Kind of an interesting article from Donny Petersen of heavy duty cycles.

Donny. You don't seem to be prejudiced against Sportsters like some Harley riders. Why do these people seem to look down on my favorite Harley?

Sammy Shortster

York Pa.

Hey, Shortster. Ya got me. But I know one thing. The problem is theirs not yours.

Something I’ll never understand is why some Harley riders discriminate against other riders, Harley models or other motorcyclists forthat matter.This seems even stranger in light of the way society has stereotyped the Harley community and discriminated against it over the years.I'm not talking about friendly camaraderie here. Friendship and mutual feelings of being brothers or sisters in the wind will bring amicable tete-a-tetes back and forth. Poking fun at each other's perceived foibles where the jabs are not meant to be carping or hurtful is a time honored tradition between motorcyclists. But you’ve all heard the disparaging comments like “Half a Harley” or “Girl’s Bike” along with many others levied against the Sportster by some in the Big Twin crowd. Similarly, the Big Twin set don't like it much when the Sporty riders derisively refer to their pride and joy as "an old men's bike". So, Shortster, let's get into leveling the playing field here and talk about the Sportster's attributes and some of the REAL men that have rode them over the years.

It's Faster

How come it's faster than the Big Twin is? It always has been off the line. The best a Big Twin can do is in top end riding. Remember one thing though, the "half-a-Harley" will get there first. I can hear it now! My hi-perforanced Evo will wipe the lowly Sporty's proverbial rear end. Yeah! Well put 2500 hundred bucks into a Big Twin and do the same with a Sporty and then the big twin will only be a speck in the Sportster's rear view mirror. Kinda reminds me of a former partner of mine, 25 years ago, that increased the cc's on his XL 900 cc Ironhead about 1250cc using stroker flywheels. My 1200 cc Big Twin had been taken up to 1525 cc's using stroker flywheels and a big bore kit. We were side by side on the highway. I caught up to the "little" bike at around 65 mph. Now, I was prepared to dominate. With a sly smile, my partner, twisted the throttle and had that baby standing on one wheel….and, I mean it was close to rear fender scraping up there! He blew me away literally and psychologically. He deflated the remaining wind out of my sails as he accelerated ahead on one wheel. He took advantage of my thinking that since my engine had a larger displacement that it would be faster. He knew it wasn't, by a long shot. I learn my lessons well. Back to the 1990's, there is a customer of mine who is a seemingly mild mannered pharmacist. He minds his own business as he interacts nightly with the Harley community while unwinding from the stresses of his day job. Inevitably, someone on a "man's" Harley mouths off. Softly, the pharmacist politely asks if the gentleman has any money in his pocket. The meek shall inherit the Earth. He wins about $500 bucks a month racing Big Twins on his 883 converted to a 1200. He could win lots more but he makes his point and moves on. He hasn’t even reached for the big gun yet….the stock Sportster 1200S with a hundred ponies at the rear wheel. A lot of Softails have difficulty mustering half that horsepower to propel a heavier bike!Now, I ask you. Why is this smaller Harley called half-a-bike when it can generate twice the horsepower., Don't look like no beginners bike to me. We ain't even got started talking 'bout the Buell, Harley’s answer to Japanese super bikes, being based on the Sportster. But we will leave the Buell out of this since it arguably isn't a traditional Harley. Besides, Shortster, we don't want to beat on our bigger brothers that bad, now do we? The goal here, afterall, is to gain some respect not losing friends.

