1200 or 883

[FrameMount1200]

I thought quite a bit about it and chose an '03 1200 Custom. I was concerned if I bought an 883 -which were cheaper and more plentiful on CL and FB- I would eventually reach a point where I wanted a 1200. So I kind of future-proofed my purchase. I tend to keep things a long time. I wanted an '03 because I'd rather not have to pay someone to work on it and the pre-04 bikes are simpler.

[Ted Town]

I was less concerned with displacement than finding a good deal. My sorta-kinda Sportster fund was capped at a figure that pretty much limited me to high-mileage bikes. So imagine my surprise to find two low-mileage ones I could afford: a 1999 1200 Sportster S with 12,000 miles, and the one I wound up with, a 2002 883 R. The 1200 was an hour and a half away, the 883 40 minutes away - plus, it was barely broken in, so it was a pretty easy decision. I could pay for the conversion, but I figure all that would do would get me from 0 to 60 a lot quicker - which is pots of fun, but doesn't account for a lot of my riding.

[bagster guy]

I geared mine way before I did the kit but I'm fuel injected so I don't know, it's possible it might have much worse effects on a carb'd bike. I did the 1200 kit mainly because I just enjoy spinning wrenches once in a while. I was never expecting a fast bike when I bought an 883.