Harley Sportster ?

[Wooster]

It's a surprise to me that my older brother in So Carolina is considering a new sportster; I don't know whether it's the 1200 cc model or the smaller motor. Years ago, the 883 cc sportsters weree mostly stepping stones to the larger 1200cc harleys. Are the current bikes satisfying on their own or are they still mostly starting points in the harley tribe ?

BTW, my brother's last bike was a honda CB450, way back when the world was new, i.e., 1970. He and it parted company over an auto's front grill; the grill was attached to a left turning car w/o turn signals. Getting my older brother to consider any msf training will be difficult.

 

Wooster

 

wedding gifts when the snake marries the mortician are marked hiss and hearse

[OoPEZoO]

They aren't bad depending on his physical size and what he plans to do with it. If he wants to putput around a few backroads a few times a week and isn't over 6', then the 883 isn't a bad choice. Plus they are dirt cheap right now. On the other hand, everyone I know who bought an 883 has ended up moving on to a 1200 within 2 years.

 

If he plans to travel or take longer rides then the 1200 makes more sense. That 883 gets a little long in the tooth when trying to travel at 65mph for any length of time.

 

Personally, I prefer the XR1200.......if your going to by a Sportster, might as well go for some style as well

[moshe_levy]

Many Sportster enthusiasts buy the 883 because they can build a much better 1200 out of it (and for far less money) than buying a factory 1200, especially on the older EVO models where the 883 heads were far more suitable for high performance mods than the 1200. Building the engine is very much a part of the Harley experience. I remember when I got my RT, I bought that Sportster mentality here and started asking about bore kits, aftermarket air cleaners and exhausts, etc. Needless to say, that's not such a part of the BMW experience and my engine remains stock.

 

A 1200 Custom was my first new motorcycle, and I owned it for 8 years and over 60,000 miles. By the time I was done with it, it was making 95HP at the wheel, and was quite a capable machine. Then, I got my R75/5, and promptly became a BMW rider instead.

 

-MKL

[tobyzusa]

Make sure he rides it first. Does he have a reference to compare it to other bikes? Sportsters turn and stop similar to an aircraft carrier, IMHO.

 

If he knows what he's getting into, then great!

[TEWKS]

Just sayin'

 

 

 

Pat

[JohnnyJ]

A recent "Cycle World" article gave the XR1200 an extremely good review. They claim it is: "maybe best overall H-D ever".

 

If your brother is a mature adult and money is not the big issue, then he should go with the 1200.

 

 

JohnnyJ

[Wooster]

My 62 yr old brother is 5.5 ft and 150 lbs (same here). And while he was a car nut as a kid (successfully drag raced an '66 pontiac gto; I remember one trick was an aluminum dry iced powered gasoline cooler under the hood; his current cars include a pontiac gto from OZ and get to work chevy blazer), I think he's looking for a turn key bike w/o any real mods needed. Seems that 1200cc sportster is the way to go if harley is the destination. BTW, my Mother tells me my older bro had visited a bmw bike shop last week yet finds the sporties more to his liking (size issue I think).

Back in '70 exactly one day after his grill get off and crashed CB450, he was all over me to dump my BSA and employ a "safer" mode of transportation; big brothers.

 

Wooster

 

[Rphoto]

I like the XR1200 too. It is the only HD I would own other than my Vrod Street Rod (which nicely complements my R1100RT, BTW).

 

If he goes used, make sure he gets a 2004 or newer. They vibrate much less as their engine mounts were upgraded. I personally like the mid controls of the "roadster" model Sporters compared to the laid back position on the "C - custom" ones.

 

Rob

[wbrissette]

I'm another one in the XR1200 camp. I love that bike. There are a few things I don't like about it, including the tank size (too small), but otherwise they did a nice job of melding some of Erik Buell's technology into a Harley and coming out with a very nice HD. However, the stock XR1200 still is underpowered compared to any of the Buell motorcycles using the 1200 engine (and I'll only briefly mention the Buell 1125 Rotax engine that is a real screamer and kicks all the air cooled motors butts).

