By the way BMX........you got some sexy legs.
trading nightster for..something else?
Road Master
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 787
Likes: 2
From: Salinas, CA
I'll chime in here. . .I have an 08 Nightster and I have upgraded the seat (Mustang vintage) and 13" RK shocks. I think the shocks were the best $50 I've spent on the bike. I can feel the poor travel on my front now and will eventually change out the front fork springs. I'm still finding a psi setting (for the shocks) that works, I usually just run 10psi but have also found 0 psi to be very comfortable as well. I can't comment on how it will effect you but Pennyslvania is known for having lots of fun back roads and crappy road conditions. The stock Nightster was not equipped to handle these. However, now that I've changed out the shocks, my bike floats over the bumps where before it was a kidney punch each time. Mine has a little rust but not enough to get me concerned (mostly on the spokes which I'm too lazy to take off). Good luck with whatever you decide.
Tourer
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 489
Likes: 1
From: Upstate NY
I didn't bother to read through all 7 pages but if you do decide to trade the bike in or selling it, Id'd be interested in buying the sideshots if you are willing to remove them - just PM me. I live in Rochester which isn't far from the Adirondacks at all.
I don’t really mind the ride quality, but I am younger and done have any other bikes to really compare it to. The only rust issues I have had on my Nightster are in the ports where the spark plugs screw in. I have cleaned them out with a tooth brush and WD 40 3 or 4 times this year and it just keeps coming back - not sure what the issue is. IMO if Harley could ditch their union workers we would likely see a better, and definitely cheaper, product, but thats another issue entirely.
I don’t really mind the ride quality, but I am younger and done have any other bikes to really compare it to. The only rust issues I have had on my Nightster are in the ports where the spark plugs screw in. I have cleaned them out with a tooth brush and WD 40 3 or 4 times this year and it just keeps coming back - not sure what the issue is. IMO if Harley could ditch their union workers we would likely see a better, and definitely cheaper, product, but thats another issue entirely.
Elite HDF Member
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 4,904
Likes: 9
From: Streetsboro, Oh
Sounds to me like the OP wants a couch mounted to a sport bike LOL! Yeah the sportys have there flaws, but I still love mine, hell I had 2 at the same time last year. HD makes some good bikes and they are well made. The metric non-sport bikes all look and feel like crap to me. Well good luck with the next bike, just remember there is no perfect bike.
Cruiser
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 125
Likes: 0
From: North East
I sorta agree, although Im really happy FN around on mine. I had a sporster that was a POS, but it was a blast to hammer around on. I have learned to really like the brand, but some of the half assed stuff helps understand why they tanked at one point. Ive always bought very used basket cases. I can not see myself ever paying the $ they ask for some of the new bikes.
Just for the record...everyone saying the Sportster is "Harley's Starter Bike" is f'd in the head. It has a place in the lineup just as much as the rest of them. It has a more interesting history behind it also, which in actuality is more true to it's first run than any of the others. It's a MINIMALIST bike, if you can't live with low standards and want all your fancy cupholders, mp3 players, 10 speakers, shopping carts, blah blah then don't get one. To call it a starter bike is just plain wrong, and that is NOT HD's original intention of the bike. People may "start" off with it simply because it's the smallest displacement out of the entire lineup, but that's what the Harley fan base has done...NOT what Harley has done.
No disrespect to anyone...i just totally disagree with that statement.
Now to the thread starter...I guess it depends on how you feel about things. If your the kind of guy that thinks a certain sum of money paid out should = a certain return back (black and white, plain and simple) then I'm sorry, the Sportster is totally wrong for you. However, i don't know a single biker that rides stock. Part of owning a scoot or hell a cage for that matter, to me, is making it your own. When I'm looking at a purchase, it's a canvas and how much canvas/paint do I actually have to work with, etc.
My Iron was the first scoot i've actually bought "new", it was used at the dealer but had 450mi on it and all stock. So I've really put time, money, and sweat into this one. Yet I still have so much left to do. This is one that I won't sell.
I will agree that the sportster is NOT for everyone. Some people think it should ride plush, well it's not MADE to. It's a Sportster, it's the Sporty spice of the Harley's Spice Girls, rough around the edges and plain RAW. You wanna date Posh, buy a bagger.
No disrespect to anyone...i just totally disagree with that statement.
Now to the thread starter...I guess it depends on how you feel about things. If your the kind of guy that thinks a certain sum of money paid out should = a certain return back (black and white, plain and simple) then I'm sorry, the Sportster is totally wrong for you. However, i don't know a single biker that rides stock. Part of owning a scoot or hell a cage for that matter, to me, is making it your own. When I'm looking at a purchase, it's a canvas and how much canvas/paint do I actually have to work with, etc.
My Iron was the first scoot i've actually bought "new", it was used at the dealer but had 450mi on it and all stock. So I've really put time, money, and sweat into this one. Yet I still have so much left to do. This is one that I won't sell.
I will agree that the sportster is NOT for everyone. Some people think it should ride plush, well it's not MADE to. It's a Sportster, it's the Sporty spice of the Harley's Spice Girls, rough around the edges and plain RAW. You wanna date Posh, buy a bagger.
Last edited by Kontankerous; May 31, 2012 at 01:46 PM.
Tourer
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 489
Likes: 1
From: Upstate NY
well I'm thinking of going with the mustang solo or vintage solo....honestly at this point as long as it doesn't look like total garbage I'm willing to accept it for comfort. anyone have or seen anything else positive... I really don't want to look through every single thread on this as almost all of them have about 5% useful information in them.
Anyways sounds like you are keeping the bike, glad to hear. But if you do wanna ditch the side shots let me know.
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thanks rog....gotta shave them though.
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