[tommytailspin]

Totally agree. Starting to see some progress finally! Who doesn't wash their motorcycle wheels in the bathtub! LOL

if you are single i completely understand the wheel in the tub. if you are married your wife is a keeper. if you are living with a significant other marry her.

 

[XL1200R]

if you are single i completely understand the wheel in the tub. if you are married your wife is a keeper. if you are living with a significant other marry her.

GF not living with her though. When I informed her of today's adventures she said as long as I left the tub as clean as I found it she would be ok with that in her house. So ill chalk that up as a win.

 

[XL1200R]

New triple trees came in. I think I'm in love! Lol

 

[Fuzzman71]

Subscribed. Looks like a fun project.

 

[Gorillathehun]

New triple trees came in. I think I'm in love! Lol

Those are purty. I wonder how much stiffer they are. I read about the extra 1/4" of clamping area, but wonder how that translates to stiffening the front end up as opposed to, say, a fork brace.

 

[XL1200R]

Those are purty. I wonder how much stiffer they are. I read about the extra 1/4" of clamping area, but wonder how that translates to stiffening the front end up as opposed to, say, a fork brace.

I have a fork brace already. So my front end will be like iron💪💪

 

[Gorillathehun]

There's a pun in there somewhere ...

 

[XL1200R]

There's a pun in there somewhere ...

Dang, you are right! I actually considered at the start of all this going with an Inverted front fork setup. As cool as that would have been man are they pricey. Between the cartridge kit, trees, and my fork brace I think I will get most of the benefits with ALOT less cost...but hard to say for sure. At the end of the day too it isn't a sport bike. I mean does it really benefit THAT much with inverted forks given the much lesser lean angles and cornering speeds of say a GSXR 1000....maybe, maybe not. I don't know.

 

[RJ64]

I used to bring life again to old Dodge cars back in the day. Loved those beasts. I haven't done a bike project like you are doing, but always wanted a chopper for some reason. My '05 Sportster was basically Bobbered by someone who can't read a tape measure and should have not done that project, but I got it safe to ride. Was thinking about just turning it into the chopper I always wanted. This is giving me ideas. Keep up the good work. Oh, and I heard that the Sportster is the best bike ever by some guy on this forum....

 

[XL1200R]

I used to bring life again to old Dodge cars back in the day. Loved those beasts. I haven't done a bike project like you are doing, but always wanted a chopper for some reason. My '05 Sportster was basically Bobbered by someone who can't read a tape measure and should have not done that project, but I got it safe to ride. Was thinking about just turning it into the chopper I always wanted. This is giving me ideas. Keep up the good work. Oh, and I heard that the Sportster is the best bike ever by some guy on this forum....

I mean it is the best bike....but i didn't say that. 🤣🤣
I dabble in fixing cars/trucks myself too. Love all things on wheels! Done alot over the years on my 05 Silverado

 

[RJ64]

The 'Sportster is the best bike' thing was actually a poke at the poser that lurks on this forum and has pissed off quite a few people on here. I'm sure he is reading this. Poor guy. He likes pink Sportsters, too.

 

[XL1200R]

The 'Sportster is the best bike' thing was actually a poke at the poser that lurks on this forum and has pissed off quite a few people on here. I'm sure he is reading this. Poor guy. He likes pink Sportsters, too.

I know i saw the thread! I was also trying to make light of it, sadly the internet is void of sarcasm. I do love the sportster platform in all seriousness though. But like anything, it is simply a different tool for a different job, not any better or worse than any other bike.

 

[Gorillathehun]

Dang, you are right! I actually considered at the start of all this going with an Inverted front fork setup. As cool as that would have been man are they pricey. Between the cartridge kit, trees, and my fork brace I think I will get most of the benefits with ALOT less cost...but hard to say for sure. At the end of the day too it isn't a sport bike. I mean does it really benefit THAT much with inverted forks given the much lesser lean angles and cornering speeds of say a GSXR 1000....maybe, maybe not. I don't know.

We are very much on the same page there. I came to Harley via the Sportster after almost 40 years of riding-first, Yamaha dirtbikes (YZs, mostly) and then sportbikes and Japanese muscle bikes and standards for decades. I upgraded the forks and rear shocks on the Sportster and it did make a difference, but I am now finding the easy limits of the SuperLow. I raised the rear an inch via the Progressives I mounted, but it is still lower than an Iron-and the front geometry is still Low. While I love the wheels the SuperLow comes with, since they are a bit more biased toward handling, I'm probably going to have to get the front end raised by using parts from the "less Low" Sporties and will ultimately upgrade the rear shocks with even taller units, probably from Ohlins. It's simply too easy to grind metal on the SuperLow. That said, I do NOT miss sportbikes.

