Okay, so I have to figure out what the deal is with our suspensions. Of the 4 Indians that I rode today, the Scout was the only one that didn't have a more plush and enjoyable, for the sake of cruising, suspension than my F6B. Obviously, ours handles sportier riding MUCH better, but that is not a priority for me on the B. Comfort is.
Before anyone gets too defensive, don't get me wrong here. I love the B. And the engine and transmission are second to none for both performance and lack of heat. I don't know how anyone in Texas deals with the heat coming off that back cyclinder on the Indian. Wow. Roasted nuts anyone? However, the riding triangle was super comfortable on all models, and both the forks AND the rear suspension just seemed to soak up the road so much better. On the B, it's almost always a distraction, and at worst, pretty jarring. Not to mention, even with Heli bars, I'm having trouble finding the sweet spot for a comfortable triangle.
I have a few hypothesis, and I guess I'm going to have to research and test them as much as I can to figure this out. The first thing that comes to mind is a much bigger front tire. More rubber equals less jarring. Never ceases to amaze me when one goes from low profile tires on a car to long lasting tires with loads of tread. The difference in the ride is always remarkable. I have seen a bigger front tire on a B before, but I'm not sure if other mods had to be made to accomodate. Any input here would be appreciated. I haven't checked fork diameters of the B versus the Indians, but it's also possible that there is just more surface area to the springs. Is it even possible to change to larger forks? Another thing which I'm not sure is possible to change is the spring tension for the throttle. It's SO much easier to twist on the Indians. What would one have to do to lighten this on the B? Pull the bike all the way apart to get to the throttle bodies and put in a lighter spring?
The rear seems easier to tackle. Arnott air shock. Eventually. When I win the lottery.
ANY input or thoughts are appreciated on this topic, as crowdsourcing this will make it easier to tackle. However, please don't think I'm trying to run down the bike. I'm not. I'm trying to make one of the best motorcycle platforms on the planet more comfortable to me.
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