Sitting in the library (some call it a bathroom) reading the new issue of Motorcyclist til my legs fell asleep, I read an interesting article of a comparison between the '05 1200 Roadster and the '05 Triumph Thruxton 900...just the pictures took me back to the 60's when the Sportsters and the Bonnevilles ruled! I liked a couple of references made about the Sportster:

"While a belief in the design dictum (less is more) will usually put one at odds with the brethren of the bar and shield, there are many who feel the elemental Sportsters are the best looking Harleys!".....

I know, I had to grab some kleenex, too!

Here's another:

"Riding the latest incarnation of the venerable Sportster shows you right off that Harley-Davidson gets urban cruising...the new rubber engine mounts keep the Milwaukee twin's inherent quaking to a bare minimum during inner-city recon runs."

I thought it was a well written article...please check it out if you haven't already...the Sportster definitely ruled in the 0-60mph romps and the 60-80mph roll-on acceleration tests, but the 1/4 runs were VERY close: 13.02sec(100.02mph) for us/13.26sec(99.99mph) for them!

Shoulda reached for the toilet paper instead of Kleenex.
Besides, they're just telling us something we've known all along. But it's nice to have some validation.

I would've gone for the toilet paper, Sportsterrific, but being the cheap bastard I am, it was the single ply, rough as hell kind....but then I turn around and treat my nose to the real soft kleenex...go figure...

Wanna talk reach for the TP? For giggels I wanted to check out the Triumph you speak of so I took a guess and just typed in http://www.triumph.com/ and chose the western European link then choose Great Britain. Try it (it's not a porn site) and you'll gain a new appreciation for Triumph for sure :D

Nice! I wonder if one of those comes with every purchase of a new Triumph...might give H-D a run for their money! I love some of the hits I get when I try to guess at a website...some get as interesting as the one you got, PQuirk! I did find the site for the Thruxton...try this guy:

http://www.triumph.co.uk/uk/784.aspx

Nice platform for a cafe racer for sure, but I like my Sporty. Now, about the other Triumphs, I'm thinking "Cafe? Sure, then dinner, a little of this, a little of that, and one thing leads to another....the next thing ya know you're going down low twisting through the curves with your pipe is draggin' on the ass..phalt." :smoke

Is that the "Fat Tire" talkin' this early in the day, PQuirk?

I was in Ft. Collins a couple of years back going to a safety conference...I found the birthplace of "Fat Tire" and it became my fave even with all the micro-brew pubs out here on the left coast! And I found Bruce's when I was in Co, too...had my first Rocky Mountain Oyster there! I probably wouldn't have tried it, but the "Fat Tire" made me do it!

You have enjoyed the essence of Colorado if you had Fat and Bruce's, that is hilareous :laugh . I've had many Fats there myself and tried the oysters once, but didn't care much for em'. Did you stop by the Rolling Thunder store? Bruce's is a hop-skip-and-jump from Nallin racing in Fredrick too. I'd move back there in a heart beat if I could find a job. You know fat tire is distributed in a few states out west. In fact last time we were in TX we got cases at Costco cheaper that you can buy 'em in Ft. Collins, must be a tax thing, go figure. Well, glad to hear another New Belgium fan is out there. I just noticed you're in OR, Fat is availible in CA if you're near the border.

Wow! Clicked on that hyperlink. Was NOT what I was expectin!!!If they built motorcycles that came with those, I'd be going broke.. :p
I bookmarked it, nonetheless...

WOW I can really relate to that "Library" experience. I wonder if thats a heridity thing?
While I was reading that same artical,in the "library" and owning both triumphs and sportster in my past lives, and being jealous of my brother buying a 05 sporster. I couldn't help wonder why they compared a 865cc bike to a 1201cc bike????

I enjoyed that article too. They were the two bikes that I had narrowed it down to. In fact, on the way to Van Nuys HD I stopped by Simi Valley Cycles to look at the Thruxton one last time. It was close, but the dealer says my '05 1200R is coming in on Nov 26.

You guys have obviously not seen the new Triumph accessries range before! (I'm refering to www.triumph.com)

> I enjoyed that article too

not seen it but bike May 2004 had the 04 models in adjacent articles

>They were the two bikes that I had narrowed it down to

likewise - I still have a 74 Bonneville, and wife liked the look of the Thruxton - went and had a look at both at Eddy's in Leeds - they deal in both H-D and Triumph.

