Sweet.........people look at ya funny when road tripping on a modded sportster, especially 2 up

 

Just back from an eight day trip on my Sporty - 2250 miles without a hitch.
I have a standard 09 Nightster (complete with the short range tank!) and loved every minute of the trip.
Two ferry trips, three thunderstorms, two solid days of mountain roads, AND less than two hundred miles on dual-carriageways/motorways.
My one concession to comfort was my ipod churning out good sounds into my ears!!
One of the best holidays of my life

 

In addition to the seat, a weenie shield helps with fatigue. Oh, and ear plugs as well. My Sporty has over 80,000 miles, has been in 15 states. I draw the line at around 600 miles a day.

To the OP, I blasted through Columbus, OH once on the Sporty, around midnight.

 

And that would be true even with FLHs by today's standards!

 

I have done one 4K ride to Vegas and Laughlin, two 2K rides to Sturgis. I found the Sportster with a Sundowner seat to be a comfortable competent multi day rider.



That was my 11 XL1200L loaded for the Sturgis trip. My son and I did each 861 miles to then back home in one day. Took about 12.5 hours.



That's the 14 XL1200T Super Low that I traded the 11 Low in one but kept the Sundowner seat ready for last years 4K trip to Vegas and Laughlin River Run. Did the 4K in 6 days of riding. Comfortable all the way. I'm 6'3", 210 and 75 years old. The Super Low fit just fine.

 

This thread is old as he!! And its the same stupid questions that pop up every other week. "Can i take my sportster on a long trip?"

I don't know why people even ask. Just do it. pack up and go! Guesfolks need encouraging words.

 

How fast are you riding? I didn't know sportster can hit even 100 miles sometimes on a 3.3 gallon.

 

I've just done 1300 miles in 5 days on a fairly stock XL 1200 R . One thing that made it bearable was arranging my luggage so that I had a firm back support . I don't think the bike was too happy hauling panniers especially with a headwind though . Not a very enjoyable trip because my bike's normally sprightly performance just wasn't there .

 

I hope I can take it on long rides, I just completed my 3rd Iron Butt Rally on my 2006 Sportster and rode 9,000 miles in 11 days. The odo also turned 259,000 miles by the time I got home. Will I get in trouble if I'm not supposed to???

 

2007 XL1200L, 4.5 Gallon tank, Sundowner seat, Tall Harley sissy bar with a Backrest pad, Mini apes, Screaming Eagle exhaust, Screaming Eagle intake, Screaming Eagle Clutch. Loaded up with a tent, sleeping bag, air mattress, chair, luggage, 110' electrical extension chord. On a trip from Rancho Cucamonga, California, to Washington DC with R.F.T.W. to connect with Rolling Thunder over Memorial Day weekend. This Sportster currently has over 80,000 trouble free miles on her. Many more miles to come. Ten days to arrive in Washington DC, but only took three days to get back. 2,634 miles in one direction. The longest leg was day 2 of 3. I left Memphis, Tennessee at 10:00:00 am and stopped in Gallup, New Mexico at about 02:00:00 am. About 1,144 miles, my longest one day ride so far. I want to do over 1,500 in less than 24 hours. That'll be FUN!