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I'm looking to buy a sportster 1200 in the UK. This is the most informative video I have watched. I now know exactly what to look for and what to expect. So thanks for a great video.

Looks like a nice trip. You should take the time to hike the top of the mountain/hill, it is strenuous but rewarding if you take your time. I went the reverse way from most visitors and I would recommend it as it gives you more time to appreciate the scenic side on your way out in the afternoon. I saw you sportster for sale on FB, and was a little sad, but I hope you get something else that you can enjoy even more.

Not an idiot, be easier on yourself, you’re here teaching us!

Doc Harley says that the HD oil hose clamps do not expand/ loosen once they are clipped into place, providing even pressure around the hose. Doc says that the screw type hose clamp will open / loosen over time and does not provide even pressure around the hose. do not shoot the messenger, as i am going to use hose clamps on my install.

Have an 05 1200c. V&H Longshots, Hyper Charger,grips,and Pegs. Easy too dump coin into them. Have 14k on mine and counting. Zip tied shifter side battery cover,the notoriously fall off or come unhinged. 😊

The Sisters are indeed a great ride, Shawn!

Nice. I haven't taken my Sporty out for a long ride yet. The front cylinder is pushing oil out the breather. It makes me a bit nervous.

2005 XL1200R. Battery negative cable I found loosens when you slide the battery back inti position. The cable gets squashed between the battery & the main frame down tube & slightly loosens as you push the battery in. I moved the negative from the back of the engine to under the seat on right side of the frame near the battery negative post. Job done it’s never come loose again. I put it under the bolt that holds some of the wiring loom in place..above & forward of oil tank No problems at all with vibes on mine. Standard bars original rubber mounts..smooth as silk in motion. All bikes vary ofc

For the most part I find the cv carb on my Sportster is ok but I don’t like the rubber diaphragm. I’ve got a Mikuni HSR42 knockoff on the shelf I plan on installing next Spring. It will be a nice addition to my Hammer 1275.

I road trip on my 2004 sportster. I bought the bike new and changed out almost everything in order to make it comfortable for 10 hour riding days. Did all of it years ago but put 10” mini apes, a 4.5 gallon color matched fuel tank, windshield, mustang seat, mid mounted mini floorboards and more. I’m in my mid 60’s and did two trips this summer one 600 mile round trip to Lake George NY and the other 750 mile round trip to Acadia National Park in Maine. I take quick ten minute stops every 1-1.5 hours to get off and walk around. It helps a lot. Love my sportster it just trips my trigger like no other bike and we’ve been together over 20 yrs and for me it was just a matter of installing the right upgrades to reduce fatigue. No camping for my old ass though. Motels for me. Hope you find what works for you too!

4:18 NEVER forget that step when securing a bike!

Fun channel!

Good series! Where in the world did you find the replacement premolded hoses? I have a 20 yr old sportster and having a tough time finding them and the premolded fuel hose as well. Love my sporty I bought it new but the inability to find parts may be pushing me to get a newer bike. Any help on resources is most appreciated! Xena from the XL Forum! Edit: Those oil hoses are a pita. I replaced my oil pump and had the cam cover off and it was still a pita because like you I was working laying down on the ground. Would love to hear if that non molded fuel hose posed any problems or kinked on you and also how you routed it? Not a lot of room underneath there even though its not a long shot to the carb.

I feel your pain, Shawn. Having ridden for over 50 years, not all motorcycles are great for touring. That said, I've always preferred fully dressed bikes; fairings, saddlebags, etc. My last bike was an '87 Tour Glide. I liked it. It was comfortable on the road. But my favorite bike was my '76 Moto Guzzi 850T3 Police Special. It the most comfortable and reliable of all my motorcycles. None of my Hondas were as reliable as my Goose. And I've owned four of them. Now, this is solely based on my own experiences. Others mileage may vary.

