Looks like 3500 for my 2007 at 75 mph.

Thanks for the charts.

 

What do you use for primary oil?

 

I put over 200,000 miles on my 2006 Sportster running HD products, SYN3 in engine since 20,000 miles. I did an oil analysis after most oil changes once I got past 100,000 miles and most showed minimal amounts of metal in the engine. The handful that did not were right after I had drilled out a broken exhaust stud and some metallic dust must have gotten in engine. One where the oil broke down early that was due to fuel getting in the oil as a result of my starting and shutting down many times while troubleshooting a charging system issue

 

What are you guys spending all this big money on Sporters?

You need to upgrade the seat, $300-$400 if you buy new, $100-$200 if you shop around on Craigslist. Some saddlebags are nice, but a cheap set of throw overs works, $100-$200. Suspension can use some work, $100 for a set of take off Road King air shocks and another $100 for a set of progressive fork springs. A Windshield is nice, $300-$400 new from a Stealership or $25-$100 from Craigslist.

I bought my 2006 1200C Sportster used with 12,000 miles on it, it had a Sundowner seat on it already, Dealer threw in the crappy saddlebags, Windshield came off of Craigslist for $25, I just ordered the air shocks and fork springs. My large tail bag was around $150. Bike came with forward controls, I like mids, bought a set of mids for $100 and sold my forwards for $150 that's a -$50.

The bike came with a 4.5 gal tank on it, I get 45-50 MPG so pretty easily 200 miles on a tank, I usually hit reserve somewhere around 180-190 miles on the tank.

So all up I took my $4,500 Sportster added $325 to it and I have a pretty decent little touring bike. What type of touring bike could I have bought for $4,825? And I did a 4,000+ mile trip this summer on the Sportster before the suspension upgrades. The little bike kept up just fine with the big touring bikes in our group. I'm not saying a Sportster is equal to an Electraglide for touring, but it is very easy to modify some of the Sportster models to make a decent little touring bike for not much money.

I'd love to have a spare $25,000 or $30,000 lying around for a new touring bike, but until I do I'll happily tour on my Sportster.

 

You have a good argument, but you give a used price for the Sportster, and a new price for a touring bike. I'm in Canada, so the price of a used Sportster from say 2010 is about $7000-$8000.00 CAN. The price for a low mile touring maybe slightly older, say 05-08 is about $10,000-$12,000 CAN. Those differences in costs probably translate to the US as well. You paid roughly $5K. For another $2-3K it would get you into a used touring or at least a big twin. The price goes higher for the Sporty if you don't want used parts.
Like I said, and what another person mentioned, you can tour on just about anything. Whatever makes you happy.

 

That's true, there is a guy that rode a Grom 3,000 miles from Portland, Oregon to Anchorage, Alaska.

https://jalopnik.com/this-nutty-bast...-to-1625358412


And while my comparison of a used Sportster and a new touring bike isn't really fair, my point is that it doesn't take a ton of money to turn some Sportsters, specifically the ones that come with a 4.5 gal tank already, into a pretty comfortable and capable touring bike.

And a quick look of Craigslist around me. Sportsters start about $2,500-$3,000, Plenty of low mileage rubber mounts for $3,000-$4,000. Cheapest Harley touring bike I could find was $5,500 that was a 2004 Electraglide Standard with 55K miles on it. Couple others about the same age with around 35K miles for $6,000-$6,500. So a person that is fairly handy could buy a decent rubber mount sportster with fairly low mileage, upgrade the suspension, seat, windshield, ect... for $4,000-$4,500 and for $1,000 to $1,500 more get a higher mileage touring bike. So you have to decide how much long distance touring you are going to do and where you want to spend your money.

 

Fun cost money, how much do you want to have. I can have all I want.. I can afford it.

 

Cacomly

Some questions about your front signals and the driving lights.

I see you have them under the top triple clamp, is that because the cutout for the windshield was already there and not high enough? Or did you make the cutouts yourself?

If you made them yourself, how did you cut the windshield? I have heard you can cut them but seems scary to me.

 

Sportster built for touring.
Batwing and Hard Bags from Tsukayu, Mustang Seat and Road King Shocks
It's been all over the Alps twice and will be doing the Pyrenees in September

 

BensonUK

Looking at your driving lights, it looks like the turn signals are lit as running lights as well. How do you do that? What batwing did you use, and did you fab your own mount brackets?