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sportster durable?

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Old Jan 4, 2007 | 09:55 AM
  #31  
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Default RE: sportster durable?

ORIGINAL: Dave_E

I agree with the others who have called BS! I own an 07 883R, picked it up in August and have 6600 miles on it, riding 120 miles a day to work, 90% freeway, 65-75 mph. NOT ONE problem. Some dayI am going to get a bigger H-Dbut keep the Sporty.
As noted earlier, some changes were made I believe in 04 to address the blow-by issue. Glad to hear your bike is going well. I like the looks of the "R" bikes.
 
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Old Jan 4, 2007 | 08:20 PM
  #32  
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Default RE: sportster durable?

I ride my sporty 1200 daily about 88 miles to commute and thus far so problems with her.( been doing the commute since Aug 2005 when I got her.)She is a 2000 with almost 50,000 miles on herand handles like a dream to me. No oil problems and no vibrations either on the freeway or elsewhere.
 
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Old Jan 4, 2007 | 10:20 PM
  #33  
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Default RE: sportster durable?

ORIGINAL: xxxflhrci

I'm pro-Harley, but the fact of the matter is that mile for mile, they are expensive to own and maintain compared to some other motorized forms of transportation. I'll hazard a guess that there are quite a few 12k econobox cars out there that will go 100k with hardly a problem and little other than oil changes needed. That just ain't the case with a Harley, whether it's a Big Twin or Sportster.
There's a guy on this forum that just traded in his late 90's road king that had over 100k on his bike and never went into the engine. Then there's a woman on the xlforum that has a sportster that has 130k on her sportster with nothing major done. Of course there are a few tc owners that have to go in and screw with cam chain tensioners, but if you just change to gear driven cams you have as durable a motor (if not more) as the evo (bt and sportster).
 
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Old Jun 24, 2012 | 03:01 AM
  #34  
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I have 35,500 on my XL1200R and she runs great
 
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Old Jun 24, 2012 | 04:03 AM
  #35  
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Put a Crankvent on and plumb it to discharge any blowby out a rubber hose on to the ground below the engine. 1977 Sportster technology from pre-EPA era and it works just fine.
 
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Old Jun 24, 2012 | 04:58 AM
  #36  
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Durability has little to do with it. You just have the wrong bike for the kind of riding you do.
See it as wearing stilletto shoes when playing golf.
 
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Old Jun 24, 2012 | 06:44 AM
  #37  
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Originally Posted by Ex11b
i just had 3 HD techs tell me i need to upgrade to a big twin because my 883 Sporty cant handle the type of riding i do..
i drive 110 miles per day, 99% freeway speeds 75-85 mph the entire way.
i was having massive blow-by due to sustained high rpm riding.
this caused oil to get everywhere, and it made it appear i hade an oil leak.
i also had a ignition module go bad, and had that replaced.
so far ive put over 12000 miles since july, and plan on putting the 1200 kit when i reach 75000 miles.
are big twins more durable? a quote from one of the techs "sportsters are built as fun bikes, for around town and stuff. if you want to do highway driving like you do, you should get a big twin"
any opinions?
I'm not going to mention "comfort" because I too am very comfortable on my sporty and can do 10 - 12 hour days on my bike and I'm sure more if I had to.

Sportys like high RPMs and are very durable. I'd first consider swapping out the HD techs before the sporty!
 
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Old Jun 24, 2012 | 07:46 AM
  #38  
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Originally Posted by Ex11b
i just had 3 HD techs tell me i need to upgrade to a big twin because my 883 Sporty cant handle the type of riding i do..
i drive 110 miles per day, 99% freeway speeds 75-85 mph the entire way.
i was having massive blow-by due to sustained high rpm riding.
this caused oil to get everywhere, and it made it appear i hade an oil leak.
i also had a ignition module go bad, and had that replaced.
so far ive put over 12000 miles since july, and plan on putting the 1200 kit when i reach 75000 miles.
are big twins more durable? a quote from one of the techs "sportsters are built as fun bikes, for around town and stuff. if you want to do highway driving like you do, you should get a big twin"
any opinions?
Your HD techs are dumb ***'s. As said its all about what you can stand of not stand. That bike can take that kind of riding with no problems.

As far as the oil blow by goes, with a warmed up bike try filling your oil bag 3/4s of the way up the stick and see if it gets better. If not only fill it up half way up the stick and see what happens. Its a very common occurrence with the Sportster and we all manage to get blow by under control by finding the sweet spot on the dip stick.
 
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Old Jun 24, 2012 | 07:47 AM
  #39  
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Originally Posted by EveHD
I'm not going to mention "comfort" because I too am very comfortable on my sporty and can do 10 - 12 hour days on my bike and I'm sure more if I had to.

Sportys like high RPMs and are very durable. I'd first consider swapping out the HD techs before the sporty!
+1 Plain and Simple.........
 
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Old Jun 24, 2012 | 08:53 AM
  #40  
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You guys realize this thread is 5 years old right?
 
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