 

 

 

That said, there is a lot going for the Sportster. First, they are cheap on the used market, parts are readily available in ANY country and relatively inexpensive. In addition, since the Sportster has an air-cooled engine, you have the ability to work on the bike pretty much anywhere with 3 wrenches. In addition, if you spend $60, the HD service manual is excellent and can be used by just about anybody who can read (BMW could learn a thing or two about service manuals from HD). I've actually been considering buying one used 883 myself for these very reasons.

 

I have a coworker who rides his sporty everywhere! http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Decman/

 

Declan is a bit extreme, but he just shows you it's the rider, not the bike that makes a machine a touring bike.

 

Wayne

[UberXY]

Though I have been riding BMWs for 23 years, I bought a 1200 Sportster two years ago for use around town. Trouble free, fun to ride. I have run into a few guys who converted their 883s to 1200s, and they all said that it's probably cheaper just to buy a 1200 in the first place.

 

BTW if he is looking for a used Sporty, I suggest nothing older than 2007, as that is when HD fuel injected them.

 

[OoPEZoO]

Thats a good lookin scoot!

[MWS]

Harley sent me a letter in the mail that they would send me a $150 Shell gas card if I would test ride one of their bikes. We'll see in 4-6 weeks.

The XR1200 was the one I test rode.

+ Good riding position.

+ Ok power.

+ Brakes.

+ Handeling.

- Vibration.

- Mirrors were usless at any speed.

 

Was glad to get back on my GT.

 

My vote for the best HD ever made is the Roadglide.

[Kathy R]

Any Harley is good for someone of short stature. I agree with the comments about only getting a later model, if you go with a Sportster. I loved my 97' XL1200C but I sat ON it rather than IN it. My 94' Softail was easier to ride.

 

Gosh, that IS a great looking bike!

[Albert]

Sweet!

 

Though I have been riding BMWs for 23 years, I bought a 1200 Sportster two years ago for use around town. Trouble free, fun to ride. I have run into a few guys who converted their 883s to 1200s, and they all said that it's probably cheaper just to buy a 1200 in the first place.

 

BTW if he is looking for a used Sporty, I suggest nothing older than 2007, as that is when HD fuel injected them.

[upflying]

Sportster's have a stigma. They are seen as entry level Harley's and the model is favored by persons who are smaller in size.

Prior to the rubber mounted engine (pre-'05 I think) they shook and vibrated terribly.

Most use them as a stepping to stone to move up. They are cheap to buy because HD is betting you will eventually buy their full size bikes.

[OlGeezer]

Isn't the 883 a "girl's bike"?

 

I'm just askin'.

[moshe_levy]

Sportster's have a stigma. They are seen as entry level Harley's and the model is favored by persons who are smaller in size.

 

Pardon my crudeness, but this stigma is held by people who don't have a freakin' clue, period. The Sportster is THE longest running nameplate in ALL of motorcycling, and carries with it a long and very interesting history. I moderate the Yahoo Sportster Owner's Group and have been on many Sportster runs with them, and met some great people, both guys and girls. My friend Chris, about 6'4 and 250 pounds, rides a Sportster. My wife, about 5'4" and 120 pounds, rides an R1150R. So all this girl's bike / boy's bike stuff is just BS used by people who are usually woefully ignorant not only about the Sportster, but about motorcycles in general - or by those who buy bigger bikes to make up for.... other deficiencies.

 

-MKL

[baggerchris]

I believe it is only a matter of time before the newer tech used on the XR1200 will be added to more of the Sportster line.

[BailyD]

I thought I read a Harley promo where they said if you buy a 883 and keep it for a year they will give you full value (what you paid for it) if you step up to the 1200 at the end of the year?

 

Anyone heard that too?

[Marty Hill]

Yes, that is a current promotion.

[upflying]

Sportster's have a stigma. They are seen as entry level Harley's and the model is favored by persons who are smaller in size.

 

Pardon my crudeness, but this stigma is held by people who don't have a freakin' clue, period. The Sportster is THE longest running nameplate in ALL of motorcycling, and carries with it a long and very interesting history. I moderate the Yahoo Sportster Owner's Group and have been on many Sportster runs with them, and met some great people, both guys and girls. My friend Chris, about 6'4 and 250 pounds, rides a Sportster. My wife, about 5'4" and 120 pounds, rides an R1150R. So all this girl's bike / boy's bike stuff is just BS used by people who are usually woefully ignorant not only about the Sportster, but about motorcycles in general - or by those who buy bigger bikes to make up for.... other deficiencies.

