Hello everyone, new to this forum and fixin to buy my first HD. Have owned Hondas (still have a small 250 waiting to teach my sons to ride), Yamas and even a Sucky, now getting the real thing. I have been looking at used Sportster and have narrowed it down to 2 bikes. One is a 2000 883 with 6k mile and the other a 2002 1220C with 2.5k miles.
I really like both bikes, but what are the pros and cons. Is the 1200 a "better" bike because of the motor size? will I regret getting the 883 after riding the 1200? I have ridden several of my buddies 1500s but cannot justify that kind of cash right now.
I am 40yrs old and weigh a buck 50 or so, so I don't really have that much weight to haul am not out to impress the Jones's.
Ya'll know the bikes...what is your opinion?
By the way...883=$4000 cash no tax or
1200c=$7200 from stealership with 1 yr warranty...?

 

Keep looking. 7200.00 for a used 1200 is a bit high. Should be able to pick one up between 5500.00 and 6500.00. The 883 is a fun bike but soon you'll want more power. My kid has a 2004 883 for about a year now and is looking into a 1200 kit. You might want to test ride each one from a dealer just to get an idea. Good Luck. This time of year the prices are at their premium.

 

Big diference in price! You can do better if you want a 1200. As far as which one is best, it's a personal thing. The 883 is a fine bike and will give you slightly better mileage than a 1200. It will haul a pasenger with no problems, but neither Sportster is good for frequent touring from a long-distance comfort point of view. Looking around a littlefurther beyond a dealeryou may be able to find a rubber-mounted 883 Sportster (2004 and up) for the the $4K.

For just tooling around, the 883 will serve you well. The 1200 is also a great bike with more hp and torque. It really is a matter of personal choice.

Some will tell you to get the 1200 because 2 weeks after you've had an 883 you'll want the 1200. Not true if you're looking for a pleasure bike for taking local rides of 200-300 miles. The 883 will haul you from coast-to-coast as comfortably as a 1200, but neither would be that comfortable for that distance.

Heck, ALL Sportster owners love their bikes - almost as much as I love mine!

That's my $0.02 - good luck!

 

Hello Possum and welcome,

Keep in mind that I am not in expert in motorcycles. I would not consider either one better than the other. It's kind of like asking if the same model car is better with a bigger engine in it. If it was me, I would go for the 1200c due to its being newer, and having less miles, plus a 1 year warranty is a nice bonus for me since I do not wrench. I think the 1200C will hold it's value better too.

 

Never ridden the 883, but love my '02 1200C.I ride double with my wife so I need the extra power. I agree w/ceduby though - $7200 seems high. I lucked into mine with 500 miles for just over $6K from an individual seller. The stealership wanted $7K for an '02w/ 19K miles.

 

If there isn't a typo there, The 883 in a heartbeat!
Make sure it's not a lemon, and you can upgrade to 1200 for around $1K if necessary, with monies
for all kinds of accessories to boot.

Welcome by the way...

 

If you bought a new Mustang would you want the six cylinder or the V-8?

 

No the 1200 is not a better bike because of the bigger engine. It is just a faster bike because of the bigger engine. I would pass on that 1200 that is being sold. The price for it is too high. You can find a much better deal somewhere else.

 

I would get the 883, simply because the cost difference makes it clearly the better deal, IMO.

You can always do a 1200 conversion later on for less total cost than the 1200 would cost you.

And with your size, a '900' Twin is more than enough power for you. It's enough power for people larger than you as well.

However, if you're one of those guys who will feel bigger and tougher if you get a bigger bike, then get the 1200, otherwise it will eat away at the back of your mind all the time (although, like I said, you can always do a 1200 conversion for around $600.00 if you do it yourself).

However, you didn't mention any add-ons on either bike. That could make a difference as well, and could change things if the 1200 was nicely customed compared to a bare-bones 883. Then it might pay to get the 1200, and you'll realize this once you begin to look into buying custom parts and items for your bike and you lose your breath from seeing the prices of some of these things for the first time.

Good shopping.

 

Not a fair analogy, seeing how the only engine in Sportsters for quite awhile was the '900' (883), whereas the 6-cylinder Mustang was always offered as a cheaper version of the product.

A better Mustang analogy would be if you bought a Mustang with a small V-8 or a large V-8.

The 883 or '900' was the original Sportster engine, something that both HD engineers and the public alike felt very comfortable with that it supplied more than enough power for the bike and rider. Mustangs, however, came with both V-8s and 6 cylinders right from the start.