1st ride after accessorizing PROS and CONS of the bike

Hey ALL;

Purchased used '13 w/ 4,500K miles about 2 months ago. Aside from original straight interstate 6.5 hr ride after purchasing it PHX and riding it back to LA, waited 'bout 2 mths to add; klock werks smoked 12′′, Roadsmith Fwrd Cntrls, Mini-floor brds, Ergo III's, Ultimate King w/ backrest, 12V DC Power Socket in side compartment for MP3 player, J & M speakers, heated grips w/ Kury Iso grips over, Center Stand, Fog lights, universal smart triple play cus/ dynamics.

Ok, finally took the black beast thru the paces out here in Los Angeles. Hwys, mtns, cyns, twisties, Interstate.

PROS:

Felt like I was riding in a Lufthansa 1st class seat with a sewing machine between my legs that has the torque and speed of a Tesla.
Definitely not beat up after a long day of riding.
Handling is superb to say the least.
J&M speakers were clean sounding
Roadsmith's were definitely worth the purchase. (I'm 6' 2" w/ 36" inseam). The position is now much more comfortable.
Ergo III's (once I become acclimated to the set up w/ legs slightly away from the fairing it was solid. Also, any time over 30 mph, my feet were always on the Ergo's. Just felt better).
Heated grips were a plus on the way home w/ a bite in the air. It does takes a little longer to heat up due to the ISO grips I have over them.
Center Stand came in useful (1st bike I ever used one)
Only scrapped the brds once.
Will be excellent for my long hauls this summer, which was the intended purpose.
Not as difficult as I thought splitting / sharing lanes returning back into the LA traffic.
Clean lines w/ the hard bags.
The stropping brake lights look badass and they're BRIGHT ! lol

CONS:
Missed that power of my V-twin Roadliner, and the pipes. (Though the Roadlner and B are about the same size motor). The B just seemed soulless.
Ultimate seat (First 'plastic' upgraded seat I've ridden. At times I was sliding. Kept myself firmly in the seat and by day's in was starting to notice a difference. Not saying the seat is uncomfortable, 'cuz it's very comfortable. Perhaps w/ a few K mile break in, the sliding feeling dissipates.)
Klock werks 12" = major buffering at 70 to 80 and plus. Now I do like the wind in my face just thought that the 14" would be too tall and take away from the look of the scoot. Will probably use this shield for one season and then change out next yr.
Legs still rub on fairing w/ Ergo III's; however, believe once I place some major miles on the B, riding position will work itself out.

Only things remaining to add this year will be the touring rack, LED low beams, turn signal dual switchback LED.

Anyway, just a few thoughts of the ride w/ some much needed accessories.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by adventurous1

Hey ALL;

Purchased used '13 w/ 4,500K miles about 2 months ago. Aside from original straight interstate 6.5 hr ride after purchasing it PHX and riding it back to LA, waited 'bout 2 mths to add; klock werks smoked 12′′, Roadsmith Fwrd Cntrls, Mini-floor brds, Ergo III's, Ultimate King w/ backrest, 12V DC Power Socket in side compartment for MP3 player, J & M speakers, heated grips w/ Kury Iso grips over, Center Stand, Fog lights, universal smart triple play cus/ dynamics.

Ok, finally took the black beast thru the paces out here in Los Angeles. Hwys, mtns, cyns, twisties, Interstate.

PROS:

Felt like I was riding in a Lufthansa 1st class seat with a sewing machine between my legs that has the torque and speed of a Tesla.
Definitely not beat up after a long day of riding.
Handling is superb to say the least.
J&M speakers were clean sounding
Roadsmith's were definitely worth the purchase. (I'm 6' 2" w/ 36" inseam). The position is now much more comfortable.
Ergo III's (once I become acclimated to the set up w/ legs slightly away from the fairing it was solid. Also, any time over 30 mph, my feet were always on the Ergo's. Just felt better).
Heated grips were a plus on the way home w/ a bite in the air. It does takes a little longer to heat up due to the ISO grips I have over them.
Center Stand came in useful (1st bike I ever used one)
Only scrapped the brds once.
Will be excellent for my long hauls this summer, which was the intended purpose.
Not as difficult as I thought splitting / sharing lanes returning back into the LA traffic.
Clean lines w/ the hard bags.
The stropping brake lights look badass and they're BRIGHT ! lol

