Harley Riders gather

[Ah Fai]

Originally posted by NormalAspirated@Dec 4 2006, 01:08 AM

How come suddenly got discussion of Motorcycling Club ?

IMO ... As long you are rider ... all are equal.

You are right

[gohjohan]

Originally posted by cgl@Dec 4 2006, 10:48 AM

Collected my bike last week. Spent the weekend polishing and coating the paintwork, and protecting the metal parts. Haven't done such detailing on bikes for a long time.

 

The clutch is hard, the engine is noisy, the transmission is clunky, the suspension is bone-jarring, and the vibration at idle is quite severe. But I FEEL ALIVE!

 

Leaves me smiling everytime I ride it. It is an experience that I cannot describe properly. The bike is also very nimble and the handling is quite light. The brakes, although not Brembo qualty, is surprisingly adequate. It is also the first time in many years that I can put down my feet flat on the ground, had been tip-toeing for the past 6 years.

 

Maybe it is the initial novelty, but I like this ride quite a lot. My only complain is that my accessories are not here yet, so no rigid saddle bags to lock my jacket and rain coat, so quite inconvenient for now.

 

It's more than that. You have tool kit? 'cos I don't. Turns out tool kit is a separate accessory which is pretty daft. I know Harley has full faith in their products, but I don't because of Murphy's Law.

 

So you can either order it in or get a universal one from somewhere out there. For Sportsters, the tool kit's available. I think it's about $180.

 

I too, was in the waiting stage. It's not fun. Once the part comes and gets assembled, I think it's worth the wait.

[cgl]

Originally posted by gohjohan@Dec 4 2006, 02:10 PM

It's more than that. You have tool kit? 'cos I don't. Turns out tool kit is a separate accessory which is pretty daft. I know Harley has full faith in their products, but I don't because of Murphy's Law.

 

So you can either order it in or get a universal one from somewhere out there. For Sportsters, the tool kit's available. I think it's about $180.

 

I too, was in the waiting stage. It's not fun. Once the part comes and gets assembled, I think it's worth the wait.

After much thoughts, I have no intention of getting the toolkit. I believe for $180, it should be the general toolkit for all. I'll probably assemble the tools myself.

 

Actually, I hardly ever use the toolkit for my last bike, except to change engine oil. But I believe every bike should come with toolkit. I'm quite surprised that even Fatboys doesn't come with one.

 

Well, the price of a Harley is only the downpayment, we need to pay our "installments" to get a complete bike!

[Guest fengdrew]

01. shiraz - Roadking

02. NormalAspirated - Orange Sportster

03. gohjohan - Fatboy

04. funfly - Roadking

05. Ritmo - Sportster

06. Jess1717 - Sportster (soon-to-be)

07. fengdrew - Roadking

08. Oldun - Vrod & T-sport

09. Marvypower - Roadking

10. Jammer - Orange Sportster

11. cgl - Sportster 1200 Low (soon-to-be)

12. Tincan - Vrod

13. free spirit - Sportster 883 Low (soon-to-be)

14.

15.

 

 

Nw tat we got more n more Harley riders joining this thread... any1 wanna fill up?

[tiny_168]

Hi guys,

 

Sorry if this is a little off topic.

I notice there is quite a number of Harley riders in this forum.

I am a Harley fan as well.

Anyone using it as a daily commute to and from work especially in the city apart from leisure ride over the weekend?

 

Would it be too harsh in terms of maintenance?

I guess handling the bike in the city would be an issue as well.

 

Should I get a Shadow 750 or ST instead?

 

I wish I could do the same as gohjohan, but getting 2 bikes is out of my reach.

 

Thanks a lot for your comments.

 

Tiny

[Jess1717]

01. shiraz - Roadking

02. NormalAspirated - Orange Sportster

03. gohjohan - Fatboy

04. funfly - Roadking

05. Ritmo - Sportster

06. Jess1717 - Sportster

07. fengdrew - Roadking

08. Oldun - Vrod & T-sport

09. Marvypower - Roadking

10. Jammer - Orange Sportster

11. cgl - Sportster 1200 Low (soon-to-be)

12. Tincan - Vrod

13. free spirit - Sportster 883 Low (soon-to-be)

14. TTL - XL50

 

 

When wana go rounding, got 2 run in....

[TTL]

Originally posted by Jess1717@Dec 4 2006, 10:28 PM

01. shiraz - Roadking

02. NormalAspirated - Orange Sportster

03. gohjohan - Fatboy

04. funfly - Roadking

05. Ritmo - Sportster

06. Jess1717 - Sportster

07. fengdrew - Roadking

08. Oldun - Vrod & T-sport

09. Marvypower - Roadking

10. Jammer - Orange Sportster

11. cgl - Sportster 1200 Low (soon-to-be)

12. Tincan - Vrod

13. free spirit - Sportster 883 Low (soon-to-be)

14. TTL - XL50

 

 

When wana go rounding, got 2 run in....

