Rich & Sidecar Rusty
I have been a reader of
American Iron for many years and wanted to comment on a letter submitted to your magazine in the November issue. The letter was sent in by Rich Watkins and Sidecar Rusty and when I read it I was totally inspired. I felt for this man who had seemingly lost it all to find himself again on the open road. Rich, wherever you are, may all your hopes and dreams come true. You are an inspiration to all of us who love the open road. Thank you for your story.
Jamie Burton
Minnesota
20 Years Off
Last night I read the How It Works article in the January issue. It was going over the model letters Harley uses, and on the chart for Softails it said 1964 was the first year of production. Where can I buy one of these rare bikes? I’m sure it was just a typing error, since it should have been 1984. I have been a subscriber of this magazine since the beginning and have seen it grow and improve to the best motorcycle mag going. Keep up the good work
Jamie Dejana
Via Internet
Ouch! Yeah, that was definitely a typo. Thanks for the compliments and the heads up. Fit Thanks To Phil
Phil Halliwell’s Fit to Ride column in
American Iron Magazine is a stroke of genius. The average age for motorcyclists is now over 40, and it is a challenge for us middle-aged folks to stay in shape.
After I sent an inquiry, Phil contacted me promptly and provided me with expert guidance on a recent perplexing problem. His suggestions made sense, provided me with a fresh perspective, and demonstrated the depth of his knowledge and experience.
Joel Goodman
Via Internet
One For Gen
Gen, I read your article in the December issue. I’m a 50-year-old female who has been riding motorcycles since I was a teenager. In November of 2005, I moved up to the best bike I’ve ever ridden, the Street Glide. I had a Corbin solo seat custom-built for me, which helped move me forward and lower, and makes this bike a perfect fit! I also bought a detachtable Tour-Pak for long trips. It was a great addition.
I truly love riding my bagger. I’ve put over 10,000 miles on it so far,
having ridden to Sturgis, South Carolina, Toronto, and Daytona Beach over the last three years. Attached is a photo taken during my Sturgis trip in 2006. Please continue to encourage women to ride.
Toni Cheek
Kingsport, Tennessee
Quiet Pipes
Chris, I want to start out by saying I love
AIM. I was reading the January issue when I read a question from Don Elliott of Great Bend, Kansas. Don wanted to know about an exhaust that was quiet because he leaves for work at 4 am. Tell him to check out RB Racing. It has an exhaust called the LSR 2-into-1 Blackhole. This exhaust makes great power but sounds about the same as the stock one (actually a little better). Plus, it does not get louder the faster you go, so you can scream through the gears. It will set him back about a grand, but all the testimonials I have read about it seem to imply it would be worth it. I hope that helps a fellow rider.
Gary Duquette
Norfolk, Massachusetts
Two For Gen
What’s going on? I’m a male rider, first of all. I’ve also been a Harley technician for 13 years. I agree with your choice to go to a bagger. But since I’m in the biz, I’ve seen a big changeover the last few years. No longer are baggers a measure of how long you’ve been in the saddle. Baggers are becoming a lot of guys’ first Harley, not first motorcycle, first Harley. I think it’s a little scary. All these novice riders, or people who haven’t ridden in years, jumping on a bagger. I got to tell ya, 70 percent of my customers own Road Kings or dressers. No one is starting small nowadays.
Me, I’m a Softail guy. You can, as you call it, profile or throw some bags and a windshield on it and hit the road. I mainly do city and suburban riding. I ride mostly year-round in Detroit, except when there’s snow on the roads, which is usually in late January through March.
Like you said, for trips baggers are great. One day I hope to have a dresser and a hotrod Harley. With people still commuting several miles to work, they are buying baggers for daily transportation in these parts. The economy is so bad, we have more and more of those little scooters with novice riders cruising down the freeway. It’s dangerous around here.
Gill
Via Internet
Good Night
My bobber started as a 2007 Sporty 1200 Nightster. Hot Rod Harley-Davidson in Muskegon, Michigan, did the custom metal fabricating. It’s very cool and fast!
