General questions about Sportster, need your advice

[Omega]

I am new to bikes. As you understand, Sportster is my dream bike. But I am not sure if it matches up with my needs therefore I did not buy one yet. Could you help me with the dicision? I looked at insurance quotes: Comprehensive insurance is £120 difference whether I have 0 NCB or 1 year NCB, so really if I deside to drive another bike for one year and then go for Sportster it will be more hassle and probably I will lose more than £120 on buying/selling bike anyway.

I would like to use my bike for commuting. I travel about 90 miles a day to and from work. And of course I am thinking about Sportster for this purpose. I intend to install windscreen to have some protection against wind, but do you think Sportster will be good for commuting? I know there are dedicated bikes for commuting, but it seems to me I will lose more money on bikes depresiation if I have another bike for commuting and Sportster for weekend driving than having Sportster for both purposes. Plus, it is larger investment.

I read in a few other forums that it is not advisable to drive bikes on salty wet roads, but you cannot avoid it when you are commuting every day. How can I avoid excessive corrosion?

And final question: I want to take my bike for long trips with my wife as a passanger. She is quite small, but I previously read that Sportster is not particularly good for pillion passangers on long voyages. Are there ways to improve comfort for pillion passangers?

Regards,

[cantolina]

I am new to bikes. As you understand, Sportster is my dream bike. But I am not sure if it matches up with my needs therefore I did not buy one yet. Could you help me with the dicision? I looked at insurance quotes: Comprehensive insurance is £120 difference whether I have 0 NCB or 1 year NCB, so really if I deside to drive another bike for one year and then go for Sportster it will be more hassle and probably I will lose more than £120 on buying/selling bike anyway.

I would like to use my bike for commuting. I travel about 90 miles a day to and from work. And of course I am thinking about Sportster for this purpose. I intend to install windscreen to have some protection against wind, but do you think Sportster will be good for commuting? I know there are dedicated bikes for commuting, but it seems to me I will lose more money on bikes depresiation if I have another bike for commuting and Sportster for weekend driving than having Sportster for both purposes. Plus, it is larger investment.

I read in a few other forums that it is not advisable to drive bikes on salty wet roads, but you cannot avoid it when you are commuting every day. How can I avoid excessive corrosion?

And final question: I want to take my bike for long trips with my wife as a passanger. She is quite small, but I previously read that Sportster is not particularly good for pillion passangers on long voyages. Are there ways to improve comfort for pillion passangers?

Regards,

Lessee......

Yes, you can use it for commutes....and quite well....

If you ride on salted roads.... (how about Western New York! :) ), then you just need to rinse off often.......that goes for any bike!

Get an upgraded suspension (front AND rear)....is your ride a 1200? If not, consider the 1200 conversion for 2-up riding.....its pretty cheap as a bread and butter thing.... <$600.00 US

[Nightboy]

1200 is a good versatile bike. Can be used and converted for commuting/cruising, and is nimble enough for folks who want some performance outings.

[Desertfox]

The Sportster has been in the H-D lineup for longer than any other model. Over the years they have tweaked it and refined it to be anything you want it to be. If you want a commuter, a weekend rider, or a bellowing thunder hammer, the Sportster is really the best blank canvas you can start with. The new rubbermounts for 04-05 purportedly reduce high speed vibrationand would be great for a daily commuter.

[rider1951]

Are you looking at an 04-05 model, Custom or Standard, 883 or 1200? I think the 04-05 custom would make a good commuting bike. I commute 20 miles a day with mine. I can ride comfortably without a windshield up to speeds of 70 mph. The seat will need to be replaced and at least the front fork springs. The fork springs are an easy fix. The rear shocks will need to be replaced at some point and I would suggest the Progressive 412s. I just put my stock shocks back on my bike and with the Progressive fork springs the shocks are not too bad. I'm waiting on my 12 1/2" 412s which are suppose to be on their way.

I only ride 1 up so I'll have to leave your 2-up question to someone else. I would think with a good seat 250 miles trips 2-up wouldn't be too bad.

As for the salt I would think if you were to keep the bike rinsed off good it should not be a big deal. Hopefully someone from the East Coast can anwser that question as they don't use salt on the roads here.

