Windscreen for the Sportster

I recently received a comment on a previous helmet post requesting information on my windscreen. I originally purchased the Harley-Davidson clip-on windscreen, with the light grey tint.

First, the mounting hardware and screen are quality products. I was and continue to be very impressed with the ease of installation. The windscreen is attached and removed using four clips. The clips are very nice chrome pieces and when the windscreen is removed there is nothing left on the bike. The clips attach to the top of the forks, between the triple trees. One point to note, there is really no room for adjustment on the Sportster as the space between the triple trees is about the distance between the windscreen clamps.

The windscreen itself is pretty large and tall. It does a good job of keeping the air off your torso. I did notice a lot of buffeting around my head. Wearing the full face helmet reduced the audible impact of the buffeting. Over the summer I decided to look into smaller windscreens. I pulled the Harley screen and road most of the summer in the open, something I found really enjoyable.

I did purchase a Memphis Shades Del Rey primarily because I wanted the smaller size and clearance for future lighting. A call to Memphis Shades confirmed this was the windscreen I was looking for. I purchased the black fade screen and attachment hardware from Somerset Motorsports, a shop where I've found some great deals and great customer service.

As mentioned I've gone all summer without a windscreen and finally got around to installing the Del Rey this afternoon. The Memphis Shades kit is high quality and well engineered. The clamps attach to the forks but, unlike the Harley kit, they require unbolting to remove. The windscreen clips onto the clamps so it can be easily removed.

I really like the look of the new windscreen and will get a test ride over the next couple of days to assess how it handles the wind and turbulance. I'll get some picture posted soon so you can see how it looks on the Sportster.

Both the Harley-Windscreen and the Memphis Shades Del Rey are quality kits. The Harley screen has more of a big bike feel to me - it appears less sporty - while the Del Rey is a great size for the look of the Sportster Custom.

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Harley to build smaller bikes

A recent article from the Illinois State Journal-Register theorizes, with the help of local dealer Stan Hall, that Harley-Davidson will soon be building bikes smaller than the Sportster 883. These smaller Harleys (maybe modern interpretations of the “Hummers” of the Forties, Fifties and Sixties) will be designed for new markets in Asia and Europe.

The Motor Company has not confirmed the rumor but according to Timothy Hoelter, vice president of government affairs for Harley-Davidson, “… growing popularity overseas shows that Harley is an international language understood by people of all cultures, incomes and genders.”

You never know what companies are going to do but the increasing price of fuel has motivated an increasing number of people to consider riding versus driving – and this is good news for enthusiasts. As I’ve mentioned before, Harley has done a great job in marketing and selling to people looking for American v-twin power with a bad boy attitude. The thing is there is a market for other types of bikes, and Harley, like any good business, will be looking for ways to grow market-share. The acquisition of MV Agusta is one example and there will likely be many more to come.

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Commuting with the Sportster XL1200

I typically work from home but had the need to go to the local office the other day and used this as an excuse to get a ride in on the Sportster. The ride is about 30 miles with the majority on secondary roads that make for pretty good riding (low traffic, some curves, and nice scenery). The last 10 miles are unfortunately on the multi-lane freeway which can make for interesting riding. When I left for the office it was midday so I did not encounter any major traffic. I did expect traffic on the way home so chose to wear my full face Arai helmet and Harley-Davidson Switchback jacket.

When I left the office I hit some major rush hour traffic, stop and go for miles and miles. It was a hot afternoon I didn’t like the idea of roasting the Sportsters engine by sitting at idle so did some lane splitting to get to my exit. Personally, I am not a fan of lane splitting (which is not illegal in California) but will use it as a ‘necessary evil’ at times. I always stay within 10 mph of the surrounding traffic so I can respond to any bonehead moves from the drivers around me.

This day was particularly bad. The heat and high fuel prices seemed to be getting to the drivers in their cars and trucks. At least a half dozen drivers threatened to move into my path as I wove between car doors, mirrors, and truck beds. I’ve never experienced so many people moving the vehicles into my path intentionally. To be fair, many drivers saw me coming and moved to give me more room – much appreciated, thank you!

