If you’re relatively new to the whole motorcycle scene, as it were, you will no doubt need to be extremely careful when it comes to riding these machines, as they most certainly should not be taken for granted, or treated with disrespect. Riding a motorcycle of any kind, is extremely different to driving a car or four-wheeled vehicle, so even if you happen to be one of the best drivers in the world, that will not mean that you’re one of the best riders in the world. If you decide to purchase and ride a Harley however, well, that is a whole other ballgame entirely. Harley Davidson bikes ride and handle incredibly differently to superbikes and sports bikes, and for those reasons, plus many more, they are considered much safer. However, just because they’re safer, that does not mean that you can ride them how you like. Here we’ll be taking a look at a few riding tips for Harley owners.
Handling – First and foremost, we’ll begin by taking a look at the handling of Harley motorcycles. Harley motorcycles are long, low, and heavy machines, and, if they’re fitted with saddlebags to the rear, like a set of 2014 street glide stretched bags, for example, the added weight will really help the bikes to cling to the road. Most people’s instincts tell them that they should lean into corners, like you see superbike riders doing on the TV, but if your already heavy Harley is being weighed down from the rear with a set of street glide 2014 stretched bags, this obviously won’t be an option. Instead, what you should do is simply slow down for corners, and take them normally.
Braking – As we sadly know all too well, motorcycles are very dangerous machines, not only because of the ridiculous speeds that many of them can reach, but also because they are much harder to see than larger vehicles, so other road users also pose a very real risk. Because of this, the quicker you ride your Harley, the better you will need to become at braking. As Harley bikes are much lower, longer, and heavier than other motorcycles, the front and the rear brakes should both be used. The best way of getting used to braking is to simply practice on long, straight, and quiet roads that are free from traffic and pedestrians. You never know when you may need to make an emergency stop, so get used to the front and rear brakes.
Riding speed – Finally, as the saying goes ‘Speed Kills’ so if you’re partial to your life, make sure you ride your bike responsibly and safely, and that you stick to the speed limits enforced on the roads you’re riding on. The fun thing about riding a Harley is that they are so comfortable and enjoyable to ride when you cruise along, so you don’t actually need to crank up the speed at all, so just bear that in mind.
If you’ve read and taken in the above info and would like to get to grips with riding a Harley, or perhaps upgrade yours to enhance the handling and functionality, maybe by installing a set of 2014 street glide stretched bags, make sure you check out the vast selection of products on offer by Bodyparts USA.
Body Parts USA 