Merlynn
Active Member
There's a short story and a long story. Today you get the long story. Just finished the Leesburg bike festival with a terrific ride back home to south florida with my sweetheart, but it didn't begin that way.
Off in early morning with my honey on the back, pulled into the West Palm Beach service plaza in the dark, mistook the FHP entry road for the service center road. Barb says "Hey just use the grass" so I did. Left the road onto the grass strip between the patrol station and the service plaza, suddenly realized that the other side wasn't a smooth transition as before but a 7 inch drop off cement curb at an angle. No way I could make that so I braked to a stop with a little side motion and at a dead stop couldn't hold it and we both spilled right onto the grass. Pretty ridiculous but she's a good sport, no damage to us or the bike so up we go and soon we're off again to Leesburg.
Left the turnpike at Yeehaw Junction on Highway 60 to pickup Highway 27 into Leesburg. Car ahead suddenly locks up his brakes. I react albeit slowly at first and brake hard. ABS does it's thing for real, first time since I bought the bike in November. I'm coming up fast on his rear fender but don't see a way around him as the road is filled ahead of the car with Sand hill cranes, large birds about 3 feet tall. Came to a stop on his left side about an inch from his bumper and a couple of feet from these stupid birds who haven't left the road and good grief with almost no forward movement but a little sideward I can't hold the bike and again we spill onto the pavement.
This time She and I are banged up a bit on the right side and the bike fender has a scratch so overall we are pretty lucky. She is not happy however and neither am I. The problem is at a normal stop I slide forward a bit and put my feet out and stop the bike. Both times this day I had to stop while still sitting back in the seat and by the time my foot touched the ground the bike had to much lean, had reached the tipping point and I couldn't hold it. The problem was exacerbated because riding two up with the tour pak loaded (within limits) the center of gravity was higher and the lateral limit before I couldn't hold up the bike was smaller.
I only dropped my Sportster once and that was because my left arm had become intimate with the passenger door of a toyota corolla during a misunderstanding over right of way at an intersection. I never dropped my Road King. I'm not tall, 5'6" and with a mustang seat the RK fit me just fine. So what's the best way to lower this bike for me. Should I try another mustang seat? What about progressive shocks, have heard good things about them although I like my air shocks. If I change the rear shocks do I need to lower the front end? If so, how?
Love the bike and as far as I'm concerned ABS kept me out of the hospital this weekend, I won't listen to anything negative about ABS after this. But dropping the bike and my fiancee twice in one day is not the key to a successful, long lasting relationship with either.
Your thoughts are most welcome!
Off in early morning with my honey on the back, pulled into the West Palm Beach service plaza in the dark, mistook the FHP entry road for the service center road. Barb says "Hey just use the grass" so I did. Left the road onto the grass strip between the patrol station and the service plaza, suddenly realized that the other side wasn't a smooth transition as before but a 7 inch drop off cement curb at an angle. No way I could make that so I braked to a stop with a little side motion and at a dead stop couldn't hold it and we both spilled right onto the grass. Pretty ridiculous but she's a good sport, no damage to us or the bike so up we go and soon we're off again to Leesburg.
Left the turnpike at Yeehaw Junction on Highway 60 to pickup Highway 27 into Leesburg. Car ahead suddenly locks up his brakes. I react albeit slowly at first and brake hard. ABS does it's thing for real, first time since I bought the bike in November. I'm coming up fast on his rear fender but don't see a way around him as the road is filled ahead of the car with Sand hill cranes, large birds about 3 feet tall. Came to a stop on his left side about an inch from his bumper and a couple of feet from these stupid birds who haven't left the road and good grief with almost no forward movement but a little sideward I can't hold the bike and again we spill onto the pavement.
This time She and I are banged up a bit on the right side and the bike fender has a scratch so overall we are pretty lucky. She is not happy however and neither am I. The problem is at a normal stop I slide forward a bit and put my feet out and stop the bike. Both times this day I had to stop while still sitting back in the seat and by the time my foot touched the ground the bike had to much lean, had reached the tipping point and I couldn't hold it. The problem was exacerbated because riding two up with the tour pak loaded (within limits) the center of gravity was higher and the lateral limit before I couldn't hold up the bike was smaller.
I only dropped my Sportster once and that was because my left arm had become intimate with the passenger door of a toyota corolla during a misunderstanding over right of way at an intersection. I never dropped my Road King. I'm not tall, 5'6" and with a mustang seat the RK fit me just fine. So what's the best way to lower this bike for me. Should I try another mustang seat? What about progressive shocks, have heard good things about them although I like my air shocks. If I change the rear shocks do I need to lower the front end? If so, how?
Love the bike and as far as I'm concerned ABS kept me out of the hospital this weekend, I won't listen to anything negative about ABS after this. But dropping the bike and my fiancee twice in one day is not the key to a successful, long lasting relationship with either.
Your thoughts are most welcome!
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