Over the previous weekend I had removed the Sportster’s windscreen and saddlebags. The Harley-Davidson clip-on windscreen is literally a snap to remove, just pop the four clamps and off it comes. This is one of the nicer accessories for the Sportster that I’ve come across from Harley. Having the windscreen off was another reason for wearing the Arai, it helps avoid taking a bee to the face at speed. The Arai combined with my Panoptx riding glasses made the trip easy, doing a decent job of filtering the setting sun.

One thing I hadn’t considered was the significant temperature difference between my home on the coast and the office inland. It was a good 15 degrees and the Switchback jacket was warm with all panels attached. If I’d had the saddlebags on the Sporster I could’ve removed the panels and had a more comfortable ride but that was not the case. I did find that the Switchback’s vent system works well around the torso (no vents on the arms) and kept me pretty cool.

The curving roads on the way home made the trip worthwhile. Nothing like the view of a lake, the smell of citrus groves and the sound of Screamin Eagle pipes to put a smile on my face.

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Sportsters we need

The Summer 2008 issue of Harley-Davidson Enthusiast magazine got me thinking about Sportsters we need. It started with a brief on the XR1200 which is only available in Europe. I had written on the XR1200 previously. The Enthusiast article provides details on the new Sportster’s specifications which include:
Downdraft fuel injection, massive 43mm inverted forks, and dual four-piston front brake calipers.

Harley claims the XR1200 is “dirt-track inspired” but I would say it appears more supermoto; this is not a bike designed for dirt but it does capture the look of dirt-bikes converted for track use. The Sportster XR1200 is definitely a bike we need in the States and hopefully Harley will make it available here soon.

The same issue includes another Sportster that we need, a modern version of the 1958 XLH. This bike was built for off-road racing and did not include bits like head- and tail-lights. The bobbed fenders, simple design, and single seat would make for an awesome modern Sportster. Harley is currently on a “dark-side” kick with models like the Nightster; these are great looking bikes but a look back at the history of the brand shows that great design can be colorful. Harley-Davidson seems to have forgotten its racing heritage with its commercial models. Wouldn’t it be great to be able to buy a Sportster that combined the racing spirit of the XLH with the capabilities of the modern machines? I certainly think so.

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Screamin Eagle slip-on mufflers

I've cleaned the Sportster and temporarily stripped it down; removing the windscreen and saddlebags. I was feeling nostalgic for the more simple sporty appearance and riding of the bike. It's amazing how much the windscreen changes the look of the bike – not to mention the feel of wind-in-your-face riding. In the attached pictures you can see the Harley-Davidson XL with the Tour Master saddlebag center strap across the rear fender. Later, I loosened the seat and removed the center strap.

I've finally recorded the Sportster with the Screamin Eagle mufflers. The mufflers are very easy to install, only requiring the loosening of the clamps, the removal of the four mounting bolts, and the loosening of the lower bracket for the rear pipe. Removing the original mufflers required the application of a little force and some twisting. The Screamin Eagle mufflers provided the sound I was hoping for and based on seat-of-the-pants measurements improved the throttle response.

According to the Harley-Davidson dyno metrics the Screamin Eagle mufflers for the Sportster add about 5 or 6 horsepower and 10 foot pounds of torque. Pretty good price/performance results for bolt-on parts. With the slip-on mufflers the Sportster has great sound, not too loud in the lower RPM range, but with a twist of the wrist they provide a great result. I use the added sound to 'notify' drivers when I'm passing them, especially if I see them on the phone or not paying attention to what is going on around them.

BTW, after doing some research I decided not to add the Screamin Eagle intake. From what I've read on Sportster related forums the performance gains from the intake are minimal given the comparative costs. Upgrading the intake requires either taking the Sportster to the dealer for an update to the engine management computer or buying and tuning an aftermarket engine control unit. Given the cost and hassle of the two options I made the choice to take the less complex route. I may change my mind in future though I am more inclined to update the rear shocks and front springs with products from Progressive Suspension.

