| Author | Message | ||
     86129squids |
Sounds like buellshat. You got the right thread, or are you out of TP??? (Message edited by 86129squids on April 20, 2020) | ||
| 86129squids |
Hey John... glad you're home. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZ  | ||
| Crusty |
Right and Wrong I love my new bike and I hate my new bike. If I couldn’t modify it, it would be one of the worst bikes I’ve ever owned. However, I can turn it into an all day comfortable Sport Tourer that will be what I think it should be. And that process begins today. On the ride from Wichita to Cheviot, I did a good bit of thinking about the MoFoCo and their products. I really don’t think they know what they have or why people buy their products. Look at what H-D did to Buell. They had a truly amazing performance line and killed it. Yes; there were some problems with the early bikes, but that happens with any new company, and Buell worked hard at correcting those issues. The XB platform bikes were powerful, handled extremely well and had wonderful brakes. I remember one British magazine that called the Firebolt the Best Handling Motorcycle Ever Made. Their testers were giggling because they could drag their elbows in the turns Erik Buell made innovative bikes that made owners better riders. When Buell came out with the XB12TT, Harley, instead of marketing it as a Ducati beater (which it was), made it a “Graffiti Bike”. Sales dropped through the basement floor. I think it sold more dismally than the Honda Pacific Coast. I won’t go into a tirade about whose idea was it to pick Elton John at the Highlight Act at Harley’s 100th anniversary. I’m not badmouthing Elton John, but that made as much sense as serving rare Roast Beef at a PETA gathering. (for the record; some of Elton John’s songs are true classics and I love rare Roast Beef) Using that same logic, the Catholic Church should have Led Zeppelin play at the Vatican on Christmas Eve. Now, Harley came out with the new Roadster. It’s a Sportster with better brakes and better suspension. Both are improvements that appeal to me. But they didn’t stop there. They gave it a seat that was modeled from a device used in the Spanish Inquisition. And that wasn’t enough; they put handlebars on it that are guaranteed to cause pain if you ride more than 30 minutes at a time. Who do they think will find that attractive? And the fenders are a joke. They must be; nobody that I know wants to be sprayed in the face by road phlegm while getting a skunk stripe down their back from the rear wheel. Do the designers think that people who would appreciate a motorcycle with better brakes and handling would only want to ride it to the bar or coffee shop on sunny days? If so, why didn’t they put an engine that makes equal power to what my 1998 Buell Thunderstorm engine did? I put my S3-T on the Dyno at Lancaster H-D and it made 85 HP and 75 Lbs-Ft of torque. Cycle World put a 2018 Iron on a dyno and got 59 HP and 67 Lb-Ft of torque. The Current Roadster is flawed. However, it has the right basics. I’m going to turn it into what the factory should have done. I just wish that the bean counters and upper management would take a long trip to someplace like Pago Pago and have their boat sink. Then maybe some people who are motorcycle enthusiasts could start making the motorcycles that would live up to what they could be. Right now, all they're proving is that they sure excel at doing a half assed job. | ||
| Tootal |
I'm reminded of biblical stories that talk about building your house on sand or building it on stone. The most important part of building a house is it's foundation and since 2003 Harley has cheapened the foundation of their engines. They used to be bullet proof! Since then the changes have only made a bike weaker and cheaper to build. I couldn't agree more Crusty, they just don't seem to get it. I think they believe they're main customer might ride 1000 miles in a year and will trade their 5 year old bike in for a new one with only 5000 miles on it. The percentage of owners that really rack the miles up is getting less and less. We are no longer Harley's idea of a wanted customer. Fortunately the Sportster engine, other than loosing the transmission access, hasn't been internally changed all that much and is still the best engine they produce, IMHO. I've seen the insides of a new 8 valve big twin engine. No thanks! | ||
| Buellish |
John,how do you plan on adapting the early style front fender to the inverted fork on the new bike? | ||
| Crusty |
Mike; I won't be putting an early style fender on the upside down forks. I'm hoping that the fender from either an XR 1200 or a V-Scrod will fit. both of those fenders are longer. And if I get a fender extender, then I should have adequate coverage. The next time I go to the dealership, I'll bring a small measuring tape and see if the mounts are the same. | ||
| 86129squids |
You could always work up one of those durable rubber old-school fender extenders... JC Whitney? | ||
