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You sold your car and a motorcycle is going to be your sole means of transportation? You know it rains in Florida, right? Get a good rain suit. Or ride nude and towel off when you get to work.
There's a member here who has put over 150,000 miles on his Sportster. It's not a 48.
If you want to ride from Florida to Sturgis on a Harley-Davidson, a Sportster 48 is the absolute worst choice you can make. And I love Sportsters. I've had three. A 48 has a tiny gas tank and a riding posture that is not designed for long ride comfort. The only thing tinier and more irritating than the gas tank is the seat.
You'll need to ride alone. If you don't want to ride alone, you're going to need to ride with other riders who have the same 80 mile range so you can all stop for gas every hour. Otherwise, the group will eventually abandon you.
Now that I've spit in your fantasy, I'll echo what the other guys are all saying:
1. Do NOT buy a brand new motorcycle if you haven't spent enough time on that exact type so that you know exactly what it's going to be like out on the highway. Could be a very expensive mistake.
2. Rent/borrow some different bikes to get a feel for the differences.
3. I would strongly, strongly agree with everybody who recommends buying your first bike used. You can get a great bargain, you can easily find a low mileage creampuff out there. And, best of all, if you end up not liking it you can resell and come out pretty close to whole.
Thanks for the feedback, To address some of the issues, I absolutely know how shitty the weather gets down here, I'm willing to deal as I've dealt before, It's annoying I know, but I have the gear, as for the larger bikes, I really don't like the larger bike look or feel. I'd go a little bit larger than the 48 or a different style for fuel capacity, but not a too much larger bike. That's why I was curious if anyone had something similar to a 48 with a larger range. Also, buying used is very possible. I probably will unless I find something I know I will like and can't find anything in the area, which I'm sure I will so it's not an issue. Thanks again for the replies, it opened a lot of doors.
Having done the bike only thing several times and having lived off of a bike for months at a time I would say you are going to need saddlebags and a windshield.
You can live without either, but frankly, it sucks. Further, I would consider hard bags if at all possible. I would also be thinking mags instead of spokes and also avoid a lot of chrome. These things are the very reasons I have rattling around my brain for possibly switching from a Heritage to a Road King.
I love a Sportster honestly but as I said earlier that range is hard to deal with. you can always swap tanks of course but that really changes the look completely.
I am not going to lie to you the best all around daily commuter I have is my dual sport. Mainly because rain, sun, or mud I just don't care. Plus it is light and easy to maneuver around. But the Heritage serves pretty well as well and I really enjoy riding for a lot of different reasons.
Thanks for the feedback, To address some of the issues, I absolutely know how shitty the weather gets down here, I'm willing to deal as I've dealt before, It's annoying I know, but I have the gear, as for the larger bikes, I really don't like the larger bike look or feel. I'd go a little bit larger than the 48 or a different style for fuel capacity, but not a too much larger bike. That's why I was curious if anyone had something similar to a 48 with a larger range. Also, buying used is very possible. I probably will unless I find something I know I will like and can't find anything in the area, which I'm sure I will so it's not an issue. Thanks again for the replies, it opened a lot of doors.
If you're set on a Sportie, both the 1200 Custom and the 1200T would be significantly more comfortable, and larger gas tanks as well.
Or, for a slightly larger but MUCH more comfortable ride, look at some Dynas and Softails. The closest Harley to a Sportster 1200, but a step up the food chain, would be a LowRider.
Take a close look at some Dynas. Probably one of the most under-rated bikes HD offers. The 6th gear is really nice if you spend a lot of time on the super slab.
If you really like the 48, then go for it. Anyone can ride to Sturgis on a rolling recliner with cable TV and Wi Fi. Going there from FL on a 48 will make a man out of you. Yes, you will have to stop more frequently. Big deal (by the way, you will likely get 100+ miles/tank). You will want to stop and take a break every hour or so anyway. I love the 48, and if I could buy another bike, it would be that.
For luggage, all you need is a detachable sissy bar or luggage rack and a hard bag.
I like Marlin lever guns by the way. I have one in 44 mag and probably one of my favorites.
If you like the look of the fourty-eight (I do too), you might like the look of the Softail Slim S. That will give you more miles between gas stops, and is more bike as well. Not sure if you can find a used one close to your price range, but worth a look. Would definitely be more comfortable on long rides.
Fourty-Eight:
Softail Slim S:
Last edited by gotnspikes; May 9, 2016 at 12:44 PM.
Take a close look at some Dynas. Probably one of the most under-rated bikes HD offers. The 6th gear is really nice if you spend a lot of time on the super slab.
If you really like the 48, then go for it. Anyone can ride to Sturgis on a rolling recliner with cable TV and Wi Fi. Going there from FL on a 48 will make a man out of you. Yes, you will have to stop more frequently. Big deal (by the way, you will likely get 100+ miles/tank). You will want to stop and take a break every hour or so anyway. I love the 48, and if I could buy another bike, it would be that.
For luggage, all you need is a detachable sissy bar or luggage rack and a hard bag.
I like Marlin lever guns by the way. I have one in 44 mag and probably one of my favorites.
Fantastic. I will take a look at the dynas, but yes the 48 really catches my eye. Once the dynas were mentioned I took a look at the fat bob and street bob. They are nice, but they don't really appeal to me like the 48 does, I'm not usually picky but I've learned my lessons when it comes to decision, if you don't really get what you want in the first place, you eventually will and in the end you could have had the one you wanted first, enjoyed it longer and saved money. I am definitely still open to recommendations though. Maybe there is something I'm missing. By the way, Marlins are nice but I'm a Winchester guy, I inherited an original 44-40 1873 a while back, but I collect old and new. Nice to see some other shooters already! Not surprising though, this is a great community. Thanks again.
I don't know about where you're from, but my brother has a 72 with that same peanut tank and he has to pack gas basically every road trip because the towns are too far apart to make it. That's a pain in the ***. You're gonna need some careful trip planning, and you still might face issues like that.
However, if you like the bike, just do what you want. Guys are in here pitching you Heritages and Road Kings, if the 48 is your style then that's crazy because those are WILDLY different bikes. If you wanted to go with a big twin, a Dyna is closer to what your style is, more so than a heritage or Road King. Even a Softail Slim is more similar than a heritage.
If you like the look of the fourty-eight (I do too), you might like the look of the Softail Slim S. That will give you more miles between gas stops, and is more bike as well. Not sure if you can find a used one close to your price range, but worth a look. Would definitely be more comfortable on long rides.
Fourty-Eight:
Softail Slim S:
Well, I guess I was missing something. That is a very nice bike right there. I apologize for my ignorance, I should have seen this sooner. I'm new to HD, but that bike is superb. I'm going to do some research on that now. Im going to have to really shop around used to find one for my budget if I decide on it.Thank you!
Well, I guess I was missing something. That is a very nice bike right there. I apologize for my ignorance, I should have seen this sooner. I'm new to HD, but that bike is superb. I'm going to do some research on that now. Im going to have to really shop around used to find one for my budget if I decide on it.Thank you!
Just a heads up, you probably won't find many Softail Slim "S" around used, they haven't been making them that long, and if that's your first bike, that's a whole handful of bike for your first time out, with the 110" motor in it.
A Softail Slim might be in your price range though if you shop around
Last edited by nickthecanuck; May 9, 2016 at 12:58 PM.
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