DRAGGING THE PIPES

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SQ4MN
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Joined: Mon Nov 23, 2009 3:31 am

DRAGGING THE PIPES

Post by SQ4MN »

We went on a ride with our club this weekend. Part was on a twisty road for about 50 miles. I was packing my wife who only weighs about 103 pounds. We dragged our pegs quite often and even our pipes. I been riding this bike for 8 years but this was the most I ever dragged it. The road was continuous left and right turns, all around 30 to 40 mph with a few super tight at 15 or 20. When I washed the bike today I saw that my pipes were flattened and heavily ground on the bottoms. The bike never felt like it was going to go out from under me. It amazes me how well this thing gets around the turns for what it is. All the other bikes were Harleys on this ride this time. LaFongs bike was not running yet so he wasn't there. One Harley guy told me he was getting a BH the next bike he buys. Many thought the bike would do terrible on that road but it was just as good as any of the Harley full dress models. The worst thing is the downhill segments as the engine will not slow you due to the automatic trans so you must use brakes. The brakes on a BH get hot quick and they fade easily after multiple applications. First gear is fair, second gear is useless as far as slowing the bike down on a downhill stretch. All in all it was a fun ride in great weather with about fifteen other riders.
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Swiss V8
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Location: Lucerne, Switzerland

Re: DRAGGING THE PIPES

Post by Swiss V8 »

Great you liked the twisties! :thumbup:

I keep telling people that footpegs are wear parts here in Switzerland. :mrgreen:
I mounted BB dampers on my SB to have better ground clearance, but the pegs still touch ground in the turns... :wft:
Martin

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ventury
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Re: DRAGGING THE PIPES

Post by ventury »

SQ4MN
Glad to see your back on two wheels
When the blacktop is warm and the N.V weather is as it nearly always is ,I think the Boss clings onto the roads well.After an hr of riding I feel like me and the bike get cosy and flow nicely through the twisties,,,,so much that I feel sad when my ride ends,i guess the adrenaling is still flowing
I passed through Vegas a month ago,I must admit I love the climate there ,,,my wife and I stay in Mesqite,threres nothing there ,we just like it
Man, machine plus the climate makes fine riding
Ventury
Last edited by ventury on Thu Oct 20, 2016 3:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Jack
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Re: DRAGGING THE PIPES

Post by Jack »

Loved the handling on the 98 SB...

My Wild One cannot turn... trying to address that with air shocks and a different front end.
1998 Wild One Custom - Homebuilt
Puff
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Re: DRAGGING THE PIPES

Post by Puff »

I have ridden behind some of the Euro guys
at the Pullman City rally in Germany. :germany:
When they do the twisties, they just use
the driver's foot pegs as curb feelers! :mrgreen:
Bill Van Sant

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SQ4MN
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Re: DRAGGING THE PIPES

Post by SQ4MN »

ventury wrote:SQ4MN
Glad to see your back on two wheels
When the blacktop is warm and the N.V weather is as it nearly always is ,I think the Boss clings onto the roads well.After an hr of riding I feel like me and the bike get cosy and flow nicely through the twisties,,,,so much that I feel sad when my ride ends,i guess the adrenaling is still flowing
I passed through Vegas a month ago,I must admit I love the climate there ,,,my wife and I stay in Mesqite,threres nothing there ,we just like it
Man, machine plus the climate makes fine riding
Ventury
NEXT TIME IN VEGAS CALL US.
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SQ4MN
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Re: DRAGGING THE PIPES

Post by SQ4MN »

These bikes do pretty good considering the weight. I do notice that after riding the BH for awhile anything else seems like a road racer! These are just unique motorcycles in every way. They are like a Kenworth on two wheels when on a freeway, no wind bothers them and they just have so much power and torque that it feels effortless for the bike. Mine feels as though it could go around the world and never miss a beat. No other bike feels that way. Mine is so crude with no computer and no ABS or anything but mechanical stuff, nothing high tech yet it all comes together to make for a great ride. Our ROCKET 3 is another great bike but in a different way, I love riding it but its not a lot different from many other good bikes. The Boss IS DIFFERENT and nothing else is like it. My V8 Chopper is also different than anything even the Boss, I am lucky to have both because they are so different. One thing the Chopper does that the Boss doesn't is make me feel young, I feel 20 years old on it and since I'm 74 thats a pretty good feeling.
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Jack
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Re: DRAGGING THE PIPES

Post by Jack »

I couldn't agree more... I went from my fat pig to my buddy's V-Star and it felt like a bicycle...
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GordonBH
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Re: DRAGGING THE PIPES

Post by GordonBH »

I can vouch for Martin in the twisties, I followed (or more accurately tried to follow) him through the winding wooded roads in the deep German forests, heading for the Moselle. So many times I fell behind despite scraping my pegs/pipe tips on every bend.

The Moselle's sweeping curves were a dream after that. Since back in the UK I have raised my spring collars and that has made a massive difference.
Gordon from England
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Swiss V8
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Re: DRAGGING THE PIPES

Post by Swiss V8 »

GordonBH wrote:I can vouch for Martin in the twisties, I followed (or more accurately tried to follow) him through the winding wooded roads in the deep German forests, heading for the Moselle. So many times I fell behind despite scraping my pegs/pipe tips on every bend.

The Moselle's sweeping curves were a dream after that. Since back in the UK I have raised my spring collars and that has made a massive difference.
They really were a dream! You are right.

I'm looking forward to see you really enjoying some twisties; in Switzerland. As the roads along the Moselle river were kind'a straight compared to ours... :mrgreen:
Martin

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Puff
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Re: DRAGGING THE PIPES

Post by Puff »

I have ridden Martin's SB over 4 passes in the Alps.
On MANY of the curves, you have to do full-lock of
the handlebars just to get around the turns ! :mrgreen:
It was beautiful riding those mountains !
If you miss a turn, you die....that's all ! :crash:
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SQ4MN
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Re: DRAGGING THE PIPES

Post by SQ4MN »

One nice thing about a Boss Hoss is that after you're used to riding it for several years and then ride a Triumph Rocket 3 which is barely over 800 pounds it feels like a road racer. If I know that a ride is going to be primarily over twisty roads I will take the Triumph. If its going to be lots of miles and mostly freeway I'll take the Boss. Sometimes I like have a clutch and a foot shift but then when I ride the Boss with the automatic I think I like it better. In the twisties the manual is definitely an advantage. No matter which bike I ride the one thing that is constant is FUN.
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