CONS:
Missed that power of my V-twin Roadliner, and the pipes. (Though the Roadlner and B are about the same size motor). The B just seemed soulless.
Ultimate seat (First 'plastic' upgraded seat I've ridden. At times I was sliding. Kept myself firmly in the seat and by day's in was starting to notice a difference. Not saying the seat is uncomfortable, 'cuz it's very comfortable. Perhaps w/ a few K mile break in, the sliding feeling dissipates.)
Klock werks 12" = major buffering at 70 to 80 and plus. Now I do like the wind in my face just thought that the 14" would be too tall and take away from the look of the scoot. Will probably use this shield for one season and then change out next yr.
Legs still rub on fairing w/ Ergo III's; however, believe once I place some major miles on the B, riding position will work itself out.

Only things remaining to add this year will be the touring rack, LED low beams, turn signal dual switchback LED.

Anyway, just a few thoughts of the ride w/ some much needed accessories.

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Nice write-up. Healthy list of mods. Any pics?

Roadsmith forward controls sound good. I'm so used to the foot-forward position of a Harley, the F6 feels cramped, especially after adding a Mustang seat. At 5'10", I wonder if they would put the controls too far forward for me. I'm thinking highway pegs are a must.

One of my concerns with getting a different bike than a V-Twin was the "soulless" thing. My Night Train is not near as powerful as the F6, but it has tons of character. Love that motor. I'm just barely getting to know the F6, but I think it has character, too. It's just different. There's some growl in that motor. I think pipes would probably reveal more of it, though I have a hard time buying an exhaust just for the sound, if it doesn't enhance the performance of look of the bike. It definitely has plenty of power, imo. I don't need a faster bike. I'd just get in trouble.

What shield do you think you'll go for next? 16" Klock Werks?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by LPMojo

Nice write-up. Healthy list of mods. Any pics?

Roadsmith forward controls sound good. I'm so used to the foot-forward position of a Harley, the F6 feels cramped, especially after adding a Mustang seat. At 5'10", I wonder if they would put the controls too far forward for me. I'm thinking highway pegs are a must.

One of my concerns with getting a different bike than a V-Twin was the "soulless" thing. My Night Train is not near as powerful as the F6, but it has tons of character. Love that motor. I'm just barely getting to know the F6, but I think it has character, too. It's just different. There's some growl in that motor. I think pipes would probably reveal more of it, though I have a hard time buying an exhaust just for the sound, if it doesn't enhance the performance of look of the bike. It definitely has plenty of power, imo. I don't need a faster bike. I'd just get in trouble.

What shield do you think you'll go for next? 16" Klock Werks?

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I thought about forward controls until I actually put a few miles on my F6B. I recently sold my customer bagger which I built out of a Yamaha Roadstar so I was used to floorboards and having a more forward foot position. After about 2K miles on the bike since January (would be a lot more miles but bike was caught up in a BS dealer for 6 weeks) I can compare the riding position to sitting at a kitchen table on the F6B VS sitting on a lazy boy couch like my old bike. Although the lazy boy would appear to be more comfortable, you can get a lot more done at a kitchen table and it is actually more comfortable the longer you sit at it and get used to it lol. Better for handling and overall control of the bike for sure.

As for soul...... believe me I get it coming from the roadstar! in a way that is hard for guys who have never had the vtwin rumble to understand. I get it so much that I just bought another roadstar that will be my "around the town bike" on a regular basis. The F6B is definitely a far superior bike to my roadstar that's for sure but its nice to have that vtwin sound and look around town and I definitely missed that soul and rumble. That being said, I fully appreciate not having the rumble after a 400 mile day in the saddle or a 3K mile trip I will be taking in September. The rumble is great around town but the B shines bright in the twisties, country back roads, and long days in the saddle. I would never want the rumble on long days again.

As for a seat, the stock one is not doing it for me. Maybe its the way my A$$ is shaped idk lol but its putting pressure on my tailbone. Before I spend a grand on a new set I am taking it to the upholster on Tuesday and he is gonna reshape it for me for $50 which is a great price. If not, I sat on a 2016 wing over the weekend with an ultimate king seat and wow......... it was amazing! The guy also had the ergo highway pegs which were great and are definitely on the list.

