Making Her Mine
I have had a number of conversations lately with riders that are my height and a bit shorter about how I am able to ride a big touring bike like mine. And yes, for those of us that are a bit on the shorter side, it does take some adjustment to be able to ride like we want to. Most bikes are designed for the average sized male (approx 5'10") or for a specific style of riding. Thus, sometimes we modify the bike and sometimes we adapt our skill to fit the bike.
Riding Hwy 101 South of Santa Barbara, CA
As a bit of back ground… I am 5'6" and weight about 135 pounds +/-. In this post/video I talk about the five (5) main modification I made to my Harley-Davidson Road King, which weighs in at almost 850 pounds, to allow me to ride with control and confidence. Though these are not the only ways, they are the ones that have worked best for me.
I changed out my stock seat for a Harley-Davidson Super Reach seat . This seat sits me a more than 1" lower and the it pushes me forward about 2.5". This not only brings me closer to the bars, it puts me over the natural center of gravity for the bike and improves my control of the bike.
I then pulled the handle bars back as far back as I could without hitting my tank/instrument cluster. This allows me to sit upright when riding instead of leaning forward over the tank. When I lean forward over the tank it reduces my core and leg strength that allows me to adjust when the bike is off center or when the pavement has an elevation. By pulling the bars back I can remain upright, utilizing the strong muscles in my body to help me maneuver with control and confidence.
I then changed out the clutch handle to an Anthem Adjustable Lever for V-Twins by PSR. The current clutch systems by Harley are hydraulic and catch a distance from the grips. By changing out the clutch lever I can change where the clutch catches that fits my smaller hand.
I also cut down, shaved down, my windshield to clear my field of vision. The stock windshields for a Harley-Davidson Road King is 20" and this placed the edge in the middle of my field of vision. By cutting it down to a custom height of 18.5" I have a clear field of view and all the protection that I like when I ride.
The last thing I did was install a 1 -inch Rear Shock Lowering Kit from Covington Customs. This lowered my seat an additional inch, while maintaining my ground clearance. Before adding this bracket, I still struggled with maneuvering in parking lots, gas stations, etc. because I could not leverage and strength of my legs and core to maneuver my bike. Note: If you are considering this option, please double check the specs as these kits are made by different manufactures and are Make, Model, and Year specific.
Riding Hwy 101 South of Santa Barbara, CA
Basically, if there is a bike that you really want, that just makes your heart happy, but it is too tall… Don't walk away. Do some research. There are so many different ways to adapt a bike to fit you or your skills/techniques that will allow you to ride a taller bike.
So until next time… Get out and ride, have fun, be safe, and catch you in the next post….
