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First 1000 miles on the Sportster

GS1150Pilot

GS1150Pilot

Forum Sage
Past Site Supporter
I'm impressed, honestly.

Fuel injected, belt drive, Evo motor.

Torque is excellent off the line. Power tapers off around 5K, but the motor is made for lower revs. Coming off 30 years of Japanese inline fours, it's an adjustment, but one I am enjoying.

It is not fast-at all, but it has a great feel, tons of personality, and I am enjoying riding in ways I haven't in years.

It has Vance & Hines slip-ons on it, and I will be installing an Arlen Ness intake and a Dynojet ECM programmer this week. I've already installed a Saddlemen seat and a tail rack. Some LED lighting will take the place of the stock stuff in time. A larger brake kit will be installed up front, along with steel lines front and rear.

EVENTUALLY, it will get a Hammer 1275 kit and an RSR 2-1 exhaust, but I'm not in a hurry there.

The fun of changing little things like a "derby cover" is really fun. It's sort of like a LEGO motorcycle-and about as complex.

It runs happily at 70 at just under 4K, with 75 occurring at about 4300 or so. It is very smooth at that speed. No major vibrations. It gets about 50 mpg in town and 60 on the highway.

I will be adding hard leather bags before fall, since we plan to do more long weekend rides.

I've put 940 miles on it. It was the right bike for me.

20190602_124628_Film2.jpg
 
That's what I've got: 2016 883 Sportster Superlow -

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"Stock" except for passenger pegs and two-up Harley leather seat. Only complaints are lack of legroom and ground clearance.
 
Had a low '08... The suspension travel left a lot to be desired. One day did over 650 miles on it, didn't walk the next day. Round town and trips under 50 miles I loved the snot out of it, it was actually an excelent motorcycle for that kind of thing. It was dependable, visceral, economical & kinda sexy... At the time, I started to go on multi-state treks so I let it go for something more suitable.
 
I'll be revamping the suspension with slightly longer, much better rear shocks and new springs with emulators up front. Forgot that detail, as I do agree about suspension travel. So far, longest trip has been 200 miles, but we'll be doing longer ones soon.
 
A side note: The Saddlemen seat, combined with the mid-controls and stock bars, yields a truly comfortable riding compartment.
 
With those high bars, PERFECT for wearing a leather vest, show of your big arms, tattoos and hairy pits!!
Your love of this bike took me by surprise, it's nothing like a GS1150.

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The bars are no higher than the stockers on a CB900f.

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It is precisely the fact that this bike is so different that has be liking it so much. It is such an elemental, visceral bike. I'll always have the Honda, but I truly love this Harley.
 
The bars are called "Mini-Apes" by Harley and yes, they are comfy. Something about it makes me ride it (on summer days) in a sleeveless sweatshirt with gold watch and chains.

The "mid position" controls are vital for me. Harley offers five positions, and these are the farthest back. Still, there's a big difference when getting on the EZ's stock "rear set" controls.
 
I love sportsters!!!

I love sportsters!!!

I own a couple sportsters, road king and a couple GSs. Buell XB12 or HD xr1200 are the top of the sportster power tree except modded bikes.

Sportsters lack suspension, brakes and hp. I am speaking from the heavy weight side (I'm 338).

Suspension:

sonic springs up front, gold valve or ricor intimadators with appropriate fork oil.
Shocks: Look for XR1200 parts either 09-10 non-res shocks ~120-150. Or 11-12 shocks res type ~350; both are 13.88" in length eye to eye. Touring bike shocks can also be bolted on if you wish. Air shocks ~$100; premium hand adjustable are ~250-300. Touring shocks are 12-13" factory.

Brakes:
Look for more pistons, more area. Arlen ness sells a 15" single brake rotor kit for ~350. XR1200s came with 4 piston front calipers ~170 with pads for the xr1200 caliper and is a direct bolt on.

HP: 883 runs ~50 whp in stock trim. 1200 runs ~72whp. xr1200 ~83whp.
MANY options on the path to power.

Stage 1: air filter; exhaust and fuel management. If you grow you will want a PC3 or 5 or similar. If not look for a patriot top fueler or electronic jet kit.
Stage 2: cams; larger valves, ported heads. reprogram efi
stage 3: 1200, 1250 or 1275. reprogram efi.
Stage 4: 88"+ stroker/xr1200 crank for 7000+ rpm.

topend gasket set is ~100 from HD. stock 1200 kit is ~$2-300 used.

We bought a 883l for my son to ride. Did 883r damper tubes, sonic springs and 15W fluid in the forks, XR1200 non res shocks. Power commander 5; KN and slip on cans. XR1200 front caliper, SS brake line kit, Cobra fat bar crash bar. The bike came with Low solo and a mustang 2 up seats; mini touring windshield, 3 sets of handlebars, sissy bar, rear rack and mountings.