| Crusty |
Change Is Inevitable Last Friday was an Eye Opener kind of day. I didn’t expect the weather to suck as bad as it did. I only went a short distance before putting up in a motel. I also realized that the ergonomics of the new bike were much worse than I had expected. So I ordered new hand grips and levers from J&P Cycles, so I could change the bars as fast as possible. Yesterday morning, I went down to the garage with a tape measure and realized that I’ll need to change the Throttle Cables, Clutch Cable and the Front Brake Line, as well. The simple handlebar change is going to cost almost $300.00! 22 bucks each for throttle cables, 60 bucks for a clutch cable and 110 bucks for the brake line. Add in shipping and tax plus the levers and grips and the number is right up there. For the record, it took me a long while to research what will fit. The Clutch cable is the same as the one on my ’05, and the Throttle cables and brake line is from a 2015 883 Roadster. I was going to get the same brake line as the one on the ’05, but H-D changed the banjo bolt size on the master cylinder. I have to say that the parts guy on the phone from Ronnie’s H-D was extremely helpful. I bought from them for a couple of reasons. I use their online parts finder microfiche a lot when researching parts and their parts prices are better than some of the shops I’ve used around here. I bought a small exhaust bracket from one shop and they charged me $9.95. When I got home, the label on the box had $8.95 printed on the label. I don’t buy parts from them any more. The other reason is because they took the time to put the parts finder up. That took a lot of work and it’s a big help to an amateur like me. They deserve the business. And, to be honest, I felt a little bit guilty using their site so much and never buying from them. Not a lot of guilt, but there was some in the background. I shouldn’t have bought the parts. I should have waited. After I hung up my phone, I could hear Bud Abbott saying, “I’ve done a Bad Thing.” in his remorseful voice. But I did it. I used the card, even though I’d sworn not to until it gets paid off. The good news is that I didn’t use the card when Mustang sent me an e-mail announcing a 10% discount on their seats just after I bought the parts. I was sorely tempted, though. Very tempted. But I looked online and both J&P and Dennis Jerk were selling the seat I want for the same price. I also don’t want to run the card up. I can use the Sundowner seat from the ’05 until I can afford a Mustang Vintage Wide. I was going to just swap the seats from the two bikes and use the lightly padded board for running around town, but it won’t work with the Custom tank that’s on the 05. The Sundowner will fit on either bike, so I think I’ll play musical seats for a while until I can afford the new one. Well; that’s it for today. | ||
| Crusty |
1000 Mile Report I bought the 16 with 2460 miles on it and it now has 3532 miles on the odometer. The stock ergonomics are torture. Yesterday, when I rode up to Indianapolis to visit R.D., I put the Sundowner seat from the 05 on it and it made a great improvement. Once I change the bars, I think it’ll be quite comfortable. I’m going to have to buy tires soon. The stock rear Dunlop is down to the wear bars. The tire felt planted at all times, but 3500 miles is too short a life. Especially when you consider that at least 1/3 of that mileage was from riding down the Interstate. The factory has changed the oil change routine. It’s no longer a hose clipped to the frame under the transmission. it’s now a hose clipped to the frame on the side of the bike. It looks like an improvement and I’m going to hope that it is. If it isn’t, I’ll report on it after I change the oil, which I want to do soon. I could change the engine oil now, but I want to wait to change the transmission oil until I get the new clutch cable. I’ll have to pull the Primary cover to install the new cable, so I don’t want to waste the oil. I’ve had to change my plans a bit. I’m going to have to get a rear fender from an XL1200T when it’s time for paint. The fender I got won’t work with the new tail lights. That’s OK; I can put the tail lights from a T on it and the wiring will work pretty much trouble free. I’m going to have to get hold of Roy and ask how much that plastic “International” license plate mount cost, and also where he got his. It’ll give me better protection from rear wheel spray than stock. Like I said, it’s going to be a while before I can afford to get fenders and paint. I’m happy with the bike, so far. I really like the improved suspension a lot, and the fuel injection is nice, even though I’m not getting the gas mileage I was hoping for. It’s a good foundation for building my idea of what a Sport Touring motorcycle should be. And that'll be the bike that Harley should build. | ||
| Adrenaline_junkie |
