So, I may not be that old (I'm 31), but I feel like the older I get the more impractical it is for me to own a sport bike. I don't race, I don't do track days anymore, and while I do enjoy fun 'spirited' rides on the back roads, I find that riding a sport bike around is getting increasingly uncomfortable.

Lately I've been toying with the notion of selling my 2012 Aprilia RSV4 Factory aPRC and picking up a brand new Harley Forty Eight. Why a Forty Eight you might ask? Well, quite simply put I don't like the look of any of the other Harley bikes out there. I'm not a fan of the huge 'cruiser' bikes but the Forty Eight in particular appeals to me so much because of that cool old school look it has.

I love the peanut tank, the fat front tire, it just looks so cool!

Now, the downfall to the Forty Eight as I've been researching is that it is supposed to ride like ****. However, I've heard that with some new shocks and fork springs I can make the thing handle and ride much, much better.

So, I guess I have two questions:

1) For those of you who came from a sport bike to a Sportster (preferably a Forty Eight) did you find that the Forty Eight was any more comfortable to ride around town than the sport bike?

2) Do you think I'm crazy for wanting to make the switch?

I should put it out there that I am not looking for a full on cruiser. I am not bothered by the small peanut tank because I can easily get a spare tank (a bigger one) for longer trips. I would probably get a passenger seat at some point since I am after a bike that I can take my wife on the back of with me and hopefully have her be a little more comfortable than she would be on the back of my sport bikes.

So, I guess what I am after here is a bike that is more comfortable and forgiving to ride around town than a sport bike. Also, something that I could go longer distances on (assuming I upgraded the suspension) and possibly put a passenger on the back of and have it be comfortable as well.

Any input is appreciated, thanks guys!

P.S. I attached a few photos of my current bike.

 

Been ridding a long time on lots of different bikes and still feel there is nothing like a Sportster for raw two wheeled fun. The issues you will have on the 48 (the lowest height Sportster) is its lack of lean angle due to its awesomely low stance and crap stock suspension. If you are planning to upgrade the suspension you can also raise the overall bike height which will prove your turning clearance. Finding a height that doesn't ruin the aesthetic will be yours to determine. Scraping hard parts on tight turns is not fun. I ride Angle's crest a lot and have too keep up with my wife's Duc so I opted for the Seventy-Two, but nothing looks like a 48 so you may just have to try it first.

The stock seat, at least on my 72 was a nightmare, but plenty of other options to fix that problem.

Where the Aprilla has certain applications for which it is uniquely fun, your 48 will be making you smile doing everything from sitting at a stop light to blasting down the road. There is no wrong way to enjoy a 48...

Most dealers will let you demo, or rent one first. Worth getting a sense on the road.

Sounds like with Shock upgrades and a better seat you will be pretty happy with a 48.

 

The Sporty is going to be much easier on you driving in traffic WRT a sport bike.
Just remember on which bike you are, when accelerating to pass cars and trucks, as well as when breaking.
I kept both

 

Thingfish couldn't be more correct. The ride height and lack of lean angle are almost a deal-breaker for me. The thing just plain cannot turn at speed. Grinding pegs (and sometimes pipes) is just not fun.

That being said, I LOVE my 48. Though upgrading the suspension is at the top of my list (along with brakes). The thing is a hoot to ride, comfortable, and looks amazing. What else do you want?

Depending on your height, the 48 can be incredibly comfortable to ride or terribly uncomfortable. If you're super short the forward controls and handlebar choice can make it uncomfortable. If you're tall the bike will definitely feel small. No matter what, you'll have to replace the seat; the stock seat is unusable.

1. Chances are the 48 will be much more comfortable around town.

2. You're not crazy for wanting to make the shift. It's how these things go. I'm currently trying to swing adding a Ducati to the garage next to the 48

 

Brakes are the least of your worries. A sportster can hold its own with most sport bikes and actually beats many in 60-0 distances.

 

I would say your going to make a horrible mistake by selling your RSV4 for a 48, you will instantly realized the power difference and overall speed factor. I would say go rent a 48 first or at least ride it for about 50 miles to see what your getting into.

