Harley Davidson Sportster

I give the Sportster a '0' rating because of complete lack of service from HD and it's dealers in the USA. Follows is my letter to the company where they did NOT fix the bike under warranty and I was forced to sell it...really nice people! This is just a heads up for those of you who purchase one of these bikes. I am SURE others have had a good experience, this is what you will get if you do NOT have a good example: To: Harley Davidson Customer Service From: David J. xxxxx 3700 W. Juneau Avenue PMB xxx Milwaukee, WI 53208 xxxxxxxxxxx 414-343-4056 Deming, NM 88030 575-xxx-xxxx To whom it may concern, I am writing this letter in reference to 2007 883 Sportster VIN: 1HD4CN2137K423311 which is in your database for problems related to a factory conversion to 1200 spec. I want to tell your company about the complete lack of concern for the problem that this bike has had since it's conversion in late March. As your r... Read more

I've been riding for nearly half a century. Started with a 650 BSA, and have owned Triumphs, BMWs and Hondas. I've had occasion to ride most of the HD line, and can testify that newer models aren't nearly as useless as those of the mid Twentieth Century. If you like basic 1930's technology, lots of vibration and paying dearly for the label, Sportsters are OK.

This guy is a complete A-hole. He must be an import Japannese or a Barin washed American. Either it adds up to A-hole !!!!!!

Hi just bot this 2001 XL883 Hugger for the wife...I've had em all...ricers to hogs...so no embarrasing crap about any. If I want to go fast, I have my GS1100EZ, want to cruise and look good, the FLHRI Road King awaits...This Sporty is a neat little harley, take it from me if you think the NEWER Sportys are bad, you should have rode the "iron lung" ones from the early 70s!! (I had a 74 XLH...no kick starter believe it or not...and them damn things sure needed it!!) I got so tired of puttin bendix' in the damn starter I just push started it for the last year I owned it. (had to look for a good place to park so I could take off back then, specially if yer comin out of a bar...LOLOL) So this one's cool....what I like about them is it dont cost hardly anything to own one! I paid 3200 for this '01 with 15K new tires, looks brand new! Can't buy a japper in this shape for that...unreal...yes, by all means try one if you're just getting into riding...heck, you can't LOSE at these giveaway price... Read more

I have one

I just bought my 9th harley, a 2008 883 sportser for my wife, rides great lots of power lots of people here make comments about harleys not being fast. I am 60 years old and still riding my 2003 heritage softail with the 88b motor.My queston is how fast do you really want to go in traffic? I raced motorcycles for 8 years (flat trackers) Harley ruled and I believe they still do.If you guys want to go fast go racing . No oncoming traffic. No soccer moms. wouldnt that be a little safer than saying you ate someones Harley for lunch out on the street?Bythe way if a Harley looks so bad why i it that its the most copied engine in the world.I havent seen any Zundapp look alikes lately have you?cant tell you how many times ive heard "looks just like a Harley" look at the tank it says budda all over it.It aint a Harley.And for all you bush leaugers would be racers and crotch rocket riders a piece of good advice. cars and trucks coming at you are hard ,real hard, go racing arace tracks.It takes b... Read more

I am contemplating buying an '87 Sportster but wanted to know if that 4 speed transmission is an issue. I know the newer ones are 5 sps. I dont ride much and never any distance, so I figured the 4 gears w/b fine for me. Comments? [email protected] please.....

biker joe is a moron ive had my harley 1987 sportster for 5 years, bought from the original owner and I have never had any problems and only needed normal servicing. maybe you should work out a little so you can lift a real bike! live 2 ride ride 2 live.

I have over 45,000 miles on my 1995 Sportster.  Yes it was under powered so I bored it out to a 1200.  It runs out of gear, causing loose bolts.  The seat is almost as wide as a 2x6 and twice as hard.  Even with all these issues I still can't get rid of it.  Alot of people have either whined or commented about Harley riders and how can we put up with under powered, vibrating, leaking (mostly a myth/bygone era, 3 Harley's and not one single leak) bikes and I can tell you a big reaon why.  Harley-Davidson has embraced a lifestyle, the feeling of freedom, brotherhood, and fun that the Japanese companies won't or can't copy.  I frequently ride with 50 other bikers, our group has Harley's, Yamaha's, Honda's, BMW's, Tiumphs, you name it, we have it.  So I have heard all of the rhetoric.  "Oh, my bike's faster", "You should have bought my bike, it's just like a Harley but cheaper", "How much oil do you use?".  Why is this?  If someone really thinks his or her bike is better why don't they jus... Read more

I have a few vintage Hondas and they're great. But, my '88 sportster is my favorite ride. Lots of power and lots of fun. It's a pretty versatile bike, great for short or long trips.