John, I got the License Plate bracket from my local Harley Dealer. Unfortunately I ordered the one for a Dyna and ended up doing a lot of modifications to it. I don't remember how much I paid. They sell one for the Sportster, I just screwed up and ordered the wrong one. | ||
| Ourdee |
John let me sit on Sporty-Red. Sitting wasn't bad. Feet touched the ground. But, those bars. How could anyone think they were right. My back instantly hurt trying to hang on to them. I was offered to take it for a spin. I rarely ride another man's bike. Especially his newest or only bike. I road Matthew Loose's Blastard with no guilt. My first street legal bike was an RD250. I was 16. The co-worker that borrowed it for a spin around the block was gone for over 30 minutes. Came back and dropped it in front of me, bending the forks. So,...... Thank you for the offer. It means a lot. But, don't be offended when I decline. I will still offer my bike to people I trust. Crusty wanted coffee, and he is not picky. I wish I could say I went for ribs with him, but... We are waiting for Velvet Smoke to re-open. He knows where the motorcycle parking is.  | ||
| 86129squids |
OK, just realized something. John, you MUST do a series of before/after pics as you mutate that bike into the machine it's meant to be. From that image alone, the bike reminds me why cropping ears or docking tails just aint right for dogs. An analogy- I have a Basenji. A quirky breed, not for everyone, but the design is spot-on. Actually, arguably, the original dog design. Most breeds have been modified for gobs of reasons, not all good or proper. Heck, if you're not careful, you could get a Springer Spaniel with rage syndrome. But I digress. My dog is fast, absolutely beautiful, a pleasure to live with, smart, and... he doesn't bark. A very unique feature of his design. In your mind you've got a picture of what your critter/bike's gonna become... pics!  | ||
| Crusty |
Confusion There’s a woodpecker that’s moved into my neighborhood. I’ve been hearing it pecking away rapidly for a few weeks , now. It’s kind of neat. I heard it just at daybreak this morning and I just heard it again. I’m titling this Snippet Confusion because that reflects how I feel about what changes I want to make to the new Roadster. No; that’s not right; I know what changes I want to make, I just have to figure out the best way to make them. The back tire is down to the wear bars, so I went shopping online to see what tire choices I have. Very few people make tires in the sizes I need. It seems like I’ll have to go with either Continental TK 70s or Pirelli Scorpions. Roy, who has a Roadster recommends the Contis. I have an attraction for the Pirellis because I really liked the Angel GTs that I put on both my Buell XT and my Moto Guzzi Norge. I really wish Pirelli made the Angel GT tires in the right sizes for my bike. The original Dunlops worked really well, but they wore out in very short order. I considered getting just a rear tire, since the front isn’t worn nearly as much, but the only place I can find one for sale is at my Official Harley-Davidson Dealer for almost the same price that I can find a set of the others. Nobody makes a “Sport Touring” tire in the right sizes for the 16. I’ll probably go with the Scorpions, but I have no idea about how they’ll last. I’ve been running Conti Tours on the ’05, and while I like them better than either the Dunlop Elites or the Michelin Commander 2s, they don’t last as long; so I’m a bit worried that the TKCs would only last a short while, as well. The bottom line is that I won’t be buying any tires until next month. I have to watch my spending. Buying the cables and brake line so I can change out the handlebars maxed out this month’s “Discretionary” funds and then some. I found out the part numbers to put the International rear plastic fender extender/license plate holder on my bike. The plastic piece is quite reasonable; it’s only $27.49. The tail light that goes on it, however costs $137.49. I don’t know if I want to spend that much money for a temporary setup. The fender I plan to use only costs $187.99 in Prime, so the cost for a temporary improvement leaves me wondering if it’s worth it. And then there’s the seat. I’ve been planning to just swap the Sundowner between the ’05 and the ’16, but on Thursday, the front mounting tab broke off it. the seat is still usable, but it really needs to be replaced. That means that I need two seats. One for each bike. I can keep the lightly covered board on the ’16, but it won’t fit on the ’05 since the ’05 has the bigger tank. That means that unless I spend a bundle of money, I won’t be riding the ’16 for any distance for a while. And I want to. I bought the 16 so that I can travel on it. Maybe a cheaper seat than the Mustang would be a good idea. Saddlemen makes one that’s about $80.00 cheaper and it looks good… well, we’ll see. If push comes to shove, I can use the Sundowner for now. Maybe I should get a set of soft bag supports and use the old Roadgear bags. They did alright for the first year I had the ’05. Well; I’ll just play that by ear. I guess the confusion comes from wanting to make so many changes, but not being sure which changes to make first or in what order. This is what makes building my own bike so much of a challenge. And also what makes it so much fun. | ||
