HD Sportster...do they cut the mustard

Nasty1

Nasty1

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Hi

Currently own a Katoom 990 SM which is a great bike but the only way to enjoy it is to ride it like a twat (yeah I know if the cap fits..blah blah).

I had a short love affair with a Royal Enfield 500 and this was such a joy to ride but needed just a little more omf! It was good to actually ride a bike and soak up the experience, the scenery etc but alas I had to sell one of me bikes and the Enfield sold first.

I am probably going to sell the Katoom and replace it with 2 bikes, one of sports persuasion for a sunny weekend when I want to let off some steam and the Sportster for use to work and a bit of travelling.

The Sportster would probably be the only HD in my price (2003 and beyond for rubber engine mounts) and as I have no garage it cant be a bling bus!

Long Term I would be looking to mod it along the line of an old bobber but without the ape hanger type bars. I probably would be looking at simple mods like bigger capacity bobbed mud guards and fatter front wheel etc.

So would a Sportster cut the mustard for my plans or maybe even beyond?

Cheers

Adie
 
Last edited:
It really depends ....

on loads of things :nenau :

How far is your commute? They vibrate really badly over 70 mph, have a tiny tank range and aren't exactly brilliant for weather protection. :(

How secure are you? Some of the less well educated HD riders may question your sex or sexuality :ymca

On the other hand :) :

They are cheap to buy and run. They are really easy to work on. The later models are fairly reliable (if you don't count bulbs ;) ) and they can be made to look really cool :thumb2

I'd test ride one and see what you think.

You can get some pretty good Dyna Glides for the price of a 2003 sporty :augie
 
Lets be honest here.
The 883 Sporty is a GIRLS bike, it's also a fecking SLUG and has less real power than a R45 BMW 450cc twin.:eek
As mutters has said, you can find a proper HD for around same price as 2003 sporty
probably a 2000 Dyna..:thumb2

Be prepared tho', 1 hours riding =2 hours cleaning or they just dissolve away in the rain :(
Secondly, SECURITY !!! It's a big problem for anyone with a Harley without a Bomb-shelter strength garage.

As an aside some of the big Jap HD lookalikes are going up in price, Just bought a W reg 1100 Dragstar in amazing nick from Cardiff [for triking] 11000 miles for £3.5K
2 years ago it would have been around a grand less for the same bike [2 years younger :nenau] some folk seem to have cottoned on that there RELIABLE and cheap to run :thumb2
 
Why not get a sportster and give it a try, but not spend any money on modifications for a while. You'll soon find out if a Harley is for you. IMHO they are a bit of a one trick pony, but I love my Low Rider. If you enjoy the bike you then have a choice of spending money on it, or selling it ( they hold their prices very well ) and saving up for one of the bigger ones.
While acknowledging Proff's mention of Jap cruisers beware. If you really want a Harley nothing else will do, and you'll never hear the awfull words spoken by someone looking at you bike " nice bike, but it's not a real one "
 
If it really has to be a Harley
Sportsters are a great way of "dipping a toe" into the Harley range, They give you a flavour at a reasonable cost. If its not for you you can sell it on and not lose loads of cash. Many many Harley riders started with a Sporster and moved onto something bigger.

I had an 883R converted to 1200 and while agreeing with Mutters comments I'd also quite enjoyed it.

If it does not have to be a Harley why not think about anything from the Triumph retro range . I now also run a Triumph Scrambler. Its quicker, smoother(without losing character) and handles better than a Sporty but still the same sort of thing IYKWIM.

Stumpy
 
I've had a couple of old sportsters in the past but neither really pushed the right buttons with me, i have also owned a couple of big twins, a shovel and an evo they were really great fun and felt great to ride.

Big twins for me! If your a big lad then the softail frame might suit you better as the twin shocks are buily around a smaller frame

Shep
 
Mutley said:
How far is your commute? They vibrate really badly over 70 mph, have a tiny tank range and aren't exactly brilliant for weather protection. :(
Click to expand...

About 30 mile each way but I do select the twisty route.

Mutley said:
How secure are you? Some of the less well educated HD riders may question your sex or sexuality :ymca
Click to expand...

Not very secure I suppose but my bikes are parked off road with a ground anchor and BFO Almax chain n ground anchor. I had heard that the sportster was not as desirable to nick as the others because the engine is a different config and not compatible for spares for all the others? Of course they probably fit the Buels though :blast As for sex/ sexuality well that would be there problem not mine.

Proff said:
Lets be honest here.
The 883 Sporty is a GIRLS bike, it's also a fecking SLUG and has less real power than a R45 BMW 450cc twin.
As mutters has said, you can find a proper HD for around same price as 2003 sporty
probably a 2000 Dyna..
Click to expand...
Girls bike!...there was only 1 off 2 peeps that would of put that so delicately :D The 883 was not the sporty I was considering, would have to be the 1200.

Proff said:
Be prepared tho', 1 hours riding =2 hours cleaning or they just dissolve away in the rain
Secondly, SECURITY !!! It's a big problem for anyone with a Harley without a Bomb-shelter strength garage.
Click to expand...

As I said before it would be no bling bus...more paint and little chrome. Agree that security could be my biggest issue.