Thanks for the video! I really like how to instrument cluster on the handlebars sometimes looks like Wall-E. Like it looks at you :-) I ride and tour a royal enfield; shame that most folks feel they are underpowerd for the American roads, specifically highways. Can’t judge that myself, seeing as Im in Europe. I enjoy the motorcycle content man!

When you pulled back in I thought you should have done a bathroom check before you left. 😊

I have a 2006 Sportster 1200L I bought about 7 years ago, with just over 3,000 miles on it. I paid $4200 for it. It's my fourth Sportster. Basically brand new. It now has 17,000 miles on it, and would have a lot more, but I also have two other bikes that I ride a lot. The carbureted rubbermount was only made for 3 years, '06 being the last year. I have owned around 40 bikes in my life, a little bit of everything (no crotch rockets) but mostly cruiser style bikes. All of them have been carbureted. I have no desire to get into the computer on wheels thing. Plus most newer bikes all seem to be mostly flat black, and I like bright shiny paint, bright aluminum, and LOTS of chrome. I also like tubeless tires. I have owned several bikes with tube type tires, and will never own another one. They have almost killed me, they have left me stranded for days, and cost me a fortune in towing charges and repair bills. I started riding at age 8 on an old Bultaco 100cc dirt bike, got my license and first street bike at age 16, and have ridden about a million miles since then. All EVO Sportsters can be converted to a carburetor. The carburetor was always just a matter of removing the throttle body and bolting the carburetor on. The problem was, H-D combined the ignition with the EFI system. Now you can get a stand alone ignition system, so you don't need any of the computer parts and a lot of the wiring of the EFI models to convert them to a carburetor. Most of the 2004-2006 Sportster 1200s sold were the 1200C, or "custom" model, which had a tubeless rear tire, and a wire spoked 21" front wheel with a tube type tire. They also have forward controls, which because of bad knees, don't work well for me. They do look the best to me, they had the nicest paint, and the most chrome. And that chrome wire spoked front wheel does look good, at least to me. But I was not willing to deal with the forward controls and especially the tube type front tire just for the looks. My 1200L has a 19" cast front wheel with a tubeless tire, and mid controls. Both the 1200C and the 1200L have 4.5 gallon tanks, which don't really look like a Sportster tank, but hold enough gas to go over 200 miles, and are big enough to put a full sized tank bag on. The Roadster and XR1200 models were the least common of the 2004-2006 models. Everything that is gray on that engine is chrome on my engine. I have louder slip on mufflers that look almost stock, a retuned carburetor, but still have the stock air cleaner. I want an S&S teardrop air cleaner, but they cost over $300. I have NEVER ridden with a windshield, other than trying it once and absolutely hating it. The two main things I love about older Harleys are the sound and the vibration. I call it the Harley "shake". Very low frequency vibration, not the "buzz" you get from an inline four. On my Sportster, when it is idling in the garage, you can see the engine moving around in the frame, and the front wheel is just a blur. They sound and feel like a V8 drag race motor with a hot cam. I weigh 240, and the 2" of travel on my rear shocks works fine for me. I still have the stock suspension and super thin stock seat that came on it. I have no problem with it. I don't want a thicker seat, or higher suspension, because that would make the seat taller, and I can barely get my leg over the stock seat. Supposedly it is 25.2" high.

I'm just waiting on my first Harley, should be with me in 4 days! So I'm just consuming a lot of sportster content to fill the void. I really enjoyed this video and you sir have the patience of a saint! Anyway I hope you do a ride review on the vibration as this is a small concern of mine...I used to ride a KTM 640 smc and it was the worst bike iv ever owned...it was so vibey it would blur my vision at certain rpms! I'm hoping the Sportster is not like this....I guess I should have test rode one before buying 😂. Anyway thanks again🙂

what are the part numbers for the socket and pins you got from HD, I've got a 06 1200C and I've been looking for a spare switched port to use, didn't think of the tail light section. I''ll be doing a turn signal relocation in a week or so

The easiest way for removing in the front right is to knock the tube out from the inside once you remove the left side with I believe a 17 mm socket. And then take your new one and pound out the center tube. Install the right engine mount and then tap the tube in from the outside.

