how dare I give my opinion lmao

 

The grenade plate was finally mentioned, and on your older carb sportster, that is something to think about. I pulled my '04 1200C's plates at right close to 30,000 miles (48,000+ kilometers) and the rivets were very loose; I'm glad I got rid of that before a clutch abusing ride in the Black Hills last year (so much shifting my ankle got sore, not used to that in the flat state I live in). That plate just isn't necessary, mine actually felt smoother without it, although loose rivets could have affected the feel of the original. That's my grandson in the sig pic putting the primary cover back on after I installed the new plates (a bit young then for a clutch change )

While keeping the rpm in a happy place should help, in really slow, always speeding up and slowing down traffic, you will have to use the clutch a lot sometimes, probably more so than any other bike, even the big twin Harleys handle it better but sometimes they need some of that clutch work in congested traffic, too (or behind slowpokes that can't drive a steady speed). My '89 Tour Glide could get down around 2000 rpm and throttle back up smoothly, but in 1st and 2nd gear, my 1200 won't without the clutch.

 

OP, it seems you have the international version of the XL1200R, so your transmission pulley is a 30T sprocket (PN 40380-04). That means your bike is higher geared than the US version that most of your critics here ride.

I have that same PN and when going 15mph or slower, I HAVE to be in 1st and I'm always using the clutch. I go into 2nd gear at around 25 until well past 30mph.

I'm fine and you'll be fine too. With our gearing, highway riding is a blast as you undoubtedly already found out.

So. Ignore the naysayers here. Some of them are talking outta their obamas (and I don't mean brains).

Too true.
^^^^^^^
That

 

Drop a gear n run higher rpm.

 

Probably already in 1st gear

 

Grbrown
I beg to differ with you. Ask those motor police doing those displays and I guarantee you they will tell you they are using the friction zone of the clutch AND the brake at the same time. That is how they are able to crawl those big bikes. Watch carefully next time and see that their brake lights are almost constantly on.

 

A trailing brake goes without saying, if appropriate. It's not clear that the OP is talking about such slow speeds as the display teams ride at, but I stand corrected! They do plenty of practice, never-the-less!

 

Agree 100% on the practice. But imperfect practice will still net imperfect riding. Practicing perfect technique will net perfect riding. Clutch friction zone and rear brake will allow safe u turns, low speed obstacle avoidance, you name it.

 

No not really , what I'm talking about is trying to maintain an exact speed of say for example 40 miles an hour . Not 41 and not 39 , exactly 40 . The bike is doing one of two things , speeding up or slowing down . What it does not want to do is remain at a constant speed . Of course the obvious thing to do is yank on the throttle and overtake the slow vehicle but that is not always a safe option on the minor roads of rural Warwickshire , Oxfordshire and Wiltshire where I do a lot of my riding . At higher speeds on the open highway such as 70,80, 90 or even a hundred + the bike is brilliant and will hold a constant steady speed without issues . It's just that middle ground where you are having to restrict the bikes natural eagerness to accelerate that feels so uncomfortable .

 

Gosh I hate it when madnss is right...