Sportster
R R
orange yellow one. Man what a color. It's cool. Here's the question: For
someone looking at buying an entry level Harley such as a Sportster, could
they get more for the money elsewhere given Harley's name? Also there would
be a consideration of modifying the bike, Harley has a wide range of mods,
would it be the best choice?
Cheers,
Remo Rosati, author
DIVINE INTERVENTION
http://www15.brinkster.com/div2003
Now available at over 50,000 bookstores
Sc0tt
> I really love the look of the new Harley Davidson Sportster model. I saw an
> orange yellow one. Man what a color. It's cool. Here's the question: For
> someone looking at buying an entry level Harley such as a Sportster, could
> they get more for the money elsewhere given Harley's name? Also there would
> be a consideration of modifying the bike, Harley has a wide range of mods,
> would it be the best choice?
<snip>
Well, what you are asking is largely a matter of opinion, so here's mine:
If you really love the Sportster's looks, by all means test drive one
and buy it. There really is nothing else that looks like a Sportster.
Most would say they are pretty decent bikes for what they are. Do keep
in mind what you will use it for - a Sporty is great around town and
such but is a bit small and not all that comfortable for linger road
trips. Also, the Sportsters still have rigid mounted engines, so make
sure you are OK with the vibration when you are riding. Some people
don't mind it, some actually like it, and some hate it - personal
preference.
I have ridden a couple sportsters, but never owned a Harley, because
their bikes that I like are above my budget, and I am personally not
crazy about the sportster's looks. Again, personal preference.
Now, as to whether you get more for your money elsewhere, consider what
you will be doing with the bike. if you are really into customizations,
then it would be an excellent bike with all the aftermarket stuff you
can get. It is simply a fact that Harley's have more aftermarket
accessories than anything else, not to mention the Sportster's design
has remained relatively unchanged in many years.
At a price of around $6000-$8000 depending on which engine and model you
get, I think you can get more from your money from any of the Japanese
bikes, but it all depends on how you quantify getting more bang for the
buck. The good news is that Harley's don't depeciate nearly as much as
Japanese bikes, which is both good and bad. Good for the seller if the
resale is high, and good for the buyer if the resale is low. For
instance, I can pick up a Jap cruiser that is just a few years old for
nearly half the price of what it cost new. That is why I only buy used
bikes.
As far as quality, I think Harley's have reputation, especially lately,
of producing solid bikes, and you will probably have little trouble with
it. The technology is older than most other brands, but that is not
always a bad thing. Simplicity does have its own merits.
So, bottom line is if you can afford it, and really like the bike and
the styling, then this is the bike for you and you should buy one. If
you like other Japanese brands just as well, there are many in the same
price range that offer various other niceties. For instance, fuel
injection, advanced brake technology, computer controlled ignition, etc.
My best advice would be to ride as many bikes as you can, and if you
still like the Sporty, don't hesitate to buy it. They are certainly fun
to ride.
Also, if this will be your first bike or you are just learning, do take
a MSF class - it will help protect you as well as your investment and is
probably the best money you can spend, regardless of which bike you choose.
Scott
cstatman
@news20.bellglobal.com:
> http://www15.brinkster.com/div2003
Remo,
I first thought it was a 'troll' post, to poke fun, generate traffic,
etc,. then I saw your web site, and realized you could be serious. So I
will reply. :) I own a sportster. I also own some japanese bikes. I
love all motorcycles. the best one is the one you are riding.
But to answer your question, YES, you could get a cheaper bike, with
more accessories by not buying a harley. but all your freinds will make
fun of you cause you have a suzuki-davidson. However, that's not why you
buy a bike. You buy a bike cause it appeals to you.
Sportster Pros:
fun bike
small bike
inexpensive for a harley
Sportster Cons:
everyone will tell you it is a girls bike
you pay top dollar for Harley, but sporty has low resale value
after a year or so you will wish you bought a "big twin"
Mods:
punch it out to a 1300cc
comfy seat
flat track bars
Advice?
if you really like it, buy it.
If you are unsure, buy a used one, think about upgrading in a year
if you plan on sport riding, get another bike, use the harley for
cruising
if I could do it all again, I would not have bought mine, and would have
bought a Dyna Low Rider, then hot rodded it. Get the big twin. But I
have an emotional attachment to mine, so it is different.
