Chris Brown wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:05:


I use mine for commuting and its perfect for that purpose. I've got some parts on order and few that have arrived in order to rid the bike of the lean backfiring condition that will shorten the engine life. I have no doubt that the bike would do fine on long trips the main limit would be the small fuel tank. As for cross winds and semi vortexs they effect all riders, no matter what size bike they ride. IMHO, if you like the bike and the price is fair, buy it. Use the resources provided here and modify the bike for your riding needs. I budgeted $300 for upgrades and so far I am well under that even after shelling out around $50 for a new K&N air filter. check ebay for a sportster or softail muffler, they usually go for under twenty five dollars. Carb jets are a few dollars each and the spacer mod is pennies. hope that helps.

the #1 best thing you can do to make longer-distance rides more enjoyable is to buy a fairing. If money's an issue, strap your sleeping bag up on the handlebars to cheat the wind, so to speak.  I'd do a long ride on it, but not if I were in a hurry. This bike seems to ride well at 55 but the vibration gets to me at 65.

This wednesday, Im leaving on a cross country trip from Portland Or to Virginia. Cruising at 60 to 75 mph, the bike will handle it all day and not break a sweat. The problem is even tho the bike handles well at these speeds , it is a very light weight bike and you cant relax as much as you can on heavier machines. You wil wear out before the bike does.  This is why we plan on limiting our rides to 250 to 300 miles a day. Which breaks down to 5 or 6 hrs a day. Plenty enough riding time for any size bike. Any more than that and you get physically and mentally tired and then its dangerous. The bike does not handle well in strong winds. I will not ride on those days but the normal buffeting from semi's on the interstate is no problem. You will not blow over.... The vibration is minimal. The addition of a fork brace helps for vibration. The stock grips are crap, so invest in better grips and wear gloves. You want to see some bad vibration, ride a Sporster for a day! I developed a stutter!

ChrisS wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:05:


You are so correct about the sportster vibration. I had a 1969 model and it would numb your arms up the shoulders on a long ride. It was the main reason I sold it and bought a CB550. Plus the brake and shifter being on the wrong sides was a bit confusing at first.

I did a few long days in the saddle with my 98.

The stock seat didn't work well for me, so I rebuilt it with ensolite and leather. Believe it or not, a harder seat will allow longer saddle times than a soft pillow seat.

The stock bars were a bit low, so it now has apehangers.

Simple carb tweaks will allow the bike to run smoother and more efficiently.

A set of Dunlop or Metzeler tires will work wonders in improving ride and handling. I rode mine from Long Beach MS to Baton Rouge LA on the stock IRCs. Once.

Spend some time and a little bit of money making the bike fit you properly. Invest in a good seat, shocks, and tires. Set the carb, exhaust and airbox up per the forum recommendations.

Where I work, people are always coming in with Savages/S40s. Never used to see them, now see 6 or 7 a week. All want windscreens, seats and new tires. Had one in Friday for tires, replacement lucite mini-fairing and new brake components. Not one of our forum members, but I told him about this site and he planned to check us out when he got back home... FWIW, his license plate was from Nova Scotia. I work in the Seattle area.
-WD

Thanks for all the input, guys.  I ended up buying the bike.

CB