😅 3rd time is the charm right!?!! As I mentioned in the video, let my viewers know about your experience or journey with a sportster below 👇 or if you have questions about a sportster, ask away!
I purchased my new 87 Sportster sight unseen in the fall of 1986, because that's what you did if you wanted one that year. I've had my Evo 883 ever since. I've upgraded fuel tanks twice, put a full fairing on the front, crash bars, highway bars, p-pad, and sissy bar. I added saddle bags, and throw saddle bags over them. I also added a handlebar attached tool bag. It still runs great, plenty of power, and I can go 200 miles now on a fill. It doesn't bang out until 96 mph, and I've ridden it across the US twice in all weathers. The seat isn't ripped, but it has gotten stiff, and needs replaced. The fuel gage is giving the bike a shake at a stop light. If you can hear it sloshing around, your good. I had six bikes before that, but the 883 was the keeper.
I purchased mine in 2018 when I was 64 years old. I never rode a bike with a motor. I’ve put over 11k miles on it locally and I love it more every time I ride it. It’s funny how people can relate with common interests.
I’ve never owned a bike. I’me 53 and I really think the sportster is the bike for me. It seems that you can buy a nice bike and add on things as you progress.
I always loved the look of the 883. For now I’m still enjoying for the second year my CB500X (also my first bike). It is quite a different ride style from the cruiser though!
I have an 06 883,last of the carburators, and I like carburators. I love how it looks and sounds, the evolution engine and belt drive. I am 5 foot 11 and really like how I sit down into the bike. It has a few modifications and it's just a cool bike. I also have a beautiful Italian bike, a 550 Moto Morni that I like a lot.
Enjoy your posts! I’ve posted on your vlogs before, my son got his first bike, 2020 883, which we added the 1250 kit, highboy handlebars, Vance and Hines slip ons, and a few other things. We both love riding it, but he was ready to upgrade to a better freeway bike. He bought a LowRider S in June. We are lucky enough to be in a position to keep the 883 as well, I told him I will not let him sell. He, like you, wanted the street Bob, until he rode the Bob and Lowrider. FYI, he did buy both bikes on his own, I just kinda bought the 883 from him😏 Great job, enjoy hearing from an avid, non pro rider! Keep it up!
I remember! LRS is an amazing bike! If the Fat Bob didn't exist, LRS is my next choice - I really liked the mid controls on them because it reminded me of the sportster riding ergonomics. It is also cool to hear that both the father and the son are riders! I am the first to ride in my family tree and for the longest time, my parents and my wife were so against it (safety wise). I am glad to hear the iron 883 stayed with you tho! How are you liking the 1250 kit?
I’ve owned my 2020 Iron 883 for 3 years now. Upgrade’s I have done are: Vanes and Hines slip ons, Z style handlebars, roadster seat, led headlight and sissy bar with a backrest. Many times I’ve wanted to upgrade the bike but I just can’t seem to let it go. Next upgrade I plan to do is, put forward controls on the bike because I feel a bit cramped on longer rides. I also do basic wrenching on the iron myself, I do agree it’s a good bike to work on and a confidence booster.
I like your taste! let me know how the fwds work out, I thought about it but then talked myself out of it because the mids give me better control of the bike
Kit was nice, but longer rides , higher speeds, he kept looking for 6th gear. He lives in SF, great city bike for sure! I believe it is still the iconic HD! True iron machine!!
Enjoyed your video. Been riding my 883 Sportster since 2015. My advice is keep it. I wish I kept my 75 and 89 Sportsters. Both different, but truly missed.
Great and honest review. I can see how the bike was a confidence builder for wrenching, and how you were able to save money by DIY. I enjoyed my 2016 iron 883, and upgraded the motor with a Hammer 1250 / 90 hp kit. It was way faster but still had the same 5 speed. As you know, I have had several other Harleys, including a 2018 Pudgy Bobby 114, and added a torque cam. The Evo motor is a classic, the new Rev Max motors have no soul, I would keep it. I have mostly had two bikes at once, perhaps you might consider a used bike. My Harley dealer has lots of used bikes with low mileage. I am glad the gas cap is working out for you 😊, new bikes have flat gas caps now. Another reason to keep the Iron 😎🇺🇸 Ride Safe my friend.
Thanks Rick! Your insight on the RevMax is truly important since you really tried to love it when you got the Pan America. It's too bad the bike was a disappointment. Did you end up swapping it for another bike yet?
very interesting as a Yamaha Bolt owner for 3 years who also is new to wrenching my self, first motorcycle, and the such, but w/ different uses as it's my primary method of transport
ive had my first bike which is a iron 883 for about 6 months now and have already changed my own oil and cleaned off the rust on some of my bolts, changed a few out, and also have new bars i plan on installing with grips before the next ride season. i love it personally and will be changing my sparkplugs here soon. its just a different vibe compared to a car, everything is easily accessible and ready to be tinkered with almost as if it was meant to.
yeah man - good on you for doing your own maintenance! at first when I saw the rust on the bolts on my new bike, I was sooooo disappointed but after 3 years.. meh haha I love the style, sound, and just freedom about it
Looking at those bags I'd integrate a set of blinkers into the bags. Make the blinkers plug n play on the bike with the connector easily accessible. So when you put on the bags you can pull of the blinkers and connect the integrated blinkers in the bag.
