Harley engineered in the shake, reportedly marketing research revealed that it is a strong selling point because it gives the bike character. I'm one of those owners who likes it, really makes the bike feel alive. I've had my '09 RK for almost 5 years and have had nothing shake off yet. It's smooth as glass once on the roll and that's what matters most, can ride all day without fatigue
You had me intrigued until I saw the contortion a 48 makes a rider put their back into... I've owned a cruiser before, and the last thing I'm ever going to do is buy another bike that makes me position my back into a "C." Neat looking bike, but no thank you. The actual 1948 Harley's with a much more neutral riding position, and bars that swept all the way back, seem far more comfortable.
True the stock position is terrible, but like all Harleys, the alternative bars available are beyond numeration. Thus, changing it to suit, rather quickly and easily, should be a no brainer. Like others here, I was a Harley basher until my back no longer liked the sport-bike riding position. I did try to change it enough to suit me, but couldn't. Now my RoadKing has been altered enough to suit me, at least for now, and it is very comfortable (all day comfortable, if you will). I have had no problems, with the exception of a TPS sensor that crapped out. Count me a convert and pass the Kool-Aid.
Yep, I hated the stock riding position on my 48 too. A simple swap from the forward controls to mids solved that. I find the bars perfect now that I'm not folded over like a taco trying to touch my toes. It's now a very neutral riding position. They put me in a slight forward lean which counteracts the wind and is much more comfortable, IMO, than bars that make you lean back and constantly have to hold yourself upright and that concentrates all your weight on your tailbone. I too was a Harley basher until recently. But, I guess my taste changed or something because now I love mine and haven't ridden any of my other bikes since getting it in Jan of this year.
I had to sell my concours because my knees can't handle the riding position. They really have to be 90° or more for me to retain comfort beyond an hour or so.
Never owned an EG but put 78k on a Road King, and still miss it. Currently have a Wing for the Missus. I'm just the pilot. Really prefer the smaller bikes. And who says ya can't tour on a naked bike? 4,000 mile trip (mostly blacktop, 2-lane) and it was a blast. Solo seat with a fender rack and a roll on the front. Gotta pack light, though. . .
I bought a new HD for my 70th birthday 'cause I've never owned one before. Could not wait to get rid of it! Under powered, bad suspension, always dragging floor boards, etc. Less than 3000 miles and it's gone, replaced by a Yamaha Super Tenere with actual suspension, footpegs where God intended them to be, and more cornering clearance than I'll ever need. Happy, happy, happy! Chris
clfarren5944: The only thing the S10 and a Harley touring bike have in common is that they are both on two wheels. If you want the attributes the S10 has, than you would be miserable on the Harley, as you were. Very glad you found a kind of motorcycle that better fits the way you want to ride. In fact, I hope all of us do just that.
'09 Road King, with almost 52,000 miles on it. Combination of running local errands, and big go across the country trips of 5,000 to 12,000 miles. Have not yet had anything shake off the Harley. Looking forward to taking this one over 100,000 miles, and have no reason to think it won't. It is a lovely bike to log long miles on, and friendly enough in the city traffic.
Didn't test ride it before buying?? I also own a Super Tenere. You might be shocked to learn that lots of owners spending $500 on an ECU reflash to boost the power and spend serious bucks modding their suspension. :eek1
I usually do a little research, investigation, and thinking about my wants and needs before I buy big ticket items like bikes. I'm surprised you actually had to own and ride the HD for 3000 miles to be able to make that comparison. A simple showroom sit 'n fiddle shoulda told you most of that in under 5 minutes. A test ride woulda told you the rest, and in my experience Harley's pretty generous with those. Those two bikes are worlds apart and I can't even see them as being cross-shopped by many people. I actually own a big adv. tourer (BMW GS), and a Harley Sportster. I enjoy them both in very different ways. But, I'd never try to compare them directly since they are intended for, and suit my, very different needs and tastes in riding styles. I also test rode a Super Ten as a possible replacement for my GS. Didn't float my boat. Glad you finally found what you like but it's a shame you had to waste time and money to draw your conclusions.
I do not think the new sportsters are about riding, at least not far, they are about looks. OK bikes, after you replace the seat, suspension, fit new bars, relocate the foot pegs, upgrade the air intake and exhaust, fit a power commander, and plaster it with skull heads. I had a 1987 low rider custom in 1987, and I likely looked like the picture, but I was young, my back was good, the suspension worked well enough, and the seat was ok. But maybe that is why my back is so bad now...