Sheriff Bob
Woodstock, Illinois
This Makes Three For Gen!
Genevieve, my name is George F. Acosta and I read your article on your new Street Glide. Nice! My question is, how did you lower it? My local dealer said it can’t be done.
Keep on riding. You are an inspiration to all, especially my wife. She just purchased her first Harley, a 2004 V-Rod that’s supercharged, no less.
George F. Acosta
Lafayette, Indiana
George, I didn’t actually lower the bike, I lowered myself using the Reach Seat from Harley-Davidson. My column on the Reach Seat was in the February issue. And congrats to your wife for getting in the saddle. Be sure she visits my online magazine, WomenRidersNow.com, for lots of helpful information. — Genevieve
Fine Techline
Donny, I have come to such a better understanding of the V-twin engine thanks to your Techline columns over these past five years that I’ve been over here. I have read a lot of bike mags and I have to say that American Iron is by far the most thought out mag in print today concerning motorcycling. And I have never gotten the impression that any of the contributing writers were pompous know-it-alls. All of you put out fine material, and I look forward to the next volume of your book!
Alan Biggs
A&P mechanic/ sheet metal
UH-60 Phase crew
BIAP Iraq
Dollar Stretcher
Recently my 2005 EFI Dyna Super Glide sometimes coughs and spits. I couldn’t trace any problem as I did not have a check engine light. New spark plugs and clean air and gas filters didn’t make a difference. The bike would run fine for days, then the problem came back.
While looking for a solution, I came across the system relay in the fuse box. The connectors looked quite rusty, so I changed it. A new relay ($10) and the problem was solved. A bit of dielectric grease on everything in the fuse box should eliminate any further trouble.
Tom Anguish
St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada
Head Shake Sportsters
I have owned a 2007 Nightster since they first came out. I have also noticed the head shake issue. I am an experienced rider of 30-plus years and have come to the conclusion that it is really nothing to be too concerned about. Reason being, it is only mild at most, and road surfaces seem to be the main cause.
The person who asked you about it failed to provide key elements. How heavy is that rider! What riding position does he ride in? Does he lean back or ride in a more forward position? Does he ride with a passenger, sissy bar, windshield, bags, etc.? Are the rear shocks set in the softest position? You know and I know the weight on the rear will unload the front end, and then even a small uneven road surface will give the false impression of head shake. Does it happen under hard acceleration or braking, or when cruising at different speeds?
My bike is stock except for pipes, FuelPac, and intake. I have had it over 100 mph several times and never really had a problem with head shake. It is more noticeable when riding with a passenger at highway cruising speeds on uneven roads. I lived in Germany for 15 years and know the roads are really good there, in most cases. There’s a lot of concrete on the autobahn.
If the guy is adamant about riding WOT on a short wheelbase, steep-raked bike, then maybe he should have bought a crotch rocket! I owned a Honda CB750K. Now that’s head shake!
Jason
Ft. Rucker, Alabama
Misty Memories
In my first submission for Harley Memories (January ’09), I missed
listing my dad’s full name, Roy “Bud” Naylor. He was a reconnaissance pilot during World War II under General George Patton’s 3rd Army, Spear-Head Division, Operation Omaha Beach. Along with many other medals, he was awarded the Bronze Star for outstanding action. After the war he worked for the FAA as an air traffic controller. He was my best friend and hero. I lost him to cancer back in 1993. He remains in my heart, and I take him riding with me wherever I go. I would appreciate
having this mistake, which I made, corrected out of respect for my dad.
Scott Naylor
Modesto, California
Flag Etiquette
I’ve been reading your mag for quite some years. I love it! Particularly your Nuts & Bolts features and Genevieve’s column, but I do have some questions.
When you have product reviews, why aren’t they listed in the table of contents? This would make it easier to find them when looking through many issues. Why do you not list prices for many bike and product reviews? It would help to know before I went shopping. Genevieve has often mentioned her “husband to be.” When is she getting married?
On a personal note, I fly two flags on the back of my bike: one US flag and one POW-MIA flag). Which one should be on the left and which on the right? Or does it not matter?