Superior Technology

Likewise, we won't go into the Buell's overwhelmingly superior technology. It is obvious and doesn't have to be stated. The traditional Sportster has always had advanced mechanical principles applied to it Motor builders have long recog$@#*!nized this, some examples of which are:

a. Pushrods that go straight up and down instead of wild angles like in the Big Twin. This is accomplished by using 4 cams instead of one. Each cam sits directly under the valve it controls. Therefore the linking pushrod and lifter is straight in line as opposed to having to cope with the Big Twin angled version. The 4 cams allow for individualized cam gear timing for each valve…not a compromised one gear timing as in the Big Twin.

b. Did you ever wonder where the three-hole oiling crankpin you buy aftermarket to replace the single oiling hole Factory one in your Big Twin came from? You got it, standard Factory issue since the beginning in the Sportster. There are three connecting rod races riding on three sets of bearings, side by side, on the crank pin. This is the center of the engine. The Big Twin has one hole in it's crankpin that directly feeds the center set of rollers. The oil is then supposed to squeeze, side to side to lubricate the adjacent bearing sets. The Sportster has an oil hole for each roller set to ensure equal and sufficient lubrication.

c. The trochoid (rotor) oil pump, standard issue since 1977 on the Sportster, produces both high pressure and high volume while the lowly Big Twin still has a gear-driven pump that only produces moderate pressure and volume. Straighter pushrods along with the 3 hole oiling crankpin and the trochoid oil pump have all been adapted into the new technology Fathead Twin Cam 88’s.

Real Men ride Sportsters

Speaking of the old days, let's have a look at the people who defined and framed what the "Legend" was supposed to be.We all ride Harleys for certain reasons but certain people created the aura that we all bask under. When watching early biker movies, you see the ”Real Deal” riding their beloved "CH's" that today have become living legends? Nobody I know laughs at or puts down these guys. It was a man's world and these men didn't see a feminine side to anything they did. And, yes, the "CH" is short for the brutal, knee-busting, kick start Sportster. Don't look like no half-Harley to me even though that's what some call it. Yeah, so they call it a Girl’s bike in a derisive manner. This connotes frailty that inhibits them from handling "a man's bike." Well if you think about it, a smaller, physically weaker person would be better suited to a Softail with a lower seat height, a lower center of gravity and a set of front forks that pivot more easily on a smaller contact patch, skinny 21” wheel. That's if you think.Sportsters seem to have a higher center of gravity, making them more awkward to the uninitiated. Not to mention needing long legs just to touch the ground.

Entry Level Model

So why on earth does Harley make this bike, its entry-level model? It's harder to learn on and it's the prototype for its factory racers-in order to prove it has a superior product in terms of speed. I don't understand it….but that's the way it is with Harley. What should be isn't, and what isn't should be. I know, I know. The real reason the Sportster is the entry-level bike is that it's less expensive than the Big Twin models. Superior speed, superior technology….all for a cheaper price.Just wait until feminism gets a firmer grip in the last bastion of chauvinism, Harleydom, and deals with "the Girl's Bike syndrome" and its connotations of weakness. It'll be fun to watch for those who love a good winnable fight. Now how about the men who ride and must put up with this reverse discrimination? Maybe feminism will wipe the slate clean.

Factory Racing

The Sportster has been the Factory racer in differing events for over forty years now. This began in 1952 with the advent of the Flathead side valve K model that was the predecessor to the overhead valve Sportster in 1957.These racers first known as the KR and later as the XR were the Sportsters that Harley Davidson sent out to defend the faith. Back in the Sixties, the English bikes were a serious threat, both in racing and in sales to Harley Davidson. Marlon Brando rode a Triumph in The Wild One not a Harley. The Sporty led the charge when it came to converting English bike riders to the "Milwaukee Limey." Yes. The "Girl's Bike" has dominated Flat Track racing forever…you know, where you go full speed around corners with no brakes. Hillclimbing…a brutal sport for the brave where Sportsters go up hills not suited for motorcycles…again is dominated by our hero. And on it goes into the 1990's with Harley's first serious road threat to the Japanese racing community with the Sportster based Buell.

Meaner Than a Junk Yard Dog!

Here’s another one. What other Harley, or motorcycle for that matter, has crippled more people than the legendary Sportster kickstart? If rebounding compression isn’t dislocating the knee or throwing the rider over the handlebars then the slip-through kick start gears extend the leg past where its supposed to go….snapping the kneecap. “Sportster knee”, the tell tale limp, familiar with riders of the era is a badge of honor. The electric start has saved a whole generation from this mind numbing pain. How come this"half-a-Harley" with a short man complex is meaner than a junk yard dog? Even the mass media glorified the Sportster a long time before it recognized the “old man’s” bike, the Big Twin. Oops, I have to watch the reverse discrimination.

