[DocC3]

I'm retired, in my sixties and just starting to ride. I have always been interested in motorcycles, especially older bikes and Cafe Racers. It was probably a combination of watching the TV shows like "What's in the Barn?" and "Cafe Racer" and the encouragement of several friends who have been long-time riders that prompted me to learn to ride.

I took the Rider's Edge Course on the Street 500 at a Harley Davidson dealer in the Chicago suburbs this fall. I decided that if I enjoyed the class I would try to get my motorcycle license. Then maybe I would consider renting a bike for a few rides or maybe buy an older, used bike like a Sportster 883.

This week I purchased a Street 750. I looked at a number of makes and couldn't find anything that I liked as well as Harley-Davidsons. When I went to the dealer to test ride several 883's they had a new Street 750 out with them so that I could compare them back-to-back. The Sportster is great, very visceral. But I liked the handling, the position of the controls and the maneuverablity of the Street.

I am starting slow, riding in my neighborhood and on country roads where I bicycle. I am taking advantage of the last good days this fall to develop the skills I learned the Rider's Edge class before I store the bike for the winter. I am looking forward to contributing to the discussions on this forum. I have been reading your posts since this summer and benefited from the ideas, opinions and information all of you have shared.

 

[AYEDEE]

DocC3, welcome aboard. Greetings from India! This is a great forum peopled by even more wonderful beings. I am sure you will enjoy interacting here and we all will mutually benefit. Happy and safe riding!

 

[StoneFree]

I also want to welcome you and congratulate you on you purchase of the Street 750. As a veteran of over 45 years of riding I don't think I can offer you much better advice on getting up to speed on riding than what you're already doing. Just take it easy and don't be in a rush. First and foremost is developing your skills in a relatively safe riding environment, which is what you're doing, and then being able to expand your awareness of your surroundings as there are many threats to riders. Riding safe is always the most important thing IMHO.


There is one thing I'd point out again that I know was covered in your safety course. At some point you're going to enter a turn a bit to fast, we all do, so just remember to push down on that inside handle bar. The motorcycle will actually turn tighter than you feel comfortable with but the last thing you should let happen in not making the turn.

 

[Beauty and the Beast]

I'm retired, in my sixties and just starting to ride. I have always been interested in motorcycles, especially older bikes and Cafe Racers. It was probably a combination of watching the TV shows like "What's in the Barn?" and "Cafe Racer" and the encouragement of several friends who have been long-time riders that prompted me to learn to ride.

I took the Rider's Edge Course on the Street 500 at a Harley Davidson dealer in the Chicago suburbs this fall. I decided that if I enjoyed the class I would try to get my motorcycle license. Then maybe I would consider renting a bike for a few rides or maybe buy an older, used bike like a Sportster 883.

This week I purchased a Street 750. I looked at a number of makes and couldn't find anything that I liked as well as Harley-Davidsons. When I went to the dealer to test ride several 883's they had a new Street 750 out with them so that I could compare them back-to-back. The Sportster is great, very visceral. But I liked the handling, the position of the controls and the maneuverablity of the Street.

I am starting slow, riding in my neighborhood and on country roads where I bicycle. I am taking advantage of the last good days this fall to develop the skills I learned the Rider's Edge class before I store the bike for the winter. I am looking forward to contributing to the discussions on this forum. I have been reading your posts since this summer and benefited from the ideas, opinions and information all of you have shared.

Welcome and congrats on your bike. I too started riding late in life but I so endjoy it. I envy the fact that you are retired and can ride as much as you like, I dont seem to have time to ride during the week and the weekend is just too short.

When you have time, post a pic of you on your bike....have you name it yet??

 

[twowheelin]

Welcome to the forum!

