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That time of the year - Yay (oh no...)

2

2andblue

COG Executive Director
Member
As many of us transition from our winter hibernations and reorganize our garages and hobbies our Connies get the attention they've been waiting for all winter. This is the time we get excited to get our machines out and possibly we miss some items that can lead to a (oh no) drop... Below is a checklist of items I take an extra moment to refresh on to reduce chances of any start of the season mishaps:
  1. Remember the top heavy awkwardness of our machines​
  2. When hand maneuvering be mindful the opposite kickstand side tip overs, they happen quickly and near impossible to stop after momentum builds​
  3. Kickstands might need some greasing, make certain they are fully down before letting machine settle (I dropped our C14 last fall from this...)​
  4. Tires - don't forget the tire pressures that may have reduced​
  5. Clean-Up any accumulated salt/sand, oils or debris from your garage and driveway that can result in a slip and drop​
  6. Start the season right with some exercising, even just a few minutes a day helps combat fatigue when riding or strained muscles when handling our machines​
If you do have an (oh no) moment, or had one previously and have not already, share your story and apply for your CDA - it's free, you get membership to an exclusive club and you help inform others what to keep fresh in their mind. Instructions to apply.
 
Everyone keeps saying how top heavy these bikes are and I just don't feel it....

Great list though. Especially the air pressure, it's easy to forget/tell yourself you'll check it soon.
 
KiowaEagle said:
Everyone keeps saying how top heavy these bikes are and I just don't feel it....

Great list though. Especially the air pressure, it's easy to forget/tell yourself you'll check it soon.
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I had a Russell daylong on for awhile and thats the only time it felt that way to me . Rode way to high for me .
 
KiowaEagle must be at least 6' tall. Us height deficient riders find that when we are stopping on uneven surfaces and you can only touch the ground fully with one foot it better be in the direction that the bike is leaning. If not the bike leans until you make full contact with the other foot you then feel the top heaviness and hopefully not past the point of no return.
 
Slanted surfaces always surprise me because I’m tall and almost never have trouble.I nearly dropped it last week doing a stopped u-turn on a mountain construction site because the road is steep. I think the road grade was steeper than it appeared. It’s a heavy bike when it goes “just past tdc” unexpectedly.
 
I experienced this with my last c-14. The new one has T-rex on it...like carrying and umbrella to the golf course for me. When I walk the bike out of the garage, I like to lean it towards me a little and have my hip up against the seat/side, it just helps me eliminate the "which way is it going" feeling. I also like the bars fully locked going away from my hip, makes the front feel more stable to maneuver the bike, but obviously have enough room to turn the back out.
 
bobct said:
KiowaEagle must be at least 6' tall. Us height deficient riders find that when we are stopping on uneven surfaces and you can only touch the ground fully with one foot it better be in the direction that the bike is leaning. If not the bike leans until you make full contact with the other foot you then feel the top heaviness and hopefully not past the point of no return.
Click to expand...
I am and thanks for pointing that out. We all have our own perceptions based on who we are and although I do realize that this is a tall bike I didn't take that into account. I might also be misunderstanding what people mean by this bike being top heavy. I thought of it more in a riding sense where I really don't feel it.

Until recently I had a goldwing and one of the reasons I sold it was because when stopping or moving slow it was hard to manage just because of the weight. There were many times I'd put my foot down either on an uneven surface or because of gravel and almost lose it. Maybe because that bike was about 250 lbs heavier it makes the C14 seem much easier to manage. Again....perception.
 
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