Im not sure which windshield I have but I do know that it came from a standard wing, may be an F4 but not 100% sure. I want to add a vent to it so that I can position the air upwards to help eliminate some buffeting and I have the baker hand wings which work great in the summer and winter.

Grant

Concur with the above in a thorough write-up - and yes, I'd like to see the pics of the forward controls mounted and a report on their feeling in the twisties.
I'm not sure I'd want my feet any further forward or more outboard than they are now for spirited riding.



And now for something completely different. This is what happens when I get up too early in the morning....

:soapbox:
"Soul-less" - this was hard for me to wrap my head around.
I have a V-Twin - Saorla, a '95 FLSTN - and yes, she has a "Thunderheader-induced" personality - the soul you wrote of. And truth be told, I did miss her at times this weekend at Thunder at the Beach in Panama City Beach. However, vibration & rumble do not a "soul" make. If so, there are plenty of 120v/20amp "massagers" out there that have a soul. Saorla is loud, obnoxious, and at times embarrassing - just like she should be and what everyone expects her to be.

But Isleen is wonderfully different. She's the elegance and grace that Saorla isn't. She's the ballroom dancer in a formal dress, the one who can wear real pearls and turn heads doing it and then with a change in the music, she can jitterbug with her skirt flying everywhere - but only as good as her partner. Isleen gets noticed because she is modest, quiet, and charming - not because she drinks too much and farts loudly in public.

It's in the dance that we truly become alive, synchronous with our partner as one entity journeying down the road.

Cheers,
Steve

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 53driver

Concur with the above in a thorough write-up - and yes, I'd like to see the pics of the forward controls mounted and a report on their feeling in the twisties.
I'm not sure I'd want my feet any further forward or more outboard than they are now for spirited riding.



And now for something completely different. This is what happens when I get up too early in the morning....

:soapbox:
"Soul-less" - this was hard for me to wrap my head around.
I have a V-Twin - Saorla, a '95 FLSTN - and yes, she has a "Thunderheader-induced" personality - the soul you wrote of. And truth be told, I did miss her at times this weekend at Thunder at the Beach in Panama City Beach. However, vibration & rumble do not a "soul" make. If so, there are plenty of 120v/20amp "massagers" out there that have a soul. Saorla is loud, obnoxious, and at times embarrassing - just like she should be and what everyone expects her to be.

But Isleen is wonderfully different. She's the elegance and grace that Saorla isn't. She's the ballroom dancer in a formal dress, the one who can wear real pearls and turn heads doing it and then with a change in the music, she can jitterbug with her skirt flying everywhere - but only as good as her partner. Isleen gets noticed because she is modest, quiet, and charming - not because she drinks too much and farts loudly in public.

It's in the dance that we truly become alive, synchronous with our partner as one entity journeying down the road.

Cheers,
Steve

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Were you a porn writer in another life?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Steve 0080

Were you a porn writer in another life?

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Not sure - Did that get a rise out of you?

I really shouldn't be up that early.....and no, I haven't seen "FootLoose" in quite sometime.....:icon_mrgreen:

Not sure what you are talking about when you say you miss the power of the Roadliner. Is the B too much for you? Cause the B is making 25 more HP at the rear wheel than your Yammy. Only 6 more ft. lbs. of torque , but its there. You say it has no soul. That extra 25 HP shows me some soul. There is two things all of us on this forum knows , you don't have to make noise to make power and just cause you're making a lot of noise doesn't mean you're making power. I used to ride with a guy that had a Roadliner. Nice bike. Wouldn't run with my B. I've got a new Ultimate King also. Don't notice myself slipping around any. Didn't know Klockwercks made a 12 inch. Knew about the 14 and 16 inch. Good luck with all your issues.

53Driver

Sounded more like Dirty Dancing to me.
Now back to our regularly scheduled thread.

