Take your time...ride a bunch of bikes...(even rent one after riding a few). Make a decision...Then let us all know.
Obviously in the Dyna forum your gonna get a weighted vote.

 

If that sporty feels cramped (which it does for many) there are a few things you can do to help, change seat, bars, add fwd controls, all of which I did, but it still felt cramped. The sports is fun around town, or on short runs, but it'll beat ya up on a ride more than 100 miles... trust me... I didn't want to admit it, but after any real ride I was beat.

Go with what feels comfortable from the start. If you plan to "ride" consider the bigger bike, as ultimately that's you'll get later. I spent the $$ on a sports only to trade up 6 months later.

Sounds like you're doin your homework. Between that and your "gut feel" you'll know whats right.

Even thought you have dirt bike experience, it would be a benefit to take a riders safety course. It saves insurance $$, and they can help ya understand what crazy stuff you'll encounter on pavement.

 

I couldnt agree with this statement more. I had ridden dirt bikes all my life and I learned a ton when I took my safety course. As for the choice of bike, as others have said, go with whatever feels best to you. At the end of the day, I dont think either bike would be a mistake. Now if you had a CBR600 in that list, that would be a mistake....LOL

 

I have had my Dyna Super for 8 weeks now and had only ridden light bikes many years ago before I got it. I have to say at first it was a hand full and I starting to think I made a mistake and I am a big guy 6' 215lbs and go to the gym M-F. So I did some low speed maneuvering/balancing similar to what you would go through in a ridding class. So I agree with all the statements about a class. It only took about a week to get used to the 650 lb beast. Now for a little off topic story: I thought I felt confident enough to go 2 up. Big mistake. The 650lbs plus me and my rider was a bit to much with just a few weeks under my belt with the Dyna. Durring a low speed U turn I ran wide off the side of the road into the sand. Instant stop and tip. Luckily we were both ok except for a sprained ankle suffered by my wonderful wife (and my bruised ego). BTW I was amazed at how many people came to help us. We wound up on a dead end road hence the U turn but people spotted us tipped over and 3 guys helped upright the Dyna and pull it out of the sand back onto the road. One woman was comforting my wife while this was going on. Florida is a great place to ride and the people are really nice near where we live. Thankfully no damage to the new bike. I felt awful so I started reading about riding 2 up and my brother-in-law suggested lashing 2-60 lb sand bags on the rear seat and practice low speed maneuvering. He is 5' 8" and rides a Goldwing and his wife is very large. Well I practiced and practiced and today my wife and I went for a nice ride (she is still limping but wanted to go for another ride) down to the local HD dealership's customer appreciation day. I felt confident and aced the ride (smooth stops and nice sharp low speed turns). The point of this whole story is I would suggest getting the Street Bob because the Dyna family motorcycles are wonderful bikes to ride compared to the Sportsters but practice or go to a class to really enjoy it.

 

Get r done

 

Just buy the BIG TWIN and get it over with because you WILL want one sooner or later and you would be just wasting your money on the Sportster , You want to go with any Dyna model and just lower it if you don't feel secure , the weight is all balanced out and you should have no problem handling it , Ride Safe !

 

Soooooo....any upadate on if you made a decision yet? Can't leave us hangin too long.

 

My thoughts on your question:

Buy what you feel most comfortable with. No sense to plan for someone else's future if you buy something that makes your present riding miserable.

No offense to any of the old timers, but sometimes people forget that riding may have been intimidating when they started. Get what you think is best for you when you turn right or left at at low speed, when you have to stop at an uphill and start from there, or when you have to stop, balance, and start at an uneven street.

In my opinion, it is dangerous to buy something that is beyond one's current capabilities, turns one off off from riding, or worse: gets one into an accident that could have been avoided if one were riding something within one's capabilities.

It is not stupid, but rather very smart, that MSF courses are done on 250s, for example. It's done that way, not so that riders can pass a driver's license exam exam (hell, they can take the exam on a 125 cc Scooter and pass it), but so that they can learn. Most people do not learn in two days of classes.

My 2 cents... and, yes, I ride a Sportster, and a Superlow at that. (I had a 650 cruiser before then). I've yet to scrape the pegs; I have ridden it at 65-70 for several hours straight. I loved my 650 and I love my 883. I am sure I will love my ... when the time comes. Some are faster learners than I, however.