My dad and I went to Demo Days today at my local dealership and tried out bikes all day.

I tried a Street Glide, CVO Road King, Breakout, Street Bob, etc...

A few short observations:

Because the Street Glide is so popular, I wanted to see what they were like. I am glad I tried it, because it really wasn't for me. I have no specific complaints. The amenities just took it too far away from the kind of feel that I pine for when going out to ride. I'm sure someday I will appreciate bikes like this better, but for now I could use a little less luxury.

The CVO Road King was quality. Everything on it was tasteful. The suspension and the seat and foot placement were perfect for my 220lb, 5' 9" build. However, I was totally dissappointed by the lack of power I got from the 1800cc engine!!! I know this is a heavy bike, but I felt like it was constantly struggling to keep up.

The Breakout looks bad ***, and it was the one I signed up to ride first and was the most excited about. Firstly, I was expecting it to roar into life when I started the ignition, but it burped and then fluttered like the sound of dainty butterfly wings as I revved the engine -- not cool! Also, there is almost no lean angle!!! I was literally scraping the pegs at almost every slow speed turn. My dad's Heritage has more of a lean angle. Now, this wouldn't have been that big of a deal if it weren't for the fact that this bike looks so dang sporty.

And finally, to get to the whole point of my post, the most surprising and most fun part of my day was when I learned exactly what it feels like to be an actual Bat out of Hell.

I had ridden all the bikes that I had planned on riding, so I decided to just ride something random. I had never ridden a Sportster of any kind, so I signed up to ride a Forty-Eight. It was black, I liked the look of the tank, frame, handle-bars, and wheels, and it was a 1200 instead of an 883 which enticed me (though I have never ridden an 883, so I have literally no idea how it would compare).

It felt awesome to sit on. The stock setup is definitely not designed for long range comfort. Instead, it feels like it was specifically designed to make you feel like a bad ***. Unlike the Breakout, this Sportser did roar into life. And, when I got onto the road, it shot me forward like it had rockets strapped to the frame. Each gear was a torque monster. I am not a fast rider, but I found myself gritting my teeth, because I just couldn't go as fast as this bike wanted to take me. It had a demonic spirit in it for sure, and it was trying to possess innocent ol' me.

Anyway, the Forty-Eight gave me the closest level of fun that I am used to on my Super Glide -- I actually signed up for it twice today =P.

I will also never, ever, from this day forward, buy into the Sportster's-are-girly line again. That bike is one seriously impressive machine! I could easily see a slightly used Forty-Eight becoming my second Harley.


Oh, and another interesting thing that happened today: A demo rider dropped the $40,000 CVO Limited while attempting to park it after a ride... It was extremely cringe-worthy.

 

LOL, I said basically the same thing the first time I rode the Sporty I got last January. I actually just got it for my GF & friends to use, but now I ride the **** out of it. It makes my Heritage Springer (that I've been riding for the past 16 years) feel like a lethargic pig! It's especially fun riding 50 miles up & down the mountain & canyons where I live. I've been riding big twins since 1972 and never rode a Sporty prior to last January, and I too have a whole new respect for them. I love it & it's a blast. The 1200's are awesome!

 

I'd like to ride the Breakout and Street a Glide myself. But I know if I rode the Breakout, I'd want it, so I'm staying away from it. The SG, although it's the better of any touring biker to me, seems a little heavy.

 

Wanting to try a Sportster myself. Never been to a demo day, always figured people would be waiting a mile deep to ride the same bikes I wanted to try.

 

Can't say how it goes elsewhere, but here, everybody that I talk to that goes always gets to ride all the bikes they want to ride and more. If we didn't want to break for lunch, we could have gone on every ride today. It was a very fun day.

Also, Saturday may be busier than Friday, since more people may be off work, but it's definitely worth a try. It's free!

I know that HD definitely makes sales by providing Demo Days, but I also think it's a service to us that they do them! I would never get to try so many bikes otherwise. And Forty-Eights aren't that salty, so the seed has been planted in my mind to possibly get one when I have the cash.

 

The Sportsters are girly crap is born of ignorance, not experience. The 1200 Sportsters have to be near the top of the power to weight ratio for Harleys.

Glad you had fun!

 

Only stupid people call sportsters girl bikes. Harley big twins since the Panhead were 74 cubic inches, or 1200cc's...

Sportsters are great practical motorcycles. If I had some extra money (if I had it I'd probably spend it on a Ural Patrol T though) I'd look for a 1200 roadster.

 

Like many my first new Harley, was a 1200 Sportster. I loved that scoot and wish I still had it for fun rides, but alas my sweet baby girl is gone. I took her on three 3000+ mile trips while she was mine. The longest was over 4000 miles in 7 or 8 days.

Man I miss that bike...but I wouldn't trade my batwing for anything on long rides.

 

Back when I was working as a tech at a dealership I did the set up on the first 1200 XL we got. Took it out for the post setup test ride and had a ball! That thing was a rocket. I've always said if I weren't such a big bastard, I'd have an XL. Nothing in my opinion sounds as good a good running Sporty.

 

Nice to know the tech's are concerned about proper brake in procedures lol