So I just got my first bike. I am stoked, and I'm sure you all know the feeling. It's an 04 Harley Sportster 883 with a few customizations. I threw on some new 2" pipes today and wrapped those in a black fiberglass wrap, looks pretty awesome.

Anyways I am curious what YOU guys would do if you had my bike. And lets try to be a little realistic

Thanks, looking forward to getting to know you guys.

Parker

 

Congrats on the bike and welcome. Ride safe.

You should do whatever you want. Do some reading on the forum, do some searching and you'll get plenty of ideas that will help continue the theme you already have. Which, as it looks, is doing pretty good itself. Good luck.

 

Welcome and congrats on your new ride! Looks great!

I don't really dig the looks of the seat but man, it's your bike and i personally like it a lot.

Please be safe, respect your new bike and she will respect you.

 

I would ride it, a LOT.

When I was riding it I would pay attention to what it does that I don't want it to do, and conversely I would think about what it doesn't do that I want it to.

From that point I would research my issue(s) until I was satisfied that I had found a suitable solution that fit my budget. I would then strengthen each of the bikes weaknesses in that same fashion. It is often a process that will only end when you make it stop.


I have never gone wrong with a machine using that approach. Then again, sometimes the solution costs money you don't have so you just enjoy the damn machine.

 

thanks guys. I have had my license for a while and ride my dad's shadow & enduro a lot. My buddy has a 650 bmw but I always wanted a nice cruiser and secretly always wanted a harley.

I have some plans, and yes the seat is definitely one of them. I think my favorite part of the bike is the drag bars (I think that's what they are called) with the speedo mounted on the side and mirrors & turn signals below.

Anyways thanks for the input, I will get on it before winter comes (im pissed I got the bike now and not at the beginning of summer) to see what I want to fix/change/mod/etc.

 

take a look at the "post a picture of your sportster" thread here on the site and decide which way you might want to go. lots of ideas in there. personally i'd chop the rear end off, stick a solo seat on there and rigid mount it without any springs. i'd mount some biltwells or some attack bars from mercury moto and a peanut tank....then ride the **** out of it. but that's just me. you asked....congrats on the bike.

 

I think a solo springer seat goes hand in hand with that bike, but that's just me.

1st things 1st..... Service Manual! By far; your best and probably cheapest investment.

Wrench ride Wrench ride........... Enjoy!!!! Congrats!

Forget the mods for now, just enjoy the ride and get a feel of how she rides. Then figure out what you want to do with her when the weather gets cold.

 

Welcome to the HD family of riders. I'm like others. Put a nice seat on it as well as some forward controls or better yet highway pegs. Wrapping the exhaust looks cool on some pipes but yours isn't one of them. They look funky with the slip on mufflers. First and foremost have the bike gone over REAL good and make sure the rubber is not from 2004 because that makes for an 8 year old tire. Once your sure its solid like most have said, ride the wheels off it before you start pouring money into it.