Becoming a Biker, Part 2: Learning to handle the new Harley

Union Leader ^ | June 9 2002 | JEANNE MORRIS

[SSN558]

"new riders who buy a powerful bike before they learn to ride."

just a point of view. I learned on an old full dress panhead and still ride heavy bikes. It's those light weight ones that scare me. They always feel so wobley, unstable, and have a seating position that turns your upper body into a sail. You have to look at the speedo to see how fast your going because you can't feel the engine thumping. The gear shifts and brakes are in the wrong place with your knees jacked up in the air. The lean forward seating position gives a backache and contributes to fatigue on the long rides.

[2Trievers]

Was that a DARE? LOL &;-)

[VA Advogado]

Was that a DARE? LOL &;-)

Well if you're one of those foo-foo women bikers, you'll not be shy about sharing with us in detail your leather riding outfit :P

[Dan from Michigan]

Someday......

BTW - Maybe Michigan will allow Easy Rider...the state house voted to repeal the helmet law.

[Hank Rearden]

You do understand that if I'm on my Kawasaki GPz and you're on any Harley you'll only ever see my tailights while there's no chance that I'll see yours until I turn the engine off.

Relativly poor (even miserable) performance is the price Harley pays for using an obsolete twin V design for the sake of getting that nice popping exhaust note that everyone associates with a bad bike.

It seems you've never had the pleasurable experience of owning, perhaps even riding, a Harley.

I have a Honda ST1100 that will take me to 130mph in a few seconds. I also have a Harley Fat Boy that tells me to "f off" if I even consider taking her over 75.

I love 'em both. The ST gets many more miles. The Harley gets many more rides. Different bikes for different fun.

[Dan from Michigan]

LOL. Looks like something out of the movie Roger Rabbit.

[medved]

Not that I have any use for Harleys, but...

I could teach anybody who wasn't spastic how to ride and control a motorcycle in 20 minutes. The thing nobody could teach anybody else in 20 minutes is the judgement necessary to stay alive on bikes.

Two or three basic ideas will go a long way in that direction however.

• The road itself is more dangerous to a motorcycle than to a car. Get into the habit of watching the road for bricks, dead animals, snakes etc. etc.
• Don't be racing on the highways, but get into the habit of using the power of the bike to keep yourself out of tight clumps of traffic and keep as much distance between yourself and other vehicles as possible..
• Don't get into exotic bike driving tricks like driving between cars on top of the divider lines.
• While passing other vehicles, keep to the side of the lane you're in furthest from the other vehicles.
• Don't drive in other peoples blind spots, don't assume other people see you, don't take longer than necessary to get past other vehicles, etc. etc.

[blackie]

PUG wasn't running H/D's in the ground, he was telling the truth...
I've owned three (a '45 45 a '51 74 and '91 1200cc Sportster) H/D's out of the twenty plus bikes I've owned during my fifty four years of owning and riding dirt and street bikes.

In '00 I sold my last H/D, a 91 1200 cc Sportster with Sifton cams, screaming Eagle ignition, 42MM flat-slide Mikuni carb, Works Performance rear shocks an performance damping kit in front forks.
For a Harley it was fast... :o)

I thought I was all through riding, two weeks later, I ordered an '01 SV650 Suzuki; it's quicker, handles better and stops better than the Sporty...
The best all around street bike I've ever owned was an '81 GS1100 Suzuki, it ran flawlessly for ten years, all I did was service it and buy new tires: it really went through rear tires... :o)

The best dirt bikes I've owned were a '67 360cc Maico MXer, a '74 KX400 Kawasaki MXer and an '83 DR500 Suzuki.

All motorcycles are great, that's why there are so many different makes and models...If I was a little younger, I would get a new GSX-R1000 Suzuki, for the road and a DR-Z400E Suzuki for the dirt... :o)

This SV650 works just fine for the old geezer... :o)

[forsnax5]

My experience has been quite the opposite. It's the Harley crowd that always seems to have a chip on it's shoulder. Only seldom does a Harley rider wave when passing me; other riders always do. It's the Harley crowd that seems to insist on a dichotomy bewteen they and all other riders.

This seems to be somewhat of a regional thing. I rode in SoCal (predominately Hondas) for over thirty years, and your description is accurate for that area. Then I moved to Colorado (four corners area), and the Harley riders here wave just as often as the GoldWingers. There are also MORE Harleys than any other machine here.

They don't mistake me for one of their own, either -- I'm on a silver Honda ST1100 wearing a white helment and an Aerostich suit. :)

[blackie]

Two things you forgot Medved:
(1)Keep you eyes level with the horizon, especially when leaning the bike over
(2)The bike always goes where looking...

[blackie]

Where "you're" looking...sigh...having a senior moment...:o)

[sleavelessinseattle]

Pardon me Advo, for intruding but I must point out that there are women who eschew warpaint in favor of callouses, utility over vanity and action over words...There are other forms of exercise that emphasize upper body and grip strength and stamina...perhaps you should vary your fitness regimen to include indoor sports.LOL! Because you're a Freeper, Please wear you brain bucket...you're worth three liberal headfulls and I'd hate to see that US resource being hosed into a rain gutter....peace, Bra

PS Don't flip off 2T...shes a dead shot...no harley OR Rice Grinder I EVER heard of can beat a bullet off the mark...<*knowing grin>

[maxwell]

I almost feel sorry for these new riders who buy a powerful bike before they learn to ride.

Yeah well I probably went too far the other way, dude... Beginner rider here, took the riding training program last month and ran out and got some wheels the next day... You can call me a pussy but ever since I went and got my happy a$$ concussed on a BICYCLE with a helmet on, I had some of the almighty fear of Gawd put in me I reckon... Lil' girl here don't have much push but she's fine for town riding if I can quit popping the clutch in the middle of intersections, bwahaha...

[maxwell]

Not that I have any use for Harleys, but...

Dude... When I get more miles and more $$ I'm going HOG...