"If yours isn't, then maybe you bought the wrong bike. I hate to sound harsh, but seriously man, the forums are a lousy sample of Harley owners. There are plenty of people who are more than happy to hop on their stock bike and ride serious miles without griping about it. The forums bring out the whiners."
05train,
I don't consider myself to be a whiner and if the forum is such a lousy example of HD owners; why do you participate? This is my 40th year of riding and although I don't put 30,k+ miles on every year (mostly due to weather restrictions), I do know comfort from having to walk around for days on end with numbness in your feet from a seat or ergonomics that are sorrowfully lacking. I'm happy for you that your upgrades are minimal.
The forum is an opportunity for ppl to exchange ideas and get suggestions and perhaps bitch a little to a population of ppl that would understand what they are referring to. I still have the ability to distinguish between what is essential and what is for show.
I get the point that you are trying to make but maybe you came off a little "harsh" by slamming those that do participate on this forum and have a wealth of knowledge. Just sayin.
Yup, it comes off harsh. It's not meant to be.
But sorry, it's not reasonable to expect that one motorcycle is going to fit everyone. And it's downright silly to spend 40 grand on a bike, then complain that you can't ride it because it's too uncomfortable. Either make the changes you need or sell the bike and get something that fits you. The bike isn't the issue here, as the thousands of happy owners on stock bikes will attest to. Harley's not the best selling bike in the country because they're uncomfortable torture machines.
I know when I buy a new bike, I need to budget for a new seat, new bars, and a new windshield. I'm taller than average, so bikes aren't designed with me in mind. Similarly, there's no such thing as a perfect seat for everyone. The OP doesn't like his stock seat. I have the same one, and it's fantastic for me. Who's right?
We both are. And that's because everyone's built differently, and everyone likes different things. Some people love looking through windshields, some don't. Some people like hard seats, some like soft. Some people like leaning forward to the bars, some like 20" apes. Harley (and every other bike manufacturer) designs their ergos to a specific, median size. If you're that size you're golden. If not, you have to make the bike fit you, or you need to get a bike that fits you off the showroom floor.
But it's not Harley's fault the OP's not comfortable.