Chris

"Souless" ??..I kind of think this means loud pipes and V-Twin vibes make your bike a better ride...After owning a few V-Twins of different brands I am very happy with my F6B and the power and smoothness of the motor...I have ridden with a friend that had a big Yamaha V-Twin, nice bike but not in the league of the Honda in my opinion...Yes, I will admit it takes a little getting use to, but I think you will find the ride of the F6B motor one of the best out there....Ride safe

I kind of know what he meant. I do miss the noise and rumble a bit. It did feel like my VTX1300R would come alive when rolling the throttle, in a primal kind of way. Blipping the throttle at red lights just sounded cool. lol

But I love how responsive and smooth the F6B is, and wouldn't go back.

I don't see any of the CONS that the OP mentioned. I did replace the windshield with a slightly taller one, but that was more because I thought the tinted version looks better.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by pilotguy299

I kind of know what he meant. I do miss the noise and rumble a bit. It did feel like my VTX1300R would come alive when rolling the throttle, in a primal kind of way. Blipping the throttle at red lights just sounded cool. lol

But I love how responsive and smooth the F6B is, and wouldn't go back.

I don't see any of the CONS that the OP mentioned. I did replace the windshield with a slightly taller one, but that was more because I thought the tinted version looks better.

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My thoughts exactly. My friend has an Indian. I rode it and it's what I said to him....you feel like you're riding a motorcycle more, in that noisy kind of way. I had an M109 and there's no comparison. I'll take this bike.

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Originally Posted by wjduke

My thoughts exactly. My friend has an Indian. I rode it and it's what I said to him....you feel like you're riding a motorcycle more, in that noisy kind of way. I had an M109 and there's no comparison. I'll take this bike.

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Yeah, and even though the VTX had good torque from a start, it just isn't as much as there is with the F6B. First "enthusiastic" start I did with the F6B, I thought I was going to fall off backwards!

53driver and Steve 0080, you guys are cracking me up.
I don't get the dance. Rather, I think of the motorcycle as a modern day horse. Or, I admit, sometimes when on the Harley NT I feel like I'm riding one of those Stormtrooper speeder bikes from Return of the Jedi. :icon_mrgreen:


I get the soulless thing. I remember when my bro in law brought over his VTX1800. Faster and better handling than my NT. But it had no soul. I just kept thinking it over and over, no soul.
With the NT, I'm thoroughly engaged with the bike from the second I sit in the saddle til I get off. Starting it up, rolling on the throttle, it's this wonderful production of rider and bike going together down the road in harmony. You can feel every horse the thing has rumbling underneath you.
I admit, after 12 years of riding it, my NT fits me like a glove. It's always in the sweet spot, from cracking the throttle til hitting the rev limiter. I can thrash it and it has just the right amount of power and torque, so I never feel underpowered, nor do I overdrive my abilities. I just ride the heck out of it, and it's abundant fun.

I was concerned the F6 would be more like the VTX, all vanilla, no personality. But it has it! That f6 motor has personality. It's different, but it's no boring ride. I'm excited about it and looking forward to many years of riding that sucker and getting it to fit me as well or better than the NT.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by pilotguy299

Yeah, and even though the VTX had good torque from a start, it just isn't as much as there is with the F6B. First "enthusiastic" start I did with the F6B, I thought I was going to fall off backwards!

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That's funny. I took my gf on a ride. She's only ever ridden on the back of my Harley with a back rest. She's not very experienced. She doesn't like to ride so much, or go fast, feel the wind. Everything I love. Part of getting the F6 was hoping a smoother, more comfortable bike would be enjoyable for her. So, on her first ride, I told her to use the handrails or hold onto me real tight. We get going and she's holding on real tight. She's not anticipating the take offs and stops, and is all over the place. Finally, she seems like she's getting in the groove of things. So, I leave a stop light into a left turn, come out of first and hit second pretty good. Her feet come off the pegs as her grip on me is slipping and she disappears from my peripheral vision. I let off and ask if she's ok. She yells at me, "My feet came off the pegs!!!" I told her to hold on. :) At least she didn't roll off the back. I have a feeling I'll be riding the F6 alone more often than not, just like the Night Train. Oh well!!!

I rode 4 Harley's at the Demos in Panama City Beach this past week.
I rode all for 45 mins each unescorted.

I have always thought that the Harley's were under powered compared to the F6B.
I must admit after riding the 103 and 110 motors they are not that bad if you thrash the hell out of them.

