Sportytour? Would you Tour with your sportster?
#61
02-09-2016, 06:52 PM
You can tour on a Moped but lets be serious if comfort is your priority then i'll say a big heck no. I've got thousands in my bike trying to make it a touring bike i.e. 2006 883r and its not a highway miler. The Sportster is an awesome bike but its not a touring machine no matter what anybody says.
For one the miles per tank is well lackluster. The frame regardless of shock set up is not meant for long state to state rides. I hate having to stop for gas every 100 miles or so on my bike and its a fairly comfortable ride do to suspension upgrades. I want exceptional wind protection on 200 plus mile rides. You can't get that on a Sporty.
I've tried for the past 10 years to make my Sportster a touring bike comfort wise and I'm afraid to say this season i'm going to either buy a new Road King or Street Glide. Don't get me wrong i love my Sportster but its simply not a long range or short range comfortable touring platform.
I guess its about what you want in a bike for the purpose you want it for. Though i don't tour my weekend riding is back roads and interstates. I want ultimate comfort more than i want radical power or twisty performance. This is not something a Sportster preforms well at realistically.
For one the miles per tank is well lackluster. The frame regardless of shock set up is not meant for long state to state rides. I hate having to stop for gas every 100 miles or so on my bike and its a fairly comfortable ride do to suspension upgrades. I want exceptional wind protection on 200 plus mile rides. You can't get that on a Sporty.
I've tried for the past 10 years to make my Sportster a touring bike comfort wise and I'm afraid to say this season i'm going to either buy a new Road King or Street Glide. Don't get me wrong i love my Sportster but its simply not a long range or short range comfortable touring platform.
I guess its about what you want in a bike for the purpose you want it for. Though i don't tour my weekend riding is back roads and interstates. I want ultimate comfort more than i want radical power or twisty performance. This is not something a Sportster preforms well at realistically.
#62
02-09-2016, 08:23 PM
You can tour on a Moped but lets be serious if comfort is your priority then i'll say a big heck no. I've got thousands in my bike trying to make it a touring bike i.e. 2006 883r and its not a highway miler. The Sportster is an awesome bike but its not a touring machine no matter what anybody says.
For one the miles per tank is well lackluster. The frame regardless of shock set up is not meant for long state to state rides. I hate having to stop for gas every 100 miles or so on my bike and its a fairly comfortable ride do to suspension upgrades. I want exceptional wind protection on 200 plus mile rides. You can't get that on a Sporty.
I've tried for the past 10 years to make my Sportster a touring bike comfort wise and I'm afraid to say this season i'm going to either buy a new Road King or Street Glide. Don't get me wrong i love my Sportster but its simply not a long range or short range comfortable touring platform.
I guess its about what you want in a bike for the purpose you want it for. Though i don't tour my weekend riding is back roads and interstates. I want ultimate comfort more than i want radical power or twisty performance. This is not something a Sportster preforms well at realistically.
For one the miles per tank is well lackluster. The frame regardless of shock set up is not meant for long state to state rides. I hate having to stop for gas every 100 miles or so on my bike and its a fairly comfortable ride do to suspension upgrades. I want exceptional wind protection on 200 plus mile rides. You can't get that on a Sporty.
I've tried for the past 10 years to make my Sportster a touring bike comfort wise and I'm afraid to say this season i'm going to either buy a new Road King or Street Glide. Don't get me wrong i love my Sportster but its simply not a long range or short range comfortable touring platform.
I guess its about what you want in a bike for the purpose you want it for. Though i don't tour my weekend riding is back roads and interstates. I want ultimate comfort more than i want radical power or twisty performance. This is not something a Sportster preforms well at realistically.
#64
02-09-2016, 09:23 PM
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Tour? Alone or two-up? Camping or stay at motels? We took our Sportster on a 10 day trip to Sturgis thrice, but we stayed at motels.
If you're alone, it can be done. But, if you're talking with the little woman, well, that's a different story, I mean, those make-up bags can be large, bulky, and HEAVY!
If you're alone, it can be done. But, if you're talking with the little woman, well, that's a different story, I mean, those make-up bags can be large, bulky, and HEAVY!
Last edited by hammer6315; 02-10-2016 at 09:19 PM.
#65
02-10-2016, 12:11 AM
You can tour on a Moped but lets be serious if comfort is your priority then i'll say a big heck no. I've got thousands in my bike trying to make it a touring bike i.e. 2006 883r and its not a highway miler. The Sportster is an awesome bike but its not a touring machine no matter what anybody says.
For one the miles per tank is well lackluster. The frame regardless of shock set up is not meant for long state to state rides. I hate having to stop for gas every 100 miles or so on my bike and its a fairly comfortable ride do to suspension upgrades. I want exceptional wind protection on 200 plus mile rides. You can't get that on a Sporty.
