Hi all
I am a very new rider ( 1 month). I bought a sportster 1200, and traded after 1 month to an electra glide. The dealer said I would get used to the size in a very short time. I was driving home after riding and hit a branch across the road. I didn't drop the bike, but hit the groung with my leg to steady it when I swearved over the branch. I broke my Tibia fron the force of the ground. I felt like the bike is really top heavy and now I afraid to ride it. Maybe I should sell it and get into something lighter? I could use some advise. I read that the riskiest rider is one that is inexperianced with a bike that is too big.  

A big bike is definitely not a good idea for a begining rider.  You say you rode a 1200 at first?    I started with a 250....

Hope you get well soon!  

Sorry to hear about your accident.i cant believe that salesman sold u such a large bike ,being u r a beginner rider..well i kind of did the same thing i rode a 200cc scooter for 11 months .i loved it ,but had to return it cause of a electrical problem they couldnt find they gave me back 4,000 of 5,000 i paid for the scooter..i thought i would go out and buy a cycle,my friends said u can handle a 2006 SuzukiGZ250,well i paid cash and bought it aug 26th,2006 .but im not happy i dont like the clutch thing.i only put 50 milews on it and parked it in a nice clean dry garage.i start it regurarly.,i pd.$3,700 at a dealer on rt.4 in cincinnati,ohio.i'm willing to sell it for alot less than a dealer price , which is 3,000 neg...call me if u or anyone u know is interested at 513-348-2705 or home no. at 513-531-2595 she's a beauty,nice cruise&sport look  bike.bkg2133@hotmail.com  

My first street bike was a Honda 650, I used to ride dirt bikes before that.  I quickly got used to the 650 then I became over-confident.  I drove fast all of the time, until I got in a wreck.  I sold the 650 and stopped riding for a number of years. I have been bitten by the bug and I'm looking at 2007 Roadstar.  I like the Fatboy but not the price. I'm also going to take the safety course since it's been a number of years.  Can't wait to get back out there.

JBus  

Sorry about the injury
I prefer my vulcan 900s
Overall Height  44.1 in.
Dry Weight 549 lbs.
Seat Height   27.0 in.
large enough for the highway
Maximum Torque 60.8 lb.-ft. @ 3,700 rpm
light enough to control at very slow speeds
and even pick up if you drop it
Check out the 900 to 1500 range for yur ride for a year or so
My first was a 250
the big iron is just that  BIG  

Ouch, how long will you be out for?  

Sorry 'bout the break...that sucks!

I bought a Vulcan 900 custom...I guess you could say it was a first bike.  (I've only ridden dirt bikes before)

It's big, but at around 541 or so, it's not too heavy.  Really smooth ride too.  Just rode it around empty parking lots 'til I got confident on how it handles.  

Sorry if this posts twice.

Hey flydoc!  Sorry to hear about the break!  If your going to keep the same bike, just remember to take it slow and let the bike do the balancing.  It will tilt to the side quite a bit further than what you think before it tips over.  If you come up to items in the road (try to run over at 90 degree angle) that you may run over in the future, start to stand up, not fully, but lifting enough off the seat to have the bike and your legs absorb the shock instead of your hips and torso.  It doesn't have to be very far.  It will also help you be able shift your weight readily for a quicker turn.  If you have to avoid it, if you are making a steep turn or corner in general, roll on the throttle a little to help maintain traction with your wheels.  This will also help to prevent you from putting your foot down because of that  "loss of balance" feeling.  
I know this doesn't help you with your bike weight issue, but just a few pointers I learned in a Basic Riders Course.  
If you already know that stuff, sorry to make you read a winded post.

Ride Safe
Kirk  

I started with a 750 and have recently moved on to a VTX1300R.  At first, I spent a great deal of time in my neighborhood, and practiced on the high school parking lot.

You'll probably be taking a bath if you get rid of the Electra Glide, so my suggestion would be to take it slow and get used to it in the safety of your neighborhood and adjacent parking lots.

I found that at the first 1,000 marker one can really begin to see a difference in their riding ability and their comfort level.

By the way...if you weren't really interested in getting back into riding, you would not be accessing this forum.  You want to ride again, and you'll enjoy it.  Perhaps just move a little slower before acting like a full-fledge rider.

Hope this helps.  

An Electra Glide is way too heavy for a beginner to learn on.  The dealer certainly was not looking after you as a customer when he sold you that bike.  Even a 1200 is a lot of bike for a beginner; he should have started you on an 883, and that should have kept for a year, to get experience on it in various kinds of weather before moving up.  Nevertheless, you have what you have now, so you have a decision to make.  
Owning a $20,000 bike you're afraid of is a huge waste of time and money; you need to either take it slow and overcome your fear as stated above, or sell it and get a lighter bike.  Recommend a 750-900 that size has adequate power, manageable weight, and they cost less than half what you paid for the Glide.  

working at a dealership as i do and hearing what that salesperson did to you is infuriating, but not surprising. there are too many salespeople who care more about their commission than your life, and upsell to the limits of their ability. same as selling a teenager a hayabusa (186 mph top speed, bone stock, and what teenager wouldn't?). either sportster is a lot for a first bike, especially since they now weigh 600 lbs - and to jump to an electraglide in ONE MONTH??? not to be mean, but what were YOU thinking? must've been a mighty slick salesperson. and now you've added the negative equity from your sporty to the electraglide deal, so even though harleys resell ridiculously high, you're still going to be upside down bigtime. hey i know, convert the electraglide to a trike: you won't have to worry about the weight anymore, still get all the 'glide features, and you can even ride with a broken leg! good luck & best wishes, brother.  

flydoc,i guess its up to you whether you ride again or not.why did you trade in youre sportster for the electra glide after only one month?2 years ago i ran into a deer with my 94 HD ultra classic.didnt go down but i was really lucky.last year i hit another deer with my 97 honda valkyrie.didnt go down that time either.i sometimes think what would happen if i got knocked off.motorcycling is alot more dangerous than being on 4 wheels.ive been riding for 38 years and 300K miles.if its not any fun for you there are plenty of other adrenaline sports to try.skydiving might be right up youre alley.i dont skydive cause im afraid the chute wont open.i motorcycle because i LOVE the experience.its at the edge for me but not over the edge.  

Sorry to hear about your leg,There is no shame in going to a smaller bike,at least you will be around to enjoy it..I have been riding for 30 years plus now and started out on small bikes in the 70s and harleys in the 80s and early 90s,than in 99 I got a Honda Valk touring and pulled a trailer behide the beast coast to coast,USA and Canada.was a great bike.But in the last few years my age is showing, It was not fun but work on a big bike.So I sold the setup and got a Suzuki C50T ...guess what? (FUN AGAIN) So dont give up,but get what you feel safe on.Dont worry if you lose a bit of cash on your big bike,The ER room up town is not cheap..Good luck  

I'm a new rider (12/07) who started on a Nightster (1200cc) in part because I didn't want something I'd quickly outgrow. I did, however, make a strong effort to gain the requisite riding skills, including an MSF course and practicing tight turns regularly on an MSF range.

I don't see that much difference between an 883 and a 1200 (I think the Nightster is actually lighter than the standard 883) and now that I know what the state motorcycle guide means by "press on the handlebars" to steer, I have no trouble with curves.

I have 1500 miles on the bike now and I haven't dropped it (knock on wood!).