the TRUTH about Sportsters

Howdy:
I have an 88/1200 Sporty and have some thoughts. The 883 can be quite capable as is or can be quite fast with some mods (cash). I'm 6' and 200 lbs. (holiday food) and I don't feel too cramped since I went to forward controls, flat bars with custom "dog bone" risers and a different seat. Stock left my knees above the gas tank. Swapped carb for one with accelerator pump, ignition (Crane single fire) and changed drive sprocket to lower rpm's. Fairly acceptable performance (not a hot rod yet) this way over stock. Rode from Chicago to Austin, Tex. and the darn thing broke the gas tank mounts, battery tray mounts, and two heavy duty hose clamps that held in the battery. The beast nearly self destructed due to excessive vibration at combat speed on the highway. Do not replace any stock part with one from the factory, look for aftermarket stuff. The suspension and brakes suck as compared to what is stock on a rice grinder. The Sportster will be an adequate bike as stock but you will probably want to do mods and upgrades, this will require cash and more cash. I have a love/hate relationship with this bike as compared to the two rice grinders I have. Quality control at HD is poor, customer service is worse after they have your money. On the plus side: Great gobs of torque, simple design, and great fun in doing performance mods. I would recommend the 1200 instead of the 883 to get more cc's, better head config, bigger valves, better ignition, bigger carb. This is probably what you would want for your upgrades anyway. Slap a better air filter on whatever you do get. Good motoring to you!

I know this thread is a few weeks old but what the hell. Here's my $.01 worth. (it ain't worth $.02)

I bought a used'94 883 Hugger with 26k miles on it. I wanted to get back into riding after a long absense and the Sportster fit the bill.

First of all, I loved the bike for short trips. I loved the way it handled, the way it sounds with the baffles drilled out and the fact that it cost less than 1/2 of what a BT would cost.

What I didn't like was that I couldn't depend on this bike. In the few short months I owned it, it was in the shop three times. Twice for fixing carb leaks and once for other minor work.

The first time I rode it to work, a 17 mile interstate ride, I knew I would get rid of it and find a bigger, smoother bike.

The Sporstster has a vibration at speeds above 50 mph that, for me, was not comfortable.

One day last summer I pulled into my local Honda dealer just to look at their products and ended up trading the Sportster for a beautiful 1100 Virago they had just got in. The Yamaha is smooth, powerful and dependable. I love the Virago but, because I feel the need for a bigger bike, will probably trade it next year on either a BT or a Kawasaki Mean Streak.

Anyway, I now understand the "love/hate" relationship with the Sporty that some of you write about. I felt the same way.

Cheers
Jim

Boy, this was an old thread but someone may need this information so why not?

My 2006 XL1200C is my first Harley after 30 other bikes of British and Japanese origin. The latest ones were a Kawasaki 1000cc bagger and a 1500cc Gold Wing both of which I bought new.

The Kaw and the Honda would both stomp the Harley in a race. The Kaw was very fast with the 1000cc Ninja engine and slightly milder cams.

I rode some older (pre Evo) Sportsters and felt like something was trying to bite me in the butt. I have NO problems with that on the Evo 1200. The Honda and the Kawasaki trashed my wrists and elbows from vibration. Because the frequency of the vibration is lower on the Harley, that is not a problem.

I had some problems with the forward controls but adjusting the shifter to accommodate my big feet fixed that.

The Kawasaki and the Honda had chronic dirty fuel issues and with two and four carbs, that was a pain. No problem with the Harley so far.

I've ridden bikes with tachometers forever. I really miss that on my Harley.

Too much chrome on the Custom. In Texas, rust is a major problem. If I could, I'd spray the whole bike flat black.

I go on reserve at 117 miles. That is NOT cool. Typical MPG is 38 at 65-70. The bike requires premium fuel.

Hydraulic, roller cam followers are about as trouble free as it gets.

Both the previous bikes had drive shafts. The Harley has a belt. So far the belt is quieter and simple.

Insurance rates on the Harley were very attractive with my 45 years of riding. It was $227/year for full coverage and some extras tossed in.

The Harley service manual is better than any I have had previously.

I am 6'1" and 285 pounds. I do not ride two up and wouldn't recommend that on my Sportster.

The 500 something weight of the Harley is like a breath of fresh air after riding 700-800 pound bikes.

That covers it.

Flash

I moved to a 2011 Iron 883 from a 2006 BMW 800ST.
The BMW is a very capable road bike & a great "all rounder" but I no longer need a road bike. The BMW sat tall (31") compared to most H-Ds. I'm old & short so the mount/dismount became an issue. The BMW has it all: ABS, heated grips, tire pressure sensors, steering damper, etc.
My daily commute is inner-city & the Iron is a good choice.
The pluses to the 883 Iron: plenty of torque & HP at low revs makes for a fun ride; wide friction zone is easy for new riders; easy to get on & off; no spokes to clean; no chain to lube; great looking anti-chrome blacked out style
The minuses to the 883 Iron: Rides like a hard tail; virtually no rear suspension; the mirrors are for show only; seating is cramped even for my short frame; engine vibrates over 55mph; "the Harley Tax"
Conclusion: This bike is fun. It is not the best or the most capable. I would not use it for highway/interstate commutes. But it is a great "bar hopper" and that keeps me smiling.