When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I'm looking into getting my first bike here in the coming months and was looking into get a harley because I have wanted one since I was a little kid. I am looking to buy a used one, through a dealer or private seller. Was wondering two things 1)if there was anything to really check for when looking at a bike to make sure I'm not buying one that will break a week after I buy it. 2) I'm finding bikes around 4k is that a good price? I'm looking at buying an Iron 1200, 1200 custom, or a Forty-eight. Thanks for the help, hope to be riding as soon as I can
Your end goal should be stated first.
What will be the purpose of the bike?
Store and back?
Or long distance?
Not to say you can't do long distance on a Sport, but something bigger is more comfortable.
The market is flooded, You will be able to pick up most anything you want pretty cheap.
I am not the most objective here about new stuff as I can't stand computers that fail.
When they make them bulletproof I will get interested.
So for me, a carb with simple ignition is the winner no matter what size or style.
Sporters are job specific
Some will call it a beginners bike, I revolt at the statement as it is just not true, albeit smaller then an Fl of sorts.
They are a sports bike and will shine in the turns and blast past most any bigger HD
All HD have room for improvements, the Sportster too.
I have ridden an iron head in almost every state of the union and coast to coast.
But i was quite a bit younger and tougher.
If you are going to get into cruising I would aim at its bigger brother.
I'll be riding it a fair amount to and from work but will be going on longer rides on my days off. Really looking to ride as much as I can
My wife and I have a SuperLow, which we have renamed a Super-not-so-Low! We both ride it, although she also uses it for long trips - we recently visited Belgium, Germany and France for a couple of weeks, from our UK home. The reason for our new name is simply that most recent Sportster models have low suspension that leaves a lot to be desired, in the ride comfort department. They also have poor ground clearance when cornering. Older models when new had taller suspension. By all means buy what you fancy, but for the use you describe bear in mind that after a while you may well want to improve ride comfort, hence replace or upgrade your suspension. There are zillions of threads in here about doing that!
I actually already have done one a couple years back to get my license and I road for about a year, my roommate at the time worked at a motorcycle rental shop. I just never owned my own and haven't rode in a couple years. I have to take the class again and two others though to be able to ride on base
To add to this there is a lot of room to make the bike job specific. Sportsters are easy to make changes to and there are a tone of parts out there. The limit is your imagination (and to some extent money)
You say you want to take trips on the bike. How long? Be aware of the size of the tanks. The Iron has a 3.3 gallon tank, the custom has 4.5, and the 48 has 2.1. Figure 50 mpg if stock. You can easily change tanks, but a good used 4.5 gallon tank is $300 and if you need to paint it the cost of the paint is rather high. I am having one done now for my 2007 1200R and the paint alone is about $350.
A Sportster can be ridden long distance, I do it all the time and have 234,000 miles on mine. I've upgraded the suspension, added a Mustang seat with a backrest, added highway pegs so I can move my feet around, changed the handle bars, hard wired two GPS mounts, added extra lights, added saddlebags and a tourpak, and added an auxiliary fuel tank. I also run with a windshield. My bike is probably on the extreme edge of being modified for long distance riding. By no means am I saying you need to come close to the mods I have done, I am just giving an example of what can be done. At a minimum I'd suggest better rear shocks and a better seat.
To add to this there is a lot of room to make the bike job specific. Sportsters are easy to make changes to and there are a tone of parts out there. The limit is your imagination (and to some extent money)
You say you want to take trips on the bike. How long? Be aware of the size of the tanks. The Iron has a 3.3 gallon tank, the custom has 4.5, and the 48 has 2.1. Figure 50 mpg if stock. You can easily change tanks, but a good used 4.5 gallon tank is $300 and if you need to paint it the cost of the paint is rather high. I am having one done now for my 2007 1200R and the paint alone is about $350.
A Sportster can be ridden long distance, I do it all the time and have 234,000 miles on mine. I've upgraded the suspension, added a Mustang seat with a backrest, added highway pegs so I can move my feet around, changed the handle bars, hard wired two GPS mounts, added extra lights, added saddlebags and a tourpak, and added an auxiliary fuel tank. I also run with a windshield. My bike is probably on the extreme edge of being modified for long distance riding. By no means am I saying you need to come close to the mods I have done, I am just giving an example of what can be done. At a minimum I'd suggest better rear shocks and a better seat.
Chris, that's a very serious bike! Sounds as if you live on it - well almost. Your tourpak seems to be sitting on another case of some sort? And why two gps mounts? Intriguing....
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.
Any Tips?