| Ourdee |
Why not just rivet an extension into the rear fender till you put the funding together. | ||
| Adrenaline_junkie |
 | ||
| Crusty |
Here's the International license plate holder. It's # 36 at the bottom of the drawing. That's the cheap piece. The tail light (#28) is the expensive part. However, I'm giving it some serious thought.  | ||
| Buellish |
John,I don't know what the front tab on your seat look's like but consider bending up a piece of aluminium flat stock,drilling and riveting it on the seat. Failing that,surely there is an auto upholstery shop that might have an idea of how to repair it. | ||
| Crusty |
Letter To Pirelli This morning, I sent the following letter to Pirelli Tires: From: John Jackson Email: nmwprime City: Cheviot, OH Phone: Country: USA Topic: Motorcycle Subject: Angel GT Message: I have a 2016 Harley-Davidson XL1200CX Roadster that I'm planning to tour on. I wish you made Angel GTs in sizes that would fit it. I loved the Angels on both my Buell XT and my Moto Guzzi Norge. You do have the Scorpions in my sizes, and I'll be putting a set of them on; but I would love to see Angels in my sizes. I just got this response: Hello John, thanks for reaching out and providing feedback. All our best, Pirelli Moto It’s nice to know they’re listening.  | ||
| Cupcake_mike |
I've had good luck with scorpions on my uly, 6-8k miles for a rear. Pilot roads are my go to now, getting 10-12k out of them, but I don't know if they come in your size. The dunlop qualifier series have also treated me very well. ran a TKC70, I got 4k out of. I think you made the right decision. -Mike | ||
| Griffmeister |
Thank you (your name here) for being a great customer. | ||
| Crusty |
Mike; I'd love to try a set of Pilot Roads on the 16, but they don't make them in my size. George; exactly! | ||
| 86129squids |
So far I've really liked the Avons on my BMW. I did like the Pirellis on the Buell, both the Scorpions and the Angels, but IIRC mileage was shorter than I liked. When I had the Triumph Sprint ST, I was running a S/T version of the Bridgestone Battlax series, liked them too. | ||
| Zac4mac |
I got 3 years out of my TKC80s, I was duly impressed. They held deep leans as well as scorpions and the look... They had no chicken strips when retired. I have Angel GTs on the Uly now. They are great on pavement but suck on dirt roads. I want another set of TKCs. Come on stimulus check! Z | ||
| 86129squids |
 | ||
| Shoggin |
I put TKC-80's on my STT and not at all surprised they lasted that long. The concrete road would wear down faster. Probably THE hardest tires I've ever swapped on myself  They do look amazing though!! I think a 70-30 like an Anakee for fire roads and some small hill climbs should be in my future. So, I guess I have a set of TKC's for sale? Complete on 2-bearing Uly wheels, with brakes!  | ||
| Shoggin |
 | ||
| Crusty |
Parts Is Parts Building a dream bike is a very time intense project. At least it is for me. I spend hours on Ronnie’s H-D Parts Finder and on the “Official” H-D site looking at different parts and mentally juggling which parts will achieve my desired effect. The next time I go to the Harley shop, I’m going to bring a small cloth tape measure and measure bolt hole spacing on front fender brackets. I have to find a front fender that offers more coverage. The stock front fender is a bad joke. Not all of the parts that are on the H-D site will be used. There are much cheaper alternatives that are available. I’m thinking specifically of the Daymaker LED headlight. Harley wants $409.95 for one, but I got a Chinese Daymaker for under $40.00 on Amazon. And the cheap one is every bit as effective as the MoFoCo part. (actually; It's made by Sunpie and I got it for free. It was a gift from a friend). I’ll be buying another one for the 16 in the not too distant future. There’s no comparison between the original and the LED. Anyhow; it’s going to take me a long while to get everything set up for the Express, so I’m going to do it in stages. First; I’m going to make it comfortable. The stock setup flat sucks for riding for any length of time. I have the cables and brake line coming from Ronnie’s and as soon as they arrive, I’ll put the new bars on. I’m going to go with the Mustang Vintage Wide one piece seat. A MoFoCo Sundowner seat was on the Roadster when I bought it, and I really liked it a lot. When I put the Custom tank on the bike, I had to get a new Sundowner, since the tank is longer. It’s also good, but not quite as good as the Sundowner for the 3.3 gallon tank. When I tok the original Seat off the bike, I saw that it was cracked in a few places. Now, the front “Tongue” on the seat pan of the current seat has broken off. The seat is still usable, for now, but it’s only a matter