Sportster seemed better build quality and was just what it was - not retro, just itself - the Triumph up close looked a bit crappy build and weak pastiche style. Plus
I'd have had to bend in ways that are unbecoming and becoming unachievable
to ride the fecker.

Problem now is whether to spend extra on 2005 model or have one of their 2004 ex-demonstrators at big discount.

Questions :-

i) is 05 firmed up swinging arm / larger diam. rear axle in response to real failures/failings or just faffing around.

ii) are laced wheels ( which look better to me ) a liability corrosion-wise ?

iii) wife and pillion seat's similarity to a thong

iv) can anyone read "clear-lens headlight with an inlaid cloisonné Bar & Sheild design" without thinking "heh - bollocks".

IanEd

I have not heard of any failures on the 04 swing arms and I don't think the 5% more stiffness is really going to be noticeable to most people. I think HD did it to bring the Sporty in line with the other bikes. It will probably make getting different wheel easier, more selection. If the price is right on the 04s I don't think you can go wrong as long as tthe demos were not abused.

IanEd,
If you can get a major discount on the '04, I'm not sure you'd notice the difference between it and an '05. I share Rider1951's opinion that the move to the 1" axle and related parts was more of a standardization rather than a correction of any weakness. I do think the headlight is a bonafide improvement, but one that can always be added, later, to an '04 if desired. When I ordered my '05, there was only $40 difference between it and an '04...a no brainer.
As far as the (optional) laced wheels, I don't think that they are a specific corrosion liability. I believe Harley uses stainless spokes and nipples with chromed steel rims. They are more of a maintenance liability...or at least can be. Once trued, they should remain that way unless you hit something...like a curb or bodacious pot hole. You can true and adjust them yourself-you just have to be patient and have a six pack or so...

Kim

cheers chaps for helpfull information.

Just scanned an older "bike" magazine Sporster review ( August 1977 ) and stuck it here :-

gone

for a while - graphics are a tadge big - around 850 kb in all

-now gone - drop me a line if you want and I'll dig it out.

ok so I am reading this fairly good reveiw, get to the dyno numbers and am wondering about the RPM numbers.
Is this a typo?
http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/Article_Page.aspx?ArticleID=1612&Page=1

This HAS to be a misprint for the dyno RPM's! No way is a stock sporty is turning 10K...

05 model ordered, due in 7 to 10 days !

I

ok so I am reading this fairly good reveiw, get to the dyno numbers and am wondering about the RPM numbers.
Is this a typo?
http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/Article_Page.aspx?ArticleID=1612&Page=1


This was on there forum....

Yah, two glaring factual errors spoil the article. 1) counter-balancers ... NOT! 2) 10,400 RPM power peak ... NOT!

The engine is mounted in a very sophisticated rubber and locating link vibration isolating suspension.

The power peak is 5,200 RPM, although both plugs fire at each TDC, so maybe the dyno guy misinterpreted the info.

IanEd, Congrats on the new ride.

the 05 model was just too good not to buy
laced wheels standard here on 05

http://tinyurl.com/4h4y4

worked a load of wax into
spoke / rim interstices.

training the dog to polish it up

http://tinyurl.com/3kv53

Ian, Nice bike and nice house too. We don't see many stone buildings like that here.
So Roadsters in England are spec'd with laced wheel?

>Ian, Nice bike

still stock whilst I ponder what needs sorting for me - but glorious to ride on
local A and B roads even whilst running in, round here it's much like the Isle
of Man TT course :-)

http://the-stable.lancs.ac.uk/~esarie/blink/

> and nice house too. We don't see many stone buildings like that here.

at just over 105 years old relatively new for this village - cottages directly
across the road are 1700's others 1600s

>So Roadsters in England are spec'd with laced wheel?

apparently - so the folks at Eddy Wrights in Leeds told me - the other bloke
who'd ordered one prefered the cast ones and was having them retro-fit them !

That last photo would make a great avatar!

That northern england would be a cool place to ride for a holiday. Those country roads would suit me fine.

IanEd,

Nice roads round your way, some nice ones round here too, in the Chiltern Hills...

Hope you enjoy the Sporty, I do.

Whiffi