Tips for Riding a Harley-Davidson® Motorcycle

Learning how to ride a Harley-Davidson motorcycle is no easy feat but with some helpful tips, you’ll be on your way to becoming a professional in no time! It can be pretty embarrassing to hit the road with your buddies for the first time if you don’t have proper control of your bike yet. As with most things, practice makes perfect! We’ve got you covered.

Barnes Harley-Davidson® has prepared a list filled with important information to get you started. If you want to check out our inventory or stock up on some new gear before your next ride, stop by our dealership in Langley, BC near Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Richmond, Surrey, and Vancouver today! We proudly serve all of BC.

Posture

The position in which you sit on a bit can severely alter the way it handles. Posture is everything, so sitting up straight with your head up and eyes forward does wonders for keeping a heavy Harley under control. Lifting your gaze not only promotes balance but it also forces you to tilt the bike rather than your head or your body to perform turns. By sitting up straight, you’re allowing the bike to do all of the hard work for you. Make it a habit to be conscious of your posture and you’ll be smooth riding before you know it. Keep your body upright and erect while straightening or extending your inside leg in the direction of turns so you can keep things steady.

Focus on keeping your elbows out for more control when making turns or tight riding at slower speeds. Lift the opposite elbow on turns for better control and point your feet in the direction you wish to travel. In order to successfully execute a sharp turn, put down the foot on the side you want to turn. For a right turn, it’s the right foot and for a left turn, it’s the left foot. Point the foot in the direction you want to go and your riding posture will correctly adjust.

Etiquette

You’ll learn that a heavy bike tends to assert itself in its own way so as long as you remain calm and let your bike find where it wants to be, you’ll be just fine. Keep things steady in traffic, especially when riding at lower speeds. Execute all throttling, braking, and steering adjustments as smoothly as you can. Any sudden turns or acceleration can jerk your bike out of smoothness, which can be dangerous for you and those around you. Remember to stay off the front brake at slow speeds because it can cause the front wheel to tuck with the weight. It’ll be next to impossible to stop yourself from falling. You should lean on the rear bike as smoothly as you can. Now you can safely squeeze the front brake as gently as you can until you come to a stop.

Parking

While it’s certainly not the most exciting part of the ride, it’s important to learn how to properly park your Harley. It can be quite difficult to maneuver your heavy bike into a tight spot all the while watching out for other vehicles. It’s best to stick with flat, smooth ground for parking. Although, a slight uphill camber does help so the bark doesn’t lean over too far. When pulling your bike off the side stand, turn the bars fully to the right until they lock and then grab the right handle with both of your hands. Make sure you grab the brake lever, too.

Now that you’ve got these tips etched into your memory, you’re ready to ride! Don’t let your heavy motorcycle intimidate you. Once you’ve got the hang of how to control and maneuver your Harley with ease, you’ll never want to get off. Barnes Harley-Davidson® is ready to assist with all your motorcycle needs. Visit us in Langley, BC near Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Richmond, Surrey, and Vancouver today! We proudly serve all of BC.