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Following the advice from some of you, I went and tried out many other bikes keeping the main use of the motorcycle in mind: daily long commute in traffic.
So I tried out the following bikes:
- The Sportster 1200C: again to compare to other bikes. Great and fun bikes to ride. The only weak point is the brake. When there were sudden stops or sudden slow down on the freeway, the single front disc + 560 lbs bike wasn't good.
- The Honda Shadow: Not as fun to ride as the Sportster, cheaper overall. Tried to simulate emergency stops. The braking power is no better than the Sportster.
- Indian Scout / Victory Octane: lot of power, but same single-disc brake than the above bikes.
- BMW R1200RS: The most powerful and fastest of all the bikes I tested. The stopping power on this bike is very good. But I don't need that much power for a daily use.
- BMW F800GT: Due to its weight (lowest weight of all 5 bikes I tested, 470 lbs), this bike is second only to the BMW R1200RS in term of power. It has the same Brembo dual 320mm front disc brake than the R1200RS. Stopping power is phenomenal. There are a lot of safety features on this bike that I like. And other features, like TPMS saves me time in checking tire-pressure with a hand-held device every other day.
Anyhow, I ended up buying the BMW F800GT for my daily commute.
Still want to add a Sportster to my garage for weekend rides. I can see myself on mountain roads relaxing with the Sportster, and far away from traffic jam.
Congrats. I have also looked at the 800GT. Other than wanting a more upright seating position, it seems like an amazing bike. Good luck. Ride safe.
If you do get a sportster later on (I consider my 1200C a second bike), you can get a much more comfortable seat as I did, and I put Road King air shocks on mine; it now has a softer ride than some big twins. With a windshield, it's a more comfortable bike than any of the metrics I took interstate trips with in the past.
I put Lyndal Gold brake pads on mine, stops great now. Before that, I was thinking I needed to go to dual disks.
had 1200xlh before the flhx..... loved that thing!! the only down side is touring/long distance travel. a bit uncomfortable, but no storage. I loved the handling, got along well in the rain, and I thought the braking was decent. I did keep up on all maintenance, so pad wear was always monitored. the only real drawback was fuel mileage. 100 miles on a tank were not conducive for long trips. although at 100 miles, an hour and a half, I'm ready to get off and stretch.
I hated the references to girls bike, trainer, you saving for big boy bike, etc. a bike is a bike. ride what you like. I loved the sportster! ride what you want....which I see you made a decision and got something you seem happy with. I could care less what bike you ride. if you ride, and you want to ride with me, let's go! are you happy? then I'm happy! I hate narrow minded people! life's too short to worry about the bull$hit!
so.....all that said, enjoy what you got/get. you are the only one who matters. And welcome from Spartan Country Michigan!!!
and there's a helluva Sportster forum I'd give ya!!!!
Last edited by Spartanden; Jun 20, 2017 at 01:29 PM.
Reason: to add....
I bought a 14 Sportster 48 in March and I'm looking to trade it in. For me it's just too small and uncomfortable.
The decision to finally go with something bigger is when I did a 250 mile trip with a group of bikes a few weeks ago and my back was hurting after the ride. I was also the guy who had to stop and fill up every 60 or so miles.
Buy what you want, but I wish I would have taken the advice to buy something bigger initially.
First, thank you all for taking the time to give your advice.
I am 5'5, ~140 lbs (though this goes up and down depending on the season). Been riding for 7 years. Not my first bike, but would be first HD. I like the Sportster 1200C, but like many of you have said, I should probably try other HD bikes to know better.
I had a 2008 1200 Custom and loved the bike. But my dimensions are different than yours--I'm 6'2" and about 230. I fit fine on the Sportster but fit better on the Road King. It is a MUCH better bike for touring. I toured on the Sporty, but it is more comfortable for longer days on the Road King. The 1200 only has 5 speeds and I got tired of how high it revved at highway speeds. The body position and resulting center of gravity are also higher on the Sporty. As a result, in my opinion, the RK is easier to ride and handles better than the sportster.
One thing you may want to think about on the 1200C is that it has forward controls. With your body type, you might be more comfortable with mid controls. (They can be changed.)
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