[Zebraranger]

I've always liked the classic looks of the Road King Classic, and the Police models. After checking out at a few different models over the last year, I've also found myself drawn to the classic looks of the FLSTN Softail Deluxe. Well, while browsing the inventory of the dealership where I purchased my Moto Guzzi, I spotted this Softail Deluxe. Love the looks and the color of this 2016 with 2900 miles on the OD, so I gave them a call. Looks like I'm making the two hour drive Monday to go take a looksy and a test ride. The only real concern is that from what I've seen, this model is very low and will scrap the floorboards very easily in the slightest of curves.

I've checked out reviews and videos of this bike and they all confirm this. Whats up with that scraping ****, do the Harley engineers think its cool or something to make scraping noises in the slightest of curves. Do they expect you to take curves in a slow upright position? I just don't understand this as most riders enjoy the curves and twisties. For you guys that own Harley's, is there a fix for this? I know the rear suspension only has 3.5" of travel or something like that (another concern of mine), Do they make bigger better rear shocks to help out with this and maybe a slight lift? Anyway, I guess I'll find out tomorrow when I take it on a test drive.

 

[Porky]

Floorboards on any cruiser have a tendency to scrape but not at 'normal' speeds like most cruiser owners ride.:grin:

A different mind set is needed to keep scraping at a minimum. Remembering that you are not a 'Ricky Racer' trying to burn the corners up will keep you happy on a cruiser with less 'ground clearance.'

The floor board 'feelers' are there for a reason, to educate you to slow down and not lean maybe as far as you did on your Sportbike.

After a few rides, you will probably never scrape them again.

That Harley is very cool and already has the potato-potato amplifier system in place:wink2:

Have fun:smile_big:

Sam:nerd:

 

[Eye_m_no_angel]

The only time I've ever scrapped a floor board was when I was trying to pretend I was riding a race bike. Different bikes, different engineering, different mindset. But yes, you can get about any combination of shocks or components you'd want. I'm not sure how much it would help though if you want to burn up the twisties while leaning over like a race rider.

Don't buy this bike. They suck. Leak oil. Vibrate. Parts fall off. you'll never get more than ten miles from home.

 

[Critter]

Don't buy this bike. They suck. Leak oil. Vibrate. Parts fall off. you'll never get more than ten miles from home.

:coffeescreen::coffeescreen: Thanks for the laugh. I needed that.

 

[RonK]

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Another solution to the 'problem' of hard parts dragging is to get into the habit of 'kissing the mirror' on sharper turns. Leaning into the turn with your body more than just straight up and down coordinated with the bike will let the bike ride more vertical and let you turn at higher speed. This is what racers do, you just won't be doing it to the same extreme.

Do you understand what I mean? Here's a popular link to a rider doing just the opposite. He's leaning away from the turn (notice bending his right arm) which makes the bike have to lean even further which just makes his frame drag more.

--

 

[Zebraranger]

The only time I've ever scrapped a floor board was when I was trying to pretend I was riding a race bike. Different bikes, different engineering, different mindset. But yes, you can get about any combination of shocks or components you'd want. I'm not sure how much it would help though if you want to burn up the twisties while leaning over like a race rider.

Don't buy this bike. They suck. Leak oil. Vibrate. Parts fall off. you'll never get more than ten miles from home.

Who said anything about burning up the twisties. Everyone knows Harleys don't burn up the twisties. I'm talking about just doing the speed limit. My question about the floor boards scraping was after I saw this review on the 2016 Softail. Once in the beginning its scraping and then at the 3 minute 20 second mark it starts even more so. Clearly in this video he looks to barely be doing 30 mph with not a lot of lean angle, especially in the 2nd part of the video. He's nowhere near burning up the twisties. As a matter of fact, he looks to be going very slow. My point is that he's barely moving and they're scraping. If whats in this video is normal, then maybe I need to age another 10 years before I consider one, or modify one with a better suspension package that might help the situation.

 

[Porky]

"Don't buy this bike." EYE quote:smile_big:

Reason---There are only so many extremely HOT Harley ladies to go around, so stay away:surprise:

I rode my Harley Electra Glide (Porky) all over the entire west of the Mississippi geography, in every kind of situation and road and I don't remember EVER scrapping a floorboard and I never rode slow at any time:angel:

Do an extensive test ride and see how hard it is grounding out those boards. The Nerd's that test the cool cruiser bikes are pimple faced crotch rocket puds that are already prejudiced before they sling a skinny leg over a real bike:wink2:

Sam:grin:

 

[Oz]

Good luck on your test ride. The speedo is on the gas tank, intentionally out of the line of sight. That's so you can't actually see how little corner speed it takes to scrape parts. :smile:

 

[Eye_m_no_angel]

Who said anything about burning up the twisties. Everyone knows Harleys don't burn up the twisties. I'm talking about just doing the speed limit. My question about the floor boards scraping was after I saw this review on the 2016 Softail. Once in the beginning its scraping and then at the 3 minute 20 second mark it starts even more so. Clearly in this video he looks to barely be doing 30 mph with not a lot of lean angle, especially in the 2nd part of the video. He's nowhere near burning up the twisties. As a matter of fact, he looks to be going very slow. My point is that he's barely moving and they're scraping. If whats in this video is normal, then maybe I need to age another 10 years before I consider one, or modify one with a better suspension package that might help the situation.


https://youtu.be/6_DR13JNT0I

I don't know. I looked at the video at the second mark and saw the scrape you mentioned and can't say it makes sense. Maybe his particular bike was lowered or something? Maybe the boards are mounted lower on that particular model? I can say I wouldn't scrape anything at those kinds of speeds on that easy of a turn on my Road King.

