Hey, ya' made it work. That's what I try to do.

I do have a case that snaps to Spinner's detachable rack. I can get all of my gym stuff or a most of a bag of groceries into that.

Yeah, I miss having a full set of clothes, but I do carry stuff on longer trips, and if things are iffy I wear those water-proof boots Harley now sells. They are the pair on the left in the photo below.

Being cold and wet is my biggest biitch, I hate it. Give me some dry (or now waterproof) boots and some clean dry WigWams and I'm good to go. A dry black T-shirt doesn't take much room, and jeans dry on the road. I have come to learn that my black ballistic nylon Harley jacket is considered rainwear! Who knew?

https://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb23 ... 2-21-1.jpg

I carry a pair of slippers in there also, nice to let the boots air out in between stops at friend's houses, plus one guys ol' lady won't let me wear boots in "her" house.

No boots in our home either. We have light colored rugs and biker type friends who like to walk through grease and oil. They don't even ask anymore. They see my wife's face (and know her reputation) and just kick their boots off at the door.

For me, it's personal. With my wife's knee on the fritz for so many months it was me that not only had to do the grocery shopping, but also the vacuuming and scrubbing kitchen floors.

I had always wondered why those Navy SEALs were so tough and mean, and figuring that they came up through the ranks scrubbing the decks of ships, I now understand. Oh, I've never killed a man (yet) for marking up my floor, but I have polished a special knife edge just for the task...

No worries there, my slippers never see anything but clean floors.
I've been scrubbing decks since the time I was able to make a mess.
My Pop (RIP), was a hard core WWII Drill Instructor, he had his way or the HI-way (end of the boot lift off).
I've been called the "perfect guest" I automatically clean up after myself, just habit.

Well, after today I realize that even the 48 can make it as a "long distance" motorcycle. I've always thought that MoCo cuts their own throat once in a while by too tightly defining the models they produce.

For example, except for the fiberglass, a Super Glide is an Electra-Glide. When the brochures tell you that a Dyna defines a "factory custom" and a dresser is a touring bike they are referring to the same engine.

Lots of guys tour on Sportsters. Heck, the entire premise of "Then Came Bronson" is based on you believing this is a cross-country trip. Additionally, the most famous bike in the world is a clapped out retired police bike duded up in stars and stripes, and you are asked to believe it's a touring bike.

Face it, shove my 48 into an time-machine and send it back to the 1960s and it becomes the most incredible bike on the planet. Reliable electronics! Fuel injection! A 74-inch motor in a Sportster! No leaks! Rubber mounts! Onboard computer programming! Hydraulic discs--on both ends! It's not a motorcycle, it's a space ship!

The wife will be on the road for a few days with my MIL. Perfect chance for me to see the state a bit. A little rain tomorrow, and then we shall see...

I am really curious why you are getting such small cruising range from your Sportster. I had a 98 1200 S with a Mikuni and I got around 150 miles on a tank. I just looked it up, it had 2.8 gallons plus an additional .5 gallon reserve.

You need to be able to go far further than 60 miles on that. Unless you have a different tank. Here is what mine looked like. I think I know what the big tank looks like and mine wasn't it.

Is it possible your light comes on far too soon? Mine I ran until it went on reserve and I could swear that was close to 150 miles on the highway. I know I regularly went from the San Francisco Bay Area to the Gold Country like Sonora or Angles Camp on the back roads without stopping. Thats like 140 or more miles.


I sure miss not having a reserve valve on the RK but FI motors don't like running out of fuel.


BTW You might catch it doesn't look like a stock 1200S. I tried to make it more vintage looking.

PS I just looked up the specs for a 2011 48 (Very cool looking BTW.) It shows a 2.1 gallon capacity. I guess with FI it has a fuel pump in the the tank that takes a lot of space. It should still get 50 or more MPG on the highway. Put a gallon can on the back and run it till it runs out sometime. You really should be able to go further than 60 miles between gas stations.

I believe the peanut tank the 48 has is smaller by 30% than the one you have.

The problem with the 48 is not simply the factor of 'on board' fuel. My best research indicates that the fuel warning light is triggered by a formula of 'demand' not raw mileage. Crank the throttle in lower gears and the warning light signals sooner. I have also been warned not to trust the light. When it goes on it is best to seek a gas station.

As you know, EFI Harleys have no reserve. I considered replacing the tank, but I like the looks of both the peanut and the overall profile. I have been riding a lot recently, and during that period I have scouted out the most distant reaches where I would use the Sportster instead of the Dyna. I have found that fuel is always available, and at intervals closer than I had first estimated.

In doing those trips, I found out that the ride quality was a more definitive concern than fuel. I have decided to use funds to buy progressive shocks, and just tough it out on mileage. I reset the odometer at every fill, and plan my loops.

What is the total capacity of the peanut tank in gallons?

MoCo 'site says 2.1 gal.