Pulling Harley into 3950 Cyclone

jwalker1

Active Member
Any of ya'll pulled your toys (Harley Heritage Softail) into the garage of a Cyclone yet? We've had the 3950 Cyclone for about a month and a half and I have yet to get the courage up to do it. It seems awful steep and I am too leary of running through the back door or the back of the living room. I was thinking of buying a 2000 pound winch to somehow hook up in the back that I can remove while camping.....Any suggestions appreciated. By the way it was 43 years ago in June of 2009 that I rode last.
 

truknutt

Committed Member
Well Joe, there are a couple of ways to overcome this fear. Have you ever loaded the HD in an enclosed trailer? Same principle. If you think the incline is to steep you can raise the front a bit and don't use the rear stab jacks (while hooked to the truck just in case Old Murphy & his Law rear their head). You will lose sight of your intended target (wheel chock) as you come up the ramp and the dovetail. Pick a point on the wall above the chock and aim for that. Word of warning: the rubber diamond plate flooring can be slippery if wet or dusty; have some decent shoes on even though you've seen the "cool kids" load up in flip flops. Take it slow and have someone up there to help out until you get comfortable doing it alone.

I carry an emergency winch/jump starter (distributed by Polaris) just in case, and perish the thought, one of the toys can't make it under its own power.
 

kkflstf

Member
I know the feeling but once you do it. It’s not bad. Loaded a lot of soft tails and ultras with no bumps or bruises yet! Just make, sure the trailer is at least level, and have good level ground behind you. Starting out it might help to have your landing gears fully extended to decrease the angle. Same rules apply unloading, use the clutch instead of the brakes, the tire will slide with the brakes. Please feel free to pm your ph# if you wish, I’d be happy to give you a few more tips.
 

Ray LeTourneau

Senior Member - Past Moderator
The only problem (minor one) I encounter with a huge Suzuki Cavalcade is as soon as the front wheel get a couple feet up the ramp, my feet lose contact with the ground. Not really a big deal. Unloading, in my opinion can be more difficult. The front brake doesn't do so well in reverse and the front tire slips a bit at times.
 

porthole

Retired
Somewhere on the forum we discussed this, but I can't find the link. Either way - after the first attempt it will be a lot easier.

Absolutely though - when backing out - do not use the front brake. Engine off and in gear, just use the clutch and keep your right hand wrapped firmly around the bar to avoid the temptation to grab the front brake. If you do grab the front brake backing down that ramp you most likely will go down with the bike.

Would not recommend doing it with wet tires, at least until you get some experience.

I mounted a small winch in my trailer for those times when it just may not be safe to use the bikes power to go up the ramp. You can see it in my And so it begins thread.

And better to not have an audience the first couple of times.
 

iforget

New Jersey Chapter Leader-retired
Hi I am Porthole's wife and I know it is a time where you stop and think for a few minutes looking at the incline. One suggestion I had in our driveway after watching him ( I was the nervous wreck) I added that out driveway is a hill and then flattens out.. If you can find an area where you can put part of the door safely supported when you enter, it takes all the nerves away for the first time. Once you have done it more than once, you bikers seem to know just how to do it perfectly.

I remember our first rally where after lowering the door and with minimal room to get it out due to a line of trees in our way, the real nerve was putting her back in with people watching.. Boy was I impressed. Duane does it now knowing his tricks but the backing up one is a keeper!!!!!

We also have a bike trailer and for some reason, I thought it would be the same until i saw it.
All I know is that it is so nice that Duane can go for a ride dujring or after our Rallies and our other trips. I used to feel something was missing in all the great places we have been to since joining the Heartland Owners Group. In Jew Jersey it is wise not to have 3 summer/good weather toys with limited nice weather.
Hope he finds his other link take about it and it may be in the archives now but it is here. Have fun, be safe and wear a helmet please...
 

robnmo

Well-known member
Joe

I asked this same question a few months ago, I finally worked up courage enough and it went alot better than I ever imagined. We've loaded both hooked and unhooked from the truck, one thing we did discover though, it sure makes it alot easier (to us) by extending the front jacks as far as possible, with a 40 ft trailer a little lift at the front of the RV sure reduces the incline of the ramp at the back. :D Also like another one said, do not use the front brake when unloading the bike, use 1st gear and clutch. It will go alot better than you think. Also make sure you have a chock for the bike wheel when hauling it, I heard that someone didn't do that and his Heritage fell into his wifes wideglide. OH IT WAS A BAD WEEKEND! :eek::eek:
 

porthole

Retired
My choice of chocks, Bike Pro.
If you are not in a hurry ebay seemed the best source. I have found the chrome versions for about $130 with a plate.

I have two chocks and 6 plates, 3 plates in the motorcycle trailer, 2 in the toy hauler and one is a wider and longer plate for the house garage.

This chock is well made and fairly compact. It will allow riding in and stepping off the bike, convenient to strap it down or just leaving it in the garage overnight.
 