Coulda fooled me! Maybe take it from someone that actually owns and rides one rather than listening to people regurgitate crap they've read on the internet. While it may not be an epic trip, I did take a little ride over to Cheaha Mountain this past Sunday afternoon . A bit over 220 miles, which for me is a nice little afternoon ride. Had a blast! And, was no worse for wear than if I had taken my GS on the same trip. All country backroads, some really nice tight twisty bits on 49 heading north out of Lineville, and some nice fast sweepers on 281 along the mountain ridge. The bike handled great, did everything I needed it to, and was comfortable as hell, IMO. And now with that little trip under our belt together, I have full confidence that it'll do just as well as the GS on a longer trip up to do the Cherohala/Dragon loop. Last time I did that from my house was around a 600 mile day on the GS. I did switch to mids (used set for $65 shipped and can EASILY get more for my forwards if I want) from the stock forwards. And while I do have a custom seat, it was more for looks, because I wanted a brown leather seat on this bike, than for comfort. Still have the stock bars and find them just about perfect for the bike with the mid controls. And yes, I have slightly upgraded my suspension with longer damper rods in the forks and longer shocks from a Roadster. Paid about 70 bucks for the dampers, new, and $41 shipped for the shocks used. I did pop some Ricor Intiminators in the forks while apart since any damper rod fork can benefit from them, but they aren't really required. And I also got the sag set-up properly for my weight. I also have a cheap (about $150 shipped) set of Cycle Shack slip-ons (for the sound) but still have stock A/F and nothing like a PC. Bike runs great, with no decel pop, flat spots, nothing. Just runs good, IMO. I do plan to upgrade the shocks at a later date, but after this trip I've about decided that that'll wait until these have crapped out and need replacing anyway. They actually seem to be working pretty damn good for me. Maybe the Ricors in the forks have helped the rear too, IDK. Oh, and I haven't got around to putting any skulls on the bike yet! Oh, but you are right about one thing... It DOES look GOOD! Taken yesterday somewhere along my route...
you admit that you changed the seat, footpeg position, mufflers, AND did suspension work on your bike ...
The XL1200R was my favorite sportster. Never owned one but always loved its clean, classic look. Pure practicality...
Well yes, sorta... I didn't need the seat or the mufflers. Both of those were simple personal tastes things. I actually don't mind the stock seat. As I said, my new one wasn't about comfort so much as the aesthetic I wanted for this particular bike. The bar position is PERFECT, IMO. And some people may actually prefer the stock quiet exhaust. And not all Sportsters have forward controls. In fact, not very long ago they were an exception.... a thing that guys added to their bikes. They still do actually, which is why I didn't have any problem finding my mids, and could probably triple my money if I sold the forwards that came on the bike. I spent $65 and about 20 minutes making the swap. It's a simple bolt off, bolt on, change. And, yeah, I did a whopping 100 bucks worth of suspension "mods" using stock Harley Sportster parts. Lots of guys lower their bikes too. I didn't touch the bars, or A/F, and I don't have a Power Commander. Runs just great as it is now. People farkle their bikes all the time, but to say that they are no good without a list of things is going a bit far, IMO. My point was that the Sportster is a good bike, fully capable of being ridden more than just down to the local bar. I will admit though, that IMO, the factory suspension on the new models does suck. I've made statements to that effect in this thread and the "Go Sportster" thread. Harley followed the styling trend and offered what most of their customer were doing to their bikes, as stock. I guess why I take exception with negative blanket statements like that is that it gives people that may otherwise be interested in a bike, the wrong idea about them. I was just making the point that it doesn't require huge, complicated, expensive mods to make even the 48 a fine machine for actually riding. Do I wish that Harley still offered the Roadster? Sure, but they don't. But that doesn't keep me, or others like me that like the bikes, from making the newer models every bit as useful and enjoyable. I can say this partly because I used to be a Harley basher myself. And before I knew better, a lot of my prejudice came from reading things just like the comment that I responded to above. But now that I DO know better, I find myself really enjoying the bike. Honestly, now that I've actually owned one, I really can't ever see myself without one. Maybe not as an only bike, but I hope I'm never in that situation, cause it'd be real hard to let a Sportster not have a place in my garage. Well, after rereading things I see that I probably came off a little brash... But, I just see so much bashing and negativity regarding various Harleys... well, like I said above, just trying to give the other side of it a bit so that people can see the whole story and hopefully make an educated decision. Taken at face value, comments like that can make people never look into it far enough to see just how easy it can be to make these bikes pretty damn good and a whole lot of fun.
I changed the seat on my 07 sportster 1200. After just that I rode a bit over 950 miles in three days up through the BRP and surrounding roads. No problems at all keeping a good pace.
Anteraan: When it comes to motorcycles you can either have a buzzy ultra-sonic jewelry cleaning machine, or a "paint shaker" at idle that smooths out wonderfully at 1200 rpm all the way the way to red line. You're always going to get some kinds of vibrations, so you choose the ones you prefer, and hope someone with nothing to contribute except tired, outdated, sophomoric "funnies" doesn't try to waste your time.