I've tried for the past 10 years to make my Sportster a touring bike comfort wise and I'm afraid to say this season i'm going to either buy a new Road King or Street Glide. Don't get me wrong i love my Sportster but its simply not a long range or short range comfortable touring platform.
I guess its about what you want in a bike for the purpose you want it for. Though i don't tour my weekend riding is back roads and interstates. I want ultimate comfort more than i want radical power or twisty performance. This is not something a Sportster preforms well at realistically.
For one the miles per tank is well lackluster. The frame regardless of shock set up is not meant for long state to state rides. I hate having to stop for gas every 100 miles or so on my bike and its a fairly comfortable ride do to suspension upgrades. I want exceptional wind protection on 200 plus mile rides. You can't get that on a Sporty.
I've tried for the past 10 years to make my Sportster a touring bike comfort wise and I'm afraid to say this season i'm going to either buy a new Road King or Street Glide. Don't get me wrong i love my Sportster but its simply not a long range or short range comfortable touring platform.
I guess its about what you want in a bike for the purpose you want it for. Though i don't tour my weekend riding is back roads and interstates. I want ultimate comfort more than i want radical power or twisty performance. This is not something a Sportster preforms well at realistically.
My Sporty 883 gets 140 to the tank. Which is somewhere close to 2 hours saddle time on the Hwy. In my opinion, most people want to break for a drink, pee and stretch their legs by then.
Windshield, mustang seat, forward controls. tunes, rubber mounting and above all else, HANDLING, take care of the rest. I can hold 85mph for that amount of time with no issues and I'm over 50.
The sportster and it's much lighter frame than it's counterparts does indeed perform well on long state to state rides.
In my opinion, If you want ultimate comfort, drive a car, not a Harley. It all boils down to what you can live with and what your expectations are. Lets face facts: no, a Sportster is not a BMW. Its a Harley. I think its funny that people buy Harleys cause they think its cool to have a Harley, then they complain that its not super comfortable, doesn't handle amazing, vibrates too much, etc. Its a machine based on 100 year old engineering. No Harley is ever going to be a s comfy or handle like a Honda or a BMW. Put a windshield on it, upgrade the deplorable suspension and hit the road!
Ditto!
Tour? Alone or two-up? Camping or stay at motels? We took our Sportster on a 10 day trip to Sturgis thrice, but we stayed at motels.
If you're alone, it can be done. But if you're talking with the little woman, well, that's a different story, I mean, those make-up bags can be large, bulky, and HEAVY!
If you're alone, it can be done. But if you're talking with the little woman, well, that's a different story, I mean, those make-up bags can be large, bulky, and HEAVY!
Last edited by EveHD; 02-10-2016 at 12:13 AM.
#66
02-10-2016, 12:28 AM
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I do tour.
My Sporty 883 gets 140 to the tank. Which is somewhere close to 2 hours saddle time on the Hwy. In my opinion, most people want to break for a drink, pee and stretch their legs by then.
Windshield, mustang seat, forward controls. tunes, rubber mounting and above all else, HANDLING, take care of the rest. I can hold 85mph for that amount of time with no issues and I'm over 50.
The sportster and it's much lighter frame than it's counterparts does indeed perform well on long state to state rides.
My Sporty 883 gets 140 to the tank. Which is somewhere close to 2 hours saddle time on the Hwy. In my opinion, most people want to break for a drink, pee and stretch their legs by then.
Windshield, mustang seat, forward controls. tunes, rubber mounting and above all else, HANDLING, take care of the rest. I can hold 85mph for that amount of time with no issues and I'm over 50.
The sportster and it's much lighter frame than it's counterparts does indeed perform well on long state to state rides.
Like you, I can be very comfortable touring on my Sporty. 120-140 miles is plenty, in most cases, to take a pit stop for gas.
It is just a matter of getting it set up correctly. Most important it getting the butt/feet/hands triangle right. Once that's done you'll be more comfortable than most on touring bikes that aren't set up correctly.
I've toured on Yammys, Honda 350's, Norton's, Road Kings, Dyna's, Street Glides, Ultra's, Softail's and Tri-Glides, along with touring on my Sportster.
Even though there is a Heritage and a Tri-Glide sitting next to my Sportster in my bike room...this summer I'm hoping to do a 2500 mile week on my Sportster.
#67
02-11-2016, 05:27 AM
Tour? Alone or two-up? Camping or stay at motels? We took our Sportster on a 10 day trip to Sturgis thrice, but we stayed at motels.
If you're alone, it can be done. But, if you're talking with the little woman, well, that's a different story, I mean, those make-up bags can be large, bulky, and HEAVY!
If you're alone, it can be done. But, if you're talking with the little woman, well, that's a different story, I mean, those make-up bags can be large, bulky, and HEAVY!
#68
02-11-2016, 08:52 AM
