I am debating on which upgrades to do, and in which order, so that my FatBoy can decently do 300 mile days without feeling like I got beat up along the way. FYI, trading it in means I lose $4+ thou right off the bat and that isn't an option.

Please share what you did to your softy in order to tour with it (besides trading it in!). Info such as....windshield setup (quick removal), seat replacement, storage and suspension. Links to your fave products would really be awesome. Thanks!!

 

first you have to make the bike fit you: seat, bars, pegs, engine guard with highway pegs. then you have to have the storage to take your stuff: bags, luggage rack and so on. lastly the creature comforts: windshield and music player. so after you figure out what you have to change the investment is large. sometime it makes financial sense to trade even though at first sight it looks like you would lose.

you have to make your bike for 95% of your riding. my solution was i bought a breakout for most of my riding. the once or twice a year we go on long trips and we do real touring i rent an ultra limited. $600 for the weekend with all the insurances and i'm done. turn it in and go ride my breakout. you can spend $600 just on a comfy seat! let alone the laundry list of crap you have to buy for the occasional touring.

now if you are always touring then the trade might make more sense. up to you.

 

Where I live, going rate to rent new touring bike is just over 100$/day..things like tour pack etc are probably extra..seems like a good option: keep your bike and rent what else you want when you want

 

The closest place to rent is Bellevue, WA which is 250 miles away. If there was a local rental then once a year would be fine. Twice a year and it doesn't make sense.

I figure i can get pretty close to what I need for about $1,800. It doesn't have to be a 1,500 mile a week machine, just better than a 100 miles per day machine. Riding around town I can remove the windscreen and any luggage bags so they don't get used as much, and they could be sold later if I do trade-in.

 

The main comfort items I have for LONG highway rides are an upgraded suspension, windshield, Airhawk seat covers, touring pillion and passenger backrest, and a luggage rack for a clip on touring bag in addition to the reinforced saddlebags. A nice helmet makes all the difference as well. I choose to wear an ipod as I don't want a fairing.

 

I set mine up with a fairing and saddle bags. Last summer my ex-gf and I rode 2K miles in 7 days on it and in August I did 3200K miles in 10 days.
https://www.hdforums.com/forum/softa...et-bagger.html

Though, as others have said, seat, handlebars, pegs etc will make a huge difference to start with.

I was doing 400+ days and even did over 800 on my last 14 hour stretch.

The biggest problem I faced was the helmet buffeting from the fairing. I ended up getting the HD fangs about 1200 miles into my ride this year and that took care of everything.

Good luck.

 

HD King sized detachable windshield, RaceTech Gold Valve Emulators in the front, Progressive 422's in the rear, and ape hangers. The biggest problem I suffered on my most recent trip was that it was humid the entire time, so I was sweating without knowing it and didn't put any baby powder in my crack. My britches turned in to a swamp and my *** was paying for it after day 3.

 

The heritage came stock ready to tour. I've done 300 plus miles days in the set up in my sig. I plan to add shock gun shocks this winter along with a mustang studded seat. I also have air adjustable seat pads. As stated in other threads you don't need a "tourer" to tour. Each model line from Harley now has a bagger (with the exception of the vrod and street models) because more and more people are choosing to tour on smaller motorcycles. If you really want a tourer than I suggest saving your money and just getting the tourer you really want.

 

I bought a Heritage, pretty well equipped for light touring.

 

Touring & Softail, should never be used in the same sentence. Nothing will fix all the vibration. Just my 2 cents.