Any updates on how these risers worked out on the road? I'm considering the same now.

did the change make a difference?

Wondering what tires you put on that are giving you such high mileage?

I want a deeper sound not necessarily a louder sound.. this would be perfect for me.. Did you have to adjust the fuel/air mixture at all with drilling out the baffles? I have a 2016 superlow with EFI.

I had a 'pre-catalyst' Sportster back in 1990 and instead of drilling the baffle plate out, I merely took the muffler off the bike, inserted a broomstick in one end and banged it on firm ground a few times.... the baffle plate came out and voila, straight-through standard looking pipes that allowed the bike to breath with no cost except an hour of my time - didn't even have to re-jet the carb .... Oh, and the reason for your 'drilled out' system not having the 'base rumble' of an after-market system is probably the amount of diffusion caused by the catalyst still being it the muffler ! Aahh the good old days ! P.S. I totally agree with everything you said about noise especially attracting the fuzz... on the way home from the pub for instance.... not that I would EVER drink-drive officer......

The Drag Spec mounts are firmer and so last longer but transmit more vibration. The reason the bike vibrates is that the crank is not balanced for the individual piston weights but for a weight halfway between 883 & 1200 (cast) piston weights in order to save on production costs - Thanks H-D ! I fitted a Hammer Performance 1250 engine kit - and the (forged) pistons are the right weight for the crankshaft's balancing factor and so the bike feels smoother. Another way to deal with the vibes in the 'bars is to use handlebar weights - I made my own out of steel and it worked though I did notice more vibrations in the footrests. When fitting the rear engine mounts I had fun because the inner spindle was seized into the cases and I had to almost remove the engine from the frame - not easy but I did it with no hoist or help. I found that removal of all the 'movement ties' aided the fitting of the mounts though - shame I didn't realise that until after spending so long on the front right hand side mount ! Once I had removed the rear tie (under the back of the engine) whilst trying to get the rear right mount out, the removal and fitting of the front right became so much easier. If I were doing this again, I would remove all the ties and both front and rear caps, spindles - everything and leave the motor sitting loosely in the upright frame before fitting the front AND rear right hand mounts, THEN the left hand ones and caps and spindles and LASTLY the ties.

If you really want to know how the main jet is performing with more precision, ya have to shut the engine off at speed. Otherwise the idle jet impacts the plug appearance. At idle speeds you could be running rich, fouling the plug, and could actually be lean on the main. Love the vids!

What you have here is the real deal, folks! Loving this series. All of it!

Another great video!

Just bought my first hd Sportster 2006. Your video is very useful for a novice like me. Thanks and happy riding All the best from the UK

Thoroughly enjoyed the whole video!

I did this mod years ago on my Sportster, the pullback risers actually hit the gas tank, so I went with straight risers also. Good work on your bike so far, I used to travel a good bit on mine, but have a Road King now for trips. Still take the Roadster out on the back roads frequently.

Good job.

Yeah! You know they use alloys that are both light weight and cheap. So. Good job! One of a kind!

