I am buying a Sporty. I am a new rider, only dirt bike experience in the past. I like the look of the custom better but I am concerned about the single front disc and the skinny front tire. Are the custom's brakes ok? Does the skinny front wheel dart alot? Lastly I think the mid control on the roadster will be easier for a newbie. Last but not least I have a bad back which will be more comfortable concerning the position of the controls? Sorry for all the questions but having a hard time deciding. I am set on a 1200.

 

I too spent a lot of time on the dirt and when I went shopping, I was torn between the Roadster and Custom. I ended up with a 1200 Custom and have gotten quite comfortable with the forward pegs. I still kinda miss being able to put my weight on the pegs when hitting a big bump. I put a set of pegs with stirrups on it and that made it comfy for long hauls as well as keeping my boot heel off the exhaust. I have no complaints about the single disk front. I think which model you select depends on what kind of riding you plan to do. For the rather sedate crusing I do these days, the Custom has suited me well. But I still think the Roadster is better suited to serious riding.

Which ever way you go, I guarantee you'll be happy.

 

I'd go with what you like better. If your taste is that of a Custom, get it. You will adapt to it very easily. Braking on the Custom is not bad and the bike stops pretty quickly. Don't forget you got that rear brake to use as well. The 21 incher up front is not a problem either and it looks more challenging to ride than it actually is. Mid controls are easier to ride but you'll get used to the forward controls which in my opinion not only look better, but are also more comfortable. Good luck....

 

I've got the Custom, but if I were to do it again I'd get the Roadster. My .02.

 

I have an 883R, big front tire and dual discs. I like the bigger tire feel and absolutely love the twin discs (use them too). A friend of mine who has a Custome said he could really feel the differenc in the ride between the front tire sizes, but after he got used to it, no problem.

 

I am a Harley newbie and I had the same questions you had.

In the end I went with the 1200 Roadster for several reasons:

I liked the dual disk brakes up front
I felt I'd have more in control -- especially in traffic or slow turns -- with the mid controls
I liked getting the tachnometer as a standard option
I liked the front tire size

And then looks. Both look great and radically different. The Custom is nicely chromed and shiny with the fatter tank. The Roadster has a blacked out engine and the peanut tank. Both look fantastic for different reasons. In the end I thought the Roadster better fit my taste. I think the blacked out engine and the tank make it look like a classic racer. Plus, I spend less time polishing chrome and more time riding! Gotta love that.

Either bike I would have been happy with. And obviously I am quite happy with what I got.

 

I have a 1200 Custom....

I don't get the concern about the front brake. Maybe if I were racing and had to do hard braking time and time again on every laps I could understand, but for normal street driving the single disc is more than enough.

The skinny tire up front... I guess that could be a consideration... I never thought about it. I've got just about 12K on my 05 and it performs well enough that I have not had the first indication that it might be a problem.

The 1200 engine is a plus... I personally wouldn't go with anything less.

The rest is a matter of taste I guess...

Charlie D.

 

For the record, the Night Train,Softail Standard and Softail Deuce all use the same 21" skinny tire up front and those bikes are considerably longer and heavier than the Sportster. I haven't heard any complaints from the guys that ride those either....It's a sweet looking wheel and tire; especially the smooth laced option....

 

We seem to have alot in common. I'm new to street bikes, with dirt bike experience. I prefered the look of the custom as well, and also have a bad back... had low back surgery a few years ago [:@] I went with the 1200 custom and I'm very happy with it. The single front disc has plenty of stopping power, no need to worry about that. The skinny front wheel has no handling problems that I've noticed (I've put just over a 1000 miles on it). Mid controls may be a tad easier for newbies, but remember you're not totally a newbie. The first time I took off on a custom with forward controls... it was smooth sailing. As far as the back problems are concerned, I'm not sure which would be better, mids or forwards. I did notice my back aching more after I bought this bike. I ended up buying a seat with a higher back support (but less butt support [:@]) and it feels much better.

 

I went with the Roadster. I liked the additional ground clearence for slamming in the twisties plus the added stopping power of the dual front discs. I added forward controls and couldn't be happier.