If I could ONLY own one bike, it would be my Suzuki DRZ400S with Motard
wheels.
best of luck
--
Assuring you of my best intentions at all times,
Charles Statman
Rocket Scientist/Wonderboy/Women's Legs Shaven
DoD the Un-Numbered One
EMAIL: cstatman @ yahoo.com
BLOGGER: http://cstatman.blogspot.com/
WEB PAGE: http://home.comcast.net/~cstatman/
Tud
> I really love the look of the new Harley Davidson Sportster model. I saw
an
> orange yellow one. Man what a color. It's cool. Here's the question: For
> someone looking at buying an entry level Harley such as a Sportster, could
> they get more for the money elsewhere given Harley's name? Also there
would
> be a consideration of modifying the bike, Harley has a wide range of mods,
> would it be the best choice?
It's a girls bike and the engine is too small. 883cc, get real, that's a
lawn mower.
> Cheers,
>
> Remo Rosati
--
Tud
SENS BS#111 LFS#32 FLF MISFIT
'70 Triumph T120R Chopper
Winter 2002-2003 rebuild: http://mel.eastlink.ca/html/piston.html
MINeSWEEP: http://mel.eastlink.ca/html/nova_scotia.html
Other Pics: http://triumphchoppers.com/gallery/tud
RMH FAQs: http://www.rmhfaq.com/
Sc0tt
> It's a girls bike and the engine is too small. 883cc, get real, that's a
> lawn mower.
>
>
>>Cheers,
>>
>>Remo Rosati
Nice job ignoring the 1200cc model.
Scott
Joseph Oberlander
> I really love the look of the new Harley Davidson Sportster model. I saw an
> orange yellow one. Man what a color. It's cool. Here's the question: For
> someone looking at buying an entry level Harley such as a Sportster, could
> they get more for the money elsewhere given Harley's name? Also there would
> be a consideration of modifying the bike, Harley has a wide range of mods,
> would it be the best choice?
I looked at them a while back and did a lot of asking about them and
it's kind of a mixed bag with the Sportsters from what I hear. They
ARE Harleys, but not real Harleys compared to most of the other bigger
bikes.
Kind of a tough choice. Most people either get the big boy Harleys
and deal with the huge payments or get another Sportster-displacemnt
bike for a few years until they can afford one of the bigger Harleys.
Timberwoof
Joseph Oberlander <josephob...@earthlink.net> wrote:
Let me see if I understand you correctly:
There are two kinds of people:
1. Those who think that big-displacement Harley Davidsons are the only
thing in the world that can have the honor of being called a motorcycle,
and that anyone who gets anything else is secretly lusting after one.
2. The rest of us.
--
Timberwoof <me at timberwoof dot com>
faq: http://www.timberwoof.com/motorcycle/faq.shtml
bike: http://www.timberwoof.com/motorcycle
Susan
R R wrote:
> > I really love the look of the new Harley Davidson Sportster model.
> "Sc0tt" <> wrote in message >
> Well, what you are asking is largely a matter of opinion, so here's mine:>
If you really love the Sportster's looks, by all means test drive one > and
buy it. There really is nothing else that looks like a Sportster.
I kinda thought it looked like my 250 Virago.
Sue <ducking and running>
Northern Wisconsin
remove YOURPAWS when replying
Steven Stallings
> Sportster Pros:
> fun bike
> small bike
> inexpensive for a harley
....Ploink. 1200cc/500 lbs is small?
>
> Sportster Cons:
> everyone will tell you it is a girls bike
Not seriously... this is more a joke than anything else.
> you pay top dollar for Harley, but sporty has low resale value
> after a year or so you will wish you bought a "big twin"
... I think the Sportie holds it's value just as well as the BT. My 03
Sportie 1200 XLH was only around $9500 OTD. If you look at cycle
trader, most Sporties are running $7-10k used. The only one at my
house who wants a BT is my wife, who would like me to get a Road King
for long trips. I've ridden these and prefer my Sportie hands down.
If you are not hung up on the HD name/aura, check out the Kawa Vulcan
Cruisers.
They are copies of BT and lot's less money. In fact, I would probably
buy the Vulcan 1600 for a long distance cruiser over the RK... and I
really do like Harleys. It really boils down to what you want.
There are a ton of resources on the web for Sportie owners with
several sites devoted solely to Sportster owners..... Do a google
search!
Sc0tt
> R R wrote:
>
>>>I really love the look of the new Harley Davidson Sportster model.
>
>
>>"Sc0tt" <> wrote in message >
>>Well, what you are asking is largely a matter of opinion, so here's mine:>
>
> If you really love the Sportster's looks, by all means test drive one > and
> buy it. There really is nothing else that looks like a Sportster.
>
> I kinda thought it looked like my 250 Virago.
> Sue <ducking and running>
Similar, maybe, but they still look very different. Here are two
similar side
shots of each bike:
250 Virago:
http://www.smithssnograssyamaha.com/photogallery/03VIRAGO250_1.jpg
Sportster 883:
http://www.ashlandpd.org/Sportster_883.gif
You be the judge.
