I didnt get the wheel balanced but I bumped up my air pressure and adjusted the rear shocks. ITS A LOT BETTER. Im sure after balancing I will be happy with the ride.

Balancing prices: wheel off bike $10 wheel on bike $90, take your wheel off and get it balanced

 

I just did 40 miles at 70mph and mine was solid as a rock.

Of course, the wind kicks my *** above 65 because I have no fairing or windscreen, but that is life on a bike like this.

 

Smog,

I live about 15 miles east of you in Yorba Linda. Part of the problem we have is the 91 Freeway is likely your freeway of choice (I travel it every day) and it doesn't help that it's been worked on, widened and restriped in some places (like near the 5 interchange and Magnolia Ave.) but is all beat to hell in other places (for example, the stretch of the 91 between the 57 to about Brookhurst Street with all the crappy patch jobs.) For out of area readers, there's a lot of heavy truck traffic on this freeway as the 91 is one of the routes to the 605 & 710 freeways and the ports of LA and Long Beach.

To combat this, what I did to my '04 Custom was:
(1) Added a fork brace (Superbrace)
(2) when it came time to replace tires, I switched to Metzlers front & rear.
(3) Changed to Progessive fork springs & 10W Bel Ray oil
(4) Progessive 412 shocks
(5) Added a Daytona steering dampener; it is set on its firmest setting. While some may disagree with a dampener, I find it to be a reassuring "third hand" on the handlebar, and it definitely helps combat the sudden jarring from hitting uneven expansion joints. I can say from experience that I was glad I had it while on my trip with my kid (see my signature), as the roads in Illinois and Indiana were especially bad on the Interstate 80/90 corridor due to all the truck traffic. I should add that my bike is jockey shifted & foot clutched; the only time I take a hand off the bars is to shift gears.
(6) changed the bars to 8" mini apes on the stock risers so that I sit up a bit straighter.

I have tried windshields to no avail. What I have found that works best is one of those cylindrical style T-bags strapped to the front handlebar which puts it just high enough to break up the airflow that hits your chest.

 

Most Sportsters are not aerodynamic in any fashion. Compared to other bikes i've owned, none are as skinny as most Sportster front tires are. None got pushed around by wind as much either. I think my bike is very fun to ride but it has nowhere near as good a ride that metrics have. Shadows ride like caddy's at any level compared to my Sporty but i'd never own one. I love the Sportster and Electra's and nothing else in between.

 

Depends, my Yamaha Warrior was a horrible ride in terms of wind. Suspension was amazing, but the wind was awful. The bars and controls made your torso into a parachute, and the result was it was brutal on your body above 70mph.

But I hear what you are saying, the sporty just has a raw, in-your-face riding style that I absolutely love.

I'll certainly get a bagger someday for long trips with the girlfriend, but I'll never get rid of my 883 unless I have absolutely no choice.

 

I ride my Iron 883 30 min on I40 to and from work and its not that bad IMO. Its actually a nice adrenaline rush in the morning. I find the cages I occupy the road with more worrisome than the way my sporty rides. I get why guys like baggers tho but I wouldn't have it any other way. If I didn't like the wind the feel of the road the vibration or the danger I would be in my cage with everyone else. Your mileage may vary...

 

I just put roadking air shocks on mine not too long ago. Finished it up today with a lowering kit and new valves for the shocks. All seems good. Definitely better than stock suspension.

 

I was able to ride the sporty into work today (for the last time as she goes to the dealer tomorrow when I pick up my vrod) and thought of this post. I was cruising through traffic and was shocked when I looked down and saw 80-85 alot of times. And if i needed to get through a hole a simple twist of the wrist and she responded quick. I laugh at those that say a sporty doesn't have enough power.

Now maybe ai am used to it since this is the only bike I rode at all, but I simply learned the bike and her nuances.

 

Wouldn't have a windshield. A windshield has wind resistance and anything that slows me down is bad (bags & Bags).

 

To each his own. I call that fun! I enjoy feeling every bit of the road. No windshield, stock shocks as low as they'll go, stock fork springs, stock seat... I cruise at 80-85 all the time, and love it.

Test road a new road king last week. I thought the ride was a pretty boring experience compared to my Sporty. I can't say anything bad about RK's because I'm likely going to get one soon for the long distance rides, but the Sportster is a lot more fun and will always be my daily driver.