Thks for filling up

 

What will it be like if we meet up.. for some riding..

[TTL]

01. shiraz - Roadking

02. NormalAspirated - Orange Sportster

03. gohjohan - Fatboy

04. funfly - Roadking

05. Ritmo - Sportster

06. Jess1717 - Sportster

07. fengdrew - Roadking

08. Oldun - Vrod & T-sport

09. Marvypower - Roadking

10. Jammer - Orange Sportster

11. cgl - Sportster 1200 Low (soon-to-be)

12. Tincan - Vrod

13. free spirit - Sportster 883 Low (soon-to-be)

14. TTL - XL50

15. Nakano - Sportster

 

[Funfly]

Originally posted by NormalAspirated@Nov 26 2006, 10:04 AM

Congraz to those who just or soon getting Harley.

When you starts to mod, you will always find it unsatisfactory and it never ends. Anyway, is really a fun thing to do.

Anyone upz for group riding, please come join me every Thursday evenings.

thursday ride is great fun... 8pm push off... ride n ride n ride

[Guest fengdrew]

Originally posted by Jess1717@Dec 4 2006, 10:28 PM

01. shiraz - Roadking

02. NormalAspirated - Orange Sportster

03. gohjohan - Fatboy

04. funfly - Roadking

05. Ritmo - Sportster

06. Jess1717 - Sportster

07. fengdrew - Roadking

08. Oldun - Vrod & T-sport

09. Marvypower - Roadking

10. Jammer - Orange Sportster

11. cgl - Sportster 1200 Low (soon-to-be)

12. Tincan - Vrod

13. free spirit - Sportster 883 Low (soon-to-be)

14. TTL - XL50

 

 

When wana go rounding, got 2 run in....

Sorry Jess, been v busy w wrk recently.. i try to mk time for u k?

[free spirit]

Originally posted by tiny_168@Dec 4 2006, 09:54 PM

Hi guys,

 

Sorry if this is a little off topic.

I notice there is quite a number of Harley riders in this forum.

I am a Harley fan as well.

Anyone using it as a daily commute to and from work especially in the city apart from leisure ride over the weekend?

 

Would it be too harsh in terms of maintenance?

I guess handling the bike in the city would be an issue as well.

 

Should I get a Shadow 750 or ST instead?

 

I wish I could do the same as gohjohan, but getting 2 bikes is out of my reach.

 

Thanks a lot for your comments.

 

Tiny

hi tiny

 

i do between 50 - 100 clicks a day running around. my sportster's average 21 clicks on a litre of juice. still doing the normal mileage servicings 4 thou - 8 thou baaa baaa baaa.... handling the bike in the city traffic is okay and should be better than the bigger bikes as for the maintenane like i said the normal service lor .... don't think that's very much help huh?

 

been riding only for 2 months any other more experienced comments??? pse advise ta.

[nkan0]

Originally posted by TTL@Dec 5 2006, 12:15 AM

01. shiraz - Roadking

02. NormalAspirated - Orange Sportster

03. gohjohan - Fatboy

04. funfly - Roadking

05. Ritmo - Sportster

06. Jess1717 - Sportster

07. fengdrew - Roadking

08. Oldun - Vrod & T-sport

09. Marvypower - Roadking

10. Jammer - Orange Sportster

11. cgl - Sportster 1200 Low (soon-to-be)

12. Tincan - Vrod

13. free spirit - Sportster 883 Low (soon-to-be)

14. TTL - XL50

15. Nakano - Sportster

 

Hi TTL, Tks for filling me in... but what's this headcount for??? An upcoming ride this Thurs???

 

well, i seriously do hope that someone can fill us up with where will this Thurs's ride be??? :cheeky:

[NormalAspirated]

Originally posted by n@kan0@Dec 5 2006, 12:59 AM

what's this headcount for??? An upcoming ride this Thurs???

well, i seriously do hope that someone can fill us up with where will this Thurs's ride be??? :cheeky:

The headcount for SBF HD Riders lor ... not necessary for Thurs ride.

Usually Thurs ride will decide on that night itself.

[NormalAspirated]

Originally posted by Funfly@Dec 5 2006, 12:18 AM

thursday ride is great fun... 8pm push off... ride n ride n ride

NBs ... where were you ? Ride RK somemore and don't turn up.

[Jess1717]

Originally posted by fengdrew@Dec 5 2006, 12:22 AM

Sorry Jess, been v busy w wrk recently.. i try to mk time for u k?

