB YOU IN THE EYES with the sun. I'm sure I look goofy as hell riding down the road bobbing and contorting my head around so I can have a few seconds of relief from direct reflections into my eye sockets. 
HaB fucked around with this message at 23:49 on Jun 19, 2015 |
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Jun 19, 2015 23:45
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Duck_King posted:Finally, after almost 10 years, I am now the owner of a 2015 Street Bob! Nice. The Street Bob was on my short list when I bought my 2014 Wide Glide. I had to fold up to get on the Street Bob (I'm 6'2). My feet were behind my knees, and my hands were WAY out in front, like ape hangers, but horizontal instead of vertical. Couldn't see myself riding in that position, but they are cool bikes. Congrats.
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Jun 29, 2015 01:22
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Ugh. The struggle of 1.25" bars. So as a dealer option when I bought my Wide Glide, I had Harley's own 12" apes put on. After almost 2 years with them, I want about 4 more inches of rise out of them, so I start looking for 16" apes. Harley of course has an identical kit, 16" black apes with a riser for like $329. But when I take a look around bars alone are like $130 tops, and I already have the same riser as in the Harley kit. So I do some deeper looking to find something which might fit the bill. I like everything else about the 12s - the width and pullback and angle are pretty much perfect. I literally JUST want my hands 4 inches higher. Sadly my options loving SUCK. If I get true (more on this in a minute) 1.25" bars with 16" of rise, one of the other dimensions isn't even close. Like width goes from 32" to 39" or pullback gets a similar change. The other options are not-true 1.25" bars which are stepped down for the clamp section. But now I'm having to switch risers as well, and we're back up into prices near the Harley kit. In the end, after finding bars I like which didn't change much other than the rise and a new clamp, I was at $319. :| I just went with the Harley kit, because at least I know that one ONLY changes rise. I guess I will try to see if I can Craigslist the riser and maybe get $50 out of it. Still waiting on them to arrive. Will post before/afters when they are on the bike.
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Jul 9, 2015 12:31
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Errant Gin Monks posted:Umm..many didn't you just get some bigger risers? You can get 4 inch risers for 50 bucks. Already have 4" risers. And yeah I needed cables too.
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Jul 11, 2015 00:03
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Errant Gin Monks posted:So you had 4 inch risers and 12 inch baby apes.. And you wanted to go up to 20 inches total? Are your hands above your head now? Still not installed yet. But 16" apes will put them right at my forehead. Tall man is tall.
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Jul 11, 2015 03:13
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Errant Gin Monks posted:This is how I envision you Ahahaha. It's nowhere near that tall, I assure you.
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Jul 11, 2015 14:13
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M42 posted:Out of curiosity, do your arms ever fall asleep at that height? Are parking lot maneuvers harder? Not at all. I used to ride a chopper that while...not as high as that pic, was pretty high. Like wrists level with the top of my head, and even that wasn't really a problem.
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Jul 11, 2015 19:14
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Errant Gin Monks posted:I prefer my hands right below shoulder level. So I hadn't been riding for a few days, and I paid attention this morning as I was coming in. With the 12" apes, my hands are slightly below level with my shoulders. I snapped a lovely selfie when I got to work this morning: 
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Jul 13, 2015 12:41
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Bogieman posted:So, I've been lurking for a while, took the MSF, got my endorsement and went shopping for a bike. I read all the advice to buy a used bike first so I went to the dealership and they had a '15 XL883N with 860 miles on it, seemed like a good deal (about 1500 cheaper than the new one they had on the floor). It had a higher handlebar already installed which made it feel pretty comfortable for me too, as I was able to sit up a little easier. I was looking at starting out on a Street 750, but at 6'3 and 230# I felt really cramped. I feel you on tall people problems. I'm 6'2", 200. The Dyna Wide Glide was just about the only thing which didn't make me feel like I was folded up. Also: just swapped out pipes: (stock on top/ new pipes on bottom)  Was pleasantly surprised by the performance increase. S&S Air Cleaner is next, then a Dyno run. My 16" Apes are back ordered till the end of the month.
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Jul 25, 2015 00:37
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Rog McDodge posted:
Puuuurty! Congrats, man!
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Aug 31, 2015 12:27
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Schlieren posted:I went out for a nice ride in a mild, seasonal shower and the motorcycle was all over the place; I could get the rear to spin out from under me, even at speed, if I gave it too much throttle (too much being "even a somewhat moderate amount"). Promptly said "yeah no thanks", took side streets home @ 25 mph, never to revisit that idea ever again Adding to what shimrod said: this is definitely not "normal" for wet riding. I ride year-round as well - with the only exception being cold AND wet at the same time. I'm equipped for one or the other - but not both. At any rate - for about the first 30 minutes of rain - if you get caught out in it - just stop somewhere and have a cuppa tea or coffee and chill out for a few. All the oil and poo poo rises to the top of the road during this time. Not worth the risk. After about 30 minutes you'll be fine, you just have to take it a LOT easier than you normally would. I have ridden in legit torrential downpours and been fine. If it's raining hard enough you will definitely find the gaps in your rain gear.  If your back end was sliding that much, and you weren't riding in the first 30 minutes of rain - either your rear tire sucks at wet roads, or you weren't taking it easy enough. By "easy enough" you need to switch to doing ONE thing at a time in wet weather. Don't accelerate AND turn, for example. Turn, THEN accelerate in a straight line. It's a completely different vibe at first, but with practice you get comfortable quickly and automatically switch into "rain mode" when needed.
