Could you adapt a Sportster to make a decent tourer?

Northern jock

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In the never ending search for another bike I've been looking at old airheads but good ones are either too rare or too old or too expensive. HD comes into the radar occasionally, Road King being the normal thing I fancy but they are both heavy and expensive. I'd rather spend less, have newer and less weight.

So that got me wondering, if you took a 1200 Sportster could you make a half decent touring machine? I don't need the biggest and best of everything, character counts for a lot as does a relaxing ride. So a screen, better suspension, new seat, bigger tank - waste of time or possibly something decent? If you started with, for example, a £6k machine the total might not be too high. Or a bit more if the 2018 version is worth it. Might even get it looking like a wee RK :thumb2

Thoughts?
 
Yes - The Holy Sprit rides his all over the place... been to Spain twice with him on it..... and not the cheating way via Santander.....the proper way from Portsmouth through France
 
How tall are you?

I bought an 883 Sporty back in 2017 thinking it would be a fun bike to nip around on. The ergonomics where totally wrong for me and at 6 2” found it cramped and uncomfortable even for short trips.

Sold it after 5 months.
 
How tall are you?

I bought an 883 Sporty back in 2017 thinking it would be a fun bike to nip around on. The ergonomics where totally wrong for me and at 6 2” found it cramped and uncomfortable even for short trips.

Sold it after 5 months.

...but you’re a well known “quitter”...:D.... did you bother to seriously adapt the ergonomics to fit you? I struggle with a Sportster fitted with mids, yet change to forwards and different bars and seat...job done...
 
“Quitter”.... you are so polite....I prefer “fickle”
 
...but you’re a well known “quitter”...:D.... did you bother to seriously adapt the ergonomics to fit you? I struggle with a Sportster fitted with mids, yet change to forwards and different bars and seat...job done...

You may have a point there chunky. :D
 
How tall are you?

I bought an 883 Sporty back in 2017 thinking it would be a fun bike to nip around on. The ergonomics where totally wrong for me and at 6 2” found it cramped and uncomfortable even for short trips.

Sold it after 5 months.

5.11
I had a T100 for a year but it was a wee bit small, shame as the rest was good. It was one of those bikes that you looked back at when walking away, just because it looked good.
Need a longer test ride than I got on the Triumph.

Obviously the Sportster has evolved over the years, solid to rubber mount, carb to fi, etc. Any huge differences to seek out/avoid?
 
Last major update was 2004 - but after then / a million variations have been made and then modified by a million owners

Get a 1200 though ...


( buy a Road King)
 
In the never ending search for another bike I've been looking at old airheads but good ones are either too rare or too old or too expensive. HD comes into the radar occasionally, Road King being the normal thing I fancy but they are both heavy and expensive. I'd rather spend less, have newer and less weight.

So that got me wondering, if you took a 1200 Sportster could you make a half decent touring machine? I don't need the biggest and best of everything, character counts for a lot as does a relaxing ride. So a screen, better suspension, new seat, bigger tank - waste of time or possibly something decent? If you started with, for example, a £6k machine the total might not be too high. Or a bit more if the 2018 version is worth it. Might even get it looking like a wee RK :thumb2

Thoughts?

Yes you can. I know a few people that do 2 weeks at a time on a Sportster - one couple even two up. Mind you, he is only about 5'4" although she is "normal" size.

But personally, for a cheap(ish) HD you could tour on I would look for a Dyna now they have been superseded. It's just a bigger chassis to start with and bigger engines.
 
I had a buell S3 thunderbolt and rode the damn all over Europe and its the same engine, the engine and everything else on a sporty will do whatever you want, the only problem is the ergonomics and that depends on you, if it fits then great if not get a different bike as making it fit will cost a fortune. However there are Evo twins out there in reasonable nick for 6k
 
i've got a 1200 04 sporty , rubber mounted engine , 12 lt tank , stock seat, koni shocks and progressive springs in the front , screen from somewhere in the '70's .

it does 80 all day long @55+ mpg 500 mls a day no problem . you can drag the stand and footrests on the ground . covers the same amount of ground as i do on my GS , but with less crap carried ( soft panniers not hard ) .

was really impressed with how well it went , on a weekend trip to Rimini , from south London. i'm 6"2 with long legs .
 


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