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Ratbuell
| | Posted on Saturday, April 02, 2011 - 01:42 am: | 
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I know Frank personally:
http://www.mdsp.org/media/press_release_details.asp?identifier=863
These guys are some ridin' sumbitches. No joke. I saw nothing in that video that even hinted at photoshop.
Bring me an FLH. I'll show ya.
My old motor, '96 Evo FLHP:
And a detail of my floorboard (I bought a new set every season):
Good stuff. The FLH isn't a pursuit vehicle. It's access. Nimble. Squeezes places that autos can't go. And as you can see in the vid, it's an 800# shield in a gunfight. Lay an FLH on the crash bars...and it's on the crash bars. Period. I used to run Battletrax (our local version) with PVC pipe elbows clamped to the lower corners of my engine and saddlebag crash bars - made great sliders. Never laid bodywork on the ground. Even won more than my fair share of heats on that ol' pig.  |
Jerry_haughton
| | Posted on Saturday, April 02, 2011 - 04:18 am: |
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Just dont throw it on the ground first!!!
Jim, I hope to not throw it on the ground at all! 
If you took the class you'd probably come out of it with a job!!!
LOL! I think I'd make a good cop. My third Harley was an '86 FXR-P, a gently-used Seattle PD demo, which still had most of the police-specific stuff on it including the wig-wag's, although they'd taken the red and blue lamps out and replaced with white driving lights - no Bubba Stewart impersonations allowed...
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I saw nothing in that video that even hinted at photoshop.
I was just funnin' around with the photoshop comment, Joe.
The FLH isn't a pursuit vehicle.
Point taken, but I've got a lot of miles on Big Twins, and you and I know the ol' pigs can get up and dance at speed, more so than most people think. I've got a shelf-full of BattleTrax trophies, but have never run one on the Road King - it'd be fun to give it a go.
Take care,
FB |
Paint_shaker
| | Posted on Saturday, April 02, 2011 - 07:02 pm: |
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I am fairly certain the tighest diameter circle a harley FLHP or FLHTP can turn in is not less than 17 feet. I have a call in to the Harley Police Fleet rep for Florida to make sure.
For those math savy people, maybe you can work the numbers to determine it. The numbers as provided by Harley are;
Wheelbase- 63.5 in
Ground Clearance- 5.1 in
Rake- 26 degrees
Fork angle- 29.25 degrees
Trail- 6.69 in
Front tire- 130/80B17
Rear tire- 180/65B16
Lean angle- Right, 33 degrees. Left 31 degrees
Weight- 831 pounds plus agency specific equipment. |
Paint_shaker
| | Posted on Saturday, April 02, 2011 - 07:26 pm: |
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Straight from the Harley Police Fleet Rep in Florida... A 2010 Road King Police model will turn in approximatley 18 feet while standing staight up and down. In a full lean (floorboard scraping), with a talented rider it MIGHT be able to turn a circle in near 17 feet and change.
Neither the 2010 Road King or the much better handling FXRP (no longer in production) are able to turn inside anything smaller than a 17 some foot circle. |
Paint_shaker
| | Posted on Saturday, April 02, 2011 - 07:55 pm: |
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Los Angles County Sheriff's Department's evaluation of various police motorcycles:
http://la-sheriff.org/sites/motorcycle-test/2010.p df
Neither the Road King, nor the Electra Glide were able to successfully negotiate at 16 foot diameter circle. However both were able to complete a U-turn in a 16 foot diameter. |
Tiltcylinder
| | Posted on Sunday, April 03, 2011 - 02:05 pm: |
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Now I'm going to have to go to Driver Training with my tape measure... Maybe everything just looks smaller... or as my memory grows weaker things get smaller to conserve 'harddrive' space! Been a long time since I did wheel school.
Dropping them on the ground is a day one activity... so you can learn the right way to pick them back up (without the instructors help). Many people spend the better part of the first few days in the cones... picking the bike back up.
Pretty sure I'm scheduled for a 'refresher at the end of the month. Department holds the equivalent of MSF course for members that ride off duty. Last couple of years we've lost a few men. Some experienced riders, some not. Enough of a tragedy that the class is available for all uniformed or civilian. NYC is not a wonderful place to ride, if the chances are one in a million... thats ten times a day! |
Jerry_haughton
| | Posted on Sunday, April 03, 2011 - 08:53 pm: |
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I took a run at seeing how small a box I could do u-turns and figure 8's in this afternoon, but it was at the end of a long day on the road and I was attempting these maneuvers on a side hill, and, well, I need to practice some more.