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jwalker1

Active Member
Thanks to everyone for the assistance. Porthole where in NJ are you from. I used to live in Levittown, PA......
 

PUG

Pug
'Being a dirt biker and riding Idahos backcountry, going up an incline or down is just commonplace and gave me a lot of experience with steep issues. I won't say that loading my 1100 Shadow didn't make me a little nervous the first time though in my 3950. I just made sure I had momentum enough to get to the top of the ramp and from their just clutched it in with my hand on the front brake and feet down. I have also played with it since and started at the bottm and clutched it all the way up. No problem. Try finding an incline somewhere and go play on it. When backing out I put it in gear (no motor running) and use the clutch and front brake to let it down. No problemo. If there is someone around when loading have them spot you on the sides until you get used to it. Not to fast or you'll end up in the living room.
 

Bighurt

Well-known member
I have a question; why is it recommended to avoid the front brake?

I ride an R6 way different than a hog, more like motocross. I load it in my F350 with ramps ever now and than and that's way steeper than the rear trailer door. However I always use the front brake loading and the clutch off loading. So I'm curious way its adviced not to use the front brake.

I also find it weird that you fellas have a hard time touching the ramp wne loading. Only time I couldn't touch the ramp was when I unloaded a crashed FZ6 from an F150 using a 2"x10"x8'. BTW that's not a good idea...particularly since the bike had no controls...

I do understand that as teh bike splits tha gap from ground to ramp there is a point where your legs are at the pinnicle of the transistion, and it maybe hard to reach but that is such a short distance.

Thanks
Jeremy
 

PUG

Pug
I see no reason to avoid a front brake. Front brakes on bikes provide 60+% of you total braking power. Dirt bike riding the front brake is your primary brake in most situations but not all. Possibly someone saying to avoid front brake is someone that doesn't know how to use front and back in tandam or maybe someone backing down a ramp using only the front brake being your feet on out to the sides. Going down a ramp with the weight transfer to the rear leaves the front with very little braking power, usually sliding but **** it still helps. Put the bike in gear with the engine off and use your clutch to provide braking to the rear.
People should go ride dirt bikes when first learning to learn the proper use of weight, front and back braking, sliding techniques, power techniques, etc. etc. I see so many newbees out there riding bikes that really don't know how to properly and safely handle them. bike craz I guess.
 

porthole

Retired
I see no reason to avoid a front brake. Front brakes on bikes provide 60+% of you total braking power. Dirt bike riding the front brake is your primary brake in most situations but not all. Possibly someone saying to avoid front brake is someone that doesn't know how to use front and back in tandam or maybe someone backing down a ramp using only the front brake being your feet on out to the sides. Going down a ramp with the weight transfer to the rear leaves the front with very little braking power, usually sliding but **** it still helps. Put the bike in gear with the engine off and use your clutch to provide braking to the rear.
People should go ride dirt bikes when first learning to learn the proper use of weight, front and back braking, sliding techniques, power techniques, etc. etc. I see so many newbees out there riding bikes that really don't know how to properly and safely handle them. bike craz I guess.

The title of the thread is “pulling *** into a *** Cyclone”, (insert your own bike or trailer model), not learning to ride dirt bikes first to learn proper weight transfer. Actually, if you want to properly learn about weight transfer you should take an experienced rider course.
There is no way you are going to convince me the you can stop or even slow down an 800 pound bike once you start going down the ramp backwards with the front brake. I’m sure your dirt bike does not weigh 800 pounds.

Most of the people asking for suggestions are new to loading – unloading into a toy hauler, so that is the reason most will suggest no front brake. If you are covering the brake and you start going too fast backwards, which is a completely unnatural ride, panic can set in and the natural response is to grab the brake. Odds are it will lock up and it will slide left or right and the bike will go down.
Almost all of the recommendations have been engine off, use only the clutch and let the drive train/engine do the braking.
The ramps have pretty good traction right up to the brake away point and then they have just about none.
And we have even started yet with wet or damp ramps.

I have a question; why is it recommended to avoid the front brake

The avoidance of the front brake is for exiting the trailer.
I use the front brake going in. On the 3010 the ramp is a bit steeper and 1’ shorter. Takes a little more momentum to get up the ramp and over the hump. This defiantly requires the front brake to slow it down before I run into the chock. :eek:

I also find it weird that you fellas have a hard time touching the ramp wne loading. Only time I couldn't touch the ramp was when I unloaded a crashed FZ6 from an F150 using a 2"x10"x8'. BTW that's not a good idea...particularly since the bike had no controls... <O:p></O:p>
I do understand that as the bike splits the gap from ground to ramp there is a point where your legs are at the pinnicle of the transistion, and it maybe hard to reach but that is such a short distance.<O:p></O:p>