I did the same thing and have missed my liter bike ever since. I just feel like you need to have your sport bike for when you get the urge to just wanna go lightspeed and keep the 48 for your lesurely riding.

 

I have previously owned a Fatboy and a FXB. I currently own a 48 as well as a few sportbikes (nothing crazy but plain old solid sportbikes). I sold both of the Harleys because while they were nice, they always felt big, heavy, and sluggish off the line with brakes that cant compare. Nothing quite like the thrill of a sportbike when you are in the zone and pushing limits - its intoxicating.

I bought a 48 this year. I love any motorcycle and the 48 look to me is killer. I knew full well going in that I would use it as an around town bike - love the looks and the compact size while keeping a big motor. When I get on the 48 I change my whole mindset. I am out of performance mode which is nice for a change.

I can say from my experience, if all I had was the 48 I would be disappointed. Once you are used to the sport bike its hard to just turn it off. The acceleration, braking and flickability (dont know what else to call it) are addicting. I love to take the 48 out around town, pull a spirited rip now and again but when I need a fix...I grab a sport bike. I do not find the 48 more comfortable (even around town), unless I am doing a long haul..even then in stock form it may be a draw due to the suspension and seating position (no windscreen).

Thats just my 2 cents which is probably only worth 1. Oh, and the tank looks great, but as all will say..filling it every 15 minutes sucks *** but I still look at the 48 in the garage and smile. Its definitely a cool bike. I am not parting with this bike any time soon.

 

Having ridden my share of both cruisers and sportbikes over the last 20 years, I can sympathize with your dilemma.

It all comes down to how you like to ride. The 48 will not have the power of your 'Priller (which is a killer bike, BTW), but it does have enough power to be a load of fun. But as others have pointed out, you are not going to have the ground clearance to go knee dragging in the canyons.

I love my 48, but I live in Central Texas where we have a whole lot of flat and some gentle sweepers and you need to ride a couple hours to the twisties. And even then, the twisties are cruiser friendly at the speed limit. If I still lived in SoCal I would probably still be on a sportbike.

As far as comfort, I find the sportbike posture of using your feet/legs/knees (gripping the tank) for support more comfortable than the tailbone-centric cruiser posture. Since I only commute on my bike that is not a worry, but if I were interested in longer rides often, I would think about maybe mid controls or rearsets. But then, I have an extreme lack of butt so that may be at work here, too!

 

See, that's one of my things... I've never ridden a Harley or cruiser style bike so I'm not sure if it's more comfortable to ride a longer distance with your legs / knees gripping the tank and your feet behind you more (sport bike style) or if it's more comfortable to ride with your feet in front of you sitting up straight (like a Harley).

I guess that could be a matter of opinion. My local Harley dealer though are a bunch of ********. I asked them to test ride a Forty Eight and the guy tells me I can't unless I am approved for financing first. I said man, I just rode in on a ****ing Aprilia RSV4 (a 21k bike brand new) and you're questioning whether or not I have the money?

I told him I don't want to finance, I want to pay cash. However, I'm not going to pay cash until I can at least ride something for a while first and see if I like it.

 

I used to race and street ride sport bikes, took a few years off, and jumped on a Harley. The biggest thing I noticed right away is that I stopped thinking "Let's see how fast I can get there" and started thinking "Wow, this back road is beautiful". I love the fact that it is so much easier to make a Harley your own thanks to the aftermarket - seats, bars, risers, tanks, wheels, etc. You can make your bike fit as comfortably as you want.

The peanut tank capacity blows goats, although there are several options in larger capacity aftermarket peanut tanks since I also love the look. I don't mind the stock suspension as much as others, but swapping shocks and springs is really simple on a Sportster.

Is a 48 going to go from Zero to Jail Time as fast as that sexy RSV? No. But getting busted on a 48 at far beyond the speed limit is probably just going to get you a stern talking to at worst, or at best a "slow it down" followed by a 15 minute roadside discussion about the cop's Harley and favorite roads to ride.