More to come...
FB |
Paint_shaker
| | Posted on Sunday, April 03, 2011 - 09:16 pm: |
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"Dropping them on the ground is a day one activity... so you can learn the right way to pick them back up (without the instructors help)."
I prefer gently laying them over on their side to just letting go of the grip and letting it fall on it's own. Just sayin.... But yeah, I "dropped" it quite a bit while learning the cone patterns. LOL
Just for fun, on my sporty today I practiced doing circles and figure 8s on a deserted stretch of road. The larger front tire/rim sure likes to flop over during slow speed manuvers!! LOL
I've also done it on the Uly. The 06 Uly hits the steering lock real quick though and then there is a lot of lean!!
Once mastered, it sure beats "duck-walking" the bike around! LOL |
Blake
| | Posted on Monday, April 04, 2011 - 12:47 pm: |
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Find a parking lot and try figure eights within the boundary defined by four opposing parking spots (two on one side, two on the opposite side of the same lane, straight not slanted orientation). Fairly easy on a Buell. Not so much on a hog. |
Jerry_haughton
| | Posted on Monday, April 04, 2011 - 12:56 pm: |
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Fairly easy on a Buell. Not so much on a hog.
Duh, ya think? Easier yet on D's Ninja, or heck, I bet it'd be REAL easy on a Vespa.
Hence, a Vespa must be superior to a Buell!
Geez, Blake.
FB |
Rotzaruck
| | Posted on Monday, April 11, 2011 - 10:47 pm: |
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I finally saw Joe tonight for the first time since I posted his vid. He's had a long week, one of our officers was killed by an idiot robbing a pawn shop last weekend. I didn't know him but know people that did; he was was another good one. Horrible senseless thing.
I did find out the camera Joe uses is "just a cheap Kodak Sport waterproof camera".
I'm wondering what people think about all those odd lines FB has painted all over the BRParkway. And the neighbors thoughts about that crazy motorcycle guy out there chasing his tail again. |
Jerry_haughton
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 12, 2011 - 06:53 am: |
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... one of our officers was killed by an idiot robbing a pawn shop last weekend.
Geez Ed, that truly sucks - so sorry to hear. Is there some way we can express our condolences to the officer's family and friends?
FB&D |
Rotzaruck
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 12, 2011 - 12:29 pm: |
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http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=18197152 65682&comments
FB
I don't know how, except on Facebook page. But they gave him an impressive send off. There is a video on Facebook too......well, you know me and this video thing, there may be a link here, or not
This low life was on parole, in a half way house in Colorado,did some robbery out there before coming here. He had two guns and a vest on. Now they've arrested his whole stinkin' family.
http://www.facebook.com/RIPChattanoogaPoliceSgtJam esTimothyChapin |
Paint_shaker
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 13, 2011 - 12:57 pm: |
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"Find a parking lot and try figure eights within the boundary defined by four opposing parking spots (two on one side, two on the opposite side of the same lane, straight not slanted orientation)."
That is one of my favorite ways to keep in practice of turning tight radius (lock to lock) turns. Whole different ballgame inside the cones.
Jerry,
Have you tried doing the slow speed manuvers using no brake? One of the key techniques is clutch modulation. The other is looking where you want to go. Not on the ground, but over your shoulder. It also helps to sit as far forward as you can on the seat (think nuts on the tank).
It will feel awkward at first, but keep at it. IT will take lots of repetitive motion to get comfortable with it. Once you do, I am confident you will find you have better control over the motorcycle at slow speed. |
Jerry_haughton
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 13, 2011 - 01:13 pm: |
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Jerry,
Have you tried doing the slow speed manuvers using no brake?
Yes, I can do the slow-speed stuff with no brake, but depending on what I'm trying to accomplish I'll often use the rear brake to help "pivot" the bike around on. With this technique I can quickly u-turn my Road King using a minimum amount of space.
I agree fully with modulating the clutch during slow-speed maneuvers (the "friction zone") and looking where you want to go.
I'm very comfortable in the crawling-speed kinda stuff on most any motorcycle, but over the years I've come to rely on the rear brake more and more in these situations (in part because it helps get the maneuver over more quickly, IMO, which is important to me when hanging a u-turn on a public road), but I really do need to practice a lot more NOT using the rear brake.
Thanks for the input.
FB |
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