Harley Davidson Sportster: Comfort Modifications

This article applies to the Harley Davidson Sportster (1991-2016).

There's nothing like your beautiful Harley Davidson Sportster for tooling around town. Back and forth to work; running errands; cruising around the city on a balmy, breezy summer evening. But what if you want to get out past the city limits? What if you want to go for more than an evening, or take a long weekend and cruise up into the mountains? How about taking the week to explore the state next door?

Go for it. "But wait, the Sportster is not a Touring bike!" You exclaim. You're correct, but with a few minor (and by minor I mean not that expensive) comfort upgrades, you can ride that bad boy till you run out of road, or gas, not just until you run out of patience with the rough ride and minimal seat.

Let's look at a couple of common comfort upgrades.

More Comfortable Seat

DIY Cost – $160 (on Amazon)

Professional Cost – $300

Skill Level – Easy; very few tools or expertise are required.

I'm a Fat Boy, well yes I am a little overweight, but I mean the Harley Davidson Fat Boy is my bike preference. Last year, I rode my friend's Sportster for about three days. I loved it, but I told him that before I did it again, he was going to have to swap out the seat. If you're going to go for extended lengths of time on your Sporty, you're going to want to do the same thing. There's nothing quite like settling into a comfortable saddle for a long ride. At the end of the day your butt will thank you for making this upgrade.

Pictured above is the Saddlemen Dominator Pillion Seat. In addition to its obvious comfort, it has a back rest to make the day's journey even more pleasant and less tiring. Many other companies also make similar seats, including the Motor Company themselves, and they are all easily swapped in just a few minutes without hardly any tools. Recommended for its easy install and comfort on longer rides.

A Windshield Will Help on Long Trips

DIY Cost – $250

Professional Cost – $400

Skill Level – Moderate; you will need a few simple tools and "some" mechanical know-how.

Many of the newer Sportsters already have a windshield that you can attach or detach at your convenience, no tools required. If, by chance, you do not have one, purchasing and installing a windshield for your longer trip would be a great idea. Check the Harley parts and accessories website, or companies like Slipstreamer.

There are two reasons for this. 1) Protection; remember you'll be going faster on the open road than you do on your way to work. A windshield will help provide the necessary protection as you travel from bugs, rocks and debris hitting you in the face. 2) Wind; nothing will tire you out more quickly than fighting the wind mile after mile, and it will protect your hearing from wind noise, too. A windshield will help shield you (hence the name) and keep you fresher as you travel, so you can do more miles between stops, and more states in a day. Recommended for protection against rocks and wind.

Saddlebags and Touring Bag

DIY Cost – $275 and up for saddlebags; $150 and up for the touring bag

Professional Cost – $650 for both

Skill Level – Easy; no skill is required.

I'm assuming you're not going to wear what you've got on today for the entire week. You'll be bringing some items along with you for the trip. You can't beat a good set of saddlebags for simple storage and convenience. Saddlebags come in all sizes, finishes and capacities. You'll need to nose around your local dealership or the internet to find what's available, and then find the best price to store your stuff. The simplest are soft leather or fabric bags that just lay over the passenger seat, but these lack security. Harley's deluxe leather bags mount securely to the bike, but still don't offer a way to lock them. Hard bags cost more, but typically offer the option of locking them to keep anyone from messing with your stuff while you are off the bike.

As long as we're talking about taking stuff with you, your saddlebags, while great for incidental storage, will not hold everything you'll need for the long weekend or week. You can thrown on a backpack, but eventually that becomes a literal pain. The best solution is a small luggage rack and a dedicated rear touring bag to mount to it. Recommended for its storage space.

Now you're all set to hit the road.

Related Discussions and Site

• Comfortable Sportster - Is it Possible? - HDForums.com
• Help Me Keep My Sportster 1200 XL - HDForums.com
• Bags and Luggage Racks - Harley-Davidson.com