Sportster's Ain't A Touring Bike....

[darrell]

... I've heard many a unknowledgable rider say.

I ride with a woman who has criss-crossed the country, ridden to Stugis twice, Milwaukee a few times, Billings last year, plus just putted here around home, all on her stock 883.

And now, congratulations to the top 3 finishers of the Ironbutt Rally, Martin Leir, Jim Owen, and Brett Donahue. Martin piloted his BM( cough, cough)W Adventure to First Place with 12,460 miles and 344,122 points. Jim, who was also on that German made model, although his was the R1200RT, traveled 11,137 miles to earn 333,471 points.

But, Brett Donahue, who traveled 11,283 miles and earned 316,707 points along the way, did it all on a Sportster 1200R.

Hell of a job.

[Rock]

Touring bike is not defined by how far you ride right? It's by the design of the machine. But I see your point.

[Geezer-Glide]

Back in the 70's I spent many a year and many a mile up and down the left coast from Seattle to L.A. on a Sporty. My ass STILL hurts!!

They are a fun little pocket rocket though.

[Fe Butte]

At least his final drive didn't fail him.

Wonder how well he passed the exhaust noise test? I read the pre-ride testing over at the iron but+ site and it sounds like a Harley would just pass with stock mufflers. Even some of them Teutonic made bikes would fail with some mods.

[Highmiles]

Originally Posted by Rock

Touring bike is not defined by how far you ride right? It's by the design of the machine. But I see your point.

I always felt like it was the other way around. If it is what you choose to tour on, it is a touring bike. In my younger days, a pair of saddlebags qualified anything as a touring bike.

[Axe-man!]

I don't exactly consider my Dyna as a touring bike, but I did just fine for 5,790miles and wouldn't even think twice about doing it again...

JS

[Ol Mike]

They had Bronson touring the country on a Sportster.

[LittleBear]

Good job on any H-D and even better on a Sportster.
I touring bike is what ever you ride while touring. Size and style do not matter.

[swmnkdinthervr]

Don't tell this guy...

my OL did 4k in 14 days on a stock 883, i did set the bike up for comfort, seat, engine guard w/pegs etc,,, she was 51 at the time and i ran her 2 550 mile days,,,,

[route66paul]

They have tourpaks and sadlebads for mopeds and Vespas, they are NOT touring bikes.(But they can deliver pizza.)

[thrasher]

Don't tell Mikey LeDuc that his Sportster wasn't a touring bike. The man crossed the Arctic Circle twice back in the mid 90's including going down Haul Rd (now called the Dalton Hwy) in Alaska. As you can see from the picture below, Mikey is not a small man. This is his story. You can spend hours reading it,... but its an excellent read.

http://www.niia.net/~leduc_mike/

[harleyjsb]

Originally Posted by thrasher

Don't tell Mikey LeDuc that his Sportster wasn't a touring bike. The man crossed the Arctic Circle twice back in the mid 90's including going down Haul Rd (now called the Dempster Hwy) in Alaska. As you can see from the picture below, Mikey is not a small man. This is his story. You can spend hours reading it,... but its an excellent read.

http://www.niia.net/~leduc_mike/

That's one dirty ass bike....................

[LittleBear]

Originally Posted by harleyjsb

That's one dirty ass bike....................

Hard to keep it clean on hundreds of miles of gravel roads.
I know most of you guys would have just trailered it.

Originally Posted by harleyjsb

That's one dirty ass bike....................

The Alaska Highway is not a very "clean" ride>

Here is a picture of the "blue beatch" on the lift for a service at the HD dealership in Fairbanks after the trip up>

Construction is always part of a summer trip to Alaska>



I think the rear rotor has a clean spot on it>