First Harley, first bike
So I learned to ride with my brother probably 6 years ago. My wife and I got married when I was 20 and she nixed a bike idea. Now I’m 31 and she finally feels comfortable with it (she was right to say no, I was young and stupid and would have killed myself).
I took a motorcycle safety course and rode around for awhile. I tried on all kinds of bikes and settled on a 2018 Harley 883 iron. I’ve always wrenched, everything from Broncos to Jeeps to trucks to Acura’s and cars. I wanted the 883 to upgrade to the 1200 and have the shorter gears for country roads and city commuting while also keeping my first bike cheap as it will be a working experiment as I go.
Picked it up yesterday and absolutely LOVE it. I’ll put as many miles as I can on it before the SoCal summer limits ride time. I’ve done this on all forums I’ve joined which is to upload original pictures, planned upgrades and then update as I go
. Purpose of the bike is to be a daily commuter that is fun and versatile. I live up a winding mountain pass and then down a dirt road. I have to maintain the small nature of the bike to be nimble for the curves and very manageable. I’m 6’1” and 250 pounds. Everyone told me to buy a Dyna or a soft tail, but the customization for those is far more experiment and I’m not buying a 15,000 dollar bike to experiment on.
As of now:
Bone stock 2018 883 Iron with 9500 miles
Planned upgrades:
Synthetic oil - for the summer in SoCal it’s a necessity
Saddle bags and a luggage rack on the back for my workout bag.
Maybe Forward controls, but still undecided. Mid controls are very comfortable for me so I’m gonna go try on a forward control and see if it works better. I just feel like the forward looks cooler.
new exhaust and air filter with a fuelpak
maybe new handlebars. Again, undecided. They’re very comfortable for me right now but I haven’t try anything different that fit me better. I just don’t like the look of the stock handlebars
exhaust wrap, cuz they look badass

1200 upgrade. I’ll be going with a Harley upgrade kit unless someone can convince me otherwise. By mid July-August I won’t be riding so hopefully it will be time for the upgrade then

If anyone has any helpful hints or suggestions, lay it on me. The Ford forums got me through my Bronco rebuild and without forums I wouldn’t have a running Jeep. Lol.
Me and my first Harley
So I learned to ride with my brother probably 6 years ago. My wife and I got married when I was 20 and she nixed a bike idea. Now I’m 31 and she finally feels comfortable with it (she was right to say no, I was young and stupid and would have killed myself).
I took a motorcycle safety course and rode around for awhile. I tried on all kinds of bikes and settled on a 2018 Harley 883 iron. I’ve always wrenched, everything from Broncos to Jeeps to trucks to Acura’s and cars. I wanted the 883 to upgrade to the 1200 and have the shorter gears for country roads and city commuting while also keeping my first bike cheap as it will be a working experiment as I go.
Picked it up yesterday and absolutely LOVE it. I’ll put as many miles as I can on it before the SoCal summer limits ride time. I’ve done this on all forums I’ve joined which is to upload original pictures, planned upgrades and then update as I go
.Purpose of the bike is to be a daily commuter that is fun and versatile. I live up a winding mountain pass and then down a dirt road. I have to maintain the small nature of the bike to be nimble for the curves and very manageable. I’m 6’1” and 250 pounds. Everyone told me to buy a Dyna or a soft tail, but the customization for those is far more experiment and I’m not buying a 15,000 dollar bike to experiment on.
As of now:
Bone stock 2018 883 Iron with 9500 miles
Planned upgrades:
Synthetic oil - for the summer in SoCal it’s a necessity
Saddle bags and a luggage rack on the back for my workout bag.
Maybe Forward controls, but still undecided. Mid controls are very comfortable for me so I’m gonna go try on a forward control and see if it works better. I just feel like the forward looks cooler.
new exhaust and air filter with a fuelpak
maybe new handlebars. Again, undecided. They’re very comfortable for me right now but I haven’t try anything different that fit me better. I just don’t like the look of the stock handlebars
exhaust wrap, cuz they look badass

1200 upgrade. I’ll be going with a Harley upgrade kit unless someone can convince me otherwise. By mid July-August I won’t be riding so hopefully it will be time for the upgrade then

If anyone has any helpful hints or suggestions, lay it on me. The Ford forums got me through my Bronco rebuild and without forums I wouldn’t have a running Jeep. Lol.
Me and my first Harley
Hi there BD90, GERAT to have u here my friend.
When u said helpful hints, do u mean with bike upgrades, riding safety, other???Take a look around, we have a General HD Chat area, a Techie section where we talk about Audio Systems, Pipes, Oil & Related Stuff, Electrical, Tires/Wheels, and the list goes on…
We also have an area for Trips, Regional Events, Humor, Games, and get this…a Food section to mate.
You name it and we likely have it!
Now, for me regular welcome, see below………
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HEY!.......WTF!?!?!?!?!?!........................wait a minute.............I am a little bz right now.
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ok. that is better.....
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G'day mate,
I will be your tour guide.
Or we will have discipline you
Here is a gift for you…
Now let’s get serious for your orientation. Go down the hall
Then you will see doors marked for the mortuary, skeet shooting, a room where we make fun of In-Jun bikes, and of course we have a
We had a BOMB MAKING room but, well, ahhhhh, 1 of the guys just didn't understand Blasting Caps very well so.....
We have our own pub
There are several places where you can familiarize your self with the
So don't be a
See you around mate. I am going to the commissary now.
**** ON THE SERIOUS SIDE ****
**** I AM NOT ONE TO GIVE ADVICE ON HOW HDF WORKS BUT… ****
**** AND THE FOLLOWING IS UNOFFICIAL ****
You are in the “New Members Area” where you can introduce yourself and let us know what Harley Davidson bike(s) (if any) you ride/own.
If you have questions about engines, exhaust systems, audio issues, etc… then:
1) Please go to the upper corner and Roll Over “Forums”
2) Then come down to and Roll Over “Harley Davidson Tech & Mechanical Forum”
3) Then come down to the section that would be most appropriate for your question like Audio Systems, Engine Mechanical Topics, Exhaust System Topics, etc… and CLICK on the topic you have a question about.
You will find the knowledge here is EXCELLENT and these here mates are willing to help you in any way they can. ‘juss be careful. There are some “Trolls”, so I suggest just ignoring them ‘ole farts.
See you around HDF. Come often, we have a humor thread, game thread, and a LOT of other stuff.
Have A Great Day Mate,
BuzzCap7
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I tell a lot of new comers to the forum to get: Factory Service manual and the Parts manual. Get a three ring binder and record all your maintenance, repairs, accessories, etc. This will be a great reminder of what was done when. And great material to pass along to the new owner should you sell and upgrade. Also know how large your fuel tank is, and record your fuel usage. I have an app called Simply Auto that I record all my fuel used. I use the odometer and use the fuel gage as reference only. I reset the odometer to zero on fill ups, and I know I can safely get 200 miles on a tank on around town riding.
Good Luck!!
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