 

[XL1200R]

Got the Fork Stem bearings and decided to throw the new Triple Trees on from Pro One Performance.

Well, there were some issues.

First off, I noticed that the bar holes are WAY TOO BIG. Secondly, and more importantly, there is no bump up on the tree where it meets the steering neck bearings (see photos). As a result, the trees would rub the steering neck and NOT preload the bearings correctly.

So I called Pro One at this point because I was very confused. Tech support was phenomenal, and a guy named Willie had heard of this problem. Apparently these trees are very new so they are working out some of the fitment kinks. Good news is I just need some washers and I will be able to space the trees out off the steering neck and get proper bearing preload. Turns out I just need handlebar riser bushings from a Dyna and I will be able to solve that problem as well. Despite the hiccups, overall a great experience with the company.

 

[XL1200R]

So here is what I did:

I measured the thickness of the stock trees "built in spacer"...so to speak. Top and bottom they are roughly .125".

I found the pictured machine bushings at Lowes. They add up to .125 when stacking 1x 14 gauge and 1x 18 gauge washer on top of each other. As you will see in the photos they are the perfect ID, and they are the perfect OD because they allow all the force to go directly onto the bearing and there is no risk of tearing the rubber part of the seal, just like in the stock application. I think these exact washers but in stainless steel, or a little machined puck would be perfect.

I measured the clearance once installed with feeler gauges. The bottom tree has about .064" to the steering stem and the top tree about .030". As you can see on the top tree the steering stem pinch bolt area comes CLOSE to the frame of the bike. It would be really beneficial to just mill a chamfer on the bottom side of the top tree at the very back so it frees up some space to the frame. Regardless, I am very comfortable with the fitment now and am overall pleased with the product.

 

[1/2 Ton]

So here is what I did:

I measured the thickness of the stock trees "built in spacer"...so to speak. Top and bottom they are roughly .125".

I found the pictured machine bushings at Lowes. They add up to .125 when stacking 1x 14 gauge and 1x 18 gauge washer on top of each other. As you will see in the photos they are the perfect ID, and they are the perfect OD because they allow all the force to go directly onto the bearing and there is no risk of tearing the rubber part of the seal, just like in the stock application. I think these exact washers but in stainless steel, or a little machined puck would be perfect.

I measured the clearance once installed with feeler gauges. The bottom tree has about .064" to the steering stem and the top tree about .030". As you can see on the top tree the steering stem pinch bolt area comes CLOSE to the frame of the bike. It would be really beneficial to just mill a chamfer on the bottom side of the top tree at the very back so it frees up some space to the frame. Regardless, I am very comfortable with the fitment now and am overall pleased with the product.

If you don't have access to a mill, a file will do the job. Just gotta use much TLC with it. Could easily match the frame angle by eye even easier with a file. To put it on a mill, that angle needs to be known..

 

[XL1200R]

If you don't have access to a mill, a file will do the job. Just gotta use much TLC with it. Could easily match the frame angle by eye even easier with a file. To put it on a mill, that angle needs to be known..

Agreed. However at this point with the spacers it isn't necessary. I recommended that the company chamfers it though just to ensure cross compatability with a bikes.

 

[XL1200R]

Little more progress. Got the voltage regulator painted and reinstalled and front of frame clean. Put all new hose clamps on the heat shields and considered buying a thunderheader exhaust I've always wanted in the process. LOL.

Lastly, getting the fork lowers back from powdercoat tomorrow so laid all the fork parts out so its ready for install.

 

[XL1200R]

More progress today. Forks, trees, and bars are installed. Question for those with progressive suspension monotubes.

Does the suspension feel WAY stiffer when you lay into the bars? There is like zero bounce now in the suspension which is probably a good thing, but its just a little unnerving compared to the stock setup.

 

[southernman_67]

Good job. I’m digging those black lowers! Black triple tree looks good, too. Now, get those turn signals off of the bars. Mount them lower.

P.S.
you have a girlfriend don’tcha? Kitchen is too clean to be a bachelor pad.