Seeking advice from the Sportster Pros
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Stage I
Joined: May 2010
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Seeking advice from the Sportster Pros
I am soon going to purchase my first Harley and I've fallen in love with the custom rides people are building out of Nightsters, but, a friend of mine rides a Fat Bob and I am really into the look of the wide front tire.
When Harley introduced the Forty-Eight, I thought to myself, "well this is the bike for me," seeing as how it has the wide rubber up front, regardless of the small tank.
Having never built a bike before, I am not sure I am "seeing the lines" as clearly as I should though.
If I buy a Forty-Eight and raise the tank, will it place even more emphasis on the peanut being so little, or will it actually help the look of the tank giving it the extra height?
Will I get the same "dropped" look in the back with a Forty-Eight as you guys achieve with the Nightsters, or is that all about the suspension mods? See, I'm green, I don't know these things.
Or ... Will my best bet to be ... Go with the Nightster and just put a Dyna fork on it to get the wide tire in the front?
Any input would be greatly appreciated. I'm a rookie and need some guidance.
When Harley introduced the Forty-Eight, I thought to myself, "well this is the bike for me," seeing as how it has the wide rubber up front, regardless of the small tank.
Having never built a bike before, I am not sure I am "seeing the lines" as clearly as I should though.
If I buy a Forty-Eight and raise the tank, will it place even more emphasis on the peanut being so little, or will it actually help the look of the tank giving it the extra height?
Will I get the same "dropped" look in the back with a Forty-Eight as you guys achieve with the Nightsters, or is that all about the suspension mods? See, I'm green, I don't know these things.
Or ... Will my best bet to be ... Go with the Nightster and just put a Dyna fork on it to get the wide tire in the front?
Any input would be greatly appreciated. I'm a rookie and need some guidance.
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Joined: Aug 2007
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From: 2000 Softail FXST
I'd probably go with the 48, put some ape hangers on it, and lower the rear an inch to get that "low" look. If your a green mechanic this would probably be a simple bolt on process for you to do.
Which ever way you go there's a lot of guys on here that can give you good tech help when the time comes.
Which ever way you go there's a lot of guys on here that can give you good tech help when the time comes.
I don't think a tank lift on a 48 with the stock tank would look right because the tank mounts are the same as the bigger tanks. The tank won't pivot upwards...it'll lift the whole thing.
Maybe if you swap the tank with a 3.3 gal peanut...if you lift the tank. Personally, I'm not a huge fan of a tank lift anyway.
Also, look at the fork lowers on the 48 vs. the mid or wide glide front ends. Should you choose to use a fender your options are very limited because of the funky fender mounts (on the 48).
My opinion is that (and this is strictly my OPINION) if you plan on modifying a Sportster the 48 limits quite a bit because of the way the bike is set up from the factory.
Sportsters are super easy to personalize...and very fabricator-friendly. A plain old Sportster is a great blank slate for modifying.
But...if you want to just pick one up & not modify it much the 48 may be a good choice.
Maybe if you swap the tank with a 3.3 gal peanut...if you lift the tank. Personally, I'm not a huge fan of a tank lift anyway.
Also, look at the fork lowers on the 48 vs. the mid or wide glide front ends. Should you choose to use a fender your options are very limited because of the funky fender mounts (on the 48).
My opinion is that (and this is strictly my OPINION) if you plan on modifying a Sportster the 48 limits quite a bit because of the way the bike is set up from the factory.
Sportsters are super easy to personalize...and very fabricator-friendly. A plain old Sportster is a great blank slate for modifying.
But...if you want to just pick one up & not modify it much the 48 may be a good choice.
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