H-D, You know some of your customers like to ride distance on their bikes, especially since they're now rubbermounted.How about an Touring Sportster with hard bags(removable), a windshield, and a comfortable two-up seat. I know I can make my own, but it would've been nice to pick it up with having to wait on the bags,ect. to come in. And if you really want to make a few of us happy who like comfort, but don't want or can't afford, or comfortably handle a 'glide, maybe even a smaller version of the 'glide fairing and radio. I'd have paid 12 or 13K for that in a 1200 model.You could call it the XLT.

H-D, You know some of your customers like to ride distance on their bikes, especially since they're now rubbermounted.How about an Touring Sportster with hard bags(removable), a windshield, and a comfortable two-up seat. I know I can make my own, but it would've been nice to pick it up with having to wait on the bags,ect. to come in. And if you really want to make a few of us happy who like comfort, but don't want or can't afford, or comfortably handle a 'glide, maybe even a smaller version of the 'glide fairing and radio. I'd have paid 12 or 13K for that in a 1200 model.You could call it the XLT.

Two things......they would rather sell you accessories for one.
The big touring bikes are actually very easy to handle,in fact in some respects eaiser than a Sporty.
Harley did make an XLT back in the late '60's but it didn't sell very well.
The new rubber mount XL would make a much better XLT though I'll give ya that.
Still H/D would rather you buy a Sporty and then decide you want a touring bike and trade in the Sporty or add another bike to your stable ;)

H-D, You know some of your customers like to ride distance on their bikes, especially since they're now rubbermounted.How about an Touring Sportster with hard bags(removable), a windshield, and a comfortable two-up seat. I know I can make my own, but it would've been nice to pick it up with having to wait on the bags,ect. to come in. And if you really want to make a few of us happy who like comfort, but don't want or can't afford, or comfortably handle a 'glide, maybe even a smaller version of the 'glide fairing and radio. I'd have paid 12 or 13K for that in a 1200 model.You could call it the XLT.

Maybe because this makes absolutely ZERO sense.

A touring bike is a touring bike. It is purpose designed for comfort on a long haul, has built-in storage etc. The Sportster was not designed to be a touring bike, it was designed to be quick and nimble, the very antithesis of a touring bike. Yes, you can tour on a Sporty and many people do, but they do so at the cost of giving up the speed and maneuverability that makes a Sportster what it is.

And HD would be stupid for making a "Touring" Sportster. First and foremost, it is the least expensive bike in their lineup. The price is low because it doesn't have all of the bells and whistles of the larger, more expensive bikes. If they add all the crap, it would be more expensive and I, for one, if I wanted a touring bike, would not buy a Sportster Touring model if, for the same money, I could buy a Tour Glide to tour on. If HD kept the price low, more people would buy the Touring Sportster and HD would lose money on bigger bike sales. It is a Lose-Lose situation for the MoCo.

My 2cents.

H-D, You know some of your customers like to ride distance on their bikes, especially since they're now rubbermounted.How about an Touring Sportster with hard bags(removable), a windshield, and a comfortable two-up seat. I know I can make my own, but it would've been nice to pick it up with having to wait on the bags,ect. to come in. And if you really want to make a few of us happy who like comfort, but don't want or can't afford, or comfortably handle a 'glide, maybe even a smaller version of the 'glide fairing and radio. I'd have paid 12 or 13K for that in a 1200 model.You could call it the XLT.

Felt the same way last year so I made my own....:geek:geek:geek

Course, changed my mind this year and re-doing it to a StreetRod....:wonderlan :wonderlan :wonderlan

You'd get an eglide standard for a little bit more than that price...

Yep, an off-the-shelf "Tourster" seems like it'd fill and extremely small niche, not worth the MoCo attention IMHO and the eglide is an extremely nimble bike:).

You'd get an eglide standard for a little bit more than that price...

Cheapest I could find a new Standard for was just under $18K out the door in 2006. That's why I did my sporty like that for about $9K...:geek:geek:geek

You could get an basic black 06 earlier this year for around high 14's if ya looked around. That not including taxes though.

... or comfortably handle a 'glide...
I think you might be (pleasantly) surprised at the ease of handling for these larger bikes (I say this making the assumption that you may not have ridden a bigger bike, so my assumption could be wrong). While there may be a 250-300 lb weight difference, they handle remarkably well. They are rock stable and, though they corner differently at speed, as you would expect from a heavier bike, those differences are easy to adapt to.

I bought a 1200R ('04) off the floor that was about as tricked out for touring as one could possibly do on their own. I finally stripped it down because, though I still tour with it, I enjoy the Sportyness of the bike above all. I bought an Ultra to complement the Sporty and to fill that touring niche (though I STILL use the Sporty on some tours, like the XL Lake Erie tour).

You might try riding the bigger bikes - if you haven't - and I think you'll be very surprised at their ease of handling and nimble road behaviors! One is not better than the other, just different.

-J

Here's another shot of Snowman's touring Sportster...you might want to see what he's going to do with all the parts now that he's transforming his Sporty to a StreetRod!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v482/planb4/bagger5.jpg

12 or 13K you can get a good used king or glide ! thats what i like about the sportster the price ! and its a sportster not a bike bike !

You know, they already do make one......

http://www.harley-davidson.com/PR/MOT/POLI/2007/images/en/w_spxl883_pl_s_s_c13.jpg

This is the 883 police model.

link....

http://www.harley-davidson.com/PR/MOT/POLI/2007/en/07_police_model.asp?locale=en_US&bmLocale=en_US&HDCWPSession=hnVZFG1cQJybLjQTqyYxcv5JSYPrPz3K80FLg bf10SJtpgg9y4Yv!-1847499577!-1802245310&model=pl_spxl883&section=police

BTW, at 13k you can get a E-glide standard for 15.5K

H-D, You know some of your customers like to ride distance on their bikes, especially since they're now rubbermounted.How about an Touring Sportster with hard bags(removable), a windshield, and a comfortable two-up seat. I know I can make my own, but it would've been nice to pick it up with having to wait on the bags,ect. to come in. And if you really want to make a few of us happy who like comfort, but don't want or can't afford, or comfortably handle a 'glide, maybe even a smaller version of the 'glide fairing and radio. I'd have paid 12 or 13K for that in a 1200 model.You could call it the XLT.
I, for one, like the idea of a Sportster Touring bike like the XLT five-oh describes. This would sell!

I, for one, like the idea of a Sportster Touring bike like the XLT five-oh describes. This would sell!Maybe, but I don't think the MoCo is gonna retool to make all two that'll sell ;) :laugh :laugh :laugh















:sofa :banadevi

Maybe, but I don't think the MoCo is gonna retool to make all two that'll sell ;) :laugh :laugh :laugh
:sofa :banadeviI agree that it is not likely. However, you have not because you ask not...so HD, give us a Touring ready Sporty for 2008 (or 2009--that way I can enjoy mine for two years before trading). :rolleyes:

9281 Picture of an XLT, I have a friend who used to own one to bad he sold it. .:tour