2019 Roadster. Stage One. Bigger forks. Weird size rear wheel that needs a special sized tire. I have to order ahead of time. HONDA 80 Elite! Me also! Why because it was a safer than a "real" motorcycle (parents)? As mine is taller than most Sportys it fits me as a bigger guy myself. Had to forward controls and apes for comfort. Could not ride the flying taco style or with my knees above my hips. So it is a cruiser not a cafe bike. Of course mine has tons of mods. I made it mine. It can go 80mph on the highway with no problems in handling. Yamaha Warrior was my last bike and parts were a pain. Accessories was a pain. Modifying was a pain. It was an evolutionary dead end. Replaced my OEM seat with a Sully's Cobra style seat for a retro look and I can move forward or back as needed. OEM seat locked me in position. Yes, the Sully's is comfortable. Shinkos are Thai I believe. The Kawasaki Death Machine. I know of it by reputation. Yeah. I have to pull on the bars to survive bumps and chug holes. Cavitating Oil - degrades the oil and can damage parts. 39mm? Mine are 41mm. V&H pipes all sound the same. Mine are not loud but are just meh. Roland Sands Tracker. My mistake because I can't throw bags on. 13.36 on my rear shocks OEM. My fronts have never dived with the Upside Down 41mm's and I am 250+. With OEM bars I leaned on the bars or death gripped. Numb hands for sure. Mini Apes improved the hand vibration. I rest my hands on the bars now. Hands are at elbow level. ISO Grips. I tried lead weights on my Warrior and it helped. My W650 I had a full giant screen. In high wind I would duck below the plexiglass so my helmet would not get the tap. I do not have any screen on my CX. I am looking at the Viking convertible rack Sissy with a military duffel. 35-40mph City and 45-85mph Hwy are my sweet spots. Nothing wrong with puttering around. I buy Synth Kit for my Sporty. Amsoil. Probably Crankcase Oil Dripping for the engine coating. It happens. Wax for the Chrome. Flitz Gun and Knife Wax. Bad connections on battery somewhere down the cables. Oooo! I have the same problem with water. I might wrap the fuse case with electrical tape! Mine is still young enough not to worry about rubber going bad; mounts and hoses. Larger tank, the 4.5 for touring? Vanity mods? Raising Tank if you keep the Peanut? Lighting? I went with LED Headlight and Tail Lights. I ride mine daily in all conditions.

Mine took 6 hrs. Jesus. Chinese crap. I cut the threads instead of putting 2 bolts on to try and move them. They were way to long and hit the bulb housing unit. Whst a pain this thing was, lol.

I have a 2006 Harley Davidson Sportster 1200 Roadster. I love it.

Perfect for the evo sportster. Practical bike practical build.

Very impressive. Form follows function but I think you nailed em both.

I think you did a fantastic job. I want to make a contraption on my bike, I have the frame base already bolted to the bike like you. I'm thinking a sissy bar and frame box also, for my 5 yr old mini pointer dog. And then soft saddle bags down below. Can't wait. Thanks for a great video. I'd love to try welding. I've always wanted to try. Subscribed.

Great videos, but am wondering what that HUGE roll was to test fitted? Time to downsize some of that gear. In 2021 I rode my Ultra Classic to Montana, about a 3K mile round trip. I tent camped along the way, and ca tell you, my sleeping bag and camping gear was about half the size of that roll. Nothing expensive either. $25 sleeping bag, and $30 Big 5 tent. You will get tired of lugging that around.

I would like to see the "after" video, of the vibration reduction. Would like to know how much difference the new motor mounts made.

Hope you have a great road trip, I would try to pack heavy stuff as low down as possible, it's a lot more manageable especially at low speed, that bag location looks quite top heavy. I prefer to use a pair of throws over semi rigid panniers personally for the heavier gear. Keep it rubber side down and looking forward to the travel vlog

I really enjoy this type of video. Thank you

I would have a shop do the job. It looks like too much work for me to do. More power to you!

Bad thing about rubber mounting is maintenance.My solid mount frame don't need any maintenance. On an early Norton Commando you have to disassemble half the bike to do the same thing. Nothing has cracked, broken,or has fallen off.Still have original bulbs so my bike doesn't vibrate too much. 25 years and counting.

Does it have the riveted clutch plates? I don't know when they started using them. Or when they stopped the trap door in the transmission.

All l do to my Sportster is change the fluids and filter in my driveway in 30 minutes.

I put a set of drag pipes on my 09 1200c it ran like crap stuttered backfired popped the bike dodnt like them at all so i put the stock pipes back on and it ran like butter i had to reset the ecm now it runs like butter

WD-40 is probably not the best thing to spray on the exhaust connectors because it evaporates quickly, especially in the heat. I may be wrong.