[Stephen Hawk]

I have a 2004 XL1200R that has been specifically set up for 2 up operation. I also have a 2004 Yamaha FZ6. If I were in traffic I would take the Yamaha and if I were on the open road and could cruise I would take the Sporty. I don't know that I would go so far as to say the Sporty is a good commuter bike because it's a real pain in tight places. Also, why put a $10,000 dollar piece of rolling artwork through that kind of misery when there are cheaper bikes on the market to do the job better. An Example of this would be the C50; which costs roughly $8,000 U.S.; handles great; has plenty of power and gets better than 60 mpg. Sure, the resale isn't there on the Suzuki however, it won't be there on the Sporty either; when you put all of those miles on it. You will also need to factor in the maintenance costs, which are far more on the Harley.

My wife and I enjoy the Sporty very much and the new rubber mount 1200 is like riding a baby Dyna. However, I wouldn't think of buying a Sporty for the sole purpose of commuting or cruising around with my wife on the pylon. I think I would be more inclined to buy a metric and run the hell out of that one.



Good Luck,
Stephen Hawk

[willprevale]

I wouldn't think of buying a Sporty for the sole purpose of commuting or cruising around with my wife on the pylon. I think I would be more inclined to buy a metric and run the hell out of that one.



Good Luck,
Stephen Hawk

Whaddya nuts? :p The Sporty is THE best all around bike ever produced. It will do everything you ask from it and more. Fact is, the average rider will never use one to it's full potential. Go for the sporty. If ya take any kind of care of it, it will always hold it's resale value and you'll feel like a king ridin' it. :tour

[txsporty]

You Can't beat a Sporty for all around riding!! For 2 up get a good comfy seat!! Enjoy your Sporty!! :D

[jwb47]

I have a 1200r that I ride to work as often as I can . I am a construction worker and commute anywhere from 60 to 200miles round trip it just depends on where I working. On the weekends I ride two up with my wife , I out a h-d sundowner 2-up seat on the bike and we both think its great, the wife says its very comfortable, also I installed the h-d quick detach windshield it takes about 15 seconds to remove or install and a quality set of saddle bags. I personally cant think of a better motorcycle to acomplish what I enjoy doing . you should be able to do as many miles 2-up as you want no problem I have since added a set of adjustible highway pegs that are great. buy the h-d and you wont ever want any other. there is a pic in my photo gallery.

[74FeHeadXLH]

Will...ya said it all...the sporty can do all the guy is askin it to do and more...my 74xlh is like old faithful, and dependable to boot. The old girl begs to be ridden all the time...and I do every chance I get (just ask my wife~yea she'll tell ya allright). 31 yr. old bike I got no qualms about takin it to the moutains for a run, which is about 180 mi. round trip on a Sat or Sun, I take it to work 80 mi r/t , go blastin around town w/ the boys (or myself). The whole key is maintinance, whether you do it youself, or pay someone to do it for ya, just do it ALL THE TIME.Mine is also set up for two-up riding, even though it's pretty low, but a bit stiff, Sporty got plenty of power for that too, get a better seat though, Mustang fit the bill for us. Sporty got my vote, :censor the metrics....kinda like this~it's hard to look cool in a mini-van.....Mike 74xlh :smoke

[ufaf]

My wife and I ride two up all the time. I dialed the rear shocks all the way up and installed SE fork oil and have absolutely no problem with suspension. My wife is 5'9" tall and about 140 pounds. I am 6' and 210 pounds. The bike handles the weight no problem.

Safe and happy riding

[lefty]

:clap Omega, I hope you didn't think you would get an unbiased, objective opinion on this, the "XL Forum for Sportster Enthusiasts!"

