Anyone ever entertain the notion of:
- Installing a wide glide front end
- Adding a wider front tire (120 or so)
- Mounting a Touring model Batwing fairing

The triple trees and fairing can be had for a reasonable price on Ebay...

I'm thinking along the lines of the new Street Glide but retaining the nimbleness of the Sportster.

Anyone ever entertain the notion of:
- Installing a wide glide front end
- Adding a wider front tire (120 or so)
- Mounting a Touring model Batwing fairing

The triple trees and fairing can be had for a reasonable price on Ebay...

I'm thinking along the lines of the new Street Glide but retaining the nimbleness of the Sportster.

I recently traded in my ‘04 Sportster and my ‘05 Super Glide (both purchased new) on the quintessential Hog, an Electra Glide (in my case, an ‘06 Classic). I had parked the Sportster several months ago when I first purchased the Super Glide, unhappy with the Sporty's cramped seating position as well as its overly harsh ride beating me up on any long-distance trip. Vibration had never been an issue with my rubber-mounted Sporty; however it was a major issue with the Super Glide. At certain rpm ranges, the mirrors would blur completely and relatively slow-speed riding often left my hands numb and tingly despite my changing to rather soft, large diameter grips. Another troublesome design issue (for me) with the Super Glide was an overly stretched-out seating position when using the stock-style HD highway pegs. I also concerned myself about the 2 ½” extension on the right highway peg (and another on the left side for a balanced look!), needed to allow my right knee to clear the air cleaner when using the highway pegs. Would they drag on tight corners? Perhaps the new ‘06 Super Glides have overcome some of these problems but I was not willing to be a guinea pig for the first year of a new model. Besides, there isn't a single dual front disc brake set up in the entire ‘06 Dyna lineup!

The point of all this rambling is to point out my original realization that no matter how much money I threw at it, my Sportster would forever remain a Sportster. Pouring several thousand dollars into it hadn't (and couldn't!) change its basic structure. A pony will never be a horse no matter what kind of saddle and bridle you put on it. For me, much of the initial allure of a Sportster had been its rather spartan design. I guess, though, after riding it for a year, I had simply outgrown it. The Super Glide was my first try at stepping up from the Sporty; unfortunately it was a misstep, and a rather expensive one at that! I wasn't sure WHERE I was ultimately going to wind up until I saw my first Street Glide. It was love at first sight. I can understand your attraction to that machine’s looks. It took several more months before I decided I would be okay with a full-sized touring bike and its floorboards and then I went motorcycle shopping once more.

A local dealership (Gatto’s HD in Tarentum PA) agreed to let me take test rides on several touring bikes the following Saturday, a three-year-old Electric Glide Classic and a new Road Glide among them. While I still think the Street Glide has “the look”, the Electra Glide Classic proved to be the best ‘bang for the buck’ for me. I made my deal with Kevin Miller, longtime salesman at Gatto's, trading in both my Sporty and the Super Glide. I chose a new, two-tone Black Cherry and Black Pearl, still-in-the-box EG Classic and had Reinhart True Duals, a SE air cleaner (with chrome back plate) and SERT for tuning the fuel injection installed before delivery. A HD cover, all 3 HD manuals, a set of fat handgrips, a turn signal/brake light conversion kit and the required dyno tuning were also part of the deal. About a week later, everything was ready. I picked up the bike, started it for the first time and headed down the road. Man, did those pipes sound good!

I did have a few oh-my-God moments when I first started riding a full-sized touring bike regularly, but now that I'm used to it, I’m very comfortable with the larger machine. Admittedly, it is somewhat heavier and not quite as nimble as either of my previous rides, but then again, neither of them was nearly as comfortable as this new scoot. On the ride home, heaved-up tar strips in the road, which would have had me bouncing clear off the Sporty’s generously-sized Mustang Wide Solo seat didn't even cause the new CD player to skip. The vibration which so plagued my 60+ year-old hands on the Dyna doesn’t exist on a touring model Harley either. The rigid saddlebags are big, relatively watertight and they lock. I no longer have to spend 10 minutes messing with buckles and straps to get a different pair of gloves out or change to a clear face shield. At first, I was real unsure about the King Tour Pac and I wasn't sure I was willing to put up with difficulty getting into the saddle (I look kind of like Chester from ‘Gunsmoke’ getting on a horse when I mount up in full winter gear), but after my wife decided she would be willing to ride on this motorcycle after refusing to get on either of the previous two, I was definitely okay with the trunk and it's passenger backrest.