Hi Andrew, no problem man, thou I kinda miss u.....

Juz kidding.....let's catch up when u free then

[gohjohan]

Originally posted by tiny_168@Dec 4 2006, 09:54 PM

Hi guys,

 

Sorry if this is a little off topic.

I notice there is quite a number of Harley riders in this forum.

I am a Harley fan as well.

Anyone using it as a daily commute to and from work especially in the city apart from leisure ride over the weekend?

 

Would it be too harsh in terms of maintenance?

I guess handling the bike in the city would be an issue as well.

 

Should I get a Shadow 750 or ST instead?

 

I wish I could do the same as gohjohan, but getting 2 bikes is out of my reach.

 

Thanks a lot for your comments.

 

Tiny

The best of both worlds, as my colleague told me.

 

Shadow 750 is a good all rounder and definitely better on fuel economy. If your legs are short and stubby like mine, go for the Shadow 750, especially from '04 to current due to the low seat height.

 

I've tried on the ST11 Pan-European model before. The seat is cut and I still have 1 leg trying to reach the side stand So if you got long legs (or heavy body to lower the suspension) ST would be another option. Has the power for touring but heavier on fuel.

 

I don't use my Harley for daily commuting 'cos I prefer to use it for the highways. I bring it to work twice a week to be sure that the engine is running and the battery won't die.

[cgl]

Originally posted by tiny_168@Dec 4 2006, 09:54 PM

Hi guys,

 

Sorry if this is a little off topic.

I notice there is quite a number of Harley riders in this forum.

I am a Harley fan as well.

Anyone using it as a daily commute to and from work especially in the city apart from leisure ride over the weekend?

 

Would it be too harsh in terms of maintenance?

I guess handling the bike in the city would be an issue as well.

 

Should I get a Shadow 750 or ST instead?

 

I wish I could do the same as gohjohan, but getting 2 bikes is out of my reach.

 

Thanks a lot for your comments.

 

Tiny

I use my bike as a daily commute, even a short trip to the supermarket. I think any bike is fine as long as you can handle it comfortably. If you want lots of features like ABS etc, then an ST should be better or if money is no object, a beemer.

 

However, if you are considering a Shadow, why not a sportster? For my first week with it, I found it nice and nimble and easy to handle, even compared to my class 2A bike, the intruder 400. I would consider my last bike, the R1100R as already very nimble for a 1000 cc and above bike, but the sportster is even more so. City handling is no problem at all. It looks puny though, even compared to some smaller cc jap cruisers.

 

Maintenance? Got to ask the long time regular Harley riders. The initial impression I get so far is that it is probably more expensive than a jap cruiser, but cheaper than beemers. Not sure if it might be cheaper to maintain than an ST that is laden with electronics.

[cgl]

May I know what is consider "lugging" the engine?

 

As my bike doeesn't come with a tach meter, I have to depend on the sound. But the problem is that the engine sounds so different and with a power band that is very different from my previous bikes.

 

At maybe 30 km/h, I would kick to second gear, but the bike would have this rumble as though my gear is too high for the speed. Is this normal? According to the manual, 1-2 switch should be at 25 km/h.

 

The same goes for the higher gears. If I change up according to the speed stated in the manual, I get this rumble. So I change at higher speed now and "dragging" the gears a bit. But this seems much higher than my normal riding style.

 

Any tips here?

 

Thanks!

[gohjohan]

Originally posted by cgl@Dec 5 2006, 11:00 AM

May I know what is consider "lugging" the engine?

 

As my bike doeesn't come with a tach meter, I have to depend on the sound. But the problem is that the engine sounds so different and with a power band that is very different from my previous bikes.

 

At maybe 30 km/h, I would kick to second gear, but the bike would have this rumble as though my gear is too high for the speed. Is this normal? According to the manual, 1-2 switch should be at 25 km/h.

 

The same goes for the higher gears. If I change up according to the speed stated in the manual, I get this rumble. So I change at higher speed now and "dragging" the gears a bit. But this seems much higher than my normal riding style.

 

Any tips here?

 

Thanks!

Lugging is going too high a gear and your bike seems to be struggling.

 

For the gear change upshift, I also change from

 

1st - 2nd: 30 km/h

2nd - 3rd: 40km/h

3rd - 4th: 60 km/h

4th - 5th: 80 km/h

 

Downshift

 

5th - 4th: 60-65 km/h

4th - 3rd: around 45 km/h

3rd - 2nd: around 30 km/h

2nd - 1st: below 20 km/h or when I clutch in below 30 km/h

 

Best to feel your bike. If I change from 1st - 2nd around 20 km/h, there's some lugging. I still dunno why.