Lefty :smoke

[Omega]

Thanks,
I did not actually expect so many replies for such a short time. Sorry, I did not mention that I live in the UK. And did not really expect to have unbiased opinion because I just want the last push to make myself to buy Sportster :).
I am thinking about brand new 883 Sportster because Harleys hold the price so well I do not see much savings to buy second-hand. I have never been on a bike with engine larger than 700 cc and I also want to restrict myself from temptation of driving at a high speed, so I think 883 will be enough for me. As long as I can maintain 70 mph with my wife (she is about 106 lb) it should be fine.
How about maintenance? Is it easy enough to do some basic regular maintenance like oil change etc? I heart maintenance costs more on Harleys than on other bikes, but the design of Harley is quite old, so I thought Harley should be easier to maintain for a beginner. Am I wrong in this?
The only information I found on factory warranty is that Sportster has only 12 months warranty from new. Is it correct?
Regards,

[Nightboy]

Thanks,
I did not actually expect so many replies for such a short time. Sorry, I did not mention that I live in the UK. And did not really expect to have unbiased opinion because I just want the last push to make myself to buy Sportster :).
I am thinking about brand new 883 Sportster because Harleys hold the price so well I do not see much savings to buy second-hand. I have never been on a bike with engine larger than 700 cc and I also want to restrict myself from temptation of driving at a high speed, so I think 883 will be enough for me. As long as I can maintain 70 mph with my wife (she is about 106 lb) it should be fine.
How about maintenance? Is it easy enough to do some basic regular maintenance like oil change etc? I heart maintenance costs more on Harleys than on other bikes, but the design of Harley is quite old, so I thought Harley should be easier to maintain for a beginner. Am I wrong in this?
The only information I found on factory warranty is that Sportster has only 12 months warranty from new. Is it correct?
Regards,

Dont worry about the warrenty. The new Sporty is HD's best designed bike yet, not an "old" design at all as it was reengineered from the ground up in 04'. It is a very easy and cheap bike to maintain privately too, it only cost alot to "maintain" if you let a dealer do it. Also, if its in your budget get the 1200. The 883 leaves alot to be desired. Especially if your doing 2 up riding.

[rider1951]

Our warranty in the States is 2 years unlimited miles but That should not really be an issue. As far as maintenance costs it should be less than other bikes as the valves do not need to be adjusted. In over 3700 miles the only thing I've done is the 1000 mile service (myself) a couple of oil changes and mainly just keep an eye on things. The bike has not missed a beat and I've had no reson to return to the dealer other than buying add-ons which I've kept to a minimun. Depending on the cost difference over there you might want to look at the 1200. I find myself riding slower on the Sportster than I do on my Suzuki. I just don't a need to ride fast on it. It will however cruise all day long at 70 mph and not be working hard at all. I don't think you will have any trouble with the 883 if you go that route and you can alsway convert it to a 1200 later. I say go for it.

[AdO650]

From what I know about the guys who post on this site, I learned that a broad spectrum of motorcycles have been owned/ridden. :tour

And all of us are unanimous about one thing, the Sportster is the bike of choice for all of us..... :luvsport :tour





and oscars are pretty good too :laugh :laugh :laugh

[Desertfox]

:tour :burnout :burnout If a 700 cc bike is the biggest you have been on, you are in for big suprise when you get your 883 Sporty.

[Moved On]

I commute to work on my '03 883 from mid March to mid November, it's a 60 mile round trip. The Sportster is a great bike for commuting. I also ride quite often for 10 hour stretchs, the Sportster is a great bike for that too, as long as you stretch your legs for a couple minutes every 100 miles when you fill the tank.

You might want to consider an after market seat for your wife, if she finds the stock seat too hard for long distance riding.

If you get the 883 and then find that it's too small for the type of riding you do, converting to a 1200 is very easy to do, and costs less than buying a 1200 to start with.

Actually almost anything that you find you don't like on the bike can be rectified with after market stuff. That's one of the best things about a Harley there are tons of after market items that can morph the bike into your own needs.

