i've sat on diff sportster models, yet the 48 "felt" smaller...

besides the fuel tank and ride height (shocks, seat, wheels diameter), why would it feel smaller?

 

Seat height has something to do with it. Also the smaller tank being just that, smaller, might make it visually feel smaller. Optical illusion perhaps.

 

thanks for the quick reply....yeah visually looks somewhat smaller than other, at least in my eyes...yet when i got on her and stood her upright, felt smaller...the reason behind my question is that i wonder if i can make another model "feel" like a 48 by just lowering it and changing fuel tank...

btw, are those rk or sg shocks?

 

^^^no i think you're right man. every time i look at a 48 i say the same damn thing, man that bike is tiny! not sure what the wheelbase dimensions are vs. the other sportys but a quick trip to the hd site should solve that. nice softtail btw......

 

I get compliments all the time. it's always. "wow. .thats a really nice sportster!.. it's so.. small or different.. nice!! wow, i like it".
They don't know what to think, but small is in there usually.

 

When I look at a stock 48, it looks smaller to me too. I think the big tires and low bars create, as YOURADHERE said, an optical illusion. His bike looks bigger with those tall bars.

 

A short while back, my 48 was parked out front of my office when two women walked by and one said..."Oh! nice baby harley!"

...kinda pissed me off.

 

I know that when I put the Fat Boy bars on mine the bike immediately felt a lot bigger, and other 48 owners have commented that mine looks and feels alot bigger that their own.

So I think it is just down to everything being low and narrow

 

Im sure it could be done. To me sitting on a Sportster with mids made it feel even smaller.

Its Legend air shocks. Ive got the air dumped out of them in the pic so the rear fender is almost sitting on the tire.

 

I always thought they looked lower and longer. Im pretty sure they are lower and longer though....