of time before it dies. Parrothead on the XL Forum rides in the Ironbutt; and on a seat thread recommended the Mustang Vintage Wide Solo. I looked on Mustang’s site, and the rider’s portion of the seat seems identical. I just prefer a one piece two up seat to a two piece seat. I don’t know why; I ride alone 99.44% of the time, but it’s still my preference. Tires are another big question mark. The Roadster comes with odd sized tires for a “Sporting” motorcycle. While the rest of the world tends to use 17” Radials on their Sport/ Sport Touring bikes, H-D has a 19” front tire and an 18” rear. There are very few manufacturers who make matched tires in the right sizes. I’m going to try Pirelli Scorpions first. So; in order, my priorities are to change the bars and seat; then put on new tires. I’ll get a pair of saddlebag supports from fleaBay and put them on so I can use my soft Roadgear bags for now. I’ve decided that I’m going to get the rear plastic license plate holder and light from the International model. If I get the license plate light and not the tail light, it will be affordable and will add function to a silly styling exercise. I’ll eventually get a sissy bar and luggage rack, but that won’t be until I get the new rear fender and have it painted along with the Custom gas tank and (hopefully) front fender. There are a few little things that will happen along the way, as well; like a black gas cap and headlight ring, but, as long as I keep my focus, it’s all going to happen. In the meantime, I’m spending quite a few hours happily weighing alternatives to parts and getting them as I can afford to. It’s fun. | ||
| Ourdee |
Ape hangers, Big ole sissy bar, Forward controls, Longer forks. Sorry, it was what came to mind when you said sissy bar. | ||
| Crusty |
Work, Work, Work I’ve spent the last couple of days working on motorcycles. On Wednesday, I put a lot of the pieces back on the 78 Iron Motor. I got the clutch hub, basket, primary chain and crank shaft sprocket installed, as well as putting on the seal and Transmission sprocket for the rear drive. Got everything torqued and the new lock tabs bent down to keep the nut from loosening. The clutch is still apart and will be until probably, the fall. I can’t afford to buy the new clutch plates, gaskets, etc. right now. But it's inside and dry and it will be OK. I had just finished up and was sitting in the living room drinking a bottle of water, when the UPS truck pulled up with the parts I ordered for the handlebar swap on the 16. I was tired, and it was almost dinner time, so I decided I’d wait until morning. So I looked through the Service manual and figured it would take me about three hours. That was a bad estimate. It took me a lot longer. I’m not familiar with the fuel injected Sportsters and yesterday was a learning experience. I guess the biggest thing I learned was that the MoFoCo has learned how to stuff 10 pounds of sh*t in a 5 pound bag. But I also learned that even though I couldn’t figure out how to get the cover off that damned plastic box behind the rear cylinder that housed the connector for the fuel pump, if I pulled the air filter and housing, I could unhook the throttle cables from the throttle body. I wound up using the original handgrips, so now I have a spare set to replace them when they wear down. The clutch cable was the easiest part to change. The front brake line that I bought was from a 2015 883 Roadster and the junction block that fits under the lower triple clamp had two locator pins. The stock line only has one. I wound up taking a hacksaw to the pins, as it wouldn’t fit with them. It fits well enough, now and I don’t think there’ll be any problem. Harley has gone to DOT 4 brake fluid, and all I have is DOT 5, so I have to go out and get some and bleed the brakes this morning. I also need to swing by the dealership and pick up four of the plastic clips that hold the wires against the handlebar. I’ll bring my little tape measure with me, so I can check out which front fenders might fit to replace that G-string that’s on there. When you look at the bike, you’d never know that it took me something like seven hours of sweating and swearing and getting seriously frustrated to get it all changed; but I know and I derive a good amount of satisfaction at improvising, adapting, and overcoming a job that was much tougher than I expected. It wore me out and I was asleep before 9:30. Then I woke up at 3:30 this morning. I’ve been up for a couple of hours, and now, I’m going back to bed for another hour or two. When I get up, the dealership should be open and I’ll get the clips and brake fluid and get the job finished. I sat on the bike last night and the new bars feel really good. The transformation has begun. Here's a couple of pix; cause it did happen:   | ||
| Adrenaline_junkie |
I'm thinking I need to find a 4.5 gal tank so I can trade you for that gorgeous tank you are currently running. Unless you plan to keep all the parts to return it to stock. |