Gary

[wolfgang]

I commute daily 40 miles round trip - Pacific Northwest. Weather is probably similar to England - lots of rain, occasional snow. I ride a 2002 883R and find that it is superb for commuting, plenty of power for passing if needed. I commute daily across Puget Sound by ferry, and here the ferry system puts motorcycles on first, so there is plenty of chance for salt spray to hit the bike. I wash it frequently and have had no corrosion problems. I've now got 20,000 miles on it and have only needed to change fluids/filters, brake pads, plugs,and the rear tire so far. The front tire is still original. Just the normal maintenance stuff. This is the biggest bike I've owned, like you I was a bit apprehensive about the sportster until I took a test drive and that did it for me. Elsewhere I posted that I feel the sportster is like an American muscle car of the past - power and aggressive stance, heavy metal parts and good build quality, and just an overall cool-looking bike. That said, I almost bought a new Triumph Bonneville instead of the sportster, but I thought it was too low-end as far as quality of parts, and I can't believe that Triumph can't make pipes that don't get so blue - something cheap about that.

If I could get my wife to ride on the bike with me (which she won't) the stock seat would have to go - the pillion seat is too small. Other than changing that, I think that you should be able to ride two-up with no problem. How fast can you go on the roads in England, anyway?

[Gone]

I have previously been riding a 1981 Yamaha seca 750cc that now has over 30,000 miles on it. It had more power than my new 2006 1200 custom and handled very much the same, but it does not compare in anyway to the quality of the Sportster. The Yamaha is now being stripped of the few valuble parts on it and will hit the scrap pile soon....no resale value what so ever, can't get parts for tranny, antidive forks suck, gauges suck, plastic sucks....I think you get the picture, go for the Harley but skip the 883.

[cantolina]

I have previously been riding a 1981 Yamaha seca 750cc that now has over 30,000 miles on it. It had more power than my new 2006 1200 custom and handled very much the same, but it does not compare in anyway to the quality of the Sportster. The Yamaha is now being stripped of the few valuble parts on it and will hit the scrap pile soon....no resale value what so ever, can't get parts for tranny, antidive forks suck, gauges suck, plastic sucks....I think you get the picture, go for the Harley but skip the 883.

PM me about parts....

I have an 82 Maxim xj750 that needs parts!

[nmbillb]

Ok, I'll throw in my 2 cents. Until we got our '99 883c, I had never ridden anything over 700cc (85 Kaw Vulcan). I never even really wanted a H-D, but my wife did, so we got one. I find that I enjoy the hell out this beast. Unless you plan on modifying the 883, I think you'll find the power from the 883 close to the 700 metric, but you (if you're anything like me) will find that you no longer need to "race" to whereever you are going, and will enjoy the ride far more. BTW, my '85 Kawi had 13000 miles on it when I sold it earlier this year, and our '99 883 now has over 25000 miles, put on since we got it in 2001. Have had no trouble riding 2 up with the wife for extended (200+ miles) rides. I would highly recommend the H-D.
Bill

[DougT]

If you're going to buy a new Sportster, then by all means get a 1200. It doesn't cost that much more, and you will be very happy you have the extra power. I'm on my 3rd Sportster, and if I ever buy another one it will be a new 1200. I've lived through two 883 to 1200 conversions, and it just isn't worth it to buy the 883. The 1200 is the way to go. Enjoy!
DougT

[Fackler Rebel]

OK Mate,

Here's the deal. Don't buy anything but a Evo Motor. That's 96 and up? I've got a 2000, XL1200, no it's not a Custom or a Sport, it's just a "plain" 1200 Sportster. Single igniton, 5 speed, carb not FI, and I love it! She is the best ride I have ever had, and I'm nearly 57 and have been riding since I was 14.
My girl will do 85 - 90 mph all day long on the Interstate. A 90 mile commute is nothing. Well, if it's raining that's different. The Sportster will do anything you ask. Don't get the EFI stuff. Stay with a carb. 2003 was the last year for trap door transmission. 2004 and later, gotta split the cases to pull the tranny. 2003 last year of solid versus rubber mount. Rubber mount gives up handling and is for sisses.

