I respect your riding experience but here is the thing, I ride a sportster and never b*tch about any other model. Hell I don't even talk down to the other brands. Who cares what you ride as long as you are on two wheels. I have been riding for 22 yrs (since I was 14) and bikes were my main mode of transportation until recently when I changed jobs and started frequent out of state travel.

I am short (5'5"), around 140 lbs and have ridden and can afford any and all models including the CVO Road-glides. I never had any issue handling any size bike in Harley line-up (remember they all sit around the same seat height more or less). I ride fast (with Sport bikes 90% of the time), corner hard and in general flick it around like a Sports bike. Which by the way is the thrill factor one seeks when riding a motorcycle, ask anyone riding any bike why doing the Dragon is always on top of their riding bucket list. THIS is something I was never able to do with any other Harley model as efficiently as with a Sporty. Well Dynas are a close second.

When you say "a full sized Harley", you automatically demean Sportsters indicating they are somehow not 100% Harleys just because they are lighter, smaller and cheaper to own. You also perceive that somehow owning a 800+ lbs and slower bike that comes with 5-7 yrs of monthly payments is something an individual should automatically buy into if he/she wants to be a part of "Harley crowd".

I agree 100% to the fact that a bigger person may feel cramped on a Sportster in some cases but that can also be remedied easily if one wants.

With due respect to your age and experience, your thought process is a little flawed IMHO. Ride your own ride and be safe out there. We have enough stupid cagers to worry about instead of things like "Harley crowd".

 

I love all Harleys, even the ugly ones, simply because they are Harleys. Might not own a Deuce or Rocker because they are not what I am attracted to, but they ARE Harleys & deserve respect.
Except the Street. That ain't no Harley; that's rice.

 

I sold Harleys when I was between corporate jobs. From my experience I found people bought Sportsters because it suited the kind of rider they are. Some were new riders. Others found 900 lb. touring bikes to be a little too much motorcycle for everyday commuting or picking up milk from the grocery store. Other factors that came into play included price and insurance costs. I don't recall anyone who wanted to "belong."

As Harleys' primary customer base ages, some will move from heavy touring bikes to lighter ones like the Dyna Switchback or Sportster 1200T.

 

I think that the volume of sales for the Street Glide would say a little something about it...

 

Just ride what ya got and enjoy it, that's all that counts!

 

Guys get together. They talk about motorcycles. They talk about beer or whisky or cars or football teams. It ain't bitchin. Women talk about relationships. Friends doing other friends in...that's bitchin. I don't see the bitchin part when I stop with other riders. People talk up what they ride, where they ride, where they stop..that's why they ride it..they love it or that's all they can afford.

 

Idk why??? People are entitled to express themselves. Goes all ways. A big guy will just sit back and suck it in.

Guys that think sportsters are beginners bike. Cool

Guys that think the only bike in the world is an Ultra. That's cool too.

Others think Harley is God's gift to riding, that's awesome.

Really at the end of the day......who cares what others think?