Proff said:
As an aside some of the big Jap HD lookalikes are going up in price, Just bought a W reg 1100 Dragstar in amazing nick from Cardiff [for triking] 11000 miles for £3.5K
2 years ago it would have been around a grand less for the same bike [2 years younger ] some folk seem to have cottoned on that there RELIABLE and cheap to run
Click to expand...

I am looking for a bike that has a bit of soul and a little emotive to ride...OK a sporty is not a real HD but the Jap replicas are exactly that Japanese..clinical refined etc. Plus I am not sure but the capacity to personalise one is little to none existent.

stumpy said:
If it does not have to be a Harley why not think about anything from the Triumph retro range . I now also run a Triumph Scrambler. Its quicker, smoother(without losing character) and handles better than a Sporty but still the same sort of thing IYKWIM.
Click to expand...

Hmm have considered these and test rode...still not quite like the originals though.

Shep said:
If your a big lad then the softail frame might suit you better as the twin shocks are buily around a smaller frame
Click to expand...

Good point, I take it you mean that the shocks may poke me Fat ar$e when sat on it?

Obviously a test ride will be done before any decision is made but I appreciate your advice and comments...thanks

Cheers

Adie
 
Nasty1 said:
Good point, I take it you mean that the shocks may poke me Fat ar$e when sat on it?
Click to expand...

That may indeed be the case:D but most twin shock bikes are built 'smaller' than the softails, softails are more 'roomey' when in the saddle
 
There's an article based upon spending a month with a Sportster in this months Bike magazine, if you need any more opinions!

PG
 
Why do people write off the 883's and 1200 saying thay aren't 'proper' Harleys?:nenau

They can trace their ancestry back to the late '50's. It's the Johnny come lately V-Rods that are the pretenders to the throne.:rob
 
I have an 883R. The only chrome is the exhausts and seat rails.

It does 65mpg, will cruise at 80. Just done a long weekend in france, 920 miles, in four days, no problems. Finish is better than most jap and better than my past F650. Rubber mounted engine so vibration is pleasant but not at all intrusive. Easy to work on, fun to fettle with.

I don't do Harley bling......at all. But that is the thing about these bikes, they are like VW campers, you will never see two the same.

Downsides -
Had to buy imperial tools.
Uprated supension to hagons
Could do with european tyres.
Poor tank range

I have just picked up a high capacity tank off ebay, so now have 200 miles before reserve

It has been far more reliable than my 1100GS.

Security can be improved by a plug in HD alarm that addes onto the existing immobiliser.

It has Givi E21 hard panniers for security/touring.

I find it more involved to ride, and hence satisfying as a result.

In October, I go to Moroccco on it.

Like most folks, I wanted an HD but was wary of the tassles/chaps/bling/chrome/poser thing. So i just use it as an everyday bike, it is mostly filthy, but scrubs up well.

I had a Meriden Bonneville. Badly built, unreliable but fantastic to own and ride. The Sportster is everything the Bonnie should have been.

Remember, theory states that people take the p/ss out of gays because deep down they are insecure about their own sexuality, and sub-consiously worry they might be gay themselves.

Likewise they knock HD's as deep down they want one too.........:augie
 
SamD said:
It's not fantastically balanced though. It's written by someone determined not to like the bike IMHO :thumb2
Click to expand...

That seems like a very well balanced approach. What is there to like......:confused:
 
I dipped my toe in the Harleypool by buying an electraglide ultraclassic off ebay...great nick , huge amounts of fun, has survived a winter of riding covered with ACF50 and has shone up a treat once I washed it off.

(But I do have a garage to protect the shiny bits).

So while I use the GS for commuting I get the biggest smile on the Hardly and am planning to ride to L Mans and back next weekend for the 24hrs race.

So I'd say 'go for it' - you can always resell if you don't get on. I see lots of Sportys on my commute into central London

Simon
 
1200 s

I had the 1200 sportster sport twin plugged and stage 1 tuned great bike would pull yer arms out of their sockets sold it by mistake, I now have a dyna super glide 1340 EVO seems a softer engine and not so raw as the sportster but easier on the arms handles better as well:)

Steve
 
i had a 1200r sportster,i loved it for what it was, a basic bike, sounded great, good fun on sunnydays, and the best thing was ,after every ride,i came back grinning, i would definatley have another one,
 
two bikes ago i owned a 2002 HD sportster 883r. they are nice bikes and i dont agree with "its just a girls bike at all". they are nice to ride on those baking hot days with the origanal screaming eagle pipe whaling away. but for above 80mph overtakes are hard (not geared for alot more), vibration is bad (even with rubber mounts), tank is shit to say the least and if you dont polish like a mad man then it looks crap.

by all means if you buy one i can give you some tips on mods.
stage 1
screaming eagles or a pipe from the U.S (if you get one message me and ill find out)
advanced ignition
parabolic springs
solo seat
upgraded brake hoses

the 883r is the best because its dual front disc's and better colour IMO.

and also if you do want to hot it up seriously, give me a PM because i have a great contact who is a top mechanic of HD who will work from home and can really make the 883 fly. one of his up to 110mph leaves r1's and the likes for dust and spins the back wheel all the way up to 3rd.

:thumb2:thumb2:thumb2
 
Cheers for the info guys, I am going to hook up with my local dealer and test ride one then see about selling my current bike.

Thanks again to all.

Adie
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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