Hello,
I just got back from my first road trip, 1500+ Miles on an Iron 883.

Before this trip, I never rode it any longer than to and from work which is about 20 minutes on the interstate.
It's a blast to ride and I truly LOVE the bike.

But after doing a long ride, I need to either trade it in or make it more comfortable.
I added forward controls a few months back when I got new pipes and it actually got less comfortable.
Before my legs were under me and acted as shock absorbers.

Ever since I walked in a HD Dealership I wanted a Crossbones.
I got an Iron to learn on, but I ended up loving it too much.
Money is a big issue and I figure if I'm going to spend upwards of 20k on a bike, it's going to be one of the touring models instead.
I'll never ride 2-up on the bike so I don't want something with the touring package. I don't like the Road King or the Ultra classic.

I stopped by the Outer Banks Dealership in NC on the way home.
The street glide was the most appealing to me.
When I at on it I had no problems picking it up or handling it. Was sitting with my feet flat on the ground.
It's definitely bigger and heavier than Sporty, but I think I can handle it.

However, I still love my Iron. In a perfect world I'd keep my Iron and buy a Street Glide. But that's not possible.

I want to know how comfortable a Sportster can be and if it would be comparable at all to a Street glide or some other Touring bike.

A friend had a clamp on windshield that I can buy, I'd probably only use it for long trips and/or cold weather.
I got saddle bags for the trip and they're growing on me, maybe a windshield would grow on me too.
Also, I think I would notice a difference with fatigue, since I wouldn't have to hold myself up against the wind.

It defintely needs a new seat and I hear shocks make a huge difference too.
The sales lady I spoke to did point out that on the street glide my knees are below my hips which straighten my spine.
It's not that way on my Iron, I swear I bruised my tailbone I was in so much pain/discomfort.

If I wanted a backrest, I'd need to buy it plus pull back handlebars and possibly wiring extensions.

I'm in a tough spot, I had a GREAT time on the road on my Sporty.
I know that I would do it a LOT more if I could make it comfortable.

I just don't know if I should drop more money on making the Sporty comfortable or just trade it in for a Street Glide.

When I sat on the street glide I had no problems picking it up, I was able to sit and be flat footed on the ground. I don't think I'd have any problems handling it.

Before I do anything, I'm going to test drive a bunch of different bikes to see how they feel.
But I don't want to drop more money on my Iron just to find out it's still not good enough for the long hauls.

Any thoughts?

 

The more you do to your Sportster to make it comfortable, the more you take away from the cool looks a Sportster has. IMHO

Oh yeah, ask this guy about comfort on a Sportster. He rode from Alaska to Oklahoma on one: https://www.hdforums.com/forum/sport...-oklahoma.html

 

I agree, the more stuff thrown on a Sporty the worse it looks.

I liked it a lot better before I put the bags on.
I will probably take them off, glad I got the throw over ones.

I swear it made it less comfortable too, cause it's one more thing under the seat. It just felt like there was less absorption.

 

The best way to make a Sporster look cool and be comfortable is to buy an FL............. Just KIDDING!...... Kind of!

Brian

 

My first long trip on my sporty last year....was kinda hard on the rear This year we went from BC, Canada to Arizona, all around Arizona and back....18 days....7,000 km I had my seat custom done with a gel pad and leather cover...I do have a windshield and a Kuryakyn Grand Tour Bag with a backrest. But, I also just test rode a 2010 Fat Boy - no comparison...it's sooooooooooo comfy compared to my Sportster But, do I want to give up my Sportster? I'm not really sure. You can tour on a sporty...looks like your young enough to do it.

 

Just think, the more you dump into it you could have a streetglide. One thing is the tour pack on the EG's is nice to have for long trips, even when solo, I bought the ultra just for the extras and chopped it down to a streetglide, but i can throw on the tour pack and faring lowers when i want.

 

Handlebars, Pegs, Shocks, Seat and Windshield will all add to the comfort of a Sportster.. It is also money spent that won't add a thing to the Value to it .. Unless get Truly Lucky on Resale..

 

thats a stupid suggestion. by your method, the more I throw into my car, i could have a ferrari. You've got a lot of mods, why dont you just get a boss hog?

I'd say do what you want. right now it seems your mind is "my sporty sucks". No matter what you do, its not going to be like a street glide. forget about the other bike for now.. change the shocks and see how you feel. that's a pretty big difference, and maybe it will get your mind off a street glide.

cheaper too . you said money is a big issue, it would be VERY irresponsible to do a bike swap now.


thats no fun though. forget about Resale, do what you want to the bike!

 

Go to the harley Dealer nearest you who rents bikes and really test ride a few models.

Most dealers will allow you to rent a bike for a full day, and then swap bikes at the 1/2 day mark.

I would suggest either the street glide or the road glide from the touring family. I would also suggest a Dyna Fat Bob, which has a lot of the benefits of the touring line (drive train wise, nice wide tires, dual front disc breaks, and the twin cam engine.

Good luck with your decsion.

 

Consider quick detachable windshields, bags, and back rests, and a comfy seat. For well less than $1,000 you can switch between touring mode and commuter/cruiser mode in just a few minutes. Also, you can pick up some longer shocks on eBay to help with the suspension. You can probably find some used take-offs pretty cheap.