I see lots of guys upgrading their 883 to 1200 or wanting to. Wouldn't it be simpilar & cheaper to just sell the 883 & buy a 1200?

 

Might not be cheaper & easier if you have done a bunch of upgrades already.
I decided to start with a 1200 in the first place but some reasons to start with an 883 might be.
Lower insurance, lower gearing than a factory 1200, able to upgrade to 1250, lower initial purchase price, sometimes it's fun to have a sleeper (only you will know it's not a 883 anymore).

 

Not including differences in color/styling (fatter front tire on the 1200c, amount of chrome, and tank size for example) the price difference between an 883 and a 1200 is at least $2,500 retail. To my knowledge upgrading the 883 to 1200 costs far far less (starting around $600-$700). Though of course you can spend far far far more. Then there's also the left over parts that could be sold on ebay. Added to that there's what was already said about the gearing being different. It makes a ton of sense for many people to grab the 883.

 

For me it was about how I fit the bike. I didnt like the way 1200 customs, 48's and 72's felt when I was on them. I hate forward controls with a passion, and I like having a sleeper lol. Sure I could have spent less and gotten a 1200 off the floor, but I would have hated every minute of riding it. Now I have a bike that fits me how I wanted it to, and its pretty damn fast.

 

I'm in your town, if you ever want to meet up and ride, I'd love to check out your bike.

 

Full meal deal is about $2500 from Hammer Performance..... And about $700 to have someone do the install. So for $3200 you can have a bike that will smoke a 1200 factory bike.

So it's a great cost for HP.

I have not done mine yet, but am leaning that way this winter. And if I do it I'm going to go to the upper level of the service, however, will keep my A/C and pipes I have now. Maybe change them down the road depending on the dyno results!

And there is no 1200 that I like as much as my Iron, the 48 is the only 1200 that tempted me. The nightster is nice but just not dark enough for me!

Remember it may not be for you but others like to be different and see things in a different way.

And there is something to be said of "sleepers" ...... Be it cars or bikes..... The jaw dropping looks of the nay Sayers is awesome!

 

For me it came down to the look of the Iron. I simply preferred it over all the other Sportys in the lineup. The Harley 1200 kit is only around $1200 retail if you want to have a 1200 Iron or you can easily go with the 1250 kit for even less. I also knew the stock 1200 did not have enough power for me and I figured I would be tearing into the motor anyway so I might as well get the 883 and build it the way I want with the power I want. My plan is to shoot for 100 ponies.

 

Good thread. It's particularly relevant to me right now because while I love the way my Iron looks, I'd really like for it to have some more power. Like the other poster, the only other 1200 I like in the Harley lineup right now is the 48, and to a lesser degree, the 72, but a bike with a smaller tank than even my Iron is not real attractive to me.

When I was at the dealership a couple weeks ago, I was talking to one of the sales guys, and when I told him that I 'kinda wish my Iron had more power', he looked at me said...'Dude, convert it to a 1200 and be done with it'.

 

Coming from a 48 owner, the iron is the best looking bike in the sportster family.

I LOVE my 48 more than anything, the bike just speaks to me, but I think the iron is a better looking bike. Its dark. Its evil. And its beautiful.

 

I have to agree with all the other 883 & "Iron" owners. I like the looks of my bike and it is just too easy and cheaper to upgrade to 1200/1250 than to buy a new 1200 just for the engine. I don't go for wire wheels (nightster, "48, "72"), forward controls("48", "72"), 2.1 gallon tank ("72" & "48"), or gray engines(nightster). I do like the fat front tire & 4.5 gallon on the Custom, but not the engine finish. I hope that answers your question why some people buy a 883 instead of a 1200.