[Shawn Graham]

Hello,

Just wondering....

Are the engine guards and saddlebag guard enough to stop the bike from breaking or scratching anything if you go down doing low speed maneuvers?

I just bought a 2018 and plan on practicing slow U Turns, tight circles, weaving, swerving, figure 8's, locking the handle bars, scraping the boards.....

Wondering if i should drop it, what will hit? Will the guards be enough to protect it? Makes diff... If i know it will pretty much be protected, I'll try much harder and not be so scared to drop it..

 

[Spacelord]

Probably clutch/front brake handles. Possibly mirrors.
You will get a few scratches, I have seen plenty with minor scratches on the saddlebags.

Good luck with your slow speed practicing, I just finished a fun session with the group I ride with and it was murder on my clutch(make sure you take a few breaks during the run). Only 1 bike dropped and he lost the tip of his clutch handle.

Be safe and don't get pinned, that's a damn heavy machine

 

[Shawn Graham]

Yes, my current bike that I'm trading in is a V Star 950 about 230 lbs lighter. And sometimes i've had to put my foot down when doing some practice. I have not dropped it yet, since there is nothing to protect saddlebags.

I don't think i will be able to stop a 890lb bike from going over... I think i'll start with circles going tighter and tighter.

 

[Shawn Graham]

How tight do you think a voyager should be able to turn? 18' ? Similar to Road Glide Ultra's?

 

[SteveJB]

How tight do you think a voyager should be able to turn? 18' ? Similar to Road Glide Ultra's?

My Vaquero turns about19.5' with the steering locked. I was working with a 20' U turn box and could just barely make it.

 

[DraKhen99]

Wow, that's a tight turn, Steve!

As for what gets scratched when you drop the bike, take it from me (2016 Vaquero, been down twice):

First time was some a$$hole in a parking lot *at work* who must've sat on it, stood it up, realized the bars were locked, and dropped it. Then his buddies put it back upright and walked away. Only damage were two slight scratches on the frame and engine guards.

Second was this past July, when I went down at 35-40mph. Damage was more extensive:

1. Left mirror
2. All 4 guards (bike slid on its left side, pirouetted and flipped over on its right side)
3. Both saddlebag handles
4. One saddlebag lid
5. Clutch lever broke (there's a relief cut into it so you can ride home after a spill)
6. Both mufflers (try as I might, I still haven't found where they are scratched up)
7. Outer fairing (4" scratch)
8. Both floorboard supports and edges of floorboards

That's all I can remember getting damaged. I would look online for plastic guard covers - I know they make them for Harleys (I saw a guy in a recent course had them on his Road King). They were $30 or so, and cover the corners on all the guards.

If you do scrape up the guards, they're about $250/side for the parts (frame and engine guard).

Hope this helps!

-John

 

[Shawn Graham]

well lets hope i never have to find out what will scratch. Don't want to drop it. But At the same time, i want to practice to be proficient at slow speed maneuvers

 

[DraKhen99]

well lets hope i never have to find out what will scratch. Don't want to drop it. But At the same time, i want to practice to be proficient at slow speed maneuvers

I recently took the Skilled Rider Course at one of the local HD dealers - well worth it! Got to practice (and for me, learn how to do) the slow-speed stuff I have always been afraid of. Big boost in confidence and low-speed ability, and I managed to not drop the bike.

FWIW, the 3 HD riders in the course all dropped their bikes, once per bike, during the course.

-John

 

[DaPreacha]

The videos by Motorman are a great help. I saw him do a demo
at a rally and bought all his videos. I use what I learned everyday and I ride EVERYDAY! Lots of his videos on YouTube for free also.
https://www.ridelikeapro.com/about-us/

 

[Peg]

What breaks? The bank account... Definitely the bank account.

 

[SteveJB]

Wow, that's a tight turn, Steve!

-John

I was working with my son for his MC Safety course. The low speed maneuvers are all in a 20' box so that's what we worked on. After he passed the course I was telling the instructor how hard it was for me. He laughed and said "It doesn't surprise me. For anything over 600cc you get 22 feet".

 

[otter]

It depends. I laid mine down mistakenly thinking the kickstand was down. She just laid to rest on the front and rear guards. Not a mark on the bike.

 

[Simonr]

Yes, my current bike that I'm trading in is a V Star 950 about 230 lbs lighter. And sometimes i've had to put my foot down when doing some practice. I have not dropped it yet, since there is nothing to protect saddlebags.

I don't think i will be able to stop a 890lb bike from going over... I think i'll start with circles going tighter and tighter.

Hi Shawn!
I hope you don't mind a thread hijack...like you I had a V Star 950, and am thinking of getting a Voyager 1700. I am wondering how you find the acceleration and cornering, and overall how the bigger bike compares?
Thanks!

 

[Shawn Graham]

Hello

I just purchased the Voyager in Dec'18. trailered it home. It has 1km on it. So i have not actually driven it yet. I already sent the ECU to Ivan's Performance and had it reprogrammed, Changed air filter to K&N and ordered Vance and Hines Slip ons.

I did test drive a 2012 and the throttle i found at low speeds jerky. From all that i've read Ivan's ECU Flash corrects a lot of this.

I'm curious myself how in the end it will feel since the V star 950 I found felt pretty peppy even though the stats show it is rather a slow bike. I did have Cobra pipes and a fuel controller maybe that helped??

I believe by the time the pipes are on the Voyager the HP will top out at 83/84 HP right around the 2500 to 3000 rpm vs 75 HP Stock and Torque will top out around 113 ft lbs. vs 99 stock. Both are increased throughout the rpm range