Hi
And thanks for reading this.....
2014 I am doing route 66 with a budget of $5000 to purchase a HD..2 questions
1.Is a 1200 sportster okay/comfortable for this ride or should I look at something else?
2.Am I being naïve in thinking that I can get something reliable enough for this budget?
This trip is to raise money for Charity and is very important that it happens!!
Chicago to LA......her I come...(thats if I can get a bike in Chicago, stored till I arrive from Scotland for my $5000)
Thanks in advance for the advice

 

you want to buy a bike for $5,000.00 and store it without looking at it first? Send me 5,000 and Ill have one waiting for you when you arrive

 

Rent an Electra Glide.

 

We see people come through Route 66 all the time on bikes rented from Eagle Rider, out of Chicago. A surprising number of these riders are from the U.K. Everyone so far has stated great satisfaction with the rental company. And, it would be cheaper than $5000.00, plus storage.
Good luck.

 

A Sportster is comfortable for some and uncomfortable for others. What do you normally ride and what is you height and weight? That will probably help determine if a Sporty will work for you for this cross country trip.

$5000 will definitely buy you a used Sporty and it should be in decent shape. As for its reliability, that is something only you can answer after you take the trip.

 

Ok my new friend matasdad I'll help you. I did 66 west last year on a Sporty, I was overloaded and in a hurry. You could read about it here.
https://www.hdforums.com/forum/road-...ll-2012-a.html

I looked at road track and trail, my favorite Indy place to buy, has 7 bikes in your price range. 6 are sportys, one under 7k miles. It is in big bend Wisconsin. Probably 2.5 hours north of Ohare. If no ones else offers ill help be your base, I'm near Lake Geneva Wi. My Grandfathers name is Forsyth, he was born in Duffus. Starting here will add 3 hours to your trip but it will be free, like free beer.

My wife and just rode part of old Route 66, between Springfield il and Bloomington. It is a frontage road now along I55 with routing through the towns. The historical signs suck, they route you by everybodies uncles small town business. You will have some planning to do for some sections to decide which route variation (era) you want to ride.

Some suggestions and questions,
How fast are you going to ride? Someone with an 883 could answer what is a comfortable cruising speed.
Do you ride with a windshield? I do on the highway.
You will need a touring seat, I use HD Sundowner, many here will recommend a mustang and ?
I have forward controls and I like them, but I would probably be more comfortable with mids and highway pegs to have 2 possibilities like my dyna. Tossup for me.
I recommend changing the shocks to HD air shocks, you should be able to get them for around $100 as take offs. I can help you put them on in a couple of hours. Budget another half day to blue locktite everything else.
You can get all the tools you need for the trip at Harbor Frieght under $100.
Look for a bike with a luggage rack already on it.
If you can find a Custom model , 1200C or 883C, with the 4.5 gallon tank I'd buy it even with more miles. I took gas in MSR bottles and they were a pain. I needed them once when a station was closed by a fire. I have the 3.3 gallon tank and ended up stopping every hour for gas. YMMV,
The cheapest place around here to buy rain gear, bungees, cheap leathers and bags is Farm and Fleet.
Just to ask the obvious, do you already ride a bike? Riding Route 66 out of downtown Chicago while learning to ride a bike is a good way to get killed.
What is your timeframe? My timeline was influenced by the threat of snow in mountain passes west of Flagstaff Az.

I'm legit, you can find me on LinkedIn. I don't think I know anyone personally on here, but if you know anyone in the US we could play six degrees.

You will have fun!

Regards
Dean

 

Is this important to buy a bike with a luggage rack already on it

 

Here is a link to shocks for sale:

https://www.hdforums.com/forum/sport...clamp-etc.html

 

Welcome to the forum matasdad.

I agree with RHPAW. Renting a comfortable bike, like an Electra Glide, is a more practical solution for you.

If your plan is to return to Scotland, what are you going to do with the bike if you purchase one? Sell it or ship it back to Scotland? Either way, it is another hurdle you have to deal with.

If your plans are to move to the States, it would be more practical to rent a bike and then take more time to find a bike that suits your fancy. Rushing to purchase a bike may not be the best idea. Renting would also save you the storage fees.

Have a safe trip and enjoy the ride on the iconic Route 66. I hope you raise beaucoups of money for your charity.

 

Really glad you replied to this, so I could read your posts of your trip there and back. Strong work - loved them!