Dr. James Archer
Emerald Isle, North Carolina
James, the bike and product reviews are always listed in the TOC, under the heading Ridden & Reviewed. Look on the first contents page, along the right border. Sorry about the prices. Sometimes we just forget to put them in, but we are trying to be more consistent with this. In regards to the lovely Miss Genevieve, she is now a Mrs.
As to “flying” the flag, according to traditional flag etiquette, if you display the US flag with the flag of any other state, community, or society where the flagpoles are the same height, the flag of the US is always placed in the position of honor: to the right. Also, to be perfectly correct, the other flag may not be larger, and no other flag may be placed above it. Hill Climbing
This picture was taken at the Javelina Harley-Davidson outside of San Antonio, Texas. My buddy Todd Ryska and I had just completed a five-day ride through the Hill Country between San Antonio and Austin. We hit some great towns such as Fredericksburg, Kerrville, Marble Falls, Luckenbach, Will City Loop, and New Braunfels. This was my first big trip on my 2003 Softail Standard.
William D. Ivins III, Capt.
United States Marine Corps
Via Internet
Where’s Ponch?
I like the 1970s FLH, especially without saddlebags, so I found this 2000 Road King Police, a former CHP service vehicle, and slimmed it down to what it is now. Total removed weight was about 50 pounds. It feels much lighter to maneuver in town and for my short-distance commute.
Thomas C. Tseng
Arcadia, California
Show Dog
My bike started as a stock 2007 Big Dog Mastiff, as I love the handling of a 300-tire bike. I changed the rims to RC Components, added grips, covers,
controls, etc. from Thunder Cycle, and a new paint job from Airea 5150. I wanted to make sure my bike wouldn’t get lost in the parking lot, and the guys at Airea 5150 were a blast to work with in coming up with this skull/tribal design. Before sending the gas tank out, I welded in the Matt Hotch flush-mount fuel cap, which finishes off the top nicely. The last touch was to add a Danny Gray seat. I’ve ridden this bike from Wisconsin to Florida, and it’s great! In spite of Wisconsin weather, it has yet to see a trailer. I ride from the time the salt is washed off the road in spring until the first snowfall.
Scott Pietila
Sussex, Wisconsin
Better Late Than Never
Attached is a Snap of my wife, Barbara, and me on my 2004 FLSTC. This was taken during Biketoberfest 2005 while we where riding the Loop. The bike was a retirement present that I bought for myself in 2003 after retiring from the Village of Ossining Police Department where I served 21 years as a police officer.
Jeffery C. Parthemore Sr.
Palm Coast, Florida
Spine Savers
I rode a Kawasaki 750LTD back in the mid-’70s, then went on a 28-year hiatus. I started riding again in 2006. I purchased a 2006 Softail Deluxe, putting 20,000 miles on it in just over two years. I just traded it in on a ’09 Deluxe during Biketoberfest. On three or four occasions, I’ve been in the saddle for up to 750 miles a day with many 500-mile days.
I also subscribe to perhaps five motorcycle magazines including American Iron (my favorite). In reading these publications, particularly the mags that are primarily geared toward sportbikes, an occasional review is done of a cruiser/bagger-style motorcycle by authors who routinely ride a sportbike. I’m always amused. As nice as they try to be, their comments such as “heavy; underpowered; rides like a log wagon; sparks fly when taking a curve at 90 miles an hour,” etc. always make me laugh. It’s obvious the author doesn’t understand cruiser/bagger motorcycles.
However, what I don’t understand is an almost universal complaint of “a sore spine after a few miles” or “an intense jarring to the spine due to the laid-back riding position.” I’ve never had a problem with a sore spine, nor have I felt any jarring to my spine even on the 500- to 750-mile excursions that I take. A numb butt, perhaps, but nothing more. This leads me to believe that what’s causing their spine complaints is either incorrect riding technique/position or the author is just not used to riding a real motorcycle.
Your thoughts on the “jarring to the spine” complaint?
Tom Becker
Fort Wayne, Indiana
We have no idea what they’re talking about either, Tom! AIM 
April 2009 Letters 
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