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Harley-Davidson to acquire MV Agusta

Harley-Davidson announced the acquisition of Italian motorcycle company MV Agusta a couple of day ago (not sure how I missed the announcement). That's a pretty amazing combination of capital and design. MV Agusta have some of the most amazing designs in the sportbike market, and prices to match. Here's an except from the press release posted on Autoblog:

"MV Agusta Group adds two lines of motorcycles to the Harley-Davidson, Inc. family: a line of exclusive, premium, high-performance sport motorcycles sold under the MV Agusta brand; and a line of lightweight sport motorcycles sold under the Cagiva brand. MV Agusta's F4-R motorcycle, powered by a 1078cc in-line four-cylinder liquid cooled engine, is rated at 190 hp."

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Saddlebags and relocating the tail lights

I’ve received a couple of questions regarding the “need” to relocate the rear light assemblies when installing saddlebags. There are a lot of bag options available and the smaller bags will fit with the stock rear light assembly. When selecting bags I recommend thinking about what it is you want to store in the bags and taking some measurements so you can make sure you buy the right size. I went with a larger size bag because I wanted to be able to carry my jacket which, with armor, is pretty big. I had hoped to be able to carry my notebook in the saddlebags but this would have required a monster-sized bag. I also preferred the look of the slant bags to the standard bags but would have had more usable room with the standard configuration.

I really like the setup with the Tour Master bags; they provide the space I need and enough ‘extra’ room for water bottles, etc. on longer rides.

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Comments

Due to comment spam starting to appear on Harley-Davidson-Sportster.com I’ve decided to turn on some comment moderating features in blogger. I’m hoping these are not too annoying for people that want to leave legit feedback and annoying enough to stop the knuckleheads.

My annoyance for the day: FXRG back armor is on backorder for Harley Davidson. You can buy a great riding jacket from Harley, my Switchback is awesome, but you can’t get the $25 foam pad to protect your spine. Go figure.

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Dry summer

It’s been a while since I’ve written about my bike; been a busy 6 months and I’ve not had much time for blogging or riding for that matter. It’s a real shame that summer has pretty much past by and I’ve not had more than a day of riding. I do plan on getting out this weekend for at least a couple of hours; I could use some time on the road, focused on the ride. There’s no better way to clear your head then to get out and ride.

I will post some updates on the bike. There’ve been some changes since the last posts including Screamin Eagle pipes, and some other accessories. I’ll get a video clip of the bike running with the pipes so you can compare the difference in sound. The sound from the pipes is great, not too loud but you can make yourself heard when needed.

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It’s about time

I had coffee today with friend Mark Demos of Demos Watch. Mark had just gotten back from Sturgis where he had launched his new line of watches. Mark promised to send some pictures of the event and I’ll post those when they arrive. In the meantime I wanted to make mention of his line of watches which are pretty unique. Mark has designed watches for the two-wheel enthusiast and has done a great job of capturing the essence of motorcycling. The Demos watches features bands made of sprocket chain or tread-like rubber. Very cool stuff.

Mark has a very cool watch that would go well with any Harley-Davidson, it makes a pretty bold statement both in size and with the chain-style band. I know, I know, Harleys are belt drive; I’m still trying to convince Mark to use a carbon fiber belt pattern for one of his new watch models. Let me know if you agree, with enough positive feedback we might just have a great new generation Harley watch (and I don’t mean the wimpy Bulova watches the Harley dealers sell, ugh).

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Installing the Harley Davidson Layback License Plate and Turn Signal Relocation Kit

Well before I ever wrenched on a motorcycle I worked on cars, there was a time when I even did that as a profession. I've always been pretty good at applying a strong dose of common sense to the job and figuring out when things just don't seem right.

