I have a 2006 883 custom. I can blow most cars away off the line. It cruises at 75 with no vibration once past 80 though it starts screaming. The only mods are SE air and D&D slip ons. I will be replacing the handlebars and the stock riser which I've come to really dislike. It's a good bike and it gets 53 mpg. Do plan to upgrade to a dyna next spring, though.

 

Jeff, you might want to check out this thread if you haven't already: https://www.hdforums.com/forum/sport...portstour.html

There is a lot of discussion about turning a sportster into a 'sporstouring' bike.

 

No doubt the C50 seat is awful. A mustang seat for the C50 is $500. Since you're trying to mind your budget.. and you want a comfortable highway cruiser ....... No brainer really.

Combine that Mustang seat with a DJ drive and you'll knock the vibrations out too.

I wouldn't recommend a Softail to anybody. I don't care for the ride. Too smooth, too boring. But, it is most certainly a better highway option than the Sportster. Of course, you're over $10k for any Softail.... >$15k for your Fat Boy Low.

I traded my C50 for the 1200C and I don't regret any bit of it. The Sportster is far and above a better bike than the C50. But I'm also not taking weekend long highway trips.

 

It's amazing how opinions differ on the same bike. I Tour a lot on a Road King. I bought a Fat Boy Lo because it looked cool and I thought I could do some moderate touring on it. I was wrong. Sold it after a 5000 mile trip. I found it very uncomfortable on the highway. I changed the handlebars to street slammers, put on a sundowner seat ect. The B engine is great at idle with the counter balanced engine but at higher speeds it vibrated through the handlebars.

I find the 12 Sportster C, set up correctly is a much better tourer than a Softtail. MY wife's sportster now has floorboards, rigid leather saddlebags, backrest, luggage rack ect and is soon to have Ohlins rear shocks and racetech custom front springs. It is already a better touring bike than my old Fatboy LO and will be that much better with the suspension upgraded. The Sportster loves the higher revs and speed and actually smoothes out between 3500 and 4000 RPM's. I love the ride of the 12 Sportster and will be buying one for myself soon.

 

So you're suggesting that the Sportster vibrates less at highway speeds than a Softail?

I think you're delusional.

Like I said, I'm not a fan of the Softails, but ... let's be real.