I don't know about the newer (post-Evo) models,most of my experience is with earlier "vintage" bikes.I'm also aware of some folks trying to say the Sporties are "too small"-and I say "Bull!" Sure,you had to do some aftermarket customizing to make these kitties purr-but it was well worth the scraped knuckles and half of you paycheck for a month or so.A sportster 1200,chopped down to the bare essentials,is a beautiful sight and a most noble and nimble ride.It is also light enough to push out of harms way should you run into any trouble,which is a decided advantage over many heavier bikes that weigh at least an extra 100 lbs.LOW END TORQUE RULES!

Well I have read all of the reviews/comments here and this is my conclusion. Every bike has pros and cons. I started riding at 7 on a mini bike and at age 40 I can say I have been on about every bike out there. I can say that simply due to the fact that I have friends that own dealerships and I belong to several clubs and have the chance to ride different bikes there as well. To say something SUCKS is a serious lack of knowledge. I own a ZX12 that I adore, but to go by ratings and reviews on other boards, then I should say my 12 SUCKS but I can't. Sure it has been in the shop several times, but when I want to go fast I ride the 12. I also own a 93 Sporty which I also love when I want to cruise around town. I have just taken a coast to coast trip, from Long Beach, Ca. to Miami Fl on the Sporty and loved every minute of my ride. My wife enjoyed it as well so that should tell you that you CAN have a rider and enjoy your trip, even on a Sporty at distance. Honestly, while we were on our tr... Read more

I got my 2001 883 Hugger new in 2001. It was a great 'beginner' bike and great for a girl with the low seat. The engine was under powered and actually dangerous if you needed to accelerate quickly. Now that the engine has rubber mounts, I am sure it vibrates less. Mine had my whole body shaking after 50 miles. It was not a bike I would like to spend all day on! The transmission was typically HD clunky. The brakes were scary. The stock fuel tank was way too small. I had a few small problems (leaks) that were fixed by the dealership. I kept the bike a year and went on to a V-Rod.

"OK" is all I can say. I had an '87 1100 Sporty (1200cc/high-compression courtesy of Wiseco), with big carb, hot cams, Supertrapp exhaust and Metzeler tires. Fun enough, I suppose, for around-town cruising and running errands. Underwhelming power & brakes. Clutch WAY too tough, combined with a clunky transmission (although reliable & 'solid' shifting). Fuel tank way too small - Purely a dubious "style" thing. Engine had a cool feel - Torquey, but not enough real power. They run out of rpm's just when a proper engine starts breathing well. I will admit that, despite a lot of fairly hard, high-rpm thrashing, it never leaked oil. I wanted real performance, so I moved on to a Ducati; a V-Twin that actually functioned well. I can appreciate some of the Harley mystique, but the rabid loyalty of most HD fans is beyond my comprehension. I gotta think, after my own personal experience with "the Motor Company", that by-and-large, "they" (hardcore HD fans) just don't "get it". I don't get t... Read more

Not very reliable but fun to ride. The styling isn't that great either.

I bought an '05 Sportster Custom 1200 and loved it for a while. As I began to realize that I wanted to ride longer distances, I found the bike simply inadequate. A great bike for around town and for the fun of being quick off the line, but for long rides it comes up short. I traded fpr a Honda VTX 1300 R and am quite satisfied by the upgrade. I did get good value for the Harley trade and am happy about that. My biggest complaint was about using a quart of oil per 1,000 miles which several dealers told me is "normal." I find that a bit hard to accept in a new bike, so I was not reluctant to let it go.

I rate the harley sportster as good, not great. Why? I love sporsters, and have owned 3. But...I think Harley should put more into the sporster line than they have. Why is there no big inch factory model? An 88 inch, or 95+ inch model? Why no fuel injection? Why isnt the sportster harleys "hot rod"? The sportster engine certainly has potential. The brakes are getting better. The rubber mounted engine is an improvement, for sure, (althought removing the trap door on the tranny was a mistake). And that seat...too hard. So, although I love the sporty, i cannot give it the top rating until the motor company puts more into it. I am sure there are a lot of guys like me that would willing to pay more for a true hotrod sporty.

