Who's still riding? (Fall & Winter 2024 Edition)

Lightcycle said:
Are the bars wider on the Sporty?

For street riding, body positioning is less important than track or dirt and leverage on the bars (the actual control that is in charge of steering the bike) becomes more important. With all else being equal, clip-ons will give you less control than wider-set handlebars.
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Ok, add handlebar to the never ending list of stupid things about this bike haha. It's got this big 'ol mini ape x buckhorn style handlebar that really does not help things.

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If the grips/controls were, maybe 4-6" lower, it would probably feel a lot better. Handlebar swap is on the list, but I might wait until the spring for that if I'm being honest.

I might still like riding in this weather in the cold, it keeps me happy/gets me my fix... I'm less thrilled about wrenching in it.
 
I loved trials style riding in my youth; low speed riding over impossible and apparently impassable terrain on my Hodaka Wombat was a thrill. One of my regular routes took me across Mimico Creek, over the pedestrian bridge behind the then Kingsmill Collegiate. Several flights of stairs up the west bank. That was routine; not the aforementioned impossible. Great fun!
 
NuggyBuggy said:
I see reports that York region has already started brining. Is it safe to assume Simcoe and Muskoka counties will also have started salting/brining?
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Up in Bracebridge tonight and no brine or sand anywhere that I’ve seen so far.
 
adri said:
Oh it was a a must-have for me. I bought and installed them. I had mid-controls on my 2006 V-Rod for five years and they were fine because that's an overall bigger bike. But the Sportster is such a small little thing, with such a low seat height (so minimal seat to peg space) that mid controls started getting uncomfortable after five minutes. I think this only moved the foot pegs maybe 7" forward but I'm now much more comfortable.

There's another thing I'm... cautious to share, but, here it goes and we can put it to the myth-busters out there:

To me it feels like handling is easier with the forwards. And I totally get that that should not be the case for motorcycles.

The Iron 1200s a little different though, in my opinion, because on most motorcycles you have a gas tank you can lock your knees to, helping you to leverage the bike, but on the Iron 1200, with the stupid skinny peanut tank, your knees don't touch the tank, your knees don't touch anything, they just flail in the wind.

When I was on the highway with mid controls and the skinny tank, with my little knees flapping in the wind, it was like "oh, this reaaaaaally sucks". With my feet slightly more forward, my weight spread around a bit more of the bike, it makes me feel like I have a little more leverage to compromise for my knees/hips not being "locked in" like they would be on/around a traditional motorcycle/tank.

Maybe it's because I'm only 165 lbs. Maybe it's only in my head that I feel like I have more leverage over the bike with the forwards and can now use my body more to steer it... but then again, riding is 80% mental, so if all it really does is make me feel less shaky, that's still a plus, right?

Like I said, I'll leave it up to the myth-busters to pick apart that one.
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My mythical sporty would have flat bars if my hips agreed, 2" risers at the max. With lower bars I just don't think the FC really works as well.
 
Went out for 3 hours and it was fun. Almost felt like the last ride, but heated gear is surely a game changer. Only saw one other bike, he was heading into a gas station.
Some cool looking places along the way.

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Wanted to go riding on Sunday but my wife and youngest stayed and town and my oldest came with me to the cottage. I usually don't ride if my wife isn't at the cottage with the kids, even though the kids are in their late teens and can take care of themselves. All Sunday all I could think was how much I love being with my kids to give up riding to be with them.

Sunday was cold enough, weather forecast poor enough, and my day's to-do list long enough that I gave in, did a preliminary winterizing under the assumption this may be the last weekend before brine goes down on our local roads.
 
Got out for an hour and a half or so yesterday, heated gear, seat and grips to the rescue, I was actually surprisingly comfortable. Wish it would have been sunny instead of cloudy but whatever at this time of year. Was surprised to find four or five other bikes at Timmy’s in Port Perry when I stopped for a hot coffee on the way back.

Suspect there will be lots of people out today, I most certainly would be if I wasn’t stuck at work. Pension649 would fix a lot of these problems.
 
Was out for a couple of hours this morning....to Leaside
Jaunt up and down Bayview Extension and tool around the DVP.....Beautiful day
But filled up tank with thoughts of winter bedtime....Maybe
 
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