So I'm sure there have been quite a few threads posted about this sort of topic.
Yesterday i went to the Local harley dealer and test rode a 2010 nightster, and a 2014 street bob. Mainly because these are the 2 bikes i am looking into picking up. The 1200n because the price is a bit more friendly, and the street bob, well just because its a bad *** bike. I took the nightster out first, and i was quite surprised, the bike feels really great as far as responsiveness and pep. I like the size, at least it felt good to me. I'm 6ft 190lbs, and i felt like it wasn't too heavy, i wasn't too big for it, and it would be a fun bike to run around town on, and take a few short trips. The only bad thing i had to say about it, was the suspension. After reading a lot of reviews about the sportsters, the claims of "bone shaking" suspension were correct. IT IS very raw, you feel almost every bump on the bike, potholes, man hole covers etc...A couple even threw me up off the seat a little bit which didn't much worry me, but it was uncomfortable.

The street bob was a bit heavier and definitely larger feeling then the sportster. But once I got going on it, and got used to it the larger size wasn't as noticeable. It was very comfortable. The Power over the sporty was noticeable, as well as the gearing. The bike just felt more solid and stable especially on the freeway at cruising speeds. I also noticed the suspension on the bob was much more forgiving, and not nearly as harsh as the sportster. Parts of the road i crossed over on the nightster that were bumpy, i didn't even feel when riding the bob. As i rode the street bob, i felt very confident thinking "Yeah, i could definitely take this thing on some long rides." Where as the Nightster would be more of a fun around town bike, but that seemed to be it. I also was skeptical on the mini apes that are on the street bob, but holy cow were they comfortable! It was a very relaxed riding style.

My predicament is, I know there are many ways to skin the cat as far as suspension modifications and comfort go for the sportys. Progressive shocks, and fork springs, or RK rear shocks which seem to be the most popular. As well as an after market seat, but Is it really worth the money? I am used to sport bikes, and the reason i am getting away from those and looking to get a harley is to actually be more comfortable when riding, and be able to enjoy longer trips. Which i feel if i were to purchase the sportster, that kind of defeats the purpose. At least in its stock suspension form. Where as the Street bob, i can get on it, ride it, and be very comfortable. I guess what I'm trying to ask, is even with the right suspension and seat on a sporty, would it still never come close to the street bob? I love reading threads from the sporty guys and seeing how much they love there bikes after they get the suspension dialed.

Id love to hear responses and opinions from both sides. My gut is telling me to go with the street bob, but my wild side, and my wallet is telling me to go for the nightster. Im not worried about the money so much, as buying something i will get tired of or want to sell after a year such as the sporty.

 

You usually don't go wrong going with your gut instinct.

 

thats what I'm thinking, I'm really glad i got to ride the two, so i could see the differences, i was pretty hard set on a sporty, but after the test ride, i had a huge change of heart.

 

Whatever you do, don't take a Street Glide out for a test ride or you'll change your mind again.

This is my 3rd Harley, and I could have saved a lot of $$ if I would have just started with this bike to begin with.

 

Right. Buy the bike you want and not one you will be looking to trade up to in a year. Too much money to spend to lose on depreciation and resale or trade in. This way you get to spend that money on upgrades.

 

***i felt very confident thinking "Yeah, i could definitely take this thing on some long rides." Where as the Nightster would be more of a fun around town bike***
ask yourself....how are you gonna use the bike? i love a sportster...have one (have had several) and an ultra. different bikes for different purposes. now that being said, you can ride the sporty anywhere you can a bigger bike. another thing to consider is whether youll ride solo or two up. not that the sportster is incapable, but being smaller in size, may limit comfort for rider, passenger or both. there is a ton of aftermarket for the sporties and maintenance is fairly cheaper than that of a big twin. on the other hand...hard to beat a dyna...imo, really the best bang for the buck. bigger engine, frame, better suspension and not to much more than a sportster. so after all this, as was said, go with the "gut". either way, both are good choices.

 

After reading your description of the two, it sounds like you already made your decision. You didn't day one bad thing about the bob, but listed three or four things that you need to change on the sporty. The bob Isnt one of the more expensive bikes so I can't imagine the price would be much different, especially once you consider the cost if the mods you already decided were needed. Also factor in the fact that the bob is generally a more sought after bike, so if you needed to sell it or decide to go another route, it will most likely sell quicker than a sporty. I'm not saying it is, but many call sporty's "girl bikes." You only have to pay for the bike once, so get what you want the first time around versus buying one and deciding you should have bought the other. As I said before, your description of the two bikes tells the story. Reading it told me what you really want is the bob.

 

You guys are correct, I do want the bob. I found a local sale on a salvage one, I've never really been worried about salvage bikes, or cars. Is there anything i should look for in particular on a salvage harley, other than then usual frame damage, bent forks, bent wheels, spokes etc.....
Also, i read about some issues with the first year they put the 6spd in the street bob in 2006. Can someone enlighten me on this subject?

 

I guess it depends on the person and what they're looking for. I've ridden most of the current lineup. Besides the Sportster, I like the Dyna bikes best. I didn't like the Softail bikes and when I tested the Street Glide I was surprised that I didn't care for the bike at all. Part of that could be I ride 75% of the time in urban traffic. To me the Dynas are the most versatile of the BT bikes and can be turned into anything the owner wants. The SG isn't nearly as versatile.

As for the OP, choose the bike that speaks to you best. That said, I'd walk away from a salvage bike. They're not easy to insure and may have hidden issues that may crop up.

 

Instead of either bike, check out the SuperGlide Custom...best looking Harley made, and most bang for the buck. Cheaper than the StreetBob.