Then Came Bronson

"Then Came Bronson” was the first and only TV Harley hero who traversed America, meeting every challenge society could throw at him on his Sportster XLCH.

The Bank Robber's Choice

In the late seventies and early eighties, some bank robber gangs even used the Sportster as a get away vehicle…faster than the Big Twin police bikes and more nimble through traffic.

Evil Knievel

Last but not least…..Evil Knieval. I never saw him riding a Big Twin. He is a Sportster man….all the way to the hospital and right back on them again. The much maligned Sportster doesn’t look like a bike for the frail or weak of mind to me. So, Shortster, I guess its up to us to try to educate those in Harleydom who wish to pick on their own instead of fighting those who attack from the outside.

Great Article Ralph!!!!!:clap :clap :clap :clap :clap :clap

:D

:clap :clap :clap :clap :clap

what we've known all along.

Boy..if THAT don't make you feel proud and LUCKY to own a Sportster...you need to get off and start pedaling. That Donny always has interesting articles. He sure hit it on target this time.....Gosh-I love my Ironhead...:smoke

He hasn’t even reached for the big gun yet….the stock Sportster 1200S with a hundred ponies at the rear wheel.

I want to see this bike, I thought it'd take like 3 grand to get a sportster to that power :p

That was a nice read, thanks Ralph!

the only thing I can find wrong is he left out the king. lol elvis and the sporty a whole lot of shakin goin on.

I was in there (Heavy Duty Cycle, Donny's shop) this spring. Some guy was just leaving after asking about something for his Sporty and the next guy started making the old "girl's bike" jokes to Tony, the store manager. Tony quietly told him "ya might wanna be careful" as he motioned out to the parking lot. Of the five customer bikes parked out front, four of them were Sportys, and all of us heard the guy. He shut up pretty quick. Those guys at HD are always quick to defend the Sportster; I gotta give 'em full credit!

When I picked up my new XL 1200R a couple of weeks ago a pint size fellow came out in the parking lot and yelled out to me, "You're too big for that thing. I'm only half your size and and I ride one of those!" Happy as a lark, I grinned but didn't say a word.
Now, I'm tall at 6' 3" but I remember the backroad scratching days of my youth on jack rabbit handling machines like Triumph Bonnevilles, Tridents and Norton Commandos and there ain't no way that I could ever compare any kind of H-D big twin to that kind of riding or those kind of motorcycles. I don't care how tall I am, I liked those bikes!
The Sportster 1200R is a more civilized compromise bike but it's quicker speed wise, and quicker handling than the big twin. I think that it's more fun to ride one up and that's how I ride most of the time. True, it's no 400 lb quick pointing scratcher, but it ain't no fat old lady neither! I got what I wanted and don't care what I look like as long as the bike looks good. With midset controls, higher longer travel suspension, dual front discs and a tach, the Roadster is more set up for my kind of riding than the Custom is and I'm quite happy with it. I'm also particluarly happy with the $1,000 cheaper price and I think that mine in chopper blue combined with the black motor looks really cool in a sort of understated way. It looks much better than the bland print on the H-D web site. It looks like the Sportsters of old and can back up it's looks to a reasonable degree. The big twins just don't run the same way nor do they look as good.
Now, for the smart alecks in the parking lot. The next time I hear something about a big twin being better for a guy my size, I'll reply with something like this. "Motorcycles are like ladies. Some like them big and fat while others like them slender, pretty and nimble!" Ha!
There's nothing wrong with the big twin if that is your riding style but they sure ain't no Sportster! If girls like Sportsters too, that's way to cool! How many would look at a HOG and say "What a pretty bike?" As a form of art, the traditional Sportster has cleaner lines and the narrowness of it makes it more attractive as well. It evokes mind images of the race horse while the HOG evokes images of the work horse.
Enough stirring of the hornet's nest!