I rode the following bikes:

Fatboy S 110 motor
Very good power / felt like I was being blown off without a windshield / love that it feels like you are in the bike
(my previous bike was a Fatboy set up similar to the Heritage Classic without the Village people theme)

Road Glide with tour pack 103 motor
nice power / better with wind management fairing / seated not as in the bike as the Fatboy

Heritage Classic 103 motor
Plenty of power / nice handling / comfortable bike / all the added features I like / sit in the bike, mini apes, windshield, seat hieght, bags etc...

Street Glide CVO 110 motor
Love this bikes power for a Harley / nice fairing / ride on top not in bike /
I rode this like I stold it 125 on highway / 110 in long sweeping back roads
I enjoyed this bike.

F6B 1800
Best of all / even after riding all the best of Harley
more comfort / power / wind protection / quiet (I could hear the stereo better) / better stereo

Summary:

I like the quiet F6B (for all the features mentioned above)
on long trips it is so much better than the Harley / I do enjoy the Harley for blasting around town
On the F6B I still find myself bleeping the throttle at most stop signs just like when I was on the Harley accept now the sound is more exotic sports car like.
Steve

Quote:

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Originally Posted by shooter

Not sure what you are talking about when you say you miss the power of the Roadliner. Is the B too much for you? Cause the B is making 25 more HP at the rear wheel than your Yammy. Only 6 more ft. lbs. of torque , but its there. You say it has no soul. That extra 25 HP shows me some soul. There is two things all of us on this forum knows , you don't have to make noise to make power and just cause you're making a lot of noise doesn't mean you're making power. I used to ride with a guy that had a Roadliner. Nice bike. Wouldn't run with my B. I've got a new Ultimate King also. Don't notice myself slipping around any. Didn't know Klockwercks made a 12 inch. Knew about the 14 and 16 inch. Good luck with all your issues.

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When mentioning the liner's power wasn't specifically addressing the slight difference in the B's HP. Meant that with the Liner's massive 2 cylinders it feels like I'm on a motorcycle. At least to what I'm used to. May keep the liner for around town, and though I've pounded her hard with the massive cylinders repeatedly thrusting for about 60K miles and she kept begging for more (yes keeping with the sprinkling of porn subject matter), the B (though I'd prefer DD's) serves me quite well for the long rides.

With the liner, traveling to, and thru, the mtns to Zion, Bryce, Moab, Jackson Hole, Telluride, Banff, up the Pacific Coast, Bend OR, McCall ID, Glacier national Park, etc., etc. with 300-400 mile days left the body rather worn. So, the B's definitely going to be the bike - and, I'm not a racking up miles guy. I like going helmet-less along the vast 2 lane hwys enjoying the breathtaking majestic visitas of a 300 -400 mile, 10 hr day with multi stops for breathing in the purple mtns majesty and amber waves of grain, the mom and pop coffee houses, the local breweries to partake in the local flavors. Unfortunately to get to those lone 2 lane hwys, I have to use the interstate to get me thru Southern Cal to UT, or Southern Cal to AZ to begin memorable journeys.

Yes, my Werks shield is a 14 not a 12. May have to move to a 16 next season.

Oh, and similar to my initial 370 ish mile trip home from the dealer, I had to once again remind myself that the B is not a car - especially now w/ the Ergo III's. Yesterday, had the tunes blasting heading North on interstate 5 toward the mtns, and nonchalantly glanced down at the speedo to see that's I'm doing 80 plus Whewwww daddy.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by adventurous1

Oh, and similar to my initial 370 ish mile trip home from the dealer, I had to once again remind myself that the B is not a car - especially now w/ the Ergo III's. Yesterday, had the tunes blasting heading North on interstate 5 toward the mtns, and nonchalantly glanced down at the speedo to see that's I'm doing 80 plus Whewwww daddy.

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You can give yourself a bit more road feel by taking a few turns on the suspension pre-load. If I'm set to less than 10 clicks, that speedo needle goes clockwise in a hurry....

You can have thump and you can have smooth----but never on the same bike.

At this point in life I choose smooth. ( To go along with dependable, maintanence free, powerful and some other words to describe my B)