Bagster!

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Originally Posted by Jarlaxle
Don't have it yet...may not actually be able to ride it this year.

What the..........!
 
Don't have it yet. I will need a day off work to tag it. By then, the weather may have turned too cold/bad for riding.
 
I saw this on recent topics.. thought it was a thread about one of those portable dumpsters
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fyi they are a joke and the sides arent supported its like trying to load garbage into a tarp with sides.

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Sportsters are nice bikes. You can dial in the suspension with Progressive drop-in springs for the front and new shocks for the rear and make it ride really nice. That looks like a 1200Low, but I would install longer travel springs that will give it a little more travel, but raise your height off the ground. But anyways, rough ride is the most common complaint w/Sportsters.
 
Looks of ways to improve Sporty's ride.

S or R model shocks are great fro solo rigs.

Progressive shocks work well and are available in many lengths to get whatever ride height you want.

Road King air shocks are good, but you need to break them down and install Honda CB900 internal springs (both bikes us the same Showa shock body) to get the best ride
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Originally Posted by Silverado12
Sportsters are nice bikes. You can dial in the suspension with Progressive drop-in springs for the front and new shocks for the rear and make it ride really nice. That looks like a 1200Low, but I would install longer travel springs that will give it a little more travel, but raise your height off the ground. But anyways, rough ride is the most common complaint w/Sportsters.

It's actually an 883 Super Low.
 
Phill and Phill, they built the very best motorcycle possible at the time...the detail of their engineering is stunning.
 
Originally Posted by Jarlaxle
Originally Posted by Silverado12
Sportsters are nice bikes. You can dial in the suspension with Progressive drop-in springs for the front and new shocks for the rear and make it ride really nice. That looks like a 1200Low, but I would install longer travel springs that will give it a little more travel, but raise your height off the ground. But anyways, rough ride is the most common complaint w/Sportsters.

It's actually an 883 Super Low.


My last one was an XL1200C which is equivalent to a "Low". I did not care for the short harsh shocks and forks. So it got 2" over tubes up front with much lighter fork oil. And longer rear shocks (a used set of S shocks provided the ride height calcs). Meant changing the side stand, but they are readily available on the 'Bay.

Most Sporsters have a low seat height. The Low and Super Low seems to me fashion statements and are good for bar hopping, not long cruises ... I have a 29" inseam. Standard height Sporty's seem fine, and I considered adding some additional suspension height ... I would for sure for an off road version. But to long a rear shock gets into belt tension issues and may mean conversion to chain drive - not something I wanted to get near. The belts are great, just don't run them too tight ...
 
Originally Posted by BrocLuno
Originally Posted by Jarlaxle
Originally Posted by Silverado12
Sportsters are nice bikes. You can dial in the suspension with Progressive drop-in springs for the front and new shocks for the rear and make it ride really nice. That looks like a 1200Low, but I would install longer travel springs that will give it a little more travel, but raise your height off the ground. But anyways, rough ride is the most common complaint w/Sportsters.

It's actually an 883 Super Low.


My last one was an XL1200C which is equivalent to a "Low". I did not care for the short harsh shocks and forks. So it got 2" over tubes up front with much lighter fork oil. And longer rear shocks (a used set of S shocks provided the ride height calcs). Meant changing the side stand, but they are readily available on the 'Bay.

Most Sporsters have a low seat height. The Low and Super Low seems to me fashion statements and are good for bar hopping, not long cruises ... I have a 29" inseam. Standard height Sporty's seem fine, and I considered adding some additional suspension height ... I would for sure for an off road version. But to long a rear shock gets into belt tension issues and may mean conversion to chain drive - not something I wanted to get near. The belts are great, just don't run them too tight ...

Actually, no...the Custom is very different. The Super Low has 17" radials, ~4" riser bars, and mid controls. The Custom has spoked wheels with bias tube tires (19" on older models, a fat 130/90B16 on newer ones), forward controls, and lower bars.
 
My C came with mid controls, only highway pegs out front, 21" front, 4" riser block and drag bars stock. I do not know where you got your info ...

I wrote an article on how to upgrade the suspension and posted it at Chuck Hawks and XLForum. It's on the other PC, but I'll dig around my back-ups and see if I can find it. Has all the shock numbers (original and ones I swapped in) ... I used only Harley OEM suspension components on all swaps.

Although my Bud's wanted me to go Progressive. I wanted to know how the parts in the H-D catalog worked ... I did end up with Progressive springs up front and spacer tubes. Easy to do.

Bottom line is they work real well and offer a lot of tune-ability w/o looking aftermarket
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There are a LOT of folks at XLForum that have made suspension tweaks to the Sporty's for all kinds of reasons. Some want to go racing, some off-road, some wanted more cruising ability, some wanted load carrying ability. One member road from Alaska to Mexico and then around the USA visiting old friends. He carried a fair load, so his shocks were about as aggressive as as anyone would want to go ... It was a baggerster with a solo seat and luggage rack.
 
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I got my information from the XL1200C I rode: fat bias-ply tires, low bars, and forward controls.
 
C's have not come with 21" wheels for a good while, since at least 2013 they have been similar configuration to the current model. Some years (2014ish) there were "a" and "b" models which had different engine colors, more or less chrome and IIRC a choice between forward and mid controls and wire or cast wheels... They were a sort of factory order semi custom deal that had the ability to pick some options like that that were factory installed.

Superlows ride nice, save for being bit low (
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) for my taste, I'd probably throw some standard height shocks for a later model on it (2015ish i think) they are available in the accessory catalog and reasonable for factory parts.
 
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My Vtwin is a 2014 Yamaha Bolt when I need more cylinders, more storage or more comfort, I ride my V4 2014 Honda CTX 1300. If anyone cares that's Mt St Helens in Washington in the back ground of the Bolt pic. The Columbia River Gorge from the Washington side in the CTX pic.

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