Dan

I was grinning out loud to see the phrase, sportster-knee. Haha, I got rid of my XLCH not so long ago, and I can still feel my right kneecap hurting.

But a very nice read. I haven't had any comment as of yet, because I am too fast for them!

Thanks for the nice article

Good write up ralph, thanks.

Great words of wisdom. This thread is now sticky.

I gott'a agree Don...........I was a little taken aback when I saw the 1st
picture of me on my ride. ( Taken by a friend ) I do look a little too big
for the bike. But from my point of view riding it, It looks just right.

Here's a copy of that pic. ( old )
http://myweb.cableone.net/jimbo999/web/1st_pic.jpg

Great article. I haven't gotten the "girls bike" or "half a bike" thing yet but, I'm waiting for it, I know it will come sometime. Funny thing is, I've owned my BSA 650 Thunderbolt for 25 years and owned a Norton 850 Commando for about 8 years and not once did I get any of that crap. My 1200R is my first Harley and it's a much more refined bike than either of those bikes. I've been on the Harley demo rides for the last 4 years and have ridden everything from Buells to deckers and I much prefer my Sporty.

It would have been a lot better article if he hadnt spewed bull like a "stock 1200S having 100 RWP.

It would have been a lot better article if he hadnt spewed bull like a "stock 1200S having 100 RWP.


I think he ment "stock looking 1200S..."

Great article, great bike but we all know that anyway.

It's so beautiful.

Here's another interesting article....

There's a popular myth in some circles that the Harley Sportster is a girls bike. Smaller than the big twins and cheaper by half, the poor Sportster has come to be seen as Harley's entry level bike, the cheapo bottom of the range taster designed to get punters onto the ownership ladder which will eventually lead them to shell out for a more lucrative Fat Boy or Road King.
But the Sportster is about more than that. Much, much more. Back in the fifties Harley's big twins were under attack from lighter, faster foreign imports like our very own Triumphs and BSAs which would run rings around the lumbering Panheads and then shoot off into the distance, metaphorically kicking sand in the face of the obese and dated Duo Glides and Hydra Glides. Lots of US bikers, including the early patch clubs, responded by dumping as much weight as possible from their Harleys, resulting in the "bob jobs" or early choppers. Those old enough to remember Lee Marvin and Marlon Brando in "The Wild One" will have spotted Marvin's bobber big twin, a much cooler looking bike than Brando's Triumph. But it was Brando's bike that had the racing trophy bolted to the headstock, and it was Brando who ripped up the streets of the small US town, raising hell and stealing the local hardbodies while Marvin and his heavies lumbered around in the dust, stalling engines and falling off.
And out there beyond the confines of cinemaland the world was going the same way, and Harley was under attack. Some kind of response was necessary before things got too embarrassing and sales began to plummet, and Harleys design engineers were drafted to come up with something newer, lighter and faster. And oh boy did they very nearly get it so wrong. For the first response from the Harley camp to the Triumph Thunderbird and BSA Road Rocket was - a sidevalve. It seems incredible now, but back in 1952 Harley Davidson thought the best way to reassert their position at the top of the performance heap was to put out the Model K, a brand new, lightweight twin with modern brakes and suspension. Thrilling in every respect until your eye drifted up to the cylinder heads where the technology dipped back into the early 1930s. Yup, it had sidevalves. And this despite the fact that Harley had been using overhead valves on their big twins since the launch of the Knucklehead in 1936. It took several more years of embarrassment before Harley finally got the message, and in 1957 stuck the valves up on the heads of the Model K and re-launched it as the XL Sportster.
And while its birth pangs may have been rather prolonged, the new Sportster was worth waiting for. With a unit construction engine and cast iron heads and barrels, the new bike pumped out enough raw torque to finally take on the faster British twins. Harley upped the compression ratio and began to prune weight, and the bloodline was established. These early Sportsters were of 54 cu. in. displacement, which translates to 883cc. It's by no coincidence that the displacement of Harleys current standard model is 883, a nod to the iron XLs which led the counter attack against the imports.
Early Sportsters broke Harley into a new high performance market and were as different to their traditional models as the V-Rod is to the current air cooled twins. Some rivalry used to exist between riders of Sportsters and big twins, the flagship FLH Electra Glide having come to represent the antithesis of a high performance road bike. The Sportster went on to establish itself as the performance Harley with high profile appearances in the hands of folks like king stunter Evel Kneivel. Developed as the XR750 racer it became a world beater in the hands of Jay Springsteen who dominated US flat track events in the early 70s and claimed the coveted "No.1" plate for Harley Davidson.
Eventually the bell of destiny had to toll time on the ironhead and in 1986, two years after the big twins, the Sportster finally received a major redesign and emerged blinking into the sunlight as the all new 883 Evolution alloy engined model. The Sportster is Harley's almost still born prodigy which took the world by the throat in 1957 and shook it into submission. If any bike can be said to have street soul, it has to be the Sportster.
:clap

