The insatiable desire to change

I was going to title this "the insatiable desire to improve". That would give me a little too much credit. Harley Davidson created a great motorcycle in the XR1200. The changes I plan to make should improve it, at least for my purposes. In the past however, I had made some changes to my motorcycles that didn't always improve them.

I remember bolting on the Screaming Eagle mufflers to my first Harley - a 1999 Dyna Superglide Sport. When I started it up in the garage, I thought the green lights had just tripped at the AHRA drag races. It was so loud in the enclosed space of my garage that all concious thought was driven from my brain. I turned it off, still hearing the ringing in my ears like the morning after a rock concert. So much for improvement. I put the stock mufflers back on and enjoyed the mellow rumble.

When I first bought the XR1200 (December 2008), I vowed to keep it stock for a year. That lasted until January. The first modification was a small "Super Sport" windshield (HD 57260-08). Easily detachable if you want to ride naked. Just large enough to take the wind pressure off my chest at 70+. And, short enough to keep the turbulence off my helmet. I hate being a human bobble-head.

The second change, in preparation for a 10 day tour of New England, was to add bungee bars (HD 90363-08). These bolt to the stock seat pan tuck in neatly, barely discrenable unless you're looking for them. A decades-old tail pack, and a small tank bag that's been through the last three bikes, carry me easily for 10 days.

At the time of purchase, I negotiated with the dealer to swap the free leather jacket they were offering for stainless steel braided brake lines. At the first service, they put the new lines on in place of the stock ones. I can't say that I could tell the difference. On the track, though, I think these will prove to be a valuable addition.

Now comes the serious question - what next? I don't want cosmetic changes. Most people add power first. Keith Code's California Superbike School has taught me that power isn't what I need, it's handling. The stock rear shock would be fine for most Harleys, but not for my bike and from the post in the XR1200 online forum, not for most XR1200 buyers. I've scraped the peg feelers and even the front exhaust shield without even really pushing. Time for a new rear shock. More on that in my next post.