A tip from a near 30years Sporster rider, ditch the crash bar and put the straight basic higway pegs. It will still protect your bike, give you a really comfortable position while keeping the convenience of the mid controls, and you will learn fast how to shift and brake with your heels. Learn that a long time ago from another rider that used to travel a lot, and never enjoy more any other bike for that reason alone.
My 1st bike was the 2020 883. Due to this, I will never purchase another Harley again. The 1st month after purchased NEW ALL the lights shut off as I rode at midnight across a bridge. Spent 2/3rds of its life in the shop for repairs and at the end was shutting off while riding down the hwys at 70mph, riding through the streets and at red lights. Harley dealership stated if they plugged into their computers, my warranty would be voided due to my Van's & Hines pipes. After my warranty was over, they changed their policy. Fun bike when it worked.
oh man sounds like you got a bad one! sorry to hear about your experience- so bizarre with lights turning off and super dangerous. I do remember a certain recall on our model because of the wrong material used as heat cover of the headlight in 2021. Also yeah warranty void thing is so criminal - sigh 😔. Are you still riding it?
That’s a bad dealer. I had a couple minor issues with my roadster when I had it and the dealer was perfectly fine doing the warranty work. The only thing they said they couldn’t warranty was the mufflers and only because I didn’t buy them through the dealer when I got the bike
Thank you man! I have a Royal Enfield Himalayan, and i'm thinking about this bike a lot lately! And this video helped me a lot! Thank you for your time showing us all this! I think this one will be my 2024 motorcycle! 😁 Ride safe! ✌🏻✌🏻
i still love my street rod 750 even after taken test rides of many other brands and other offerings from Harley-davidson. I don’t ride cross country but have made it comfortable for long rides( ohlins suspension, corbin seats and rox risers). never felt to upgrade.
so I did hear the street rod 750 was pretty decent compared to the street 750 (the one I test rode and didn't really like it). Glad to hear a street rider out there enjoying their ride!
That was my first time on that road! It was such a fun ride with all the twisties and the view 🤩 - I am taking longer breaks between videos to have a good life-work-youtube balance lol but yeah- slowly coming back
@@KSMotoCafe Its my daily driver. I have taken a few long road trips on it, and I live in the Ozarks. This whole area is a choose your own adventure book for motorcycle riders. Lol
Started off on an iron 1200 this season, will definitely go for a Street Bob once im ready to upgrade. Would like to keep the 1200 for another season for sure.
Hey man. That was Munns Rd right? Haha. I had a similar journey to doing my own maintenance. Difference being that I started doing my own maintenance on my car when I got tired of dealing with the dealership. So when I got my first scooter committed to do all my own maintenance on my bikes as well. It has been fun learning how to do it and the satisfaction of doing your own work is really great. I took a little tumble last Sunday on my adventure bike when I was out on the logging roads in the Nanaimo Lakes area. Got a few minor things to repair this weekend before I can go off on another adventure. Crash bars saved me from some real grief at least. 😅
😄I don't ride up there often - in my head I was still on Millstream Rd but looking at a map Munn Rd makes way more sense lol 😂. I need to ride up there more often because it was so fun and the scenery was just amazing. I am so close to pulling the trigger on getting a dual-sport to get into offroading but the mrs has currently set only 1 bike rule and I dont want to get rid of my street bike 😔
@@KSMotoCafe Perhaps one day on the dual sport, haha. Another local ride I really enjoy is start off at the lagoon, then SW on Metchosin Rd and then to Rocky Point Rd, you can follow that all the way to the end of East Sooke. Street bike friendly, but you should look out for gravel and other debris as you get close to East Sooke.
Glad to hear you are enjoying the little sporty, I am considering getting one myself, I currently ride a bmw r1200gsa and while it is an amazing bike for long touring trips and gravel roads, I want something different to just putz around on and have had my eyes on a sporty 883 as well.
yeah - for town riding, the 883 is a really fun bike. But you need to prepare to appreciate the flaws of the sportster - like all of its shakes, loud noises, and lack of tech lol; or else you will hate the bike
It's true when you buy a bike, then add to it to make it siut your style of riding and the way it looks it's hard to let someone else own after everything you've put into it that's how I ended up with three bikes but I love them all they are like family if one wasn't there I would miss it I'm just selfish,?
I owned Softtail, Electra glide and sportster 1000 I really enjoyed the sportster the most which is way I’ll most likely trade my Electra glide for a sportster just more fun to ride
interesting! I always do find that previous sportster riders always have a soft spot for the sporty after riding different cruisers. The evo engine and the styling is just so cool
What about private sale / purchase (FB marketplace, CL)?I am sure it's not as easy or convenient as the dealer purchase but you should be able to save some money.
so sometimes there are the private sales that randomly pop up at a great price but usually they are listed too far away or the bike condition is a little sketch. Also I just want to avoid privately selling my bike if I could.
