Hey fella,

Don't listen to the negative dickwads, they seem to live in fear of trolls.

If you are interested in a Harley and come from Ducs and want a more relaxing ride, I would say you should take a look at a Dyna - more specifically a Fat Bob or a Low Rider S. Both have that kind of "muscle" look that the Iron 883 has and both have low drag bars (rather than the fairly ludicrous apes that many harley riders seem to love).

They are also bigger, more comfortable bikes than the 883 - which you might appreciate coming from a Duc. The Dyna is also a great platform for handling (in relative Harley terms) and customisation if you want to go that way. There are many, many ways to increase performance or change the whole look of the bike.

Oh yeah - and they are big twins, so 1690cc for the Fat Bob and 1800 for the Low Rider S. If you get the Sporty, you run the risk of ending up saying "why didn't I get a big twin" later down the road.

Not sure where in London you are, but if you are towards the South, get yourself down to Warrs, Guildford or Reading HD and test ride a few bikes!

Can't say I have seen or heard any issues with rust on either the Sporties or the Dynas recently - but that's not to say there aren't any. My Fat Bob gets used pretty much all year round and has no rust. It does get a liberal dose of ACF50 in the winter though. Keep 'em clean and dry after riding, wash any salt off and they should be fine.

EDIT: One other thought - that Triumph Bobber looks very cool. I will definitely test ride one of those when they are available with the intent of maybe buying one to complement the Harley.

 

883's look great but lacking in power a bit and not very comfortable longer rides especially if you have a passenger. After a 500km trip with the GF I decided to sell the bike and buy a Dyna instead.

48 Looks amazing in my opinion an will give you more pull/power since its 1200, still a small bike though and you get shitty suspensions just like the Iron 883. Tiring on longer rides.

Most Sportster users eventually sell them for bigger bikes like Dynas or Softails.

If you are plaining to ride it around town for bar hopping and not much 2 up trips go for the Sportsters. They really look good in my opinion, sexy bikes for the city.

If you are looking for a bike that you wanna take your GF and do longer trips look into Dyna's I would say. They come with better suspensions, 6th gear and 1700cc.

1.5 years of Sportster use was enough for me.

So Sportsters are nimble, quick but lacking on power and suspensions, also they are smaller so uncomfortable with a passenger.

Dynas doesn't look as good as sportsters but have more power/pull, better suspensions, 6th gear for highway use and bigger bikes that are lot more comfortable for longer rides and passengers.

I went with the Sportster for the looks but soon realized I needed something more comfortable and stronger since I ride a lot 2 up. I had to sacrifice the looks for the functionality.

 

Ohh about the rust issue, it all depends on the humidity and showroom conditions. On coastal towns for example cars rust a lot faster due to humidity and salt from the sea. Same thing if you store something in your basement without use, it's more likely to rust in there.

I don't think it has anything to do with Iron 883's paint or quality. If you don't dump your bike into a humid, dark and shitty basement for 2 years without any use you will not see any rust on it.

 

Perhaps inform us what you will use it for. If just cruising around town might consider the Dyna or Softtail family. If the plan is to use it on longer rides might consider the touring family. If you don't need a fairing or radio and just want a pure touring scoot at its best, consider the Road King, but if you need more gauges, fairing, or radio might consider a Street Glide or an Ultra. I just can't see a brand new bike rusting on the showroom floor, either you are taking us for a ride, or you are full of it. These things are made to take a beating.

 

I test rode an 883 and man what a pos it is. You literally have to change the suspension to make it comfy or at least compliant. It's nice albeit crude but it's a great bike overall. If I wanted a 2nd bike to put around, this would be it. Rust happens, everything rusts if not cleaned properly

 

Buy a 1200 Sportster, specifically the Roadster. If not the Roadster then get the 48.
I own a Duc as well, and my "TOURING" ST2 is a featherweight by american standards, still 100lbs LESS than a sportster. a Dyna being ANOTHER 100lbs is going to feel way too heavy.

A sportster is the bike for you. the 883 will feel too under-powered compared to a Duc. the 1200 will have enough torque to keep you smiling while your being more "sensible"

Photos of your bikes?

 

I found a set of fenders and tank from a 2012 road king classic and was wondering if they would fit a 2016 road king. Ive been trying to find info on it and nothing. Someone said that the front fender might be different but they werent sure anyone that has any info on this would be great, its my first harley so im new to this.

 

Somebody will be along to help you shortly