Thanks! That's a great story. Where did it come from?

Thank you Ralph and Blackjack, reading articles like those really make my day.:smoke :smoke

It would have been a lot better article if he hadnt spewed bull like a "stock 1200S having 100 RWP.

I read the origional article. I think he meant to say "stock looking 1200S"
and just misspoke.

Thanks! That's a great story. Where did it come from?

A buddy of mine sent it to me just yesterday...

It seems it came from a British publication several years ago, don't have any more info than that.

But yes, this article and Donny Petersen's just puts a (smug) smile on my face...

-Jack
:)

Here's another interesting article....

There's a popular myth in some circles that the Harley Sportster is a girls bike. Smaller than the big twins and cheaper by half, the poor Sportster has come to be seen as Harley's entry level bike, the cheapo bottom of the range taster designed to get punters onto the ownership ladder which will eventually lead them to shell out for a more lucrative Fat Boy or Road King.
But the Sportster is about more than that. Much, much more. Back in the fifties Harley's big twins were under attack from lighter, faster foreign imports like our very own Triumphs and BSAs which would run rings around the lumbering Panheads and then shoot off into the distance, metaphorically kicking sand in the face of the obese and dated Duo Glides and Hydra Glides. Lots of US bikers, including the early patch clubs, responded by dumping as much weight as possible from their Harleys, resulting in the "bob jobs" or early choppers. Those old enough to remember Lee Marvin and Marlon Brando in "The Wild One" will have spotted Marvin's bobber big twin, a much cooler looking bike than Brando's Triumph. But it was Brando's bike that had the racing trophy bolted to the headstock, and it was Brando who ripped up the streets of the small US town, raising hell and stealing the local hardbodies while Marvin and his heavies lumbered around in the dust, stalling engines and falling off.
And out there beyond the confines of cinemaland the world was going the same way, and Harley was under attack. Some kind of response was necessary before things got too embarrassing and sales began to plummet, and Harleys design engineers were drafted to come up with something newer, lighter and faster. And oh boy did they very nearly get it so wrong. For the first response from the Harley camp to the Triumph Thunderbird and BSA Road Rocket was - a sidevalve. It seems incredible now, but back in 1952 Harley Davidson thought the best way to reassert their position at the top of the performance heap was to put out the Model K, a brand new, lightweight twin with modern brakes and suspension. Thrilling in every respect until your eye drifted up to the cylinder heads where the technology dipped back into the early 1930s. Yup, it had sidevalves. And this despite the fact that Harley had been using overhead valves on their big twins since the launch of the Knucklehead in 1936. It took several more years of embarrassment before Harley finally got the message, and in 1957 stuck the valves up on the heads of the Model K and re-launched it as the XL Sportster.
And while its birth pangs may have been rather prolonged, the new Sportster was worth waiting for. With a unit construction engine and cast iron heads and barrels, the new bike pumped out enough raw torque to finally take on the faster British twins. Harley upped the compression ratio and began to prune weight, and the bloodline was established. These early Sportsters were of 54 cu. in. displacement, which translates to 883cc. It's by no coincidence that the displacement of Harleys current standard model is 883, a nod to the iron XLs which led the counter attack against the imports.
Early Sportsters broke Harley into a new high performance market and were as different to their traditional models as the V-Rod is to the current air cooled twins. Some rivalry used to exist between riders of Sportsters and big twins, the flagship FLH Electra Glide having come to represent the antithesis of a high performance road bike. The Sportster went on to establish itself as the performance Harley with high profile appearances in the hands of folks like king stunter Evel Kneivel. Developed as the XR750 racer it became a world beater in the hands of Jay Springsteen who dominated US flat track events in the early 70s and claimed the coveted "No.1" plate for Harley Davidson.
Eventually the bell of destiny had to toll time on the ironhead and in 1986, two years after the big twins, the Sportster finally received a major redesign and emerged blinking into the sunlight as the all new 883 Evolution alloy engined model. The Sportster is Harley's almost still born prodigy which took the world by the throat in 1957 and shook it into submission. If any bike can be said to have street soul, it has to be the Sportster.
:clap

