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[FXR2evo99]

So I am curious....how many of you guys/gals have ventured into forward controls with your FXR's?

Do you like them?  Why did you do it? 

Regards,

Tim

[Trimster]

Will be watching this thread, been considering doing just that.

[Thermodyne]

No me, not now, and not ever.  IMHO forwards just screw up the handling.  Not to mention the need to be a contortionist if you had them on a -4.   Most FXR's have highways right where the forwards would be, so any time you need to stretch out, you can.  Personally, I like the mids and buckhorns that most of them started life with.

[curmudgeon]

Been just "listening" and learning for a couple of years now, but I gotta comment on this one. I went to fwd ctrls mainly for safety. I like my feet in the fwd position on the hwy pegs but don't like to have to take the time time to switch positions in a crisis. I agree with the FXR4 "contortionist" comment but I felt that way even with mid controls. Highway pegs were not comfortable because of the position the drag bars put me in. I always had a stiff neck from leaning forward and having to "look up" to see the road way ahead. I took the drag bars off my FXR4 and went to buckhorns and then to fwd controls.

[ltank]

I love the mid controls. Use them 95% of the time. They offer Great control. Easy to stand on if desired.  Will never get rid of them.
Ltank

[catd7g]

I love the mid controls. Use them 95% of the time. They offer Great control. Easy to stand on if desired.  Will never get rid of them.

          x2

[93fxrsc]

If I were to go away from mids, I'd want to try the FXRP floorboards on my '93 Lowrider Convertible, and then move the seat position forward and up an inch in each direction, rather than increasing the pull back to correct the rider stance. But frankly, these bikes were made for spirited riding, not for sitting back like you're in a lounge chair!!  So sit up straight, twist the throttle, and when the time comes, hang off the side of that seat and lean baby lean.

(As an related aside, I see a lot of short shocks on the FXRs here. I've got 13.5" shocks and want to go to 14+ to get some more canyon carving lean angle because this bike is a blast to ride, and I've dragged a peg all too often, and the exhaust support rod that hangs off the mufflers.)

Carry on.
-Steve

[TLS105]

  So sit up straight, twist the throttle, and when the time comes, hang off the side of that seat and lean baby lean.

-Steve

I think we may have just found our motto ladies and gentlemen. I like it a lot.

Tom

[FXR2evo99]

I love the mid controls. Use them 95% of the time. They offer Great control. Easy to stand on if desired.  Will never get rid of them.

          x2

When I looked at your bike....I said to myself quickly now there is something different about this FXR3, and then I realized you put on a different front end....perhaps a "wide glide" front end or perhaps something entirely outside of the realm of a "wide glide" front end?

Regards,

Tim

[FXR2evo99]

"...If I were to go away from mids, I'd want to try the FXRP floorboards on my '93 Lowrider Convertible..."
-Steve

Steve,

great news, you of course would only loose the two foot pegs at the mid range replaced by a "roomier" floor board on each side which provides much more foot movement.....I just finished putting the FXRP/FXRT floor boards and hardware on my 1999 FXR2, last summer.....and I just found out a few weeks ago...that I can ALSO use the OEM rear brake pedal instead of changing the "linkage' and set up to the FXRP rear brake pedal.  So another "modification" is getting ready to be accomplished which is to remove the OEM FXRP/FXRT rear brake pedal and to go back to the OEM rear brake pedal....which allows the highway peg on the right side to become accessible again.....in order to fully grasp what I am saying you have to study the actual installation of the FXRP/FXRT hardware to grasp more easily what I am attempting to explain.

I asked my initial question for other purposes....personally I have had forward controls on a 2003 Dyna Low Rider after owning the bike for about 3-4 months so I knew what it was to have mid range controls on that vintage of a bike and so I was like....ok....the forward controls really actually confuse one's mind....because in the canyons as was stated by you Steve above, that when in the canyons you simply ride differently than you do going down some country road between corn fields.....one requires more leverage and turing and shifting....verses a much more casual riding experience going in straight lines for miles and miles....

So on the FXR2 I have never veered away from mid range controls for forward controls....but regardless has anyone else done it.....

Regards,

Tim

[FXRbob]

For sale harley davidson 1999 3,500mi 900cc

Harley Davidson fxr2 limited edition with 3,500 miles, in mint condition. Only 900 of these motorcycles were built in 1999 and this one has everything detachable windshield with case, mid glide chrome front end, 21 inch spoke front wheel, custom street pipes, Dyna 2000 I ignition, hyper charger. factory customized. No scratches and never dropped. Serious calls only....

