Okay, so this weekend my brother buys a new 1200C. He asks some advice from me about accessories and the like. For his budget (full time college student here) I told him to get the prepaid maintenance (he'll be riding about 150-175 miles per day) and a better seat. He did get the prepaid and for a seat he got a Sundowner Deep Bucket. Other goodies like pipes and more chrome will have to wait for when he graduates and gets a job (he's 34 y.o. )

So, since he doesn't have his license yet he needs my help to pick it up. We load up the family make the drive (about 75 miles) so he can finish up the paperwork, get all his freebies, shake hands and all that. They had the Sundowner seat (only 1) in stock so I'm glad that I don't have to ride the stock seat. I have to do that everyday for about 80 miles a day and it's no fun on my rear end. It's raining off and on which is no biggie because in Houston you always have to be prepared for rain. We go for about 30 miles before we have to pull over: my children needed to go potty and my wife needed a break. At this point, I'm starting to get a little jealous. The seat was great!!! I didn't have to adjust or move around to get the blood going again...nothing but pure comfort. No big deal though, I might have been okay on the stock seat at this point. Of couse, I'm jealous about a couple other things too. The new 1200C has a different, much smoother clutch. That's no big difference when it's all highway riding, but when I'm stuck in Houston traffic, it's a big difference. Second, HD put new transmissions in the 1200C. While it's not the much-coveted six-speed, it does out-perform the tranny that the '04-05's have. Usually, on my '05 1200C, I feel like I need a sixth gear about 70mph. On my brother's, I never felt like I needed it. Of course, I was minding the break-in speeds so I never got over 70 but I have a feeling it wouldn't have felt like I needed to shift until at least 80mph.

So, while the wife's taking the kids to the bathroom and getting some snacks, we're discussing how his bike is performing. Of course, he's itchin' to ride it real bad, and I'm dreading getting back to my stock seat.

Well, they load back up in the truck and I get back on the road. The wind is really kicking and surprisingly I'm not getting jarred all that badly. The seat is still absolutely comfortable and the bike's performing wonderfully. We stop at another HD dealership (we're trying to get a Low Rider for my wife) and my backside still isn't feeling the affects of the road. We're not able to get my wife a bike so it's back to the house we go.

At the house, we clear some room in the garage to park his bike next to mine, we compare the bikes, I mainly complain about the seat (mine that is) and then he breaks down and tells me that he bought me a Sundowner just like his (he threw it in the deal). The dealership had to order it since they only had the one in stock so now I'm waiting for them to call him so I can pick it up. I gotta say that news really made my day. He also said that if the wife and I ever want to go riding that we can use his bike so we can each ride if she doesn't want to ride two-up. That's pretty big of 'im too.

So, to make a long story a little longer: the 2006 XL1200C is a great bike with some much needed improvement (still love mine, don't get me wrong) and the Sundowner Deep Bucket seat is a great seat for people that really plan on putting miles on their Sporty.

 

Cool bro you got there, Ricky.

 

what are brothers for!! you got a cool one

 

I heard about the new clutch but I wasnt aware of the new tranny. I wonder what they did to make it that much smoother? I did read somewhere that they changed the trannies in the Softails, maybe they made the same changes on the Sporty's.

 

I had read about the new tranny in an issue of American Iron. They talked about how they thought HD should have gone with a six-speed for the Sporty but this one would do since it was an improvement. I have to agree.

 

Thanks for the road test report on the Sporty. I've sat on a few at the HD place and it wouldn't bother me a bit to take one out for a spin. Matter of fact, I like how they feel and it wouldn't bother me a bit to have one. The one that I sat on was a 1200 C that was white. It sure looked and felt good. It also sounds like you have a good brother. Enjoy the ride

 

I was perusing the Tech Tips section of the DIY forums and came across a link to all the 06 upgrades...it tells about the new tranny in the 06 sporties. If anyone's interested it gives all the upgrades to all models. I didn't realize the engine casings were different to accomodate the new tranny. Learn something new everyday.

 

Can you put a Link to the page with all the new additions? THanks

 

Here ya go..... https://www.hdforums.com/m_97363/tm.htm

 

I agree, the Sundowner is a great seat, very comfortable. Best investment I couldv'e gotten. The stock seat was terrible for me and my passenger.