Having previously owned BMW and Suzuki motorcycles I became accustomed to working on those machines and following the instructions provided by the manufacturers. Both manufacturers provide clear, concise instructions that are every bit as precise as their products. Anyone who could follow instructions and could tell the difference between a Phillips and Flat head screwdriver could do many straight forward tasks and fit most accessories.

With the Harley Davidson products I've learned that there is room for interpretation and that the ability sense when things aren't quite right are required for successful, or at least less frustrating, projects. I may be spoiled by the Germans and the Japanese, but it seems to me the good folks in Milwaukee like to leave out some useful bits of information, likely to make the jobs more interesting.

When installing the layback license plate and turn signal relocation kit (PN 60215-06) on my 2008 Sportster XL1200C Custom I found that most of the directions were accurate but there were certain pieces of information left out that would have been nice to have had. First of all, the Sportster Custom is low enough that unless you have pretty small hands your going to need to lift the bike to get underneath the rear fender and loosen the original license plate mounting hardware. Fortunately for me, I've hands suited for getting into tight spots.

Removing the original turn signals from the fender support required a little extra common sense as removing the parts specified in the kit instructions does not suffice. Rather, the outer chrome cover must be completely removed by loosening all of the torx bolts. At that time the nut head for the "stud" running through the turn signal mount can be accessed.

Also, when running the turn signal wires through the new, cylindrical mount on the license plate frame it is required to remove the original shrink tubing as the internal diameter of the mount is not sufficient. I had some small diameter shrink tubing on hand and once I ran the wires through the mount covered the exposed portions in the new tubing.

Finally, the kit provides instructions for removing the original connectors from the wire ends, and new connectors to attach once the wires are routed through the mount. Again, the diameter is too narrow to run the original connectors through. Problem is, attaching the new connectors can be an issue if you don't have a crimping tool sufficient to the task. I did have a tool that with a bit of care worked for me. If you're not comfortable with this than use the original connectors and instead splice the wires. If you cut back about 2-3 inches you will have plenty of room to run the wires through the mount and then solder the ends back on. Don't forget to slip the new shrink tube over the wires before you attach the ends and use a heat sink to keep from inadvertently shrinking the tubing.

Finally, once you've successfully installed the layback license plate and turn signal relocation kit you will have two holes on each side of the rear fender support chrome cover. The instructions provide part numbers for the hole plugs. What I found that worked are 2 of PN 53377-04 for the front holes and 2 of PN 68446-00 for the rear. Funny (ha ha) thing is that the 53377 hole plugs are $5.95 each while the latter are only $0.95 a piece. Go figure.

For the rest of the install, follow the Harley-Davidson instructions. Overall, it's a good kit that adds to the looks of the Sportster and get's the turn signals relocated in preparation of saddle bags.

10:00 to Yuma

I've been wanting to get out and do a "long" ride on the Sportster. I set the goal of crossing the state line, figuring that would require a reasonable number of miles. After watching the movie "3:10 to Yuma" with Russell Crowe I decided I'd make the ride out to Yuma myself and take a look at the fabled Territorial Prison.

I left Sunday at 10am, a bit later than planned but early enough to make it out and back before dark. I dressed warn (for SoCal) with thermal shirt, short sleeve shirt, and a sweat shirt under my leather jacket. For pants I went with my standard riding trousers, the Arbor pants from Aerostitch. In past, the cold air on my face has created quite a chill so I covered up with a bandana. I probably looked like a bank robber but my face was warm. I also thought the look appropriate for the ride.

The Sportster motored along the San Diego freeways very smooth. The ride is significantly more comfortable than that of the Suzuki SV I previously owned, and even the BMW F650 GS Dakar I had. I stopped and topped off the tank in Alpine and then headed East on the 8.

The Harley is a great ride, I particularly like the forward controls as they allow the legs to extend. The Harley-Davidson windscreen is great for keeping the rider on the seat but it does create some serious turbulence around the head. With the ear flaps, riding goggles, and bandana I was pretty comfortable.

