Bonneville America Forums Forums Off Topic Discussion Forums Lounge NEW TO THE FORUM

Helo! I'm new here. Do not own a BA yet. I just put a deposit on a BA 2002 with only 450 mls. Should be getting it by the end of Feb. I'm just learning about the BA. I was not planning on getting one, (Was going to get a Harley) but the price was such I couldn't refuse. I'll be using this bike for long hauls. How good are these bikes for long hauls?

Welcome Angelo. You made the right choice (vs HD). These bikes at 790ccs have more power than HDs at 1450. The longest ride I've done is 320 miles and it was a piece of cake. Others here have done much more. I'm sure you'll be hearing all about it .

Angelo,
Welcome. I think you picked up good bike and probably at a real good price. There will probably be 40 more posts of people here telling you the same. As for long hauls, you may want to look at a windshield, floorboards, and a nice set of saddle bags with either a set of ez-brackets or honda brackets. And maybe an upgraded seat. The riding position is pretty comfortable and all kinds of things can be tweaked to make it even better. Enjoy.

In my opinion, long hauls would benefit from a Corbin seat upgrade.......Welcome to the site, a fine choice over a Hardley......

In May I'm taking a trip to Orlando, Florida and Deals Gap.
In June I Going to Lake George, NY. And Niagaras Falls. I'm in Nothern Jersey.

Angelo welcome to the site. With all of the riding you're planning on doing I would definately suggest a seat upgrade. Try these;
Corbin (the Speedmaster and the BA seats are interchangeable).
Rick Mayer

Welcome aboard Angelo.

Fill in some details in your biog - we don't bite!
(well, not all of us ... and the some are just too old to still have their own teeth anyway )

227,
Welcome to the site. There are lots of info here with good natured folks. I have not taken as long of rides as some, but I did a 5,000 mile run and several 1,000-2,500 mile runs; things were just fine. A Corbin seat and windshield makes a big difference.

I drove 1350mi in 2.5 days last years from north of the province of Quebec to Dahlonega Ga for the 2005 rally. No problem .

I was going to post a topic but this fits here.

I have been riding with a new Harley rider who recently purchased a new Softail Anniversary Special Extra Chrome Extra Expensive Special Edition of some kind of Anniversary Edition for $20,000.00. Saturday we took a ride to Helen, Ga., when we stopped to eat we parked within a long line of MC's mostly Harleys, most here know the rest of this story having experienced the same thing, it took me a good fifteen minutes after parking to answer all the questions I was getting so we could go eat!

I planning the trip for the end of May. I'll see if I can make any adjustmet in my schedule. I'll let you know.

Stand out in the crowd, Do not blend in with it

I've done a 1,700 mile trip and there was a guy on here that did an around the US trip putting on something like 15-20,000 miles. It's a good bike as long as you're riding solo, but 2 up it's a bit taxed. Throw an 18 tooth front sprocket on and you'll be able to cruise all day at 75-80 mph.

First thing you'll need to look for are saddlebags and brackets. Saddlemen Drifter slant jumbos are a good choice along with some Easy Brackets. The bags can be beefed up with a couple of sheets of aluminum riveted inside. Get a sissy bar and a big tail pack mounted backwards, if you're riding solo, and you'll have a weeks worth of stuff packed away.

Depending on how you like to ride, you could get an engine/crash bar and mount highway pegs to them. It's comfortable enough for me just to use my Kuryakyn Switchblade pegs with the collapsible heel supprts, and I can stretch my legs by swinging my heels over and resting them on top of the pegs.

I've ridden 500 miles in one day without any discomfort, and I like to stop every 75-100 miles for gas and to stretch. I wouldn't want to ride anymore than that, but then I have bad knees and a bad back.

Angelo, welcome aboard this site and cangrads on getting the right bike. The bike is very dependable and with some mods, or no mods, rides great.Where did you pick up this bike and how much did you pay for it? We are nosy here! Where are you in northern Jersey? I am in Warren County. I don't get into putting the kind of miles on that you are talking about, Ga., Fla., but may go to Lake George also. TR

welcome!!!! be sure to read up on the mods, you will be pleasntly suprised. a little tweeking of the carbs and some good exhust and you will have a GREAT BIKE!!! when we gather in Ga. we all discuss alot of these little secrets and anything you want to know about this bike is here. i havnt changed my seat cuz i dont feel the need, it has been fine so far and i have been known to get in a few long days. the 2002 mod. is the best in my book. its rare that the first mod. of anything can be trusted but this is an exception to that rule. there was a factory fire in 2002 so that yr has a limited issue of the B.A.s(that is what i have so welcome to that small club within the club hahahaha) you have made a smart decision by avoiding the trap that is hardly davidson. you would spend alot of $$$ trying to get that bike to your likeing but this bike comes out of the box so close to perfect that even after you dress her up your still thousands less into it that an h.d. hahahahahaha ENJOY!!!!! and welcome!!!

I'm picking the bike by the end of Feb. I just put a deposit. I'm getting it from the original owner. He had it stored for two years and rode it few hundred miles last year and he decided to sell it. I'm getting it for
$ 4,000.00. The bike runs and looks brand new.

I was going to get The Sporster 883 (06) for $8,900.00 in March

Wow! That's a smokin' deal on that Bonneville America! Post some pics when you get her home.

I'd take a new America or Speedmaster over that Sportster, but then you could say I'm a bit biased.

Here the thing go to a bike night, park the 883 and the America right next to each other.
Even the Harley guys will step over the 883 to look at your America. The America is a attention getter, the 883 are a dime a dozen, a rough riding underpowered over priced bike that you would want to replace a year after you got it

Say what we will about the Sportsters - After all we are a bit predjudiced. However, let me go on record as saying that I am more than attracted to the Sportie(either 883 or preferably the 1200) in Roadster form. IMO, there's a lot of riders that prefer a standard seating position (myself included), and those little puppies (along with the Bonnie) are two of the very few choices where your feet are where they are supposed to be.

Yep, I've always said that if I had two good knees I'd be on a T100. Charging up a mountain full of twisty roads, i just can't seem to get far enough forward over the tank to get the weight distrubted right for spirited riding on my Speedmaster.

The XL 883R in orange Harley racing colors isn't a bad looking bike. I like the tank graphics on the 883R better than than the same color scheme on the 1200R.

I was there at Rutt's Hutt almost every Wed Riding a Yamaha FZ6. (silver) Nice place to see some nice stuff. That was one of the reason I was getting a Harley. Just to go to this places. I also go to Stwart's in Lebanon, NJ. on Thurs. I can way for the summer to show up with my TBA.

Eye is repling so to as resurrect from the depths of hades this here thread.

Edited: this new post did not rebuild the index. Thus, the Led Zeppelin methodology.

What happened to this thread?