My new FXR was delivered on Friday.  Came with these big gaudy Accutronix forward controls.  Can't wait to take them off.  I was able to find NOS parts to return back to stock.  Including XL front end and air cleaner.  I was lucky enough to find the air cleaner insert(the FXR2 label on the front) new in the package.

[FXR2evo99]

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

A wonderful condition....

NOW RIDE IT!!!!

  :2

vrolijk_21:

Regards,

Tim

[fxr4mikey]

I love the mid controls. Use them 95% of the time. They offer Great control. Easy to stand on if desired.  Will never get rid of them.
Ltank

I was wondering what you use the other 5% of the time 

[fxr4mikey]

When I looked at your bike....I said to myself quickly now there is something different about this FXR3, and then I realized you put on a different front end....perhaps a "wide glide" front end or perhaps something entirely outside of the realm of a "wide glide" front end?

Regards,

Tim

I don't know if it's a wide glide, can't see it that well .... but it does have inverted front forks on it ... I've always wanted those on my bike ...... hummmmmm

[fxr4mikey]

So I am curious....how many of you guys/gals have ventured into forward controls with your FXR's?

Do you like them?  Why did you do it? 

Regards,

Tim

not me .... I'm quite happy with the mid controls

however when I ride to CO from SC a road glide would be REAL NICE TO HAVE  !!!     

[HD-CVO]

I have an FXR3 I got with forwards, and just got an FXR4 with mids. I cant wait to get the mids off the 4. Far better with the forwards in every way for me. At 6'1 the mids feel like I am riding a kids bike

[hdfxr3]

I prefer mids, two leg positions. if you go forward controls..only one leg position!!

[Bull_Duck]

My wife wants to go from forward controls on her 2008 FXDSE2 to mid control floor boards.
She has mid control floor boards on her 1998 Dyna. Before I sell her '98, she wants me to transfer her '98 floor boards to her '08.

Any comments/advice appreciated.

[Alien]

I have had a 1988 FXRS new way back when. I just purchased an FXR-4 that the previous owner had installed forward controls on. He was nice enough to include all the stock parts. I just recently changed back to mids and highway pegs. Did I mention I am 6'2" and about 275? I can shift and brake from both positions (used to do it on the 88). In the mid position you shift and brake normally, when using the highway pegs I can shift and brake with my heel very well. No need to reposition to mids to brake or shift.I like  more options.

I know I won't ever go back to forward controls and will probably be listing them for sale soon.

[uncamike]

I have forwards on my FXR4. I bought the bike used about five years ago. It also came with a 3" BDL open primary so I can't go back to mids unless I convert the primary back-$1500 then the cost of mids. Mids are great for absorbing big bumps in the road and for flying thru the twisties. I have a bad knee so even though I would like to go back to mids the forwards are real easy on the bad knee. They do tend to scrape some if I'm pushing it in the corners.

[Frisco kid]

My fxr3 came from previous owner with forwards.
They were comfortable, looked good, and I thought I liked them.
But the way I ride I always felt I was sliding off the seat.
It also had pullback risers (original) that were comfortable but put me in a more reclined position.
But I never putt my bike, and comfort is not what I need or want.
If you ride fast go with mids and straight risers.
This will put you in the right position to react quickly and not have to shift your body or move your feet.
If you like to cruise then go for whatever makes you most comfortable.
I think how and where you ride are the biggest factors to this.
On SoCal freeways while splitting lanes comfort takes a back seat to control.
But beware these bikes are low (too low). I used to scrape my forwards.
After the switch I scraped my mids.
I went to 13" shocks. This helped a lot.
Now I am adding +2" fork tubes.
If I was just getting into the fxr thing especially with the cvo bikes, the 1st thing I would do is go with 13"-13.5" rear shocks and +2" fork tubes.
I would keep the mids and try out some different length straight risers. I like 8" and I am 6'0 tall.
Very comfortable with lots of control.
If you like apes or buckhorns you can probably rock the forwards and be cool and comfortable all day long.
I think this is the big divide between different riders.
To each their own, just ride it and don't wait for it to go up in value. Its a motorcycle.
Oh and here's a pic for mids on an open primary for previous poster. Not mine, taken from web.