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As the former owner of a '78 Sportster, I find this very difficult to believe.
Anything's possible, the luck of the draw I guess. I knew someone in HS who bought a new '78 Sportster and my friends and I were so envious because we couldn't afford one at the time. Are envy quickly subsided when it broke down on him while riding home from the dealership. That motorcycle was a lemon, the biggest piece of crap motorcycle I've ever seen. Looked real nice though sitting still, which it did a lot until 2 dealers and multiple trips to the dealer finally fixed the major issues. We thought AMF must've stood for "A moth-- fuc---"
Our 1987 883 has been an excellent bike. I'm talking Toyota Truck reliability. What exactly are you looking for? An evo (85-up) carburated Sportster is an excellent, reliable bike, but the early years, pre-CV carb, had carb issues. I think the CV carbs fixed that up. The EFI bikes, well, early HD EFI wasn't all that great. Don't know when it got better.
I've had an '01. Spruced it up to 100hp and had a lot of fun, but wanted more touring comfort so went with a Dyna. A later rubber mounted EFI bike is probably what you're looking for if you have to ask. Pick a style and find a deal. Beware of too much shade tree mechanix BS.
I currently have a 1974 XLCH, but it's to fuss with and ride on Sundays...my Fat Bob has taken me far away and back with no fuss
Any EVO Sportster will give you years and miles of trouble free riding. Ironheads? Not so much..........My absolutely beautiful 1977 BOAT ANCHOR!!! Biggest piece of junk I ever owned! Check the gas and fill it up with oil. It leaked from every place possible.
It's hard to get a bad one after 2014. The Sportsters get a bad rap - mainly from Harley guys; go figure.
Google Chris Comly from the Philadelphia area. He may be here but is also on ADV. He's a serious Iron Butt rider and had competed in multiple Iron Butt Rallies ... on a Sportster!!!
Here's a link about Chris. The IBA is no BS long haul haulin' - not for posers or the faint of heart. He actually toasted an Sportster engine (right before an IBA Rally) because the tab under the cap of an oil bottle got into his oil tank and blocked oil flow. He swapped engines and still competed in the rally. That's serious Iron Butt sh*t right there!
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.
Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.
Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.
