What you should be doing is finding out which touring bike it is you like best. There is no doubt you can customize it to your needs. It may be helpful to find out if certain year models are narrower at the seat frame than others. The width will be your crux, not really the height. Using narrower foot boards may help during take off, and slow downs. You don't want your feet catching on those when you are already trying to reach the ground. I have witnessed a person turn a sportster into a touring bike. Regardless of how I think they look, the individual lost his azz when he tried to sell it after he realized buying a touring bike was the right move to begin with. Buy the bike that is made for the style of riding you want to do.

 

I would not put $7K into a Sportster if I had any idea I wanted a touring bike. I would really recommend that you look at the Softail line.

Diane, is the salesperson at www.treasure-harley.com and she at about 5'2" rides a Softail with no problems. She is a long time rider and a very nice person that would be happy to talk about your options even without a sale on the horizon.

 

I'm also on the shorter side for a guy (30" inseam), so a low-ish bike was necessary for me too. I went from this:



To this:




The seat height is lower, the weight is carried lower, and it's far more comfortable on the freeway. The Sporty handles great but the ride is pretty hard and the solid mount engine shakes things up a bit. Check out a Softail Deluxe, it has the lowest seat height in the family. From the sound of it feeling confident when picking up and holding the bike up is important to you. Sportys are tippy, the big twins (except a fully loaded Ultra) are a lot more "stable" feeling.

 

The Sportster can be turned into a touring bike without the extra weight and still do everything you want it to.

As already posted above there is a great thread with lots of us already going or gone in that direction.

All I can do is post on my experiences, 20000 in 2 years all over Europe.
The bike has done shorts days and long weeks down to The Alps and back on back roads, mountain passes and Autobahns/Freeways.

What do you actually get when buying the bigger bike.
Look at the Road Kind
100kg, 12 BHP and a 6th Gear
not much really.
The Sportster is flexible enough to allow everyone to enjoy their ride.
And remember we build the bikes because that's the way we want them, not for anyone else's opinions

So go make your own mark on your bike and enjoy the miles

 

Let me start by suggesting that you stop messing about with fonts, there's a good chap! It makes reading your words of wisdom more difficult.

Wise words, from that salesman! It certainly is over-rated and a blight on riding a bike these days. I've been riding for almost 50 years and this a recent fad, only a few years old. I can't touch the ground on three of my bikes with any more than the ***** of my feet, which is perfectly adequate.

So don't place too much emphasis on flat-footing, concern yourself with the more important business of finding a bike you can enjoy riding. That can include a full dresser, unless you are extremely short in the leg department.

 

To be able to push the bike with your feet to back it up. 600 lbs!

 

Well that is where you are wrong! I doubt if you will find any instructor who teaches riders to do that. Get off the darned thing and push from beside it. Far safer.

That deals with that!

 

Grbrown said it right but if u need to stay on ur bike to push just stand up move forward to the slimmest part of the seat/tank and as long as ur toes can touch the ground u will be able to push it. Over time, u can even push it with 1 leg on the ground the other in the air to balance.


I'm 5'4" and riding the new roadster. That little struggle to push the bike is worth it cos 95% of the times, both ur feet will be on the pegs anyway. 4.9% of the times will be at traffic light where u only need 1 foot (or toes) to touch the ground..


if u can have the ***** of ur feet touch the groud, it will be very comfortable for you after a few days of practise. no worries

 

It sure does.

 

Over the last 7 years 40k miles, I have dumped my bike numerous times mostly due to unsure footing caused by various obsticals that were not within my control. I prefer to do everything within my power to minimize occurrences of this.

I understand if a lot of you are OK not being flat footed this is my personal preference and it's starting to get a little irritating that people are implying that there something wrong with me because of it.

I thought that this would be a forum for to come and get ideas from other people on modifications not be made to feel like I'm a bad motorcycle rider- which I am not. 40k miles in 7 years living in MN is quite impressive if you ask me.