Motorcyclist USA — September-October 2017

motorcYcLIstoNLINe.com | 27

ROADSTER REQUESTS

I just read Brian Hatano’s Doin’ Time piece

on the H-D Roadster (July/August, MC).

I’m paying close attention to this, as the

H-D has come into my short list of next

bikes. I’ve never been a “Harley guy,” but

with the recent Café Custom pieces I’ve

seen in Harley’s accessory catalog, the

Roadster has piqued my interests. The

list of bolt-ons that were shared includes

basically everything I was thinking about if

I went this route. In addition, the café seat,

suspension upgrades, and maybe a short

fl y screen are ideas I came to consider.

—Eric Swanson / Lynden, WA

I’m responding to your request for

suggestions for the Harley Roadster. I

would love to see Harley build a street

tracker, and this bike is close so hopefully

there are some accessories to get it there.

Also, I was on the fence about the new

format of the magazine, but this last

issue nailed it! Keep up the variety of the

content and I will be a happy man.

—Mark Williams / via email

I’d like to see some luggage options for your

long-term Roadster. If you can fi nd some-

thing that does not mess with the looks of

the bike, I’d be grateful. There are dimen-

sional differences on this frame that negate

other Sportster-compatible luggage. H-D

has not addressed this in my opinion.

Seats are another thing to experiment

with. The stock seat is okay, but I think

there are other options that may better

accommodate luggage and/or passenger

considerations.

—Glen Trezise / Millersville, PA

Brian, I applaud your efforts to “sport-

erize” the Sportster, and I’m eager to see

what you arrive at with mid-controls and

lower bars. A few years back I modifi ed a

1979 Ironhead Sportster, and, long story

short, my favorite changes were the drag

bars on shortened risers and repositioned

footpegs—I used the passenger peg

locations for the rider sets. I had to make

linkage for the shifter and fl ip it to racer

pattern, but the riding position was near

perfect for me. I customized the entire

bike for just $500.

—Ben Getz / via email

That’s a sharp-looking bike, Ben. Nothing

says “sport” like GP shifting! —Ed.

ESCAPE FROM REALITY

For a hunting-knife-strapped-to-a-

DRZ400-gas-tank-weirdo like myself,

“The Escape” (July/August, MC) was an

awesome read. Zack needs to do more of

this type of stuff.

—Jeff Lundgren / Littleton, CO

“The Escape” is a puff piece about a

fantasy trip to leave Hell-A. It has so little

to do with the emotions of motorcy-

cling that it seems written and edited by

someone high on drugs.

—David Schnoerr / via email

A FEW EXTRA STEPS

I just read Ari’s article “Perform a Pre-Ride

Safety Check,” (How To, July/August, MC)

and it’s spot on. My personal safety check

doesn’t include all of his recommenda-

tions (though I plan to incorporate all of

them now), but I also do two additional

checks that I feel are essential: I inspect

the chain for both overall condition as well

as proper tension according to the specs

in the bike’s manual, and I check the sides-

tand spring to make sure it will hold the

sidestand in place.

 —Jeff Ratner / via email

Great reminders, but I’d like to add one

part to item #6 (Lights, action!). When

checking the brake light, make sure both

the front and back brakes light it up. When

doing my check the other day, I found the

front brake on my Tuono wasn’t causing

the brake light to come on. I ordered a

new front brake light switch straight away.

Problem solved.

—Neal Steik / Lynnwood, WA

MOTUS MODS

I loved the article in the July/August

issue about the making of the Motus MST

(Hurricane ‘Merica). I particularly liked

the photograph of the one-man foundry

setup. Very individualistic.

A lot of things about these V-4 sport-

tourers seem appealing, but they’re just

too heavy and probably too expensive. I

mean, a hundred cubic inches on a motor-

cycle? That’s out-of-this-world ridiculous.

More realistic would be a 600cc inline

triple engine. That would help lower the

overall weight compared to the gigantic

Motus V-4. A sub-600-pound bike weight

might sound fairly good compared to

an 800-pound Indian, but the reality is

that the maximum practical weight for

a motorcycle is way down at about 350

pounds.

—Michael Traum / via email

A 350-pound sport-touring triple?

Now that’s a bike we’d like to see.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t exist and the

premise is far-fetched. Unlike the Motus,

which is real and fantastic. —Ed.

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