Does anyone ride long distance

[davidlw]

Does anyone ride long distance on a EVO Heritage? I ask this as I am new to a not balanced non rubber mounted Harley. My 1999 Heritage is smooth up to about 60 and then the floorboards vibrate pretty much. Around town the bike is perfect but want to know if many of you would ride it at Interstate speeds for long hours at a time?

[claydbal]

many did aND still are!!

[lionsm13]

I guess that it depends on what you consider long distance is? Also, if you had a 6 speed, I really think that it would seriously cut down the vibration that our HD's are so famous for, that would just as soon shake themselves to pieces. But then again WTF?

[LittleBear]

Yes, every year. Do 1 or 2 road trips between 1.5k miles and 5k miles.
Yes it shakes. Yes, I like it. Yes, it feels good. Yes, I know I am alive.
Love that FLSTC.

[frydaddy96]

I did just under 14K on mine last year. Workin on doin' it again.

[Paniolo]

I used to own a 1991 Heritage. Beautiful looking bike. I rode it from LA to Laughlin 3 times, and each time it damn near wore me out. Then one year at Laughlin I did the HD demo rides and rode and ElectraGlide. Since then I have owned two Ultras. One year I rode my Ultra from Apen, Colorado to LA in one day. There is no way I could have done that on my Heritage.

[shinbone1028]

My best friend is approaching 200,000 mi. on his 96 heritage.Almost ready for the 3rd engine.
I've personally ridden over 40,000 mi with him while touring.
Yes people do ride long distance on evo heritages.And like it.

[The Tourist]

I don't have that exact model, but most of the Harleys in my life had the engine bolted right to the frame. In fact, 'rubber engines' feel like they dance around in the frame and that feels odd to me. As a mechanic, I once had to test ride a bike where the floor boards were mounted on springs or something. I felt like I wasn't connected to the bike.

True, I don't like that nagging buzz on the foot-pegs. But like some folks suggest either avoid that RPM range or change gears. I wear boots with thick soles.

I don't make excuses for a Harley V-twin. Complaining about engine shakes and other idiosyncracies is like jawing about redheads with your credit cards or blondes who keep you waiting or sultry brunettes who don't return your calls.

Bad habits. But we keep going back. Last week I took my maiden voyage of the year and thought my mirrors were shaking more than I remembered. The alternative is to buy a Gold Wing.

[Kenney]

Still running the stock floor board inserts, change them, stock grips, change them, and wear the “gel insert” gloves. There are a number of ways to reduce the handlebar vibrations (search the forum). I rode mine over 48K in the 5 yr. that I hade it. Long trips were no problem, stop about every 100 miles for gas and a break.

Kenny

[BigD]

My wife and I used to tour on our Heritages quite a bit. Yes, we upgraded to touring bikes. Yes, we miss our Heritages. Our most memorable trip was 2-up, 6,000 miles in two weeks. It was fantastic!

The touring bikes make life easier, but it isn't as romantic There's just something about the old bikes loaded down for a trip that feels right.

[gusanito]

In the '90s I used to tour on a '87 FXST. I'd take off the first of July and head out west from the east coast, with a stop in Sturgis on the way back home in the middle of August, a total of 6 weeks on the road, alone. The highest mileage on these trips was over 13,000 miles and the lowest was a bit over 9,000, all camping along the way. The bike never gave me a problem and it was pretty comfortable. My only concern was a lack of horsepower when trying to outrun bad weather, like a tornado in Colby, Kansas and the lack of protection against the weather. I never found vibration to be a problem, but then, I was used to touring on shovelheads before the Evo.

George

[ToddM]

Originally Posted by davidlw

Does anyone ride long distance on a EVO Heritage? I ask this as I am new to a not balanced non rubber mounted Harley. My 1999 Heritage is smooth up to about 60 and then the floorboards vibrate pretty much. Around town the bike is perfect but want to know if many of you would ride it at Interstate speeds for long hours at a time?

You'll be fine, as will the bike.

95% of my riding is long distance (meaning 1000+ miles one way), mostly on rigid mount and/or rigid frame bikes. I wouldn't hesitate to take a Heritage anywhere. The rubber-mounted engine is a fairly new thing (as in the past couple decades) to Harleys. I know a few guys who regularly ride their Heritages to Sturgis, Daytona, etc., from NY every year. None of them have complained about it yet, even though they are well into their 50s.

My current machine is the only rubber-mounted bike I've ever owned. It's nice, but I don't really feel that it needs the rubber mounts to make it enjoyable. Harleys are supposed to vibrate, after all. They have for over 100 years. If it were a real problem, the company would have re-designed the engine to run like a rice burner.

After all those years and miles riding the older iron, I'm still alive and kickin, so those bikes obviously didn't hurt me a bit. Hell, I owned a 1976 XLCH that I rode cross-country several times in 14 years, even making 400 mile (one-way) runs weekly for quite a while. A Heritage rides like a cruise ship compared to that bike!

All Harleys are made for the long haul. It won't be as smooth as a dresser, but it won't kill you, either. If you can't handle a little vibration, then maybe you should "make like a RUB" and trailer it, or trade it in for a Beemer or an Aspencade.

[davidlw]

Thanks folks for your input. I fixed the problem, just bought a 2004 Road King Classic with 5000 miles on her. Problem Fixed.

[ToddM]

Originally Posted by davidlw

Thanks folks for your input. I fixed the problem, just bought a 2004 Road King Classic with 5000 miles on her. Problem Fixed.

You'll like that one even better! Have fun!

[*98Fatjob*]

Originally Posted by davidlw

Thanks folks for your input. I fixed the problem, just bought a 2004 Road King Classic with 5000 miles on her. Problem Fixed.

Pu$$y..........just kidding....I'm envious.
But I'm riding my 98 FLSTF 1100 miles to Sturgis this year.
Never dared to try it on my 75 XLCH. Had to break down and buy a FL finally.