Only 67 miles per tank, what's up - wtf -

The '04-up 4.5-gallon tanks that come on Sportster "Custom" models will fit another '04-up Sportster that comes with the 3.3 tank, but you have to change the seat 'cause the bigger tank is longer. And the '04-up model tanks will not fit earlier models due to the frame change in '04.

I'll most likely keep the Sportster as is until I become a better rider and then move up to a Dyna or Softtail, although the small tank might get to me sooner than later.

Getting A Bigger Tank Isn't Going To Solve Your Problem, But If You Want A Bigger Tank, Check Out The Sport Bob, Pretty Close To A Fat Bob, But You Don't Have To Mess With Moving To A Dash Set Up. Unless You Want One And They Sell A Hole Kit With Dash And All. Back To The Gas, I Run 100 Miles, All Short Trips, With 8-10 Min Warm Ups Each Way, Drag Pipes, Free Flow Air Cleaner, Rich As Hell, And Still Don't Hit Resurve, I Just Know How Far I'll Go On My Tank, 100 Miles Is Just A Safety Net Reminder. Have You Noticed That Over Flow Hose That Runs Down In Front Of The Motor From Your Carb, If It Is Leaking. There Is A Vent Line On The Bottom Right Side Of The Tank That Runs To Behind The Oil Tank With A Check Valve On It Also. If The Cap Is Pretty Jiggley, It's Prob. Venting. Have You Pulled The Bottom Bowl Of The Carb Yet?

Move up? You mean down to a heavier, much less nimble & slower bike. Only reason I'd ever get a Dyna is if I carried a passenger or went on long highway trips often & I don't do either. Softails ride awful with so little rear suspension travel - they do look cool though. If I ever get a BT again (doubtful) it'll be an Electra Glide Standard - those do handle surprisingly well for such a big heavy bike.

But I've got less $$$ in 2 Sportsters than an E.G. costs & even the 883 will run off & hide from a BT. Took one long highway ride with a group & had no problem running with the BT's on the interstate either - that's not my style though - special occasion. We stopped about every 100-110 miles for fuel & I always had gas left in the 3.3 gallon tank. I normally stop around 125 miles but I could go 150 & I've only used the reserve switch twice.

No reason a properly tuned Sportster shouldn't be getting upwards of 50 mpg, even 1200's with headwork & cams. And a basically stock Sportster with just improved exhaust & air cleaner should get over 50 - my "tax paid" 883 averages about 53 on the hilly twisty backroads in this area & it'll do better than that on the interstate, but I almost never go there - too many crazy people. :rant:

Well Art_NJr, I'd be real surprised it your piglet could run off and hide from my big twin. AL

nice bike Al. i like all the harleys. not into bike bashing:devil:

Depends on which one. The '00 model maybe not, the '95 I'd bet so & the '90 project bike most assuredly - it makes 167 HP @ the rear wheel. The current 883>1200 setup I've got makes 95 & the "tax-paid" 883 makes 53. Last time 2 BT's thought they could get the 883 from a light I hit an indicated 110 mph before I let off & they were 1/4 mile back. They were basically stock bikes though - loud pipes, but no engine modifications. And I don't do that sort of thing very often - just the 3 of us on the road, nice long open stretch, but still not wise.

Damn, I'm getting more into my Sporty by the minute. I hitched a short ride with a HOG group today, no problem keeping up with the big boys. They do hit the throttle hard though. I'm still trying to be smooth, not fast.

Im not bike bashing either just couldn't sit back and let that one go by. Actually my engine in that one is anything but stock. It is an S&S 96 the pipes are Hooker step tuned. 10.5:1 CR. Makes about 105 HP and TQ. AL

Ought to scoot right along then! I wasn't intending a bashing either & I like all kinds of bikes. But Sportsters have always been my favorites & I'm not comfortable on the BT's. As I said, if I carried a passenger often or took long highway trips it'd be different, but it's just me & my backroads.

Honestly, I've never rode a Sporty. I changed a clutch cable on one once and well that was a trip at least compared to a Shovel. I had two friends that bought 1200's back in the '80's when Harley had the buy a Sportster and later trade them up on a big twin and get your purchase price as a trade in. They both figured to trade up but after they rode them awhile said "Harley ain't getting these back". I started out on a big twin (Panhead) and thats all I've ever rode.
Sorry to digress from the main topic that milage thing has me baffled. AL

I remember that Sportster trade-in deal - I'm thinking you had up to a year & you'd get the retail price back on trade-in. And from that is where I think the "starter bike" image came from - I remember when it wasn't like that & nobody called a Sportster a "girl's bike" 'cause the "cool" guys rode Sportsters. 1st bike I ever owned was a '47 Knucklehead that I bought in '69 - didn't have the $$$ for the new Sportster I really wanted & didn't see any used ones for sale.

Funny, I don't go to "biker bars" very often but there's one right up the road from me & what I've heard many times when I've stopped there from BT riders walking by is, "Y'know, I used to have one of those - wish I'd kept it too - sure was fun."

The mileage deal has to be carb-related. Jets too big, transfer ports clogged up, needle not closing all the way down on the seat, float level too high - something. Might have to pull the carb off the bike, but I'd just drop the float-bowl 1st to see what jets are in there & if there's trash in the bowl. Doesn't take much & the petcock screen won't catch it all.

