Lusting phase.
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Lusting phase.
For those of you who don't know, I'm Brandon, 18, West Virginian living in Florida.
I've been riding a Honda Rebel (like..236cc's) for a few months, taught myself to ride, and took my first 1000 mile trip in the first 2 months. I LOVE riding. LOVE.
I wanna move up, bad. I've been to the Lakeland Harley Davidson a few times. Really nice guys. I wanna get something there's NO chance of me outgrowing in the fourish years it'll take to pay it off. I thought about jumping to a Dyna.
I'm 5'5" ish. I couldn't flat foot the shortest Dyna. The transmission housing blocked my leg. I was pretty embarrassed.
Sporty it is. I want a 1200 Low in vivid black. I can't wait to sink my teeth into one. Or start customizing.
I'm a classic guy. I'm not into skulls, excessive chrome, airbrush, or anything like. No disrespect to those who do.
I wanna make my Sporty classic as I can. Maybe not really original '57. But classic. Here's what I'm thinking so far:
-Lose the "eyebrow", add trim ring, or visor.
-Real vintage 2-into-1 pipes
-I'm considering Whitewalls. Not set. Considering. Yes, I know 57's didn't have 'em.
-STRONGLY considering auxiliary lamps with relocated turn signals. I saw a sporty with some and loved it.
I wanna get a tan leather colored bobber seat, like the '57s. This is what I need the most info about, are they HARD to install? Pretty uncomfortable?
I'll take any and all suggestions and info. Thanks in advance.
I've been riding a Honda Rebel (like..236cc's) for a few months, taught myself to ride, and took my first 1000 mile trip in the first 2 months. I LOVE riding. LOVE.
I wanna move up, bad. I've been to the Lakeland Harley Davidson a few times. Really nice guys. I wanna get something there's NO chance of me outgrowing in the fourish years it'll take to pay it off. I thought about jumping to a Dyna.
I'm 5'5" ish. I couldn't flat foot the shortest Dyna. The transmission housing blocked my leg. I was pretty embarrassed.
Sporty it is. I want a 1200 Low in vivid black. I can't wait to sink my teeth into one. Or start customizing.
I'm a classic guy. I'm not into skulls, excessive chrome, airbrush, or anything like. No disrespect to those who do.
I wanna make my Sporty classic as I can. Maybe not really original '57. But classic. Here's what I'm thinking so far:
-Lose the "eyebrow", add trim ring, or visor.
-Real vintage 2-into-1 pipes
-I'm considering Whitewalls. Not set. Considering. Yes, I know 57's didn't have 'em.
-STRONGLY considering auxiliary lamps with relocated turn signals. I saw a sporty with some and loved it.
I wanna get a tan leather colored bobber seat, like the '57s. This is what I need the most info about, are they HARD to install? Pretty uncomfortable?
I'll take any and all suggestions and info. Thanks in advance.
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Joined: Aug 2007
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From: fegfsg
im 19, got my sportster when i was 17.
got it bone stock, all black. lots of motor work done to it only.
i decided to keep it classic and go with an old school HALF bobber HALF cafe racer theme. if you look at the parts on the bike its basically bone stock (besides the motor work, which you cant see) but it looks totally different becuase of the way its set up.
right now i swapped the stock system for drag pipes, not by choice but the stock headers snapped and fell off... the new pipes help the look.
im going to paint the jugs flat black and keep the rest of the motor silver, to somewhat desquise the engine as an ironhead from afar. getting some fork boots for the front and covered chrome shocks for the back. im getting brown leather stitched handgrips and a stitched brown leather spring seat.
here is a mostly stock mid 1970s sportster. the fender has been chopped and it has a different tailight but thats the only major difference.
my two cents.
if your going to get a sportster, it would be best to stick to your roots and keep it sporty, dont cruiser it out with saddlebags and apes and extra lights. dont chop it down to nothing either. keep it compact and nimble, like it was meant to be.
got it bone stock, all black. lots of motor work done to it only.
i decided to keep it classic and go with an old school HALF bobber HALF cafe racer theme. if you look at the parts on the bike its basically bone stock (besides the motor work, which you cant see) but it looks totally different becuase of the way its set up.
right now i swapped the stock system for drag pipes, not by choice but the stock headers snapped and fell off... the new pipes help the look.
im going to paint the jugs flat black and keep the rest of the motor silver, to somewhat desquise the engine as an ironhead from afar. getting some fork boots for the front and covered chrome shocks for the back. im getting brown leather stitched handgrips and a stitched brown leather spring seat.
here is a mostly stock mid 1970s sportster. the fender has been chopped and it has a different tailight but thats the only major difference.
my two cents.
if your going to get a sportster, it would be best to stick to your roots and keep it sporty, dont cruiser it out with saddlebags and apes and extra lights. dont chop it down to nothing either. keep it compact and nimble, like it was meant to be.
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I agree with you. No bags. No apes. I'm not sure about the lights though. I wanna find some balance between those bikes, and this:
Like, I said. Balance. I have no desire to go that extreme.
Edit: Yes. That's a Sportster.
Like, I said. Balance. I have no desire to go that extreme.
Edit: Yes. That's a Sportster.
Last edited by BrandonWanders; Nov 12, 2008 at 12:25 AM.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 2,225
Likes: 4
From: fegfsg
if you really want to keep an honest classic look and still have alot of cruiser like style instead of the bare look of a regular sporty, you can emulate a 1957 sportster, this was before they got the peanut tank and eyebrow headlight and some other stuff.
schumaker (forum mod) seems to be going this direction with his bike and its looking pretty good. hopefully he will chime in with info on his headlight nacelle and some other stuff
schumaker (forum mod) seems to be going this direction with his bike and its looking pretty good. hopefully he will chime in with info on his headlight nacelle and some other stuff
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 9,254
Likes: 283
From: Lake City, Florida (Native)
What you Like
What you like the most important factor We all have our preferences I love Vivid Black lots of Chrome and other Bling and the stock narrow handlebars sucked .. So did the Stock supension and seat Just make it your own and Enjoy...
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Thanks to both of you. Yeah, I LOVE the look of the bars on beach bicycles. I dunno how they'd look on a sporty. Anyone have any pics?
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Cruiser
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 101
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From: State College, PA
Brandon...
Welcome to the forum. Get the most out of your new Sporty and do yourself a huge favor by taking a rider safety course. Maybe the best riding investment you can make.
Welcome to the forum. Get the most out of your new Sporty and do yourself a huge favor by taking a rider safety course. Maybe the best riding investment you can make.
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I invested in it. They screwed me out of $250. If I knew where that lady lived...I'd pee on her bike.