The temperature at 4,140 feet was pretty chilly, even with the multiple layers. I knew I definitely wanted to get through the mountain pass on my return trip before nightfall. Once out of the mountains the desert floor was warm, probably high 60s and that made for a nice ride. We went right on through El Centro, and the gas light came on about 30 miles outside of Yuma.

I crossed the Colorado into Arizona and then went for gas. I knew I could rely on at least 35 mpg but didn't want to push my luck, we had ridden about 35 miles since the light came on. I filled up and then headed for the Historic Territorial Prison. I had to take a couple of pictures of the Sportster in front of the sign and then took a quick walk around to check out the site. The prison itself looks to be mostly gone, there are some touristy type areas and large grounds for walking, biking, etc.

I did take a walk down to the cemetery where 104 souls are buried, the graves are obvious but there aren't any markers telling who is buried in which spot. There is a central marker listing the names of all those buried, I did not see "Ben Wade" from the movie, so I guess he escaped as promised.

The ride back from Yuma was pretty quick with a stop in El Centro to fuel my tank and top off the Sportster. We made it back to San Diego well before dark and had only a brief delay in the College are due to an accident. The entire trip was just over 394 miles, run in under 7 hours 15 minutes. I averaged about 39 mpg for the trip, which doesn't seem at all bad, though I was hoping for closer to 50. I'm thinking that a set of Screamin Eagle slip-ons may be just what it takes to get a few extra miles out of a tank of fuel.

Installing the Tour Master Cruiser II Slant Saddlebags

As mentioned in previous posts I recently purchased a set of the Tour Master Cruiser II Slant Saddlebags, size large, from Tonker.com. I was impressed when the bags arrived two days after ordering (free shipping) and quickly went about getting them installed.

I'd already installed the Harley-Davidson Saddlebag Supports (see previous post) so the work requiring tools was pretty much done. The Tour Master bags out of the box hung a bit high on my 2008 Sportster XL1200 Custom so the first step was to adjust the length (or width depending on how you want to look at it) of the yoke. This is very easy to do, simply untie the know, remove the laces, and then lay the bags across the rear fender.

I aligned the top of the bags with the rear frame rail and then matched the holes on the two sides of the yoke. The overlap was four holes in. With this set I laced up the pieces and tied the knot securely.

To keep the bags from shifting Tour Master provides buckles and links made out of nylon strap. Simply find a spot on the bike to attach the strap and snap the buckle to the bag. I fastened the straps to the saddlebag supports at the back and to the frame below the oil tank/battery cover up front. This is probably overkill but I've read enough posts about accidents caused by luggage getting wrapped around to the rear wheel to get a little freaked.

Bottom line, the installation is very easy, the product very nice, and I'm very happy with my decision to go this route. The bags are not big enough to hold a laptop computer, especially with the slant, but there is enough capacity for my leather jacket (no armor). The bags make the Sportster more versatile, making runs to the video store, post office, etc. very convenient. And for longer trips the bags have enough capacity to store extra shirts, hats, etc. handy to have when riding in areas where the climate and temperature change significantly.

Installing the Harley-Davidson Saddlebag Supports

When I finally made the decision to go with the throw-over saddle bags from Tour Master I also decided to use the Harley-Davidson Saddlebag Supports, figuring that while a bit pricey ($100) they would be of good quality and fit for my 2008 Sportster XL1200 Custom. I purchased the supports from San Diego Harley, took a quick look at the instructions and thought it looked like quick work to do the install.

I set the Sportster's jiffy stand on a two-by-four to get the bike near level. The Harley kit covers multiple Sportster years and has a variety of hardware. I read through the instructions in detail to pull out the specific nuts and bolts required for the install. The first thing I noticed was that the rear mount for the support is assembled using a 2 3/4" bolt that runs from inside the fender and is finished with an acorn nut. Having recently completed the turn signal relocation project I knew that given the low height of the Custom there wasn't much room between the tire and fender.