Ride to Live and Live to Ride

Reb

[renpia]

My 95 883/1200 conversion is my daily driver and weekend hot rod. Sporty's are very versatile and can be changed to whatever you want - chopper, bobber, cafe, hooligan, etc. It looks great in all styles. It has character that none of the metrics have IMO. It's simply a joy to ride. As far as comfort with the right suspension front and rear and a good quality seat, you can ride 2 up for long stretches. My honeymoon in 97 was a ride cross-country from CT (east coast) to San Francisco (west coast) and back. No problems mechanically aside from a dead battery in Nevada. You can save money on maintenance if you do your own oil changes and minor wrenching. I might still go to the dealer for the 5,000 or 10,000 mile maintenance (bearing replacements, checking for major worn parts, etc.) unless you feel comfortable doing ALL your own work. I would recommend buying a parts & maintence book and study it. If you can't get a hold of a 1200 get the 883 and upgrade to the 1200 later. But get the sportster.

[VTRII]

I have an 04 1200R, and I use it frequently for buisiness trips that are 400 miles round trip. It has highway pegs, and is comfortable. Mine is stock, no modifications for performance, and it is no more powerfull than my 82 Yamaha 750 Maxim. Test ride an 883 before you commit, as it may have less power than you expect. I ride the Yamaha in bad weather, and it keeps the Sporty in a little better condition.

[DougT]

Yo Reb,
The Evo Sportsters started in '86 (really know you're stuff there, mate). The new EFI systems are just fine, so don't be scared. They should have offered EFI years ago when it became available on the BT's. The rubber mounts give up nothing, and everybody knows that all Sportsters are for sissies.
DougT

[Chooky88]

I ride my sporty to works and back every day and take my wife out on weekends,

Stock 883C with stock seat and suspension (Except pipes)

I just adjusted it to the stiffest suspension and its flawless!

[Gone]

I live in the UK and am on my first Harley; it's a 2005 XL1200C; it's carburettor rubber mount model with standard shocks.

The bike was more expensive than newer models but came with stage 1 airfilter and Screamin Eagle pipes, sissy bar, engine bars and quick release sport screen - £6500. The Harley Originals (which is the dealer 2nd hand stock) comes with 1 year warranty and a years HOG membership.

I have made many cosmetic changes but have added a Sundowner seat. My wife has started to go on the back and the bike just feels a little heavier at slow speed but goes well 2 up. I weigh 76kg and my wife weighs 61kg.

Don't get an 883 as the 1200 is so much better IMHO and costs little more. Don't get new as HD stands for Hundreds of Dollars - better for somebody else to have shelled out for all the accessories.

[brett7777]

I am new to bikes. As you understand, Sportster is my dream bike. But I am not sure if it matches up with my needs therefore I did not buy one yet. Could you help me with the dicision? I looked at insurance quotes: Comprehensive insurance is £120 difference whether I have 0 NCB or 1 year NCB, so really if I deside to drive another bike for one year and then go for Sportster it will be more hassle and probably I will lose more than £120 on buying/selling bike anyway.

I would like to use my bike for commuting. I travel about 90 miles a day to and from work. And of course I am thinking about Sportster for this purpose. I intend to install windscreen to have some protection against wind, but do you think Sportster will be good for commuting? I know there are dedicated bikes for commuting, but it seems to me I will lose more money on bikes depresiation if I have another bike for commuting and Sportster for weekend driving than having Sportster for both purposes. Plus, it is larger investment.

I read in a few other forums that it is not advisable to drive bikes on salty wet roads, but you cannot avoid it when you are commuting every day. How can I avoid excessive corrosion?

And final question: I want to take my bike for long trips with my wife as a passanger. She is quite small, but I previously read that Sportster is not particularly good for pillion passangers on long voyages. Are there ways to improve comfort for pillion passangers?

Regards,

are you travelling the 90 miles on the motorway, or thru congested streets?

[FoxsterUK]

are you travelling the 90 miles on the motorway, or thru congested streets?
You know the original post was from 5 years ago, right? ;)

[BWP 5p]

You know the original post was from 5 years ago, right? ;)

:laugh:laugh:laugh:laugh:laugh:doh:doh

I would hope Omega figured it out by now!:laugh;)

[brett7777]

What the?
LOL
Yeah I wonder if he bought one!?
Must check the date next time !!!

[bplinson]

Yeah I wonder if he bought one!?


I don't think so. He has not been back since Sept 2005.

[BWP 5p]

I don't think so. He has not been back since Sept 2005.

I guess he IS the Omega!:doh:laugh