making a sportster more comfortable

[butch61]

Originally Posted by HandOverFist

Air shocks on the rear make a huge difference.

are the air shocks 12 or 13"? how much air ya runnin. i've got progressive 440hd 11" on it now, but have a set of sg air shocks on the shelf '05 1200c

[RDK09]

I'm not impressed by the stock air shocks that are on my RK at all, thinkin about switchin to progressive

[HandOverFist]

Originally Posted by butch61

are the air shocks 12 or 13"? how much air ya runnin. i've got progressive 440hd 11" on it now, but have a set of sg air shocks on the shelf '05 1200c

Those are 12" Ultima's...pretty sure I ran less than 10psi.

[Intergalactic]

I am a big guy and put Heavy Duty Progressive shocks on my sporty and set them to the middle notch. I loved the ride but the stock seat was horrible so I put a Mustang Vintage Wide Touring seat on and it was perfect. I then discovered that my wife wanted to ride too and the sporty was just not big enough for both of us so I traded in for a RK. I kept the Mustang seat so I could sell it later but did not keep the shocks.

I also read many places when I was looking to upgrade mine that people also put the air shocks from the touring bikes on sporty's but I am not sure how.

[Ratso]

Progressive shocks, Mustang touring seat. Iso-pegs for rider and passenger. But at the end of the day a sporty is a sporty and that's a good thing. It was find for my 6 mile commute to work and back or 100 mile weekend jaunts around the state. I wanted more comfort on the long hauls so I bought a Superglide Custom. Put a Sundowner seat on it and It's like riding on a cloud compared to the sporty. I'm planing a trip to the Outer Banks of NC this spring on the Dyna.

[wrnchtchr]

Traded for a Road Glide Ultra

[butch61]

i too picked up a rg for two up long runs, but kept the sporty for solo ridin

[Pete]

I rode over 20k the first year that I had my 2008 XL883. It took a bit of doing to get it setup for long distance runs. This is what I did.

Progressive shocks on the rear and Progressive springs in the forks.

Mustang Classic touring seat. If Harley makes a Sundowner seat for the Sportster, I'd get one of those instead. I have one on my Dyna and it is very comfortable. Mustang seats take a while to get them broken in.

Risers to pull both raise and pull the stock drag bars back.

Pirelli MT-66 tires - they have a softer sidewall than Dunlop.

Crash bar with road pegs so that you can stretch out.

Fork brace - makes the bike corner like it is on rails and takes away the twitchy feeling that get on Sporsters on rough or uneven road.

If you have any back issues, a seat with a backrest can be a lifesaver. AirHawk seat pads are a nice addition for really long rides, no matter what seat you might have.

The biggest issue with the Sportster when it comes to riding comfort is the short wheelbase. It tends to pitch the bike around a lot. That said, with a little work you can turn a Sportster into decent touring bike. Whatever you do, don't put shorter shocks on it. You need all the travel that you can get to keep the rear end as comfortable as it can be.

Originally Posted by Bedrock

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?


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[motorcycleCory]

Originally Posted by Intergalactic

...
I also read many places when I was looking to upgrade mine that people also put the air shocks from the touring bikes on sporty's but I am not sure how.

I got some take off's from a road king on ebay for cheap(under $40 shipped iirc). I have a couple of washers installed between the frame and the shock to space them out right buy these were a huge improvement over stock.



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[Intergalactic]

Originally Posted by Pete

I rode over 20k the first year that I had my 2008 XL883. It took a bit of doing to get it setup for long distance runs. This is what I did.

Progressive shocks on the rear and Progressive springs in the forks.

Mustang Classic touring seat. If Harley makes a Sundowner seat for the Sportster, I'd get one of those instead. I have one on my Dyna and it is very comfortable. Mustang seats take a while to get them broken in.

Risers to pull both raise and pull the stock drag bars back.

Pirelli MT-66 tires - they have a softer sidewall than Dunlop.

Crash bar with road pegs so that you can stretch out.

Fork brace - makes the bike corner like it is on rails and takes away the twitchy feeling that get on Sporsters on rough or uneven road.

If you have any back issues, a seat with a backrest can be a lifesaver. AirHawk seat pads are a nice addition for really long rides, no matter what seat you might have.

The biggest issue with the Sportster when it comes to riding comfort is the short wheelbase. It tends to pitch the bike around a lot. That said, with a little work you can turn a Sportster into decent touring bike. Whatever you do, don't put shorter shocks on it. You need all the travel that you can get to keep the rear end as comfortable as it can be.

There is a sundowner seat for the sporty. I bought it and took it back. The sundowner on the sporty pushes the rider up and forward. All of the controls were too close and it made riding uncomfortable for me. I would stick with the mustang seat.

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