Hey all,
I'm about to buy my first HD tomorrow. I've got an 03 suzuki vl800 in my garage and it's just not enough. The wife loves it but when I ride with my buddies I can't ever keep up. For my first HD I decided on a beautiful 97 sportster 1200. I know it's not a beast of a bike but it's thru a friend of a family member and with only 15k miles, leather bags, new screaming eagles, $2000 worth of extra chrome and a leather cover for only $3000 I can't justify not buying it. Just wanted to say hi and that I'm happy to be here. 😃

 

Have you test ridden the Sportster?

 

I agree with LoneWolf. The Sportster did not have a rubber mounted motor until 2004.

 

Welcome!
You sure will be able to keep up with a 1200 Sportster! Lots of us rode many many miles before rubber mounts came out on Harleys, so I wouldn't worry about that. Enjoy the vibes.
Ride Safe

 

I’m sure you will get a ton of enjoyment out of the HD.

 

Take the Sporty for a test run...need to ensure (1) it fits you and (2) you're comfy w/the differences.

 

I will today. Is there something wrong with the 97?

I guess I don't understand the significance of the rubber mounts. Is it a rough ride? I guess I'm not too concerned.

 

Bikes are a personal choice, what other folks like or think doesn't mean doodly squat. Ride the bike and you will know if you want it or not.

 

I had an '02 XL and loved it. But I like to travel, so a Street Glide is a bit more to my liking. The Sporty traveled well, I was pretty comfy on it, but storage was an issue. I never had an issue with keeping up with anybody, but then I don't ride on the back wheel and don't care for 80+mph speeds.
The rubber mounts mounted the engine with rubber bushings, trying to take some of the vibration out. It does/will vibrate, but I never thought it was that bad. It had gone to Oklahoma, Rolling Thunder, Milwaukee.... and in a lot of rain. I loved that bike!!
I recommend you get a 3ring binder, record all your maintenance, repairs, accessories, etc. Factory service manual and a parts manual are also very useful. And lastly, you have no gas gage, so I use an app called Fuel Buddy and record all my fuel usage. I used the odometer as my fuel gage, reset at each fill up, and no more that 100 miles on a tank. You need to know your mileage, how much and how far!
AND welcome from Spartan Country Michigan!!!

 

Don't like your 'forum name' bud, could be very unfortunate to tempt fate like that...b.