 

[DocC3]

Thanks for the welcome everyone. Good advice StoneFree, I'm amazed at how much the Street will lean into a curve and how stable and responsive it is. AYEDEE, India is on my short list of places to visit. Per your request B&B I've added a picture to the post. I've been following the modifications your making to your bike Beauty and it looks great. I added engine guards and a luggage rack when I bought my bike. I was at the dealer this evening looking at a couple of options for improving rear vision with the mirrors. I'm also looking at relocating the horn with your bracket StoneFree. I'm going to wait before I do other modification. For now I'm following the posts describing and discussing different changes. This is good information and I'm learning a lot.

http://www.hdstreetforums.com/forum/images/attach/jpg.gif

 

[StoneFree]

Thanks for the welcome everyone. Good advice StoneFree, I'm amazed at how much the Street will lean into a curve and how stable and responsive it is. AYEDEE, India is on my short list of places to visit. Per your request B&B I've added a picture to the post. I've been following the modifications your making to your bike Beauty and it looks great. I added engine guards and a luggage rack when I bought my bike. I was at the dealer this evening looking at a couple of options for improving rear vision with the mirrors. I'm also looking at relocating the horn with your bracket StoneFree. I'm going to wait before I do other modification. For now I'm following the posts describing and discussing different changes. This is good information and I'm learning a lot.

http://www.hdstreetforums.com/forum/images/attach/jpg.gif

The luggage rack looks very good on your motorcycle. If flows with the lines. Did you do the change and if so did you have any problems with the bolts? A couple of us found that in removing those four bolts they were way over torqued by the factory. In fact when I removed them I had to drill out one because it was so over-torqued that it stripped the head when I tried to remove it. Having worked in aerospace for decades I learned that over-torque of a fastener is a very serious problem although these four bolts aren't critical for safety. It still annoys me though.

 

[DocC3]

The dealer installed the luggage rack. So, you're telling me that proper torque isn't, "tighten it until it strips and then back off a quarter turn." I'm with you, I own a torque wrench.

 

[StoneFree]

The dealer installed the luggage rack. So, you're telling me that proper torque isn't, "tighten it until it strips and then back off a quarter turn." I'm with you, I own a torque wrench.

LOL - In truth proper torque is really only important is the fastener is in tension and doesn't matter at all if the fastener is in shear load. These happen to be in shear load. Few even understand how fastener torque is actually determined.


Male and female threads are not perfect and proper torque is based upon thread deformation to the point that there is 100% of "threads in bearing" (i.e. maximum surface contact possible). This is very little deformation because we're talking about microscopic deformation. If you go much past that point then you create fractures in the threads which leads to failures of the thread (i.e. stripping). If a fastener is properly torqued it should typically not be re-used more than three times because each torque application does cause fatique in the threads that eventually lead to failure. Any fastener over-torqued should automatically be replaced as the thread damage is permanent.

 

[Livin On]

its never to late, welcome to the show!

 

[gruntled]

I've been riding for sixty years & never rode a Harley except a couple of times as a passenger. Finally broke down a few weeks ago & bought an 883L Sportster.
I seriously considered both the 500 & 750 but the dealers were jacking up the prices WAY too high.
At least I have a 4 1/2 gal tank & am getting nearly 50/mpg. I still wonder why they say the others only get 40/mpg? It is a bit of a hassle since my last bike is a Yamaha Majesty & I have been mostly shiftless for the last nine years. (I kept my previous motorcycle for most of that time but rode it very little.) Now the Majesty will be my spare if I bother to get it fixed.

 

[StoneFree]

I've been riding for sixty years & never rode a Harley except a couple of times as a passenger. Finally broke down a few weeks ago & bought an 883L Sportster.
I seriously considered both the 500 & 750 but the dealers were jacking up the prices WAY too high.
At least I have a 4 1/2 gal tank & am getting nearly 50/mpg. I still wonder why they say the others only get 40/mpg? It is a bit of a hassle since my last bike is a Yamaha Majesty & I have been mostly shiftless for the last nine years. (I kept my previous motorcycle for most of that time but rode it very little.) Now the Majesty will be my spare if I bother to get it fixed.