Who knows? Go ride it and see.

 

[Kiwi Steve]

I've only ridden a rented HD Road King from Cairns to Port Douglas and back, Queensland, that's 140 km/80 miles. But the Road King is an FLHR, that Softtail you're talking about is an FLSTN - maybe they're a similar bike but a different set up. Eye will be along to tell you the difference.

I liked that Road King, personally I'd change the foot plates for pegs, I'm just a pegs sort of guy, and if you could I'd raise them an inch or so as well. If I'd had a HD it'd have been a Road King, converted to pegs, with demountable aluminium panniers and top box for touring. A later one with ABS and in burgundy.

I'd have called her 'Roxanne' from the Police song. "You don't have to put on that red dress, you don't have to sell your body to the night! Roxanne."

 

[Eye_m_no_angel]

Eye will be along to tell you the difference.

LOL!

The Deluxes are a Softail frame and the Road Kings are a touring frame. They're completely different animals. But whether the boards are mounted higher on one than the other I couldn't say unless you parked one side by side where I could measure them. I didn't think they were, but who knows.

 

[vistavette]

The lean angle on the Softail line is fine, the boards are further forward than the Touring bikes and they will scrape a little sooner but for normal everyday riding from commutes to all day mountains you'll be fine.

One thing I found on my Ultra Classic is how important body position is in a turn. Essentially in fast turn where you need more lean angle, push your body off the seat to the inside of the turn, weight bias over the bars, and hold the bike more upright to the outside of the turn. It's amazing how much more you can turn before you scrap. I've read Twist of the Wrist II a few times and it really helps my day to day riding. I almost never scrape a floor board any more...in fact I can't remember the last time I did.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

 

[PP1]

I love the looks of that bike.

Unfortunately I can't say anything about that one in particular, but I recently got a Honda Shadow Aero which has similar classic looks and feel. I have dragged the pegs a few times, but it hasn't been a big deal to me. This reply probably didn't help much, but I just had to say something about that bike and am interested to hear how this turns out.

 

[Zebraranger]

Well it was even more gorgeous in person, more chrome than I've ever seen, and the Cosmic Blue pearl paint was stunning. I sat on the bike and felt like the king of the showroom, it was comfortable. It had Vance & Hines pipes that sounded great. It wasn't as heavy getting it off the side stand as I thought it would be, a pleasant surprise. Florida doesn't have many twisty roads, but I did take some turns at speed during the test ride and although they scrapped a couple of times, it didn't bother me much. That model sits low so I guess its going to happen. What did bother me was the ride, very stiff rear suspension, harsh, with little travel. With titanium hardware in my back and neck, its not something that I would want to experience on long rides, I was disappointed to say the least.

Last year I went in to the local Harley dealership to test ride a Road King. They didn't have one available to test ride, but they let me test ride a Fat Bob and a Street Glide instead. The Fat Bob was the same way, rough ride. But the Street Glide was great, soft smooth ride and very comfortable, it just soaked up the road imperfections similar to the way my Goldwing did. So I guess its going to have to be in the Road King/Street Glide family for me, which isn't a bad thing, just a little more money:crying:

 

[PP1]

Self confessed newbie here so don't be too tough if I'm pointing out the obvious. Are the rear shocks adjusted for a heavier load?

A while back I took the wife for a spin. It was the first time riding with a passenger since the early 90s. Newly graduating from the MSF course I remembered and adjusted the rear shocks for the extra weight (bike was still VERY new to me). I adjusted from a #2 to a #3 (it ranges from 1 to 5). Next time I took it out by myself I turned around less than a block away to come back and adjust back down because of how rough the ride was.

 

[Eye_m_no_angel]

Self confessed newbie here so don't be too tough if I'm pointing out the obvious. Are the rear shocks adjusted for a heavier load?

On a touring frame, yes. They have air adjust shocks. On a Softail, yes, but it isn't easy. They have hidden shocks to give it an old school, hard tail look. You can change the pre-load but you have to get to the underside of the bike.

 

[Porky]

The FL series and the Sportster's have the best lean angles of the line. My FLHS Electra Glide Sport road as nicely as my Goldwings and was a smooth from right off idle and it handled and rode very well besides being very comfortable.:grin:

Sam:smile_big:

 

[Paula HD]

It is a nice looking bike.