Time is short, again

 I got out for rides twice this past week with Scott, for autumn foliage runs while the weather was unusually warm. It was in the low 70's all this past week, but the cold front comes through on Saturday. It's not unusual to have snow on the Halloween decorations around here, so hoping not this year.

On Monday afternoon we did a 50 miles circuit of eastern Rensselaer County, covering a lot of our old stomping grounds and some roads that have for decades been incorporated into Sunday rides. Found some newly paved areas and avoided some of the places destroyed by flooding last summer, not all of which have been repaired.

Thursday we went north around the east side of Saratoga Lake, and I accumulated about 100 miles. Again, many roads we've used for decades as part of Sunday rides and many others I'd never been on, and at times had no idea at all where we were. My H-D Ride Planner app took copious notes if I want to try and recreate the run.

These were the first longer rides I've done since adding the H-D Police solo seat and it is such an improvement for me, in the way i'm sitting now. I'm hoping to soon have a 2" riser from Ride Masters which will elevate the back of the seat, making the seating surface level, rather than slanting backwards. Harley just can't give up on the default slouch, ever.

Didn't get any leaf pics, 'cause the point was the ride, so we didn't stop for photo shoots along the way. Both days were warm and bright and you picked up the smells of Autumn as you rode. Leaves and apples and occasionally burning wood. Like me, many people around this area would tell you fall is a favorite season. We've been taking these rides for 40 years now and I am hopeful for a few more.

In the two, really non-scenic pics below, take a look at the seats on both bikes. You can see how the seat on the Electra Glide with the riser at the back really raises the seat to a level seating surface, compared with the initial stock install on my Road King, which tilts a bit to the back. Hopefully, I'll get that riser in time to try it this season, and that will be the end of seating modifications. For a while.

September Road Trip, Part 2

My 9/2/2021 entry describes a 3 day trip to Barre, VT with a couple friends who participated in the NE Motorcycle Skills Training and Challenge Event. I was extremely impressed with the riding skills of the competitors and it quickly became apparent why just about every single person was riding a Police model of Road King or Electra Glide, with the solo seat. Not only that but most had also installed a 1-2" riser above the spring to raise the rear of the seat so that the position moved from nearly level to slightly canted forward.

While riding the course, they also sat right up close on the tank. That, I understood immediately as I have been doing this on sportbikes since the '80's. Not sure of the exact physics at work, but you instinctively learn that you have the best leverage, weight distribution and overall control in tight cornering moving forward on the bike towards the bars.

When I got my Road King it came with the stock seat. Total garbage. If you are using that same seat, please do yourself a favor and upgrade. You will be very happy with the improvement in comfort and seating position from any other seat you try.

For me, it was a matter of sitting more upright, both for physical comfort and improved control of the bike. I bought a used Mustang Super Touring seat and it was a huge improvement. The extended reach design removed the slope at the back of the rider's space and moved me back 1-2 inches for more legroom and better operation of the foot pedals. The seat provides far more lumbar support and the additional padding also raised me up 1-2". I judged all of this by how I sat more upright and could see a few inches above the windscreen.

Then I went to the Skills event and saw people who had mastered their bikes. You can see the winning Expert Class ride here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSYhWr1Inks

I also got to sit on a bike configured this way and was shocked at how it felt. I was struck by how much it felt like the seating position of my Kawasaki Ninja 1000. The control posture was outstanding, which is why Police bikes are setup this way; also for all day comfort. 

So... contacted my dealer and ordered up the parts needed to convert my bike over to the Police Solo Seat. That all came in after a couple weeks and they did the installation. I am still waiting for a Mustang passenger seat to come in as 2021 is among other things, the Year of the Backorder.

Riding the bike home for 30 minutes was an eye opener. It is shocking how much better the bike feels to me. I’m still going to elevate the rear of the seat, but right now my knees are a bit below my hips and I am seeing at least 4” over the windscreen. Once the riser is on and I’m hopefully done messing with the seating, I'll focus on whatever the next thing is...