After riding everything from mini-bikes to offroaders to all sorts of street bikes for decades, I finally bought a Harley - a stock black 2012 Street Bob.

I'll be asking all sorts of questions here in the coming months as I start making changes to suit how I want it to turn out, so apologies if some of them are pretty obvious to you.

All advice gratefully accepted!

Cheers,

Scott

 

Welcome to the forums Scott. What makes you a dificult monkey then? Ya not gonna throw shit at us are you? Ha.
A helpful tip just so you know is a search function in the upper right of the page. Most topics have been discussed before and might give you some ideas but if no joy definitely feel free to ask anything you like. Have fun chimp, er, I mean champ.
Cheers. FLHUTCHU.

Welcome, ask away!!

Been known to fling the occasional bit of shit, but will try to behave!
Right, first question. The Bob is off for a roadworthy tomorrow (just moved from Sydney to Melbourne) what should that cost me? I've been quoted $200. It's never been registered, but should be an easy job, the bikes pretty much brand new (180kms), tyres, oil, etc are all new. It's got a roadworthy from NSW, but basically VicRoads just want to get their cut.
Second question: what the hell is that little knob under the throttle? It looks like it might be some kind of throttle stop? It's not a cruise control is it? Something to lock the revs up at idle, like a choke or something? Can't find it mentioned in the manual.

I think you will find it's a poor mans cruise control, you wind it anti clockwise and on a trip it holds the throttle in position. i have ghe same one on my 2015 fatboy

I think you will find it's a poor mans cruise control, you wind it anti clockwise and on a trip it holds the throttle in position. i have ghe same one on my 2015 fatboy

Hi Scott, Welcome to the group mate. I agree with Acko, it'll be a throttle stop. (poor man's cruise control) 

Get some pics up mate when you start modding it.

Oh and that seems steep for a RWC check. I paid $95 for mine which was only about 4 months ago, in SE Vic. Probly the most I'd pay would be $120ish.

Sometimes it pays to ring around as some just inflated the price when Vicroads brought in this photo taking rule that they have to comply with. 

Cheers.

Don't go agreeing with me as I never said anything FFS

Welcome mate

Yeah sorry Ando must have been in an alcohol induced stupore. My error is corrected now. Thanks. 

 

Got it done for $150 in the end, just wanted to start riding the thing (legally). Not too fussed because I avoided a few other transfer fees etc. thanks for the explanation on the throttle thing, that's really odd, never had anything like that on other bikes!
Now, next question...
Are the throttle cables supposed to be so loose? If I miss the turn signal and hit them, they just wobble about like crazy.
I mean the L-shaped tube that comes out of the throttle assembly and leads into the cable (there's two of them coming off the throttle body).
And
How what's a normal temp for my bike to run at? Today was a shit of day in Melbourne (41 degrees) which was great because I could just pull off the reflectors with my fingers this afternoon! but the bike was hot as buggery while riding (even the a/c was hot against my leg). I've been riding Ducatis for the last 20 years and they have all sorts of issues with heat, so I've learned to let it cool if things get too bad, but have no idea how hot a Harley can run before things get dicey.

Got it done for $150 in the end, just wanted to start riding the thing (legally). Not too fussed because I avoided a few other transfer fees etc. thanks for the explanation on the throttle thing, that's really odd, never had anything like that on other bikes!
Now, next question...
Are the throttle cables supposed to be so loose? If I miss the turn signal and hit them, they just wobble about like crazy.
I mean the L-shaped tube that comes out of the throttle assembly and leads into the cable (there's two of them coming off the throttle body).
And
How what's a normal temp for my bike to run at? Today was a shit of day in Melbourne (41 degrees) which was great because I could just pull off the reflectors with my fingers this afternoon! but the bike was hot as buggery while riding (even the a/c was hot against my leg). I've been riding Ducatis for the last 20 years and they have all sorts of issues with heat, so I've learned to let it cool if things get too bad, but have no idea how hot a Harley can run before things get dicey.

Welcome mate to the site

Mate there are a few threads on temps. Check out the search funtion and have a browse. HD tend to run hotter than you would think, comming from liquid cooled jap bike and the like. 

Thanks!

Welcome Monkey. I cable tied my cables together down near the frame and they stay out of the way. It doesn't cause any issues and they don't move around in the breeze. I've got T bars though with a 7" pull back riser. As for the reflectors dunno what the cops are like down there but up here in the nazi state it's the first thing they check when they pull you over (which is very regularly). If you've taken them off you get a defect and a fine ($113) plus the loss of 1 point for riding an unroadworthy bike have to take it in to a roadworthy place to get it cleared.

So I'm booked in to go stage 1 with pipes and air cleaner (and Tuner) next week and was thinking about suspension next. Everything just felt a bit weird, but I thought "new bike, you'll get used to it". Just for the hell of it tonight I took a mirror and torch and checked the settings on the shocks. The left is at its lowest possible point, the right is one notch off the highest! What the hell? Guess that explains the "weird" feeling. Will adjust tomorrow.

Put both shocks on position number 2 and it feels SO much better.