I GOT YOUR BACK ON THAT ONE ART, HEAD TO HEAD STOCK BT, PIGLET, THE PIGLET WILL DO BETTER LOW END EVERY TIME, TOP END DON'T KNOW. GUESS EVERY ONE KEEPS FORGETING THAT THE SPORTSTERS HAVE BUILT HD INTO WHAT IT IS, AND SORRY TO SAY IT'S NOT THE BITCH BIKE THEY CALL IT, YOU CAN MAKE IT ANYWAY YOU WANT AND STILL COME OUT UNDER COST OF A STOCK BT. I DECIDED TO REBUILD MINE INSTEAD OF BUYING A STOCK BT, and really what is all THAT PERFORMENCE IF YOUR NOT USING IT. I GUESS ALL THAT PERFORMENCE MOD'S ARE FOR BAR TALK, I RECENTLY BOUGHT A PERFORMENCE BOOK FOR SPORTSTERS, READ IT AND RETURNED IT, DIDN'T REALLY SEE WHAT THE NEED WOULD BE, JMO. BUT I'M NOT THE ONE GLAMORIZED OVER HAVING A BT, MAYBE IF I HADE ONE I COULD VEIW A DIFFERENT OPINION, DON'T BELIEVE THE HYPE. ON MY 2 SPORTY, WAITING ON THE 3RD, I'M HAPPY AND THAT'S ALL THAT MATTERS, TO EACH HIS OWN.

I've been told I'm too big for my Sporty, but I'd rather adjust the mirrors and forward controls than think about a different bike already. As a matter of fact, my Sporty feels really powerful. Mine grips like crazy and flies along as fast as I'm willing to ride. Don't really need to cruise at 85 right now.

That's not to say I don't appreciate a bigger bike. My friend's Screamin' Eagle is killer. I wonder if I had two bikes, say... a Dyna, and my Sporty which one I'd ride the most. I'd bet it would be the Sporty.

IMO you would have to do a lot of engine mods on a Softail or a Decker to be able to challenge a Sporty. Power to weight ratio has a lot to do with it. I used to have a lot of fun on mine when guys with BT's tried to blow me off the road and none were successful. Bone stock except of course the heads were breathed on and carb tweeked a bit.

Hellboy if I had to choose between a Dyna and a Sporty...it would be Sportster all the way. Some guys look down on them,why I don't know .. but they don't see many behind them. LOL. Best handling bike in HD's lineup.

mileage

ghellboy,,,i think i told you before,,,NO reason you cant get 48,,,,50 miles a gallon,,,, ken has 03,,,rode 250 miles today on mountain roads,,, first fillup was at 139 miles second was when we got home,,,,,ken wieghs at least 350,,,,we do not let him run in front because he leaves us,,,, he did get out front today on marys peak and took some time to catch him,,,, we did rejet his carb,,, and he did not lose much as far as mileage,,,, now yesterday i cured mine,,,thot for you,,,,my intake gasket was leaking,,,changed ityesterday,,,,my mileage was down to 36 to 38 ,,,, ran today 44,,,, pops

when they first buit a sportster they just took there kh race bikes and added lights and such to make them street legal. kinda like they did with the vrod. until recently it was always a performance machine. i don't own a sportster i have an 03 fxdx. i think one would be fun for short runs on back roads and twisty spots, on longer runs the extra weight of a dyna or road glide won't tire you out as much. don't get pushed around by the wind.

they're all unique in their own way. can't say i've ever looked down at a sportster. someday i'll own one i hope

Yes they are all unique, it's personal preferance in "what's better". FXR's are the best handling BT's and with a couple of mods would be a good run with a Sporty, rider ability would be the difference there. IMHO

HellBoy; Like Art said your problem is in the carb. If it was the gas cap, switching to reserve would't get it running and you'd notice when you gassed up your tank wasn't empty. Whether its loose jets,needle valve, float somethin plugging a passage , it's in the carb.A bigger tank won't solve the problem. Like I said before take it back to the shop that did your Stage 1 and tell them somethings not right. If they say it is ,then let me know how they explained a Sporty getting 25MPG is OK,then go to an Indy.

Know why? 'Cause Erik Buell was an engineer on the FXR project before he left H-D to go out on his own. Slight chance he knows a thing or 2 about handling ;-)}

Yeah, dealers are notorious for pushing the "Dynojet" kit and jetting way too rich. I NEVER go to a dealer for service & the only time I go @ all is if I need a part right quick that's not available elsewhere. There are good little indy shops all over the country - only problem is the best ones don't advertise 'cause they don't need to & you may not even find them in the Yellow Pages. But if you'll ask other local riders where they go when they need something fixed, you'll find out where @ least one is in your general area & probably more than one.

There are 2 in my area & I'm @ the outskirts of a little one-stoplight town. One's not 5 minutes away from me & I've driven past it 1000 times without even knowing that guy's garage has a full machine shop inside. The other guy is @ the end of a dirt/gravel road & you'd never find the place on your own. But by word-of-mouth I found out about both & I'll bet you've got a good indy shop not all that far away from you.