[cgl]

Originally posted by gohjohan@Dec 5 2006, 11:10 AM

Lugging is going too high a gear and your bike seems to be struggling.

 

For the gear change upshift, I also change from

 

1st - 2nd: 30 km/h

2nd - 3rd: 40km/h

3rd - 4th: 60 km/h

4th - 5th: 80 km/h

 

Downshift

 

5th - 4th: 60-65 km/h

4th - 3rd: around 45 km/h

3rd - 2nd: around 30 km/h

2nd - 1st: below 20 km/h or when I clutch in below 30 km/h

 

Best to feel your bike. If I change from 1st - 2nd around 20 km/h, there's some lugging. I still dunno why.

Guess I'm not "dragging" my gears according to Harley standards.

 

So my feel for that rumbling weakness is really lugging?

 

So I guess I need to change my riding habits a bit and drag it more.

 

My feel for no lugging is:

 

1-2: 35km/h

2-3: 50km/h

3-4: 65km/h

4-5: 80+ km/h

 

But it seems so much higher than what is in the manual. My right brain telling me to drag, and my left brain telling me to lug....

 

Hope I didn't exceed the 4000 rpm limit.

[NormalAspirated]

Originally posted by tiny_168@Dec 4 2006, 09:54 PM

Hi guys,

Sorry if this is a little off topic.

I notice there is quite a number of Harley riders in this forum.

I am a Harley fan as well.

Anyone using it as a daily commute to and from work especially in the city apart from leisure ride over the weekend?

Would it be too harsh in terms of maintenance?

I guess handling the bike in the city would be an issue as well.

Should I get a Shadow 750 or ST instead?

Tiny

Follow your heart is the best to avoid regrets.

Riding HD in the city is no issue at all because I am one good example , but again depends on which model we are talking about here. For Sportster ... is 101% no problems, no harsh in maintenance at all.

IMO ... my Sportster feels more nimble than Shadow750 and ST. Nice torque for roll on and pick up. Confirm can take "street corners" better than the 02bikes you mentioned.

I don't mean anything, speaking base on my riding experience.

[Throttle]

Originally posted by cgl@Dec 5 2006, 11:00 AM

May I know what is consider "lugging" the engine?

 

As my bike doeesn't come with a tach meter, I have to depend on the sound. But the problem is that the engine sounds so different and with a power band that is very different from my previous bikes.

 

At maybe 30 km/h, I would kick to second gear, but the bike would have this rumble as though my gear is too high for the speed. Is this normal? According to the manual, 1-2 switch should be at 25 km/h.

 

The same goes for the higher gears. If I change up according to the speed stated in the manual, I get this rumble. So I change at higher speed now and "dragging" the gears a bit. But this seems much higher than my normal riding style.

 

Any tips here?

 

Thanks!

I think most of us dont look at tachy when changing gears to begin with when riding on the road.

 

You'll can feel the engine (not hear) get hard if you take it to high revs.

Also depends on how jerky you want your journey to be.

 

I think , you will know what I mean when you get to understand your bike more.

 

cheers

[shiraz]

rumble as in what kinda rumble? does the bike start to 'gallop' or it's just a sound? actually i change gears very quickly.. if i don't wanna make a whole lot of noise, i'm up to 5th at abt 50kmh. if i'm making myself heard then at 50kmh i'll still be in 2nd gear hahah (which is usually the case) so i think your changing of gears at that speed is ok.. the rumble might be the engine wanting to go faster! lol!

[hoelwill]

01. shiraz - Roadking

02. NormalAspirated - Orange Sportster

03. gohjohan - Fatboy

04. funfly - Roadking

05. Ritmo - Sportster

06. Jess1717 - Sportster

07. fengdrew - Roadking

08. Oldun - Vrod & T-sport

09. Marvypower - Roadking

10. Jammer - Orange Sportster

11. cgl - Sportster 1200 Low (soon-to-be)

12. Tincan - Vrod

13. free spirit - Sportster 883 Low (soon-to-be)

14. TTL - XL50

15. Nakano - Sportster

16. hoelwill -Roadking Classic

 

haha registering myself first..getting FLHRCI end of this month!!!

[Funfly]

01. shiraz - Roadking

02. NormalAspirated - Orange Sportster

03. gohjohan - Fatboy

04. Funfly - Black Roadking Classic

05. Ritmo - Sportster

06. Jess1717 - Sportster

07. fengdrew - Roadking

08. Oldun - Vrod & T-sport

09. Marvypower - Roadking

10. Jammer - Orange Sportster

11. cgl - Sportster 1200 Low (soon-to-be)

12. Tincan - Vrod

13. free spirit - Sportster 883 Low (soon-to-be)

14. TTL - XL50

15. Nakano - Sportster

16. hoelwill -Roadking Classic