I've read more than one member state that dealers were asking more than MSRP but also know that most Harley dealers in the US have a policy of not selling any new Harley above the MSRP price. Considering the fact that many dealers will also ship anywhere in the US it seems strange that any dealer would be willing to charge more than the MSRP.

I wouldn't buy any motorcycle from a dealer that charged more than MSRP for any new motorcycle. I'd tell them they're a rip-off dealer, go to another one to purchase, and then ride in on my new motorcycle and show the sales manager.

The 883L is an excellent motorcycle and I know you enjoy rididng it a lot. Was the only reason you chose it over the 750 or 500 because the dealer was trying to stroke you with over-pricing on a 750 or 500?

 

[gruntled]

That was not the only factor but it did cause me to look at other bikes. I had started with the Honda CX 700 & the price gouging was the major factor there. I had almost settled on a Yamaha but I was still angry about the last two Yamahas I have had. They had gone out of their way to make both of them hard to do routine maintenance on.
One major factor was as simple as the design of the clutch handle. In my old age most clutch handles HURT my hand. That was why I had bought the Majesty & why I considered the automatic version of the CX 700.
We do not have the option of buying from out of state in the Demokratik People's Republik of Kalifornia. The environazis made a rule to prevent that. I did learn that so-called fifty state models of vehicles may be exempt from that rule.

 

[gruntled]

The first bike I looked at was a Honda CX 700 & the price gouging was the major factor there. The price gouging on the two Harleys did put me off as well. I briefly considered a Yamaha but the last two I have had left me with bad feeling for Yamaha. They both seemed to be deliberately designed to make them hard to do even routine maintenance on.
One major factor was a simple as the design of the clutch handle. In my old age most of them HURT my hand. The design of the 883s handle makes that no problem. That was the original reason for my buying the Majesty & considering the automatic version of the CX 700.

 

[gruntled]

There doesn't seem to be anyway to get rid of my second posting & each time I try only makes it worse.

 

[StoneFree]

Because I have "moderator" authority I have more options than members but if you ever have a problem with deleting just revise it to say "Deleted" and ask me to delete it completely (I've done that for your two prior posts). We get 'paid' to do that LOL.

I do seem to recall that "Delete" was an option for members but I've forgotten how to do it.

 

[StoneFree]

The first bike I looked at was a Honda CX 700 & the price gouging was the major factor there. The price gouging on the two Harleys did put me off as well. I briefly considered a Yamaha but the last two I have had left me with bad feeling for Yamaha. They both seemed to be deliberately designed to make them hard to do even routine maintenance on.
One major factor was a simple as the design of the clutch handle. In my old age most of them HURT my hand. The design of the 883s handle makes that no problem. That was the original reason for my buying the Majesty & considering the automatic version of the CX 700.

As we get older we certainly do have more physical problems. For me it's my hips that are sort of shot and sometimes when I saddle-up the go out of joint and it hurts. Normally all I have to do is get off and then get back on again.


The clutch can be problematic if a person starts to get arthritis or something similar in their hands because we use the clutch so much on a motorcycle. My XL50 has the same clutch lever as the XL883L and I agree with you that it is a very easy operating clutch.

 

[Solo750owner]

If you get a chance, Next year you should ride up to kettle moraine. Plenty of nice two lane roads to cruise on. Holy Hill is good too!

 

[DocC3]

If you get a chance, Next year you should ride up to kettle moraine. Plenty of nice two lane roads to cruise on. Holy Hill is good too!

Agree on the Kettle Moraine area. Road America has two weekends of motorcycle racing; the last weekend of May and first weekend of June. Great racing facility, great camping and resorts in the area in addition to the riding.

 

[StoneFree]

What is always cool is meeting up with other riders we meet online in person when our trips take us near each other or when we have a common distination for an event. Meeting people is about 50% of my riding pleasure.