Not everyone is 6’2”. I have several friends that just barely can get their feet on the ground when level. So when the front wheel is a foot off the ground and bikes slows to a near stop, it can cause a bit of uneasiness when your feet are 6-12” away from terra-firma. And if you stop in this position with a top heavy 800-1000 pound dresser – most likely you will need help picking it up.
Not I or you would be loading my bike using a 2x10 up into a toy hauler. Maybe a low profile bike trailer.
 

jwalker1

Active Member
This is for Pug, true I have never rode dirt bikes but I learned on a Yamaha 305 Scrambler back in the day (60's)....I do know how to use weight, brakes, power techniques etc. (I have been through the basic and advanced MSF course here in Texas). However, I have never pulled my bike up on a ramp or into the back of my RV. Don't want to go into it too deep but it's a little nerve racking when you think you might damage a $50,000 piece of equipment.....That being said I ride my bike to work every day (that it's not raining).....I am not afraid it's just that I wanted to get some tips before trying it too soon.....Thanks to everyone for their input it's greatly appreciated.
 

robnmo

Well-known member
Joe

Something else that I see hasn't been mentioned as well, especially since your riding a Heritage into the garage the Heritage is Harley's lowest setting model. If the ramp incline is too steep one issue we had was our 1st trial run I didn't raise the front of the RV and the ramp was pretty steep, my Heritage bottomed out and scraped as went over the transition from the ramp to the garage, the wifes dyna did also (I've lowered her dyna front and rear so it sets lower than a stock wideglide). By simply using the front landing jacks to raise the front of the RV solved the problem...............and keeps the heart rate more normal when loading.
Ride safe.

PS How would ya like to have that 305 Scrambler back today?:D I keep remembering when I started riding my 1st was a Honda CB350 and a friend rode a Bridgestone, went to a Harley in 73 and never looked back............course ya couldn't look back on those harleys, spent too much time wrenching it back together, more wrench time than ride time back then.:):):)
 

jwalker1

Active Member
Rob,

I would love to have the Yamaha 305 back (probably worth some money now).....Even though it sounded like a mad bumble bee...And yeah there used to be a saying that 98% of Harleys are still on the road and the other 2% made it home.....I understand there used to be a lot of knuckle bending with the wrenches back then. I love the Heritage, I actually bought a brand new Kawasaki Vulcan 900 in June of last year but it rode so rough above 60 mph that I traded it in November for the Heritage. I got Harley to pay off my bike so it was just like shopping for a new one. The weather has finally started to cooperate down this way with no rain in the forecast for the next week so at least I can get some riding time in....Thanks so much for the pointer I will probably get a 2000 lb winch from Northern Tool and figure out how to use it in the Cyclone. My wife fell in love with the Cyclone and I can't say as I blame her. We really love it. Haven't been out in it yet except in the driveway (can't get off work). They finally hired 2 new guys to help me out so we are planning our first trip to Corpus Christi Naval Air Station over the Labor Day weekend. Can't wait.....Maybe we'll cross paths someday. RIDE TO LIVE LIVE TO RIDE.....Be Safe.
 

robnmo

Well-known member
Rob,

I would love to have the Yamaha 305 back (probably worth some money now).....Even though it sounded like a mad bumble bee...And yeah there used to be a saying that 98% of Harleys are still on the road and the other 2% made it home.....I understand there used to be a lot of knuckle bending with the wrenches back then. I love the Heritage, I actually bought a brand new Kawasaki Vulcan 900 in June of last year but it rode so rough above 60 mph that I traded it in November for the Heritage. I got Harley to pay off my bike so it was just like shopping for a new one. The weather has finally started to cooperate down this way with no rain in the forecast for the next week so at least I can get some riding time in....Thanks so much for the pointer I will probably get a 2000 lb winch from Northern Tool and figure out how to use it in the Cyclone. My wife fell in love with the Cyclone and I can't say as I blame her. We really love it. Haven't been out in it yet except in the driveway (can't get off work). They finally hired 2 new guys to help me out so we are planning our first trip to Corpus Christi Naval Air Station over the Labor Day weekend. Can't wait.....Maybe we'll cross paths someday. RIDE TO LIVE LIVE TO RIDE.....Be Safe.

Look forward to it, sounds about the same here, the Misses fell for the Cyclone soon as she saw it...............was actually on our way to buy SOB, and with the experiences we've had with it and the Heartland Company, I'll own no other brand at this point. Matter of fact a letter to Heartland is going out very soon about one person in particular.

Was just down your way about 6 weeks ago, spent a week in Lewisville at COE campground (doing a job in Irving), fell in love with Texas, had more people talk and visit with us there in a week than we have here in 30 yrs, might be down that way again in a few months as the daughter is going to Wichita Falls for 6 mo's of schooling starting in Sept and Texas weather sounds alot better than SNOW in Indiana. The misses wants to ride a horse on the beach someday and she's already scoped out Corpus Christi. Enjoy the Cyclone, and same to ya, RIDE SAFE!
 
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