Scott
CyclePrick
"Susan" <petnurse.s...@verizon.net> wrote in message
news:y3BVa.291$kL2...@nwrddc01.gnilink.net...
Tge Virago looks like a sportster after all Harley invented the look.
cycleprick
>
>
Sr.
TOO expensive!!!! At least the models I wanted. I have a few friends who
have Harleys, and ALL of them said I'd never be happy with a sportster...
Sr.
"Sc0tt" <sc...@example.net> wrote in message
news:3f26c3d4$1...@usenet01.boi.hp.com...
Paul Smith
"Steven Stallings" <stevens...@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:850a3909.03072...@posting.google.com...
XLRider
"Tud" <tud...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> It's a girls bike and the engine is too small. 883cc, get real, that's a
> lawn mower.
> --
> Tud
> SENS BS#111 LFS#32 FLF MISFIT
> '70 Triumph T120R Chopper
> Winter 2002-2003 rebuild: http://mel.eastlink.ca/html/piston.html
> MINeSWEEP: http://mel.eastlink.ca/html/nova_scotia.html
> Other Pics: http://triumphchoppers.com/gallery/tud
> RMH FAQs: http://www.rmhfaq.com/
In that case, you must have a chopped weedeater ;-)
Skiv
> someone looking at buying an entry level Harley such as a Sportster, could
> they get more for the money elsewhere given Harley's name?
Well, it's been said that "Harley-Davidson builds terrible
motorcycles, but they build very good Harley-Davidsons." If you want a
Harley, there is absolutely no other machine on the planet that will
deliver "more for the money." If you want a Sportster, then by all
means give one a good try and see where it gets you.
Personally, I love Sportsters. Power to weight is higher than big
twins, cost is lower, they are infinitely modifiable. I tour on an '89
four-speed chaindrive Sportster and I have no problems. I get where
I'm going. Newer Sporties with belt drive and five speeds are probably
more comfortable and go farther on a tankful than my little 2.2 gallon
tank, but you can see the IBA notation in my .sig. I did the 1500
miler on the Sportie, and it was no biggie.
As for mods, you do what pleases you. I've never felt the need to
punch mine out from 883 to 1200cc. It's just not needed, as far as I'm
concerned. I do have headwork, hotter cams, a modified carb and intake
and freeflowing exhaust...so I'm getting more out of it than out of
the box. As people suggest do this, do that, ask them "why?" Some
folks mod their bikes to look different, some to handle better.
Remember that you can usually try something, and if it doesn't fit
with your concept of what the bike should be, take it off again and
try something else.
Good luck on finding a bike!
Skiv :)=)} AH 41 BS 32 SENS IBA
'89 XL Bobster "StraKat"
Charles Ward
I'm loving it. Paid full MSRP no mark-ups.
"Sr." <tro...@sbcglobal.net> wrote in message
news:s5DVa.2016$xl7....@newssvr24.news.prodigy.com...
Margaret M.
> Let me see if I understand you correctly:
> There are two kinds of people:
> 1. Those who think that big-displacement Harley Davidsons are the only
> thing in the world that can have the honor of being called a motorcycle,
> and that anyone who gets anything else is secretly lusting after one.
> 2. The rest of us.
Ummm, I think I belong to group #2.
Mag
Charles Soto
> I really love the look of the new Harley Davidson Sportster model. I saw an
> orange yellow one. Man what a color. It's cool. Here's the question: For
> someone looking at buying an entry level Harley such as a Sportster, could
> they get more for the money elsewhere given Harley's name? Also there would
> be a consideration of modifying the bike, Harley has a wide range of mods,
> would it be the best choice?
It depends. Are you a CHICK?
Charles
--
Charles Soto - Austin, TX *** 1979 KZ650, 1999 GSF1200S, DoD No. "uno"
("Meepmeep" is "rr," as in "roadrunner.")
evo_fxrp
entirely
> TOO expensive!!!! At least the models I wanted. I have a few friends who
> have Harleys, and ALL of them said I'd never be happy with a sportster...
> Sr.
>
Sportsters are a great way to get into HDs without spending your life
savings. Some people refer to them as girls bikes, but frankly I see more
dudes on em, and more and more gals on the big twins every day. Go find one
thats in your price range and sit on it. See if you can take it for a spin.
Then decide if they are for you or not.
Reassembler
"R R" <newno...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1ByVa.2898$mv6.5...@news20.bellglobal.com...
> I really love the look of the new Harley Davidson Sportster model. I saw
an
> orange yellow one. Man what a color. It's cool. Here's the question: For
> someone looking at buying an entry level Harley such as a Sportster,
could
> they get more for the money elsewhere given Harley's name? Also there
would
> be a consideration of modifying the bike, Harley has a wide range of
mods,
> would it be the best choice?