excellent story, i gotta print this one out. thanks BJ(no not the BJ you dirty dirty guys are thinking of i mean BlackJack:roflblack )

:roflblack
I have heard them all as well ! I usually just say "well line that thing up out here and I'll be happy to take your money to the HD shop and buy more sportster parts" !!!!

HP per dollar, You can get more power and torque per dollar from a sporty than anything made !!

:banarock :banarock :banarock :banarock

Love that damb bannana !!!!

:doh
I just had thought, (yes it scared the hell out of me too !!)

But where do they think that the "Sport" In "Sportbike" Came from ??


The original Sport Bike !!!!

It really bothers me when I hear anyone who feels the need to put others down, In a waisted attempt to over compensate for there own shortcomings.

:roflblack :roflblack :roflblack :roflblack

I suppose some folks are just that insecure in there manhood, Of course it is really fun to blow past a Big twin like he isn't even there !!!!!

great article, i was on the fence a biggun or a sporty?....SPORTY!!! Never regretted the decision....now i gotta pay taxes.

The first choppers were just that, an attempt to improve performance by removing weight. Some early builders laced 18" rims on the rear to improve cornering angles. None had radical frame changes. After the Sporty started blowing the BTs out of the water on the road it became a money game for the chopper types. The Easy Rider bikes were torture to ride and lethal to own. The new ones probably come with color matched trailers from OCC.

All I can say is .. I'm incredibly proud of my bike and even though I lack in the shinny parts like the BTs .. I would love to see them catch up to me ... That thing is a little rocket!!

Anybody wanna' race a 45 year old entry level girls bike?

Excellent article Ralph!!

Thanks Ralph.

I was at Donny's (now Tony's) 3 weeks ago and have always read his articles with interest. He has forgotten more than I'll ever know. They love Sporty's. See the one Tattoo Tony rides?
Donny is my hero.

Great articles, I love my sporty. Had it for 2 months and have been working on almost everyday to get it in great shape, putting a new clutch in next week.

great reading, thanks Ralph and BlackJack!!

that was cool.

Words of Wisdom!!

I was in a garage last fall when the bike topic came up, when asked what I owned I said Sportster. Loud mouth of the group exclaimed it was a girl's bike. I just stared at the floor until someone asked if I was going to respond.

"Nope." I said, "I just consider the source." When asked what he rode, the response was "Oh, uh, I got child support payments...that's my bike."

I guess I would rather have a sportster beneath me than fantasies of an OCC coupled with reality of paying for the fruit of my loins.

:banana :banadanc :banana

I sent a email request to OCC about building a custom Sporty. Never got a reply from them. Guess they couldn't come up with enough bolt on parts. Thats the difference between bike assembly and bike fabrication. I thought it would be a change of pace rather then see the same bike build week after week.

I couldn't help but wonder how I would have felt reading this thread if I was one of the female members of the forum? I don't want us to go all politicaly correct or anything but if being easier to handle, lighter or having a lower seat hight is better for women isn't it also better for just about anybody?

If a bike has to be awkward, heavy etc. to be a guy thing then the other great motorcycles like Velocettes, Ducatis, Nortons, BSA's, etc. must be girlie bikes too! And I like 'em!

