I picked up my fiance's copy of American Iron recently, I was delighted to see an editorial on Sportster. I've enjoyed reading the comments on this board about them by people who actually like them. Being coined a girls bike among other things, I thought a woman's perspective may be welcomed, if not appreciated.
Riding for me was a return to an early adolescent thrill, my Daddy bought me a Honda 200 when I was a kid that I rode for years. As an adult, I was seeking that same feeling I got from it, and I was quite sure Harley Davidson wasn't going to provide it for me. My objections were, they are to heavy, to big, and to expensive. My geographical location limited me to dealerships specializing in Japanese bikes and HD. I settled on a Suzuki, a model that was the least 'wannabe' of any others I had seen. The sales person sized me up (literally and figuratively, I'm petite) and said. "You can handle a Harley. Take the riders course and get one." So I did. Suzuki sales people are not on commission, btw.
I chose the 883 Low for the obvious reason that is is the smallest bike available. Fat Boy came up often as a favorite among women, but I can barely get one of the kick stand, which I feared could be problematic in say, maneuvering it in a parking lot!
Indeed my Sportster has provided what I was looking for. I love the fact that it has a three gallon tank with a speedometer. It's no more information than I needed as a teenager...that is even despite the fact that I have run out of gas twice!
Generally speaking I have been happy with the bike, that is until I met my fiance' and he bought a Street Bob. That bike, in my opinion is Harley's most recent unsung hero. For lack of a better description, it is sexy in it's purity, even without him on it! Riding either with him, or beside him, has allowed me to develop a slight distaste for my Sportster, with the potential to become a love/hate relationship.
First of all, there is the warm up. The Street Bob starts with a gutteral growl, and rumbles, he's ready to go. In the meantime I pull the choke, give it some juice, and attempt to start. On a good day it starts after three times, in which I can move on to phase two, setting the throttle, pushing in the choke some, and re-touching my lip stick. Push in the choke some more, look for my gloves. Release the throttle, put on my helmet, finally leave the driveway. Cough, spit, it dies. I am aware that the new models have fuel injection, that was not an option for me at the time.
Then there is that whining, shrill engine noise that only gets worse with speed. If you have Screamin Eagles on your Sportsterm you have no idea what I am talking about! We have kept both our bikes stock, but I am seriously considering getting them just so HE doesn't have to listen to it riding beside me!
My conclusion is, it is in fact unfair to compare Sportster to the 'big twins'. Half a Harley? Preposterous, it is as much a Harley as Buell and the VRod (get my drift?)! A girls bike? I will just say it is misunderstood, if not underestimated, by it's small stature. I don't recommend it to beginners under any circumstance, male or female. Compared to other manufacturers in it's category, it is indeed heavy, top heavy at that, AND somewhat expensive.
In the wise words of my fiance' (a third generation 'biker' and a Harley mechanic), "every man should know his limitations..." and so should every woman, and except both the risk and repercussions of riding a Harley.
Love them or hate them, you cannot deny them. Sportsters are widely manufactured and certainly not declining in their popularity. It is what it is! With todays masses bringing such versatility to riding, I think it is individual choice on what you choose to ride and how you ride it...perhaps one day I will give it up altogether and find my place on a Street Bob! That is on the back...
I rode an anniversary sporty when I was in my mid twenties. (half a lifetime ago)It didnt belong to me, it was owned by a very generous mate of mine. I rode it off and on for a couple of years. It was my introduction to Harley. I loved that bike. it was loud, aggressive, black and represented perfectly the young outlaw in me. I had mates with all kinds of jappers WLA's and British "things", but that sporty was a one of a kind rocket ship. I now have an 06 FLHX and absolutely love riding that as well, probably just the same way I loved that old Sporty. The sporty helped keep HD on the map, and me onto many other Harleys, and I hope it keeps having the same effect on other people.
Firegarden- The main issue with Sporters (and the one that is troubling you) is that in stock configuration they run too lean. Even if you do nothing else have your fiance (harley mechanic) re-jet the carb. Go up one or two sizes on the main and maybe one one the low (he will know of what I speak) This should stop MOST of the sputtering. I had a 2001 883C and with carb work, muffler, and high flow air cleaner I gained about 10HP but more importantly I lost most of the headaches of the starting and warmup process. It was worth the three hours it took me to do it in my garage.
Soulman, thank you for the valid and sound advice!
The idea was to keep the bike 100% stock (okay, I changed the grips)and to up-trade, possibly to his Street Bob as he does not get attached, for obvious reasons.
However, again because of my stature, I think a bigger bike may overwhelm me and take the fun out of it for me, which I gather from some people does happen when they uptrade from their Sportsters.
I will probably be at a cross roads with it soon between keeping it and selling it...if I keep it perhaps I will go all the way and have him customize it, he is also an artist.
The warm up is practically a joke with us, I defintely would have fuel injection now given the choice. I think the frustration is coming partly from the awe inspired by the Street Bob, as much as it is from the inadequacy of the Sportster, when they are literally side by side!
I wouldn't worry about the warm up time at all Firegarden. If you have an older Harley that don't have the fuel injection they all take a long time to warm up and coughing, spitting and burping is just part of their personality. My 01 Electra Glide has done it from day one and both my previous Harleys (Sportsters) did the same. Fuel injection pretty much eliminates that issue now. The Street Bob is a very cool bike but I'd also take the time to look over the new Sporty's that now come with fuel injection. The new 1200N is really sharp! Have fun and ride safe..
If it's pissing you off, why keep it stock? My Sporty's "problems" were solved with new pipes and a Stage 1 upgrade. It sounds more like you got on your fiance's bike then had to get back on your smaller bike and it just feels and sound weird. You bought a bike you were happy with until you started comparing it to something that's not in even the same class. Yeah, that motor's going to whine. It's an 883 trying to keep up with a big twin! Stock pipes suck! Everybody knows that! That's why pipes are almost always the first things people upgrade.
It's like having a computer: You get all used to it, it does the job in good time. But then you get on someone else's newer computer. Now your machine seems to be soooooo sloooooow, makes noise you never noticed before, and doesn't have the latest software and gadgets. But you can get more memory, a faster chip, a quieter fan...
Have to agree with Majicbringer. New pipes and a stage 1 will solve most problems and make the bike sound like a million dollars. Not only is the 883 a great way to get into Harleys, they really are great bikes with versatility only matched by a certain German manufacturer of 'twin' engined machines (in my opinion). There is a silent majority out there who know what these beauties are capable of. Mine commutes me backwards and forwards to work (90 mile round trip). It takes me out to play, and when I ask it, It takes me on holiday too. Sportsters aren't 'girlie' bikes. They remind many riders (myself included) of days gone by, when bikes looked and sounded like bikes, were simple to work on. And.... sounded like the dogs bollocks. Harley Davidson - Please, please move into the new century and move over to metric measurement. We've had it in Europe since the apple fell on Newton's head!!!!
Posted by: chrisfenton_38 on Feb 13, 07 3:02:53 pm
For the Sporty fans in our AIM readership base, don't forget our regular Hot XL features, as well as Dan Umstead's Sportster Corner column. Sure, we publish a significant amount of content on the latest customs, but we always devote ample time and space to Sportster specific builds and tech tips.
I started this thread as sort of a 'tongue n cheek' review of the bike...again, it has been more than refreshing to read about people's opinions about Sportsters, and many thanks to AIM for not devoting space in the magazine to them!
In fact I have finally come to a conclusion, as today marks the one year anniversary that I bought the bike. I took a quick solo trip the other day, and remembered what made me fall in love with it in the first place. I sincerely considered it a starter bike for me, but seeing that I haven't grown any taller in the past year, I still think a big twin is out of the question. Reading about people's affection for them here has helped a lot, living in a world where they are generally frowned upon. However, I personally have received mostly respect from people, as mine still looks huge next to me.
So...I got out my HD wish book and created a list of the upgrades I want to make to the bike, starting with PIPES. I'm also trying to decide on what I want for a CUSTOM PAINT JOB because I have decided to keep the bike indefinetly! I'm glad I kept it stock for a solid year, I have a better idea of what I want out of the bike now. I must say, the best thing it has done for me was give me the opportunity to meet my fiance'...don't gag, it's Valentines Day.
...and many thanks to AIM FOR creating space for Sportsters in their magazine and people's honest opinions here on this board...I just caught a terrible typo in my previous post.
It is also interesting and something of a curiosity to me that a lot of the people that ride Sportster/post here seem to be from Europe. I still would consider having a European bike if I ever have a collection. As I mentioned they are scarce in my region, which I suppose makes them somewhat exotic and desirable to me. In my research, I have read reviews in European magazines of Sportster that are not entirely favorable, however the cool factor is always high and undeniable!
Sportster-A Different Point of View 
Linear Mode
