making a sportster more comfortable

[fin_676]

My sportster is a 93 and is solid mount i have replaced the seat and fitted iso grips and pegs to assist with the vibration
It does have a shorter wheelbase and stiffer suspension than the big twins this coupled with a narrow front wheel makes the sportster a good bike on twisty roads as the handling is fairly quick and direction changes can be made without issue when i tried some of my favourite twisty roads on the softail i found that the setup could not go from a left hand bend to a right hand bend with some bumps in between too much bounce in the suspension

I can do 2 hours on the sportster but longer touring journeys are better on the softail
Different bikes for different uses but the sportster is a fairly good bike at what it is designed for

Brian

 

[PetesPonies]

IMO, best change is handlebars. Having a set that fits your riding style is extremely important to comfort..

 

[gator508]

Going to go along with Jack on this one. When I was buying my first, I rode a
'06 with mid controls, it was ok, but when I tested out a new '07 with forward controls the difference was nearly like night and day, way more comfortable.

 

[moonrider]

i have an 06 1200 sporty and an 04 electra glide. the bagger is great on highways and longer rides but i'll never sell the sportster.me and my wife ride it every chance we can on shorter trips and all around home. one thing i added that really makes it more comfortable is kuryakin wider front pegs with heel stirrups (i have forward controls). they make a big difference and look good too

 

[Thundermug]

I have an 08 sporty and i am in my 50's. I ride from Florida to the mountains of NC at least once a year.
For comfort I added a windshield, a sundowner seat, and rolled my stock handlebars forward about a half inch. My sporty was stock with forward controls. I was amazing how much difference it made adjusting the handlebars.

II have seen people go thru 3 or 4 handlebars b4 they found on that was comfortable, and I have seen people adjust their stock handlebars either forward or bacward to be comfortable.

 

[The Prophet]

i have an 06 1200 sporty and an 04 electra glide. the bagger is great on highways and longer rides but i'll never sell the sportster...

Similar situation here. We have an '11 Road King Classic, and an '07 Triumph Bonneville. We use the RKC for trips over say an hour, and the Bonneville I use solo for tooling around town and hittin' the local twisties and backroads.

Two totally different bikes - two totally different uses. Both a blast to ride and enjoy.

Back to topic though:

For the Sporty - upgrade the seat, try different handlebars and risers, a windshield makes a world of difference. Note though that the long wheelbase, the short rake and trail, soft suspension characteristics and the additional weight stabilizes a Touring model on a big slab highway, and helps make them comfortable to ride for the long haul. Try as you may, you can't replicate that with a Sporty.

Enjoy the Sportster for what it is: A great bike for noodling around town, challenging the twisties, short rides in the local countryside, and having fun. can't beat it for those purposes.

Bob

 

[mouthful]

You can change out the bars and bring them back a touch more unless you like the feeling of being doubled up over the gas tank. Beach bars work well but really look funny on a sporty.

 

[The Prophet]

Similar situation here. We have an '11 Road King Classic, and an '07 Triumph Bonneville. We use the RKC for trips over say an hour, and the Bonneville I use solo for tooling around town and hittin' the local twisties and backroads.

Two totally different bikes - two totally different uses. Both a blast to ride and enjoy.

Back to topic though:

For the Sporty - upgrade the seat, try different handlebars and risers, a windshield makes a world of difference. Note though that the long wheelbase, the short rake and trail, soft suspension characteristics and the additional weight stabilizes a Touring model on a big slab highway, and helps make them comfortable to ride for the long haul. Try as you may, you can't replicate that with a Sporty.

Enjoy the Sportster for what it is: A great bike for noodling around town, challenging the twisties, short rides in the local countryside, and having fun. can't beat it for those purposes.

Bob

Sorry, I was thinking about too many things at once!

i meant "Longer" rake and trail on a Touring model.:small3d015:

Bob

I compare it all this way:

A Sportster is like a Camaro or a Mustang. A Touring Model is like a Lincoln or a Cadillac. Two very different specific designs for very different assumed end uses.

Trying to turn on into the other is certainly fun, and a great way to spend lots of money, but the end result is never really met. To my knowledge, no bike manufacturer has yet to design a "one size fits all" riding purpose machine, and likely never will.

Then again, folks have walked across the USA, roller skated across the country, ridden Honda step-throughs cross-country, and so on. So I guess it all depends on how adventurous... young... and masochistic(?) one is.

Point is: Buy a bike specifically designed to what you need, and to match your riding style and skill level. Trying to make a plush Cadillac out of a sporty Camaro is an expensive, and potentially unrewarding experience. Lot's of fun trying though!

Good Luck!:ap

Bob

 

[Thundermug]

You can change out the bars and bring them back a touch more unless you like the feeling of being doubled up over the gas tank. Beach bars work well but really look funny on a sporty.

Doubled up over the gas tank? Dude are your arms only 10 inches? It is a sporty (EDIT) , not a stretched trike with 4 big block Chevy engines!!!

I am 5'10" and rolled my bars forward...My arms are still bent at almost 30 degrees angle at my elbows and my back is straight up and down.
Bring the bars back....:bigsmiley22:


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[Thundermug]

was curious what sportster owners have done to their bikes to make them more comfortable rides? Other than swapping the seat (mustangs seem to be a popular choice), any other reasonably easy mods for instilling a smoother ride?

B4 you spend any money on new bars....
roll your existing bars forward just a little and then ride, roll them forward a little more and ride some more. You will find a spot that fits you. Do not roll them toward you or relocate them with risers to get them closer...it is allready closer than any of the other bikes Harley makes. Bring them closer? really? Not unless you want to be laying down on your back....:small3d015: