Turning/cornering with Dyna Wide Glide

[FLST]

A couple of (before Harley) years ago I was turning left from a stop sign and had the bike in second gear. It stalled in the middle of the turn and as it leaned to the left my passenger thought we were going to fall and she jumped off. The extra weight was unexpected and caused me to drop the bike, pinning my foot under the primary case. Besides the embarrassment I couldn't get my foot loose. My cousin riding behind me had to help me out. The only injury was to my pride. She doesn't ride with me any more. I know I could have held it up if she had just set still. Most have been there, or will be. Sorry to hear you suffered such an injury. Hope this doesn't put you off of riding. Get back on that horse and master it.

 

[HDDon]

As the old saying goes, "There are two types of riders, thoes that have fallen and thoes that are about to". The advice given here was spot on, be aware of your environment and practice.

 

[krtracr]

I agree with Breeze3at, I avoid painted lines on the road like the plague, especially in a turn, they don't have to be wet from rain to be slippery.

 

[Spade5]

In my opinion the extra rake on the Wide Glide makes the front end tend to flop at slow speeds especially if you use any front brake and the front wheel isn't pointed straight ahead.

When I was trying to learn how to ride mine I made several trips to an empty parking lot at the local school and praticed slow speed circles and figure eights in both directions. I can turn left better than I can turn right. I also would use light pressure on the rear brake and keep the engine speed above idle using the clutch to control my speed.

To me keeping the engine speed up and having a little drag by the rear brake made it more stable. After a few weeks I guess I finally bonded and stopped doing it. Also remember to look where you want to go and do not look down.

 

[carleysdad]

Might it be that as you were going through intersection, the rear tire slid on one of the many painted lines, as it was sliding even for just a moment, you felt as if you were falling down stuck out foot to save from falling down, forward movement and looking down causing foot to jam under primary as lean angle increased, causing bike to fall?
Glad to hear you did not get hurt to bad. You are wise for asking asking for advice.
If you have not taken a safety course, signing up should be first on the list for this season.. And as NEWHD74FAN has stated, using the proper safety equipment is essential while riding.

I think DBMG might have hit the nail on the head. I do remember riding over the white line, but the line was even more dangerous because it wasn't the painted type, it was the raised ?? material. And on that particular day it was about 93 degrees and VERY humid. DBMG was also correct about me pulling my foot back when I thought the bike was going to go down. I know I wasn't supposed to, but it was a very quick reaction to the feeling of falling.

Thanks for all of the tips/suggestions everyone. And yes, I was wearing a high top "biker" type boot. If I hadn't been, I don't know if I would be able to walk. I think my boots saved my foot!

 

[AirHog]

I'm kinda gun-shy about riding my Wide Glide after going though surgery and a four month recovery.

Any tips would be appreciated.

Hey carleysdad........I can feel your emotions. My husband & I are new to riding (900 plus miles on the saddle), and we both have dropped our bikes. He dropped his on the riders course, and me on day one of trying out my new bike. For days I had horrible dreams, but I knew I wasn't going to let it get the best of me. Our friends reassured us that practice is the key.

In the Riders Course, they couldn't emphasize enough the importance of giving enough throttle when entering a turn with a heavy bike or you will drop it. :shock Soooooooo I always think the SLOW, LOOK, PRESS & ROLL. I for one learned how not to stall my bike and use the throttle as my friend. I ride at high alert whenever I am on the bike, always assessing the road and traffic.

So......please, please get back on your bike and practice these maneuvers when traffic is low. You will get to know the in's and out's of your bike. Good luck!

Keep the shiny side up!

Gail

 

[Ishmael]

Glad to hear you're on the mend. Accidents are offputting to say the least. I'm still skittish after laying my Fatboy down and that was at low speed. I'd say take the introductory riders course, it can be daunting even with small bikes and slow speeds but you get some good advice, work on bad habits and might get a few bucks off your insurance premium for having had the course. I even bought an older, small bike just to practice in empty parking lots. I'll probably sell it in a couple years. Meanwhile I hope its not a bad practice to think I can gain some skill and transfer said skills to my big bike. Take care and best wishes.
Ishmael

 

[cedarbrook63]

Could you possibly have given it to much rear brake while making the turn? Braking while making the turn usually is not a good thing, try braking before the turn and then turn.

Could be...... but usually it's use of the front brake at slower maneuvering speeds - like urban cornering - that sucks you to the ground. "Feathering" the rear brake while keeping the clutch in the biting zone is the essence of slow speed handling. Some of Jerry "Motorman" Palladino's vids on YouTube demonstrate this very well.

Ride safe friends.

 

[rhino]

In my opinion the extra rake on the Wide Glide makes the front end tend to flop at slow speeds especially if you use any front brake and the front wheel isn't pointed straight ahead.

When I was trying to learn how to ride mine I made several trips to an empty parking lot at the local school and praticed slow speed circles and figure eights in both directions. I can turn left better than I can turn right. I also would use light pressure on the rear brake and keep the engine speed above idle using the clutch to control my speed.

To me keeping the engine speed up and having a little drag by the rear brake made it more stable. After a few weeks I guess I finally bonded and stopped doing it. Also remember to look where you want to go and do not look down.

The rake does make a difference. Ive never been as fast in curves or turns with my wg as i was with my super glide. may be different body positioning too. Im a little older and wiser now so speed isnt everything. but its still fun. be careful.

 

[fin_676]

The rake does make a difference. Ive never been as fast in curves or turns with my wg as i was with my super glide. may be different body positioning too. Im a little older and wiser now so speed isnt everything. but its still fun. be careful.

The wide glide will have a longer wheelbase so it will be slower in the curves

Brian