I've been riding for 12 years. Have owned a Honda Interceptor 500, Honda CBR 600, Honda CB500four, Yamaha XS750 special, Yamaha XS650, Suzuki GS550ES, Kawasaki Ninja 250, BMW K750 all nice bikes. I just recently was in the process of buying a 2005 Kawasaki Ninja ZX10 when at the last minute I came across a 2006 Harley Davidson Sportster 1200 Roadster in racing Orange. Immediately I fell in love with it, bought it on the spot. Had a stage 1 screaming eagle kit installed. All Ill say is I will never go back to the rice burners!!

Its almost thirty years since I sold my last bike (some Yamaha POS) and I'm thinking very hard about re-entering the market with one of these. Can you say mid-life crisis? I knew you could.

you can tell who the true riders are by reading some of these opinions,I too have rode many brands of bikes and I can prodely say, none hold a candel to a Harley.I own a 1986 sportster and it has over 60000 miles on it.it doesn't leak,starts when I need her to and If she could speek it would be in English.Advice to any one looking for a bike specially a new rider,buy yourself a sportster,the price is right they will hold a good trade in or resale value.and remember this when shoping for a bike,its been all the other junk/motorcycle companys imatating Harley not Harley imatating them.

Two Words...V-Max! F**k the V-rod! I eat them for lunch with my VMX12 Here's a news flash, Harley, get out of the liquid-cooled market while you still have a chance. Everybody who owns and rides liquid-cooled bikes laugh at you feeble attempt to enter this market. Do us all a favor and go back to AMF and make rubber balls! At least your company will be doing something constructive for the American public to enjoy...

I just purchased the 2004 sportster 1200c and it is a work of art. The new motor mounting system has taken away all of the unneccary vibration. The power is incredible and the bike looks great. Furthermore, when I sold my '93 sportster, I sold it for more than I paid for it. Can you rice burner owners say that?

Handling: Good Braking: Good Power: Ok Comfort: Bad Upkeep: Terrible Reliablility: Terrible Looks: Good Gas milage: Good Top speed: Ok Customer service: Bad I would buy a 1923 BMW before I bought another HARLEY!

Having been raised around all brands of motorcycles since age 12,(I'm 50 today),and having owned all brands of motorcycles, and being surrounded by Harleys and the like, I finally bought what I always wanted in high school, a brand new sportster, 2003. I chose the 883 Hugger due to my 5'5 height.Its great for bopping around town but, If you want to cruise with the big boys at speed, you will be disappointed, as I'am.Nor does accomadate a second rider well. Its performance power band is in the lower to mid range and doesnt have much left after 80 mph.At 90 your riding a high rpm vaccuum cleaner that you really dont want to see or feel 100!It takes bumps a little rough and noisy. I'm really missing my kawasaki.

Question: What's the difference between a Harley Davidson and a vacuum cleaner? Answer: You can only fit one dirtbag on a vacuum cleaner! Seriously, nothing says Look at me, I'm starved for attention! like the roar of a Harley. Guys who ride these things almost always have issues with their mothers, in addition to trying to compensate for being small in the pants.

I bought my 1200 Custom in 2001 and love it. I have had a 85 NightHawk, 86 Sabre 1100, 87 V65 Magna all great bikes. But none compare to my Harley. It is a great low torque fun bike to ride. If I was just getting my first Bike or a smaller Guy, I would get the Harley Low Rider for the lower center of gravity. But no other Harley can corner or keep up with a Sportster 1200.except mayber the New V-Rod. I can take the My Wife and Gear too. I think My Next Harley with a be a Wide Glide or Duece.

Harley's SUCK! This overpriced piece of crap is top heavy underpowered has almost no chrome and looks cheap. Buy a honda if you want to RIDE a bike. Buy a Harley if you want to have bike to repair...often.

I like Harley Davidson motorcycles, especially the ones that are sporty like. If I were to get one, I would get an orange one with black leather seat cover.

Very strong bike that I like to ride. I am a bike lover and this is the bike you want if you want power.

unfortunately, these are like rectums (everyone has one)...if you are going to invest in a Harley, buy one that will not be depreciating like the sporsters.