Gary7
29th November 2006, 03:58
I rode her home this afternoon without incident. Took it out a little while ago for a nice lazy evening ride. It was about 60 degrees with a fairly bright moon and lots of high clouds. The sights, the smells...made me remember one of the things I loved most about riding all those years ago.
This bike is a real pleasure to ride. You still feel the v-twin throb, but it doesn't shake you to death the way the last Harley I was on did back in 1977. The rubber isolated engine mounts are a godsend.
Okay, now for first impressions:
1. Don't like the std handlebars. The pull-back bars that come on the 883L are much more comfortable to me so I'm getting a set of those put on.
2. The std mirrors are totally useless. I can't believe Harley can legally put these on a bike. The only thing they are good for is seeing a car come up beside you. As for seeing what's behind you, all that's in the mirror are my forearms. No amount of adjusting can change that; they simply don't stick out far enough. That was fixed with the purchase of a set of long stem "Live to Ride" HD mirrors.
3. The stock seat is okay for short to semi-long rides (say under 50 miles), but I can tell my middle-aged butt would be more comfortable on something else. So a bigger more thickly padded seat is on the horizon.
That's about it as far as nit-picking. Overall I love the Sportster. It's extremely peppy and gives a rock solid ride. In fact, this bike has a more solid "well put together" feel to it than I remember any of my Japanese bikes having, and I have owned bikes from Honda, Suzuki, and Yamaha.
It's been a long wait, but I told my dad (who rode a flat head 74 from the late 40s up until 52 when he and my mother got married) when I got rid of my last bike that my next one would be a Harley. That was 25 years ago and not long before he passed away. The wait has been worth it. And I know my dad was smiling with me on those twisty back roads tonight. :tour
This bike is a real pleasure to ride. You still feel the v-twin throb, but it doesn't shake you to death the way the last Harley I was on did back in 1977. The rubber isolated engine mounts are a godsend.
Okay, now for first impressions:
1. Don't like the std handlebars. The pull-back bars that come on the 883L are much more comfortable to me so I'm getting a set of those put on.
2. The std mirrors are totally useless. I can't believe Harley can legally put these on a bike. The only thing they are good for is seeing a car come up beside you. As for seeing what's behind you, all that's in the mirror are my forearms. No amount of adjusting can change that; they simply don't stick out far enough. That was fixed with the purchase of a set of long stem "Live to Ride" HD mirrors.
3. The stock seat is okay for short to semi-long rides (say under 50 miles), but I can tell my middle-aged butt would be more comfortable on something else. So a bigger more thickly padded seat is on the horizon.
That's about it as far as nit-picking. Overall I love the Sportster. It's extremely peppy and gives a rock solid ride. In fact, this bike has a more solid "well put together" feel to it than I remember any of my Japanese bikes having, and I have owned bikes from Honda, Suzuki, and Yamaha.
It's been a long wait, but I told my dad (who rode a flat head 74 from the late 40s up until 52 when he and my mother got married) when I got rid of my last bike that my next one would be a Harley. That was 25 years ago and not long before he passed away. The wait has been worth it. And I know my dad was smiling with me on those twisty back roads tonight. :tour