This was my thrid trip of 1500 miles plus done in a week with my 04 883c since I bought it new in july of 2004. This time we 750 miles one way in two days, Did all old state highways and smaller routes. I traveled with three Baggers and had no problems with keeping up ect.

The one addition I had this time was the new handle bars I installed, the only thing I can say is that its a totally different bike to ride even with the stock seat in place. We rode off and on for 12hrs plus a day. The next day I was ready to ride with no problems. The only thing that would be a good addition for next time would be highway bars to stretch out some, I had to throw my legs over the forward control pegs occasionaly.

I had no problems running at 75mph, which was around 4000 rpm. I figured I share with those thinking about touring with a 883 and keep being told by others that its not a good Idea.

Nice to be in the wind with no worries, glad you made it home safe. Myrtle Beach sucked saturday nothing but a traffic jam.:doh

This was my thrid trip of 1500 miles plus done in a week with my 04 883c since I bought it new in july of 2004. This time we 750 miles one way in two days, Did all old state highways and smaller routes. I traveled with three Baggers and had no problems with keeping up ect.

The one addition I had this time was the new handle bars I installed, the only thing I can say is that its a totally different bike to ride even with the stock seat in place.
What type of bars?

I had no problems running at 75mph, which was around 4000 rpm. I figured I share with those thinking about touring with a 883 and keep being told by others that its not a good Idea.

As long as you're not running with hard core high speed touring types you should do fine but don't for a second think you'll stay with big touring bikes if they decide to ride long hard and fast.
4000 rpm on my EG is close to 100mph and I routinely roll desert hiways at between 90 and 100 mph for hours on end and often do between 500 and 800 miles a day, day after day and for multiple weeks at a time.
That would be very hard if at all possible on an 883 let alone on the rider :D
Not knock'n the 883 or any Sporty for that matter but just thought ya should know the difference.
Now that is not to say it's a bad idea to do long rides on an 883,just don't expect to keep up with a group of hardcore long haulers like me.
I'll do 5 or 6K on a week vacation minimum.
I met a gal from Florida back in '93 at a KOA campground in Billings Montana who was traveling on a new 883 on her way to Sturgis.
She had ridden solo from Florida to California,up the West Coast and was heading East for the return trip and doing Sturgis on the way.
I thought that was really cool that she went cross country by herself on an 883 Sporty.;)

Dont feel too bad. No way will an EG keep a GL1800 in sight either! To each his own. There are VERY few riders who can maintain 90mph, on anything but a K1200, or a 'Wing. Even I have a hard time after 14-15 hour days on the Ariel Square Four, gently cruising at 130!

Dont feel too bad. No way will an EG keep a GL1800 in sight either! To each his own. There are VERY few riders who can maintain 90mph, on anything but a K1200, or a 'Wing.

That's true but mine will come close(with $3K in extra engine work:rolleyes: ) Maintaining 90 mph is no trouble for a twincam E-Glide,even an 88" motor.
My old Evo EG was struggling at 90 and would barely make 100 if I held it on long enough.
With this 95" Twincam I can downshift to 4th gear at 90 and accelerate to 110 before shifting into 5th gear.
Next season she gets a 6 speed overdrive:banana
Not that I need to go any faster, I just want to reduce engine rpms while cruising at 90 to 95mph to ease wear and tear and pick up some gas mileage.;)

Point well made, I know I wouldnt be able to keep up with the real fast crowd. Most of the guys I ride with like following the speed limit within reason and also enjoy the ride (not at warp speed). I guess the reason I posted was to encourage any newer riders like myself who were on the bubble to go out on the road, that the bike can do it. When the time comes ill keep my bike and buy a 2yr old Bmw touring bike, Im looking at the r1200clc right now.

I Installed the Heritage Softail bars from a 2001 that I got from Ebay, they look like a mini ape on my bike but I love riding the bike now compared to the broom stick the company gives you.

Bottom line, you CAN tour on anything.

But the amount of people and stuff you take and the speeds you hold (and the comfort level with which you do it) will vary with the bike.

My Guzzi is geared so high that when I ride with my wife on her Sporty there are entire days I don't shift into 5th gear. That's fine. Personally I find it a lot more rewarding to spend an extra day getting somewhere (most of the time) and to ride 60 mph instead of 90 mph. Of course, it's nice to have the option too.

Jenn and I are leaving on a run down the BRPkwy to Tn and back starting in about a week and a half. It will be her second long (as in 1-2k mile trip) on the 883L!

Personally I find it a lot more rewarding to spend an extra day getting somewhere (most of the time) and to ride 60 mph instead of 90 mph. Of course, it's nice to have the option too.


I agree! It's the journey, not the destination that makes biking so great.

I've done about 2,000 miles in a week in Colorado on an 883. Did pretty good when I got the carb adjusted fairly close, depending on the day (5,000 one day, 12,000 the next) I'm tackling it again in about a month with a 1200 conversion..the extra CCs will be nice at altitude.

[QUOTE=66impala] Most of the guys I ride with like following the speed limit within reason and also enjoy the ride (not at warp speed).QUOTE]

I can dig that and when I'm tool'n around on back roads in the mountains or whatever that's the way I ride as well.
There are places however like West Texas or the Neveda desert where 60 or even 70 mph seems like crawling along :D
Then I like to jam along at 90 to 95 and cover those wide open spaces without taking all day.;)
The Wild West is big country!:D

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d173/y2keglide/ROADTRIP04165.jpg

Personally Iam not going to ride much above the speed limit, except for occassional 1-2min bursts just for the hell of it. I don't get how you guys that claim to run 80-90 all day long don't get boo coo tickets costing boo coo bucks. Its hard to imagine running 300-500 mi. at these speeds and not being nailed by radar somewhere, or just a cruising cop. Please tell me, how you are able to get away with it? or do you just pay up $200-$500 fines aday? I don't have a problem w/ you doing these speeds, as I assume you are competent riders-- I just don't get how you get away w/it??????????

66, congrats on your latest voyage. sounds like you have a good set up for some serious road time.

Evad,

I've run across the desert from LA to Phoenix at no less than 80 mph the whole way. At that, I'm just BARELY passing traffic. Remember some of the speed limits out there can be pretty darn high.

I've also run (in a car) PA to FL and back at about 90 mph the whole way. Again, speed limits are rarely below 65, and when they're as high as 75 traffic is moving at LEAST 80. Of course, you gotta keep your eyes open, as much for danger as for cops.

But high speed runs like that can be stressful and as I already said, I'd much rather mosey along.

Last night I mapped out some potential goals for our upcoming BRPKWY trip next week and most of it is in the 200-250 miles/day range for that reason. We can ride more or less each day depending upon what we feel like. We'll have to do a bit more on the way home, but that'll be mostly highway.

Kev