Removing the original bolt, that runs from outside the fender to an inner nut, and then trying to fit the new, longer bolt it was obvious there was not way to get it through the fender and frame rail with the rear suspension attached. Getting the rear suspension detached is easy enough, I simply rolled over my floor jack, with large rubber pad, positioned it under the Sportster and raised the bike to full extension of the shocks. With the shocks extended I removed the bolts and carefully balancing the bike raised it to the point where I could fit the new bolts through the fender and frame. Having the bolts close by made this a fairly easy and low risk task. With the bolts in place I gently lowered the bike to the point where I could reattach one of the shocks.

At this point I slipped the saddlebag supports over the rear mounts to gets sense for how they would line up (on the side without the shock attached). The supports are overall "close" to fitting but they do not exactly line up with the frame and shock assemblies. The instructions are nebulous about the installation of a spacer for the rear mount but given the gap between the rear and forward mounting positions I put the spacer on the outside of the support.

I thought that the forward, shock mount would be very easy, simply align the support and run the new, longer bolt and cover. I then discovered the that new cover, which in all fairness is marked for 1994-1999 models did not have a large enough hole for the newer Sportster shock bolts. Back to the original cover; unfortunately the original cover has a deeper recess and when the bolt is tightened the saddlebag support will crush the edge of the cover. Even with the spacer on the outside of the cap the support did not fit properly with the cover. Ultimately I decided not to use the cover, I could only stare at the pieces for so long. I may get another spacer but for now I'm claiming success for the installation.

Saddlebag Update

I've got to give a 'shout out' to Tonker.com, great prices, great service and FAST shipping. In my last post I mentioned ordering the large Tour Master Cruiser II Slant saddlebags from Tonker.com, the company had the best price I could find online and free shipping on orders over $75. I ordered the bags over the weekend, received shipping confirmation on Monday and was amazed to find them on my door stoop Tuesday morning. I'll do a full write up on the bags in a future post but have to say I am very happy with my decision to go with the Tour Master product, very nice bags, easy to install, and I'm already getting compliments on how the look on the Sportster XL1200C.

For those of you who didn't get it in the above, I highly recommend Tonker.com and the Tour Master Cruiser II luggage.

Saddlebags for the Sportster

I've been thinking about saddlebags for my Sportster for quite some time. Even before I purchased the bike I knew I wanted bags, ideally to carry jacket, extra shirts in cold weather, and my notebook for going back and forth to the office. When I rented the Sportster from the local dealer it was equipped with the Harley-Davidson "Sportster Leather Saddlebags". I found the bags to be very flexible, large enough to cram a long armored jacket into, and liked the easy to use clips under the chrome buckles. I was less excited when I found out the bags are almost $600 not including all the bits required to get them attached to the Sportster.

For the last couple of months I've been looking at various options for saddlebags, searching for the right mix of style, capacity, quality and price. I took a look at the bags people were using on the XL Forums, a lot of nice options are out there. I looked at Willie & Max, Saddleman, and LeatherLyke and several others but didn't find what I was looking for, something that maintains the clean crisp look of the XL1200C Custom. I knew I didn't want rivets, conchos, etc.

Then I found the Tour Master Cruiser II Slant saddlebag. I've used Tour Master products in past and have found them to be of good quality and reasonable price. I did a little research on the web and found others using the bags and happy with the results. The Cruiser bags paired with the Harley saddlebag supports seemed like a good, fairly economical option for Sportster luggage. I purchased the bags online from Tonker.com for under $144, a great price with free shipping. I've not received the bags yet, ordered just the other day, and will review when they arrive.

I did go down to San Diego Harley to purchase the saddlebag supports. They were in stock for the the list price of about $100. I did the transaction and got my points. I'd already installed the rear turn signal relocation kit (that's another story) so the supports are the last thing needed in preparing the Sportster for the bags. I'll write about the installation in a future post, let's just say I'm still amazed at how Harley-Davidson provides just enough information to do to the work, with a little head scratching and creativity required to complete the job.