Americade - 8 hrs. on my Firebolt?

[matt415]

This is my first season riding. I bought my bike last October and have put about 1,500mi on it so far.

I'm planning on going to Americade with a bunch of Harley guys I ride with. Am I crazy to do 8 hrs each way on my '03 XB9R (Philadelphia, PA to Lake George, NY)?

 

[Thaloc]

I hope you have a good break in between. Iv done 9 hours straight on my Firebolt, my ass hurt like crazy for the next day but other than that It was great. If your still in your first 1500 miles I would for sure take it easy on the bike as its still close to its "break-in" period. I say go for it, and have fun man! Tell us how it went!

 

[matt415]

My bike's an '03, I put 1,500 miles on it from the 10k the previous owner had on it so no break-in to worry about.
I ride with a bunch of 50 year olds who require frequent bathroom breaks, which is good because it gives me a chance to fill my tiny gas tank and stretch out every 100 miles or so.

 

[Buellysses]

I've got a couple 12-hour each way stunts under my belt now... It's really not that bad when you get into the rhythm of it. Right about the time my fuel is running low I'm in need of a stop, so it does work out pretty well.

I can't speak for the other syle XB's, but I'd definitely do it again on my Uly. Give-er hell, the only way to know is to try.

 

[midlifecrisis]

I just got a more comfy seat for my Fireblot from Buellparts.net and it's really nice. More and firmer support. Might be an idea, the stock seat is a little lacking, at least for someone like me with little of my own padding (5' 10", 165lbs). BTW matt415, I run out to New Hope, PA from time to time , maybe we'll run into eachother. Enjoy the 8 hours.

 

[ridendude]

I've done a few 10-11 hr days on my '04 XB12S and am absolutely stoked with how comfortable it is. Stock seat, rizoma low bars (60 rise). The fuel capacity is what limited me, otherwise I'd ride on. There's a section on break-in that Lefox had quoted in. Some good info. Also, spend some time playing around with your handlebar and lever adjustment. Make a move, ride it that way for a few hours or a day and see how it feels. Just because the shop set it up like that doesn't mean that it fits you properly. 8hrs on your 9 shouldn't be a problem. Enjoy the ride.

 

[03fire9r]

I find that on my 03 9R that after about 1 1/2- 2 hrs it is time to get the hell off for a couple minutes, but that is me. are you guys heading up Sunday the 31st of May or what, how long you gonna be up here? I live about 1 1/2 hrs south

 

[matt415]

I installed the custom seat for my firebolt from buellparts.net a couple of weeks ago. Huge improvement over the six year old stock seat I took off.

ridendude - What kind of adjustments can be made to the stock clutch lever? The effort it takes to pull the lever gets tiresome in stop and go traffic.

03fire9r - We are leaving Friday, May 29th and coming home Tuesday, June 2nd. Everybody is trying to miss only 2-3 days of work so, we are going to catch the beginning of the week and then head home. Are you 1 1/2 hours south of Lake George or Philly?

 

[Stevenc150]

The effort it takes to pull the lever gets tiresome in stop and go traffic.

ClutchLite offers a clutch ramp assbly. that lessens the effort of pulling in the clutch. Muller also makes one.

 

[03fire9r]

I am 1 1/2 hrs south of lake george, in southern Vt about 25 miles from the NY border

 

[steve may]

matt415 you really should look into the ClutchLite or Muller ball and ramp assembly, my muller made riding in traffic alot easier on the left hand.

 

[ridendude]

Hey Matt. I had meant the tilt/angle of the bars and the levers as well. Sometimes changing the angle of the levers and the fore/aft tilt of the bars can change how the bike feels to the rider. If you're finding the pull of the clutch lever a bit much, the Muller or Clutchlite ball and ramp systems may help.

 

[matt415]

Ridendude - Thanks for the info. I adjusted the suspension settings a couple of weeks ago and it made a significant difference. The most pronounced change was that the previous owner of my bike had the rear spring preload setup for a 150 pound rider - which I am not. Once I adjusted it for a 250 lb. rider it made a world of difference.

I'll see what I can do with the bars/levers to make the ride more comfortable for long trips.