People aren't objects and I certainly wouldn't toss a happy relationship with my wife away for something that might or might not treat me better. But I would buy another bike.
I got mine last year in October it’s my first bike but I only got to ride it for 10 days before winter parking it🥲but it scares the shit out of me and is fun asf at the same time lol
😅 3rd time is the charm right!?!! As I mentioned in the video, let my viewers know about your experience or journey with a sportster below 👇 or if you have questions about a sportster, ask away!
I purchased my new 87 Sportster sight unseen in the fall of 1986, because that's what you did if you wanted one that year. I've had my Evo 883 ever since. I've upgraded fuel tanks twice, put a full fairing on the front, crash bars, highway bars, p-pad, and sissy bar. I added saddle bags, and throw saddle bags over them. I also added a handlebar attached tool bag. It still runs great, plenty of power, and I can go 200 miles now on a fill. It doesn't bang out until 96 mph, and I've ridden it across the US twice in all weathers. The seat isn't ripped, but it has gotten stiff, and needs replaced. The fuel gage is giving the bike a shake at a stop light. If you can hear it sloshing around, your good. I had six bikes before that, but the 883 was the keeper.
I purchased mine in 2018 when I was 64 years old. I never rode a bike with a motor. I’ve put over 11k miles on it locally and I love it more every time I ride it. It’s funny how people can relate with common interests.
wow! good on you for picking up this hobby in your 60s!!
I’ve never owned a bike. I’me 53 and I really think the sportster is the bike for me. It seems that you can buy a nice bike and add on things as you progress.
I've had my sportster 883 for 7 years, and been using at a daily driver for 5 years. Still love it.
Did u had any breakdown or problems?
Good to see you back. Keep the sportster for sure
😅 far from coming back but thanks for the encouragement:)
I always loved the look of the 883. For now I’m still enjoying for the second year my CB500X (also my first bike). It is quite a different ride style from the cruiser though!
yeah the sportster is definitely a looker for sure
I have an 06 883,last of the carburators, and I like carburators. I love how it looks and sounds, the evolution engine and belt drive. I am 5 foot 11 and really like how I sit down into the bike. It has a few modifications and it's just a cool bike. I also have a beautiful Italian bike, a 550 Moto Morni that I like a lot.
Enjoy your posts! I’ve posted on your vlogs before, my son got his first bike, 2020 883, which we added the 1250 kit, highboy handlebars, Vance and Hines slip ons, and a few other things. We both love riding it, but he was ready to upgrade to a better freeway bike. He bought a LowRider S in June. We are lucky enough to be in a position to keep the 883 as well, I told him I will not let him sell. He, like you, wanted the street Bob, until he rode the Bob and Lowrider. FYI, he did buy both bikes on his own, I just kinda bought the 883 from him😏
Great job, enjoy hearing from an avid, non pro rider! Keep it up!
I remember! LRS is an amazing bike! If the Fat Bob didn't exist, LRS is my next choice - I really liked the mid controls on them because it reminded me of the sportster riding ergonomics. It is also cool to hear that both the father and the son are riders! I am the first to ride in my family tree and for the longest time, my parents and my wife were so against it (safety wise). I am glad to hear the iron 883 stayed with you tho! How are you liking the 1250 kit?
I’ve owned my 2020 Iron 883 for 3 years now. Upgrade’s I have done are: Vanes and Hines slip ons, Z style handlebars, roadster seat, led headlight and sissy bar with a backrest. Many times I’ve wanted to upgrade the bike but I just can’t seem to let it go. Next upgrade I plan to do is, put forward controls on the bike because I feel a bit cramped on longer rides. I also do basic wrenching on the iron myself, I do agree it’s a good bike to work on and a confidence booster.
I like your taste! let me know how the fwds work out, I thought about it but then talked myself out of it because the mids give me better control of the bike
Kit was nice, but longer rides , higher speeds, he kept looking for 6th gear. He lives in SF, great city bike for sure! I believe it is still the iconic HD! True iron machine!!
Enjoyed your video. Been riding my 883 Sportster since 2015. My advice is keep it. I wish I kept my 75 and 89 Sportsters. Both different, but truly missed.
oh wow you had original sportsters on hardtails!! which version is your fav?
Great and honest review. I can see how the bike was a confidence builder for wrenching, and how you were able to save money by DIY. I enjoyed my 2016 iron 883, and upgraded the motor with a Hammer 1250 / 90 hp kit. It was way faster but still had the same 5 speed. As you know, I have had several other Harleys, including a 2018 Pudgy Bobby 114, and added a torque cam.
The Evo motor is a classic, the new Rev Max motors have no soul, I would keep it. I have mostly had two bikes at once, perhaps you might consider a used bike. My Harley dealer has lots of used bikes with