My sportster has been sitting in the corner while i cheated on it with the wide glide. i even rode the wide glide to work yesterday morning. while i was at work, i kept thinking about my sportster. as soon as i got home, i put on hooliganism gear and jumped on my sportster...
F**K! way more fun than the wide glide.. less brute torque, BUT more get up and go, more immediate response, stable in corners, higher lean angle, more everything... right up until 70-80. the party kinda stops there.
On the back roads and twisties, sportster all day long. which makes it a real bargain considering the price point...
especially my price point ~$6000 not including pretty bits, oil cooler, and rack (4400 for bike w/187 mile + ~$1500 for the 1200 stage 1, ness BS, and old school SE II mufflers)
i love my sporty! anyone saying you have to move up or calling a sporty a girls bike is an idiot. the sportster is probably one of the rawest 'man and machince' bikes out there.
if and when you upgrade to a big slow twin cam, keep your sporty. the big twins just do not offer this experience WITHOUT you throwing in thousands of dollars for engine work, pipes, and tuning/jetting. the super glide maybe the closest big twin to the sporty(imo), but much like the sportster standard (CN) and the roadster (in the US), the super glide has gone missing from the dyna line-up for now.
Agreed. Bought my first Harley two years ago, a Sporty Super Lo 883. Last summer added a Fatboy Low. But for the daytrips thru hill and dale, returned to the Sportster. It's a fun, tossable bike. Better for city riding.
my 883 geared 1200 conversion runs out of fun at around 70-80 it will still hit 110-120, but it's a gradual climb from there, not a zippy event.
there's been no tom foolery other than the conversion, a/c, and and pipes.
My 1200 will hit 95 in a blink, which is about where the suspension is maxed for road defects...so that's where I call it quits. I love my FXR and Dyna...but that sporty will put a smile on my face like no other bike. It's so light it feels practically like a bicycle with a motor...and it has great looks to top it off.
my 883 geared 1200 conversion runs out of fun at around 70-80 it will still hit 110-120, but it's a gradual climb from there, not a zippy event.
there's been no tom foolery other than the conversion, a/c, and and pipes.
Got it, I didn't realize it was previously an 883 and still had the gearing.
Originally Posted by Thingfish
My 1200 will hit 95 in a blink, which is about where the suspension is maxed for road defects...so that's where I call it quits.
I hear ya, if I was cruising 80 and nailed it to pass a couple big rigs, I'd be doing 115 by the time I passed the second one. Little bit of white-knuckling blasting by the rigs at that speed. And I wouldn't even think of it in high winds. But on stable roads in lower wings, I would cruise mine at 90 to 95mph on the 15 heading into Vegas. I didn't have a tach on my 1200, but at those speeds the RPMs were up there screaming pretty loud. So I never cruised any faster than that.
Besides the performance and handling the XL's offer, the Sportster is THE BEST looking bike in the Harley lineup. While I don't own one anymore (I have the fat kid's version - the FXDX) I still take the time to drool on the ones on the dealership floor.
They have that big motor, small tank, small seat look that just says "I am built for business!"
My 883R is now pushing 9 years old and i'm ready to go up to rolling couch mode. I doubt any of the stock bikes even up to touring lines have power issues. You can't compare a Sportster to a Bagger or any class up from it. The Sportster is all motor and well thats about it. It does not handle well without doing suspension upgrades off the showroom floor if your a corner carver. As much as i have invested in my Sportster if i don't sell it, it's just going to set in the garage doing no good for anybody.
Outside of winter i ride my bike year round. I need/want the best wind protection i can get. I want that lock the throttle interstate mile after mile comfort and range. And i have 3 throw over bags on my Sportster that carry what i need for daily riding gear. So yeah I'm in the market for a new Road King with a detachable tour pack.
11-21-2015, 06:27 AM
Sportster Appreciation!