If you feel you need touring accessories in order to make your Sportster the bike you would like to have, why not consider renting an actual HD touring bike for a road trip weekend to see if the larger bike might not ultimately suit you better?

It has been done. I found some pictures about a year ago of one a guy did. It was in one of the motorcycle groups on MSN or Yahoo. I don't remember which. It looked sweet. I dowloaded a couple pictures of it but for some reason I can't find them. Iwill let you know if I do.

I did the batwing fairing this summer on on '05. This winter it's going bagger and I've added the FLHT bags. Putting a custom filler panel on with LED tail-turnsignals. My fairing is a 2002 FLHT that I bought broken up and cheap. Did the repairs, modified the headlight opening for the stock Sporty light and attached it with simple four-point brackets (no inner fairing).

I did it because I like the Glide-Bagger look but can't afford a $20K bike. I didn't want a used one , so I'm going this route for now. Works great, blocks the wind, bike rode well all summer with it on. This winter it gets leaned back further with a low profile screen. I have the before and "just started" fotos posted.

Feel free to contact me for more detail if you need it..........:clap

Pictures Pictures Pictures......................

Posted in My Gallery................

Do the FLHT bags fit? I was thinking the same thing

Wizwill - Thanks for the commentary...have already decided on an E-Glide Standard when I return stateside...and I'll keep my Sporty too.

Was really fishing around to see if anyone had pics of such a mod...It's always interesting to see what folks can do wit a Sportster.

BTW - What is SERT?

The bags just fit taking them all the way back in line with the rear fender. Still room for a riders legs on the pegs. I'll post more as I get the work done.........

Looking forward, keep us posted...

This kind of modification to a Sportster interests me as well....
Don't really want to run around on a "barge", but would like some of the advantages of having a fairing/bag set up that could do some use. I have the H-D hard bags on my bike now (had dealer include them in price of rolling an '05 off their showroom) and if they are any indication how H-D wants to make an honest investment in quality for a sportster/tourer, it really is left up to the consumer...My opinion of course.

SNOWMAN- where did you say those pics of yours were?

In my gallery. There are a few of this year's version and one of the "in process" mods with the FLHT bags.....

gallery below
http://xlforum.net/photopost/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=4739

Wow snoman, I really like your results...

Any input on around how much a setup like that sets one back??? I really like the look -

I feel like my sporty is big enough now, and it would be nice to have the room and airflow I bet yer sporty has/had! Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiice.

Nice work and look. With the flht bags can a passenger get there feet on the rear pegs alright? Again looks great.

This year's setup with the small bags/tourpak/sissybar/luggage rack totalled about $700 on the rear end. The front fairing ran me about $150 in parts and 40 hours in labor. The update for this year will be the FLHT bags (which just clear the passenger legs), detachable mount for the tourpak and sissybar, diamond-plate filler panel with LED turn signals, LePera solo seat w/ custom tribal logo, tweaks to the front fairing and a new coat of vivid black with new emblems. I'll be selling the unused parts over the winter...........

Looks great snowman... if you get time could ya get a pic of the mounting brackets?

Here's what mine looked like last year, all bagged up.
Been some changes to the bike since then, but the tour pac is the same.
HD hard leather covered bags mounted with Ghost brackets, HD leather roll bag, sissybar/ luggage rack, Windvest small windshield.
Works great for me.:tour

vicks44,

I put up some shots of the fairing and brackets in my gallery. Let me know if you need more detail..........

Snowman, very nice. I will be posting pics of my wife's soon, when I get enough posts to post pics. I am taking it farther!

Snowman, very nice. I will be posting pics of my wife's soon, when I get enough posts to post pics. I am taking it farther!

Which way are you going? Bagger style when snowman had that look (and when this ancient thread was started, and las posted to), or stretched and chopped like is bike is now?....