In a couple years we will do 1200 cylinders with "reverse" dome 883-1200 pistons, larger valves, head porting, xr1200 cams. We are looking at making a torque bike for streetability rather than drag race HP.

Good luck and have fun.
 
I'm holding out for a five litre VTwin with a lawn seed roller sized rear tire, a 56" inch high-wheeler bicycle rim up front and two skateboards mounted to the bottom of the frame to support your butt cheeks. It's gotta have ape hangers of course and a parascope built into the tank to see where you're going.
 
LAB3 said:
I'm holding out for a five litre VTwin with a lawn seed roller sized rear tire, a 56" inch high-wheeler bicycle rim up front and two skateboards mounted to the bottom of the frame to support your butt cheeks. It's gotta have ape hangers of course and a parascope built into the tank to see where you're going.
Click to expand...

good luck with that one 😀
 
prichmon said:
I own a couple sportsters, road king and a couple GSs. Buell XB12 or HD xr1200 are the top of the sportster power tree except modded bikes.

Sportsters lack suspension, brakes and hp. I am speaking from the heavy weight side (I'm 338).

Suspension:

sonic springs up front, gold valve or ricor intimadators with appropriate fork oil.
Shocks: Look for XR1200 parts either 09-10 non-res shocks ~120-150. Or 11-12 shocks res type ~350; both are 13.88" in length eye to eye. Touring bike shocks can also be bolted on if you wish. Air shocks ~$100; premium hand adjustable are ~250-300. Touring shocks are 12-13" factory.

Brakes:
Look for more pistons, more area. Arlen ness sells a 15" single brake rotor kit for ~350. XR1200s came with 4 piston front calipers ~170 with pads for the xr1200 caliper and is a direct bolt on.

HP: 883 runs ~50 whp in stock trim. 1200 runs ~72whp. xr1200 ~83whp.
MANY options on the path to power.

Stage 1: air filter; exhaust and fuel management. If you grow you will want a PC3 or 5 or similar. If not look for a patriot top fueler or electronic jet kit.
Stage 2: cams; larger valves, ported heads. reprogram efi
stage 3: 1200, 1250 or 1275. reprogram efi.
Stage 4: 88"+ stroker/xr1200 crank for 7000+ rpm.

topend gasket set is ~100 from HD. stock 1200 kit is ~$2-300 used.

We bought a 883l for my son to ride. Did 883r damper tubes, sonic springs and 15W fluid in the forks, XR1200 non res shocks. Power commander 5; KN and slip on cans. XR1200 front caliper, SS brake line kit, Cobra fat bar crash bar. The bike came with Low solo and a mustang 2 up seats; mini touring windshield, 3 sets of handlebars, sissy bar, rear rack and mountings.

In a couple years we will do 1200 cylinders with "reverse" dome 883-1200 pistons, larger valves, head porting, xr1200 cams. We are looking at making a torque bike for streetability rather than drag race HP.

Good luck and have fun.
Click to expand...

Stage I is done via PC, Ness Big Sucker and Vance & Hines Long Shots. That will be it until I buy a Hammer 1275 kit and cams. At that time, I will also buy an RB LSR full exhaust.

Definitely there regarding the brakes, and found the Ness kit a few weeks ago.

For suspension, I don't want to raise the back end so far that the rear fender has ungainly clearance over the tire. So, probably shorter, reservoir shocks.

I love the bike.
 
LAB3 said:
I'm holding out for a five litre VTwin with a lawn seed roller sized rear tire, a 56" inch high-wheeler bicycle rim up front and two skateboards mounted to the bottom of the frame to support your butt cheeks. It's gotta have ape hangers of course and a parascope built into the tank to see where you're going.
Click to expand...
Oh for sure, me too!!!
 
I think most of us tend to find a certain type of motorcycle and then stick with it for most of our lives. I did that with Japanese fours, but it has been a genuine pleasure to step out of that bubble with this bike.
 
GS1150Pilot said:
I think most of us tend to find a certain type of motorcycle and then stick with it for most of our lives. I did that with Japanese fours, but it has been a genuine pleasure to step out of that bubble with this bike.
Click to expand...

Me too!

It typically happens when you're young (counting the days till you're legally licensed!) For me, there were basically two types of Harley's - Electraglide and Sportster. I couldn't take my eyes off of Sportsters; I was mesmerized.

And then the Honda 750/4 came out and several factors came into play. First was the bike itself - it was a marvel! It blew the doors off most any thing. Then there was the sound. If you put a 4-into-1 on it, up that by a factor of ten. And the shear number of them. And when Kawasaki stepped in, the in-line four Jap wars started and never stopped.

So now I'm living my late teens early twenties fantasy and have both. And I couldn't be happier about that. :cool:
 
Exactly, Rob. I still have the 900f, and I plan to do a total restoration of it. By today's standards, even that bike is SLOW and cumbersome, but it goes, stops and handles very well in the real world of things. And with the Sportster, when I get on it, it changes the way I ride in a fun fashion. I'm glad I got one.
 
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