Let me first start out that this topic may seem funny (it is), but I am going to try to be respectful here.
Also, sorry if it's a long post. Anyway -
I have a buddy I work with that has always wanted a Harley so he could ride with me and the others. Well, after saving his money he finally got what he could afford. He bought a really nice, clean and pretty much chromed out used 2005 Sportster 1200C. I figured this was good for him, nice bike to start out on and he is about 5'8 and maybe 160 so no problem there. We all went riding and all was well. He then suggested that we should make a ride one week with the girls. No problem, so we all brought our wives/girlfriends along for a decent little trip of about 125 miles, you know the all day ride with little stops that is nice but not hard to do for new riders.
Well, here is the issue. His woman (first time meeting her) is on the big side and she is taxing that Sporty. This guy read the manual and did all he could do. He put 40psi in the rear tire and adjusted the shocks to the strongest setting. She complained on the trip about the choppy ride and that her butt was sore. The choppy ride, my buddy said was from the bike bottoming out. It was even bottoming out on slight slopes in the road, he said. With her on the bike we figured she was just an inch from full shock compression anyhow.
Now to the meat of the post - anybody got any ideas on this? I told him to shop for some progressive rate/heavy duty shocks and try it - but he doesn't want to lose ride quality when he rides solo. I would recommend a bigger bike, but he cannot afford that option nor would it really make a difference because I rode her about the last 40 miles on my bike (to help her sore butt feel better) and she weighed my Softail down noticably. I could feel the weight on the bike with lighter steering (easy to pull the front wheel up when accelerating!) and the motor was working harder but not as hard as the shocks! Anyhow, she was embarrassed when we bottomed out (the bike bounced 3 times at once on the stops on one dip!). I explained that my bike shocks were on the softest setting for a solo rider (it WASN"T). I then probed a little and said that with her weight "what are you like 160?" the next setting up would be fine. She said, "oh no, I wish I was 160 - try 220"
So, 220lb rider on a sporty - what can he do??
I have a buddy I work with that has always wanted a Harley so he could ride with me and the others. Well, after saving his money he finally got what he could afford. He bought a really nice, clean and pretty much chromed out used 2005 Sportster 1200C. I figured this was good for him, nice bike to start out on and he is about 5'8 and maybe 160 so no problem there. We all went riding and all was well. He then suggested that we should make a ride one week with the girls. No problem, so we all brought our wives/girlfriends along for a decent little trip of about 125 miles, you know the all day ride with little stops that is nice but not hard to do for new riders.
Well, here is the issue. His woman (first time meeting her) is on the big side and she is taxing that Sporty. This guy read the manual and did all he could do. He put 40psi in the rear tire and adjusted the shocks to the strongest setting. She complained on the trip about the choppy ride and that her butt was sore. The choppy ride, my buddy said was from the bike bottoming out. It was even bottoming out on slight slopes in the road, he said. With her on the bike we figured she was just an inch from full shock compression anyhow.
Now to the meat of the post - anybody got any ideas on this? I told him to shop for some progressive rate/heavy duty shocks and try it - but he doesn't want to lose ride quality when he rides solo. I would recommend a bigger bike, but he cannot afford that option nor would it really make a difference because I rode her about the last 40 miles on my bike (to help her sore butt feel better) and she weighed my Softail down noticably. I could feel the weight on the bike with lighter steering (easy to pull the front wheel up when accelerating!) and the motor was working harder but not as hard as the shocks! Anyhow, she was embarrassed when we bottomed out (the bike bounced 3 times at once on the stops on one dip!). I explained that my bike shocks were on the softest setting for a solo rider (it WASN"T). I then probed a little and said that with her weight "what are you like 160?" the next setting up would be fine. She said, "oh no, I wish I was 160 - try 220"
So, 220lb rider on a sporty - what can he do??