>
the 1200 kit, which brings up the power.
Reassembler
Rich B.
> 250 Virago:
http://www.smithssnograssyamaha.com/photogallery/03VIRAGO250_1.jpg
>
> Sportster 883:
> http://www.ashlandpd.org/Sportster_883.gif
> You be the judge.
I'm with Sue, they look VERY similar, aside from the crossover pipe on the
exhaust. (Which disappears when the Harley d00d changes the pipes).
~strat81
-----= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =-----
http://www.newsfeeds.com - The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World!
-----== Over 80,000 Newsgroups - 16 Different Servers! =-----
Sr.
>
> Ummm, I think I belong to group #2.
> Mag
I proudly line up with you in group 2...
Sr.
"Margaret M." <magg...@REMOVE.houston.rr.com> wrote in message
news:t9EVa.117881$TJ.71...@twister.austin.rr.com...
Sr.
> Sportsters are a great way to get into HDs without spending your life
> savings. Some people refer to them as girls bikes, but frankly I
the guys telling me this KNOW me...ONLY harley's I can honestly say I'd
consider buying is the fatboy or deuce, and they both are WAY too
pricey...I'm VERY happy with my new Kawasaki tho...
Sr.
"evo_fxrp" <ron.b...@verizon.net> wrote in message
news:TsFVa.1796$kL2...@nwrddc01.gnilink.net...
LJ
reliable sources, (maybe even the news in the HD site)the '04's will be
rubber mount. That being said, make sure you get what you want because mods
are gonna cost you an arm and a leg if you are like most folks. First it's
pipes and jetting, then it getting puched out from 883 to 1200. Throw in a
new seat and differnt handlebars and pretty soon you've dropped an additiona
$3 large. Start with the 1200, make sure it has the seat and handlebars
youi like when you leave the place with it. HD dealers can get all the
sporties they want, so they'll deal. Me? I'd get a BMW r1150 r for $10k and
be done with it. More power than a BT and as good or better than most BT's
on long trips. Better around town than a sporty (about the same weight).
Handles better than anything HD has ever built and it has a three year
warranty. JMHO.
Joseph Oberlander
> Let me see if I understand you correctly:
>
> There are two kinds of people:
>
> 1. Those who think that big-displacement Harley Davidsons are the only
> thing in the world that can have the honor of being called a motorcycle,
> and that anyone who gets anything else is secretly lusting after one.
No, actually *I* can't stand anything about them. Big, bloated
Cadillacs of the bike world. Nasty attitudes as well, from the
dealers to most riders. Give me a cool little rocket anyday,
or an agile canyon carver. I ride for fun, not my ego.
I'm just re-iterating the typcial Harley attitude. The fact is,
if that's what you want, and ONLY a Harley will do, then the
Sportster will not make you happy for long.
> 2. The rest of us.
Um - that would be me too. :)
Tud
> "Tud" <tud...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > It's a girls bike and the engine is too small. 883cc, get real, that's
a
> > lawn mower.
>
>
LOL, I was wondering who would catch that.
Ted Bennett
> If you want a sporty, you may wanna wait for the '04's. According to
> reliable sources, (maybe even the news in the HD site)the '04's will be
> rubber mount. That being said, make sure you get what you want because mods
> are gonna cost you an arm and a leg if you are like most folks. First it's
> pipes and jetting, then it getting puched out from 883 to 1200. Throw in a
> new seat and differnt handlebars and pretty soon you've dropped an additiona
> $3 large. Start with the 1200, make sure it has the seat and handlebars
> youi like when you leave the place with it. HD dealers can get all the
> sporties they want, so they'll deal. Me? I'd get a BMW r1150 r for $10k and
> be done with it.
Do tell! I just priced the R1150R here in Oregon at $16,000.
Any suggestions on getting one cheaper?
--
Ted Bennett
Portland OR
LJ
windsheild interlinked brakes etc,etc.. Those run $16K. The R1150R is
essentially the same bike, naked and no ABS for $10K. ABS is available,
but why bother for 2 grand? YOu can find them used, low miles on ebay for
$8-9K all the time.
"Ted Bennett" <tedbe...@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:tedbennett-6F5FE...@news.mindspring.com...
Michel Clasquin
> The R1150R
> is
> essentially the same bike, naked and no ABS for $10K. ABS is
> available,
> but why bother for 2 grand?
because that's the only way to get the heated handgrips? <g> Smart, them
Germans ...
Lucipher
Ted Bennett <tedbe...@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:tedbennett-6F5FE...@news.mindspring.com...
Yeh, but BMW's look so ...so...square and dorky.