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Dec 28, 2015 13:27
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OMGVBFLOL posted:what sort of motorcycles make people mad about hipsters, i want one of those As far as I can tell "hipster" means "people who don't dress like me or do a thing the way I do it" because I have gotten as many definitions of the term as people I have asked when I hear them use it. Every time I think I find a trait which fits everyone's definition, someone will prove me wrong. Everyone just goes. "You know.....hipsters!" No. I don't know.
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Jan 2, 2016 00:12
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trouser chili posted:See, when I had my v-star I had to cancel all my own signals. It was automatic for me and never a thing I had to give second thought to. The self-canceling on the Harley seems to work great in turns, but is obviously lane-change dumb. I can live with this but I still often don't know if I've activated the signal without looking down at the tank, because the switches don't "click" or anything. This also true when canceling signals during lane changes. The signals on my Wide Glide DO cancel for lane changes, tho. I read the spec somewhere. If you go for X distance above Y speed, it assumes you left it on accidentally. I forget what X and Y are, tho. It definitely goes off, tho.
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Jan 16, 2016 21:40
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Valt posted:
Nice. Welcome to the Dyna club. Schlieren posted:Hello thread. So I added some bags mounted with Easy Brackets but kept the yoke for appearance or whatever. My goal of them at least not making the bike look worse was successful imo. In other news holy hell the S3 takes just garbage photos Those look good.
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Mar 18, 2016 12:22
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Beaucoup Cuckoo posted:Thanks for your input. Pubic. I can't speak for the sporty, but cruising at 80-85 on my 2014 Dyna is no trouble with plenty of juice left to pass if I need it. Edit: I have the 103" When I get out on the interstate- I want miles to disappear. The Dyna does this no sweat. Mine's a Wide Glide if it matters. I have it kitted out as a 2 up bagger and it holds plenty. If I'm solo the 2nd seat could hold a plenty big bag for longer trips.
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Aug 22, 2016 03:22
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Took me a while coming from Metric bikes to get used to the two hand turn signals, but it became second nature after a coupla weeks of steady riding. Now I have the opposite problem - if I get on a friends metric I'll thumb the starter if I'm not careful when turning right.
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Sep 9, 2016 21:56
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tjones posted:Do you wear ear plugs with that helmet? I used to ride with that same style of helmet. I dunno about y'all's bikes, but my pipes output is behind my ears, so I never had trouble with it being loud. Maybe while sitting still, but definitely not while riding. Wind noise was greatly mitigated by my windshield.
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Feb 16, 2017 14:08
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tjones posted:I run a Sena SMH-10 in a full face Arai. The unit itself is loud as gently caress, but even so, with all my vents open, at a highway speed or greater, any music/audio that isn't mixed well gets hard to hear when I'm wearing plugs even at max volume for the sena unit and bt transmitter. It's been years since I've worn anything other than a full face, but I'd imagine the ability to hear any audio clearly through a headset that is designed to work with a half shell might offer even less. Yeah I roll in a Biltwell full face now, but if I don't have the shield on it - it's louder than my half helmet was, as far as wind noise goes. I guess that shape funnels it right over my ears. I don't like the idea of riding with music at all, honestly - I'd rather be able to hear what's around me, but that probably makes me weird. I don't even like walking around outside or jogging with headphones on. v  v
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Feb 17, 2017 13:11
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Scrapez posted:I like my auto canceling signals. I've never had an issue with them to be honest. Yeah same. Mine are fine as well.
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Jun 5, 2017 16:17
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clutchpuck posted:I'll go one further: a turn signal button on each handlebar is the worst idea. Put a rocker on the left for human operators please. Now this I will agree with. True story: I was a metric cruiser rider for several years before I bought my Harley. I was out with the dealer doing a test ride, and I finally caught up to him at a light and yelled "how do I signal a right turn?!?". He laughed and was like "right handlebar". So weird to me that they were on both sides.
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Jun 9, 2017 12:05
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windex posted:I tried to ride a Street Bob but the mid controls are basically impossibly uncomfortable for anyone over 5'10" or so. The actual seating position on the Fat Bob is like a Sportster with mids a couple inches forward, but on top of the tank practically. I test rode a Street Bob when I bought my Wide Glide. I'm 6'2". The riding position on the Bob was straight up bizarre for me. Arms way out front like it had 22" apes on it, but my knees were like 75 degrees with my heels pointing almost directly at my rear end. I signaled the dealer with me to turn back after like a quarter mile. No idea who thought that position made any sense. That Fat Bob looks purty, tho.
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Aug 24, 2018 13:04
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