 

-MKL

I didn't say it was a girl's bike. But I can say from the tone of your response that you are overly defensive of a bike that has long been the subject of "not a real Harley" comments from many people, not just me.

Maybe I should not have used the word "stigma". Perhaps "stereotype" would have been a better choice.

BTW, we live in a world where people are judged on many factors. Whether the judgments are based on ignorance or fact, bigger and more expensive generally means better.

 

[Wooster]

Tonight my older brother says he's considering a 1200 cc sportster (which particular model, I don't know). I did share with him some of the collective wisdom (what's the opposite of oxymoron ?), e.g., '07 and on are fuel injected with motor mounts better able to keep the vibes at bay and that 1200 cc may be a more enduringly pleasurable ride.

I've often thought that the big three Japanese companies are missing a dirt bike market share, what with all of their serious dirt bikes having 37 + inch saddles. Now, I'm thinking the same may apply to street rides; specifically, if my older brother had flat feet on a beemer, he might be turned from the dark side to german enlightenment. As a rider with experience, I've coping mechanisms for nose bleed saddle heights; new or returning riders have not.

 

Wooster w/possible harley riding brother

 

medical dictionary says DILATE is what happens to patients who live longer than expected: BARIUM is what you do to patients who DILATE

[wbrissette]

That's been a running promotion for a number of years actually.

 

Wayne

[OoPEZoO]

I've often thought that the big three Japanese companies are missing a dirt bike market share, what with all of their serious dirt bikes having 37 + inch saddles. Now, I'm thinking the same may apply to street rides; specifically, if my older brother had flat feet on a beemer, he might be turned from the dark side to german enlightenment. As a rider with experience, I've coping mechanisms for nose bleed saddle heights; new or returning riders have not.

 

I know what you are saying there......and I agree to an extent. The big problem I have with the Japanese dirt bikes/dual sports is that even though they have a high ground to seat height, the peg to seat high is extremely short. For reference, I can flat foot my RT with the seat in the highest position. I think its funny that I almost have to tippy toe a DRZ400 when there is no weight on the seat, but once seated I get leg cramps within 20 min because my knees are almost touching my chin. This can all be fixed of course, but its some expensive trial and error. Same goes for the HD.......as soon as I would buy one, I would immediately have to splurge on accessories in order for me even to be able to survive making it around the block. Then again, maybe that is their master plan. Build a bike for nobody so you can make them come back and spend a bunch of $$$ on accessories

 

[vizhip]

One of my co-workers owns a Harley... his comment was, you don't buy the bike, but make a down payment on the upgrades...

 

Regards -

-Bob

[sebjones906]

IMHO I think buying any motorcycle strictly by reading the spec sheets is a mistake. However, this Sportster has upside down Forks, adjustable suspension, good brakes a descent riding position. Anyone who hasn't ridden one of the new rubber mounted generation Sporty doesn't know what they are talking about. Comparing a xR1200 to an old Sporty is like comparing a R1200 to a R50. The new Sporty is a real motorcycle.

 

BTW.......

But Remember "you can sell a Harley to a person who wants a motorcycle and you can't sell a motorcycle to a person who wants a Harley." Except me, I am not brand religious.

[fisherman]

"Though I have been riding BMWs for 23 years, I bought a 1200 Sportster two years ago for use around town. Trouble free, fun to ride. I have run into a few guys who converted their 883s to 1200s, and they all said that it's probably cheaper just to buy a 1200 in the first place.

 

BTW if he is looking for a used Sporty, I suggest nothing older than 2007, as that is when HD fuel injected them."

 

Uberxy,

 

That is one good looking motorcycle.

 

Gil Horsley

Atlanta, GA

[dhanson]

I loved my 99 FXDX, not a sportster but in my book a more plush stronger sporty. I also did lots of mods, 95", andrew cams, dual piston front brakes (stock was single) etc... probably 100 hp. Great for just tooling around and Jean and I even took some pretty long trips on it.

 

P.S. We are ATGATT now, where we only wore jackets, helmets, and boots before.