Brian

Of the 78 bikes I've owned so far none has given me more riding enjoyment than my modified (for handling) '04 1200R. OTOH my '06 Yamaha FJR1300A does a durn good job for l-o-n-g range, high speed riding! My Sporty is superb for 150-250 miles in a day tho......and besides she LOOKS like a classic motorcycle should look! DFO :)

Thanks for the reprint Ralph.

I ride a 883 with lowered shocks, so that I can get both feet on the ground, when I go out with acouple of friends of mine on their big twins, if they are leading I nearly would run up their tailpipes going round corners, cos they're so slow, if I'm leading, I go round the corner then doodle along until they catch up. When it comes to touring, I load my bike bike up with all my gear, harden up the shocks and away I go, no problem, do I need a great big long, heavy behemoth? No, I can go where they go and still get 70 miles nearly to the gallon! I must admit here in the UK, no-one has got onto me about the Sporty being a girlie's bike, or anything like that, it's a Harley and that's accepted as a fact.:clap :gbflag:luvsport

Great Article Ralph, I sent it to my BT brother.

I've owned a 64CH and a 79XLH, tomorrow I'm putting the deposit on a 06 1200R. I also had the knee and ankle too.

Preaching to the choir...

Thanks Ralph & Blackjack. Both excellent articles. Cracked up about the 'Sportster's Knee' from my old 62 XLCH.
:clap :clap :clap
Regards,
Bob G

I love that line:"Motorcycles are like ladies. Some like them big and fat while others like them slender, pretty and nimble!" I hope you don't mind if I use some poetic justice here to suit me....Motorcycles are like men. Some like them big and fat while others like them TRIM, Good-looking, nimble and easy to ride!


When I picked up my new XL 1200R a couple of weeks ago a pint size fellow came out in the parking lot and yelled out to me, "You're too big for that thing. I'm only half your size and and I ride one of those!" Happy as a lark, I grinned but didn't say a word.
Now, I'm tall at 6' 3" but I remember the backroad scratching days of my youth on jack rabbit handling machines like Triumph Bonnevilles, Tridents and Norton Commandos and there ain't no way that I could ever compare any kind of H-D big twin to that kind of riding or those kind of motorcycles. I don't care how tall I am, I liked those bikes!
The Sportster 1200R is a more civilized compromise bike but it's quicker speed wise, and quicker handling than the big twin. I think that it's more fun to ride one up and that's how I ride most of the time. True, it's no 400 lb quick pointing scratcher, but it ain't no fat old lady neither! I got what I wanted and don't care what I look like as long as the bike looks good. With midset controls, higher longer travel suspension, dual front discs and a tach, the Roadster is more set up for my kind of riding than the Custom is and I'm quite happy with it. I'm also particluarly happy with the $1,000 cheaper price and I think that mine in chopper blue combined with the black motor looks really cool in a sort of understated way. It looks much better than the bland print on the H-D web site. It looks like the Sportsters of old and can back up it's looks to a reasonable degree. The big twins just don't run the same way nor do they look as good.
Now, for the smart alecks in the parking lot. The next time I hear something about a big twin being better for a guy my size, I'll reply with something like this. "Motorcycles are like ladies. Some like them big and fat while others like them slender, pretty and nimble!" Ha!
There's nothing wrong with the big twin if that is your riding style but they sure ain't no Sportster! If girls like Sportsters too, that's way to cool! How many would look at a HOG and say "What a pretty bike?" As a form of art, the traditional Sportster has cleaner lines and the narrowness of it makes it more attractive as well. It evokes mind images of the race horse while the HOG evokes images of the work horse.
Enough stirring of the hornet's nest!

Dan

I love that line:"Motorcycles are like ladies. Some like them big and fat while others like them slender, pretty and nimble!" I hope you don't mind if I use some poetic justice here to suit me....Motorcycles are like men. Some like them big and fat while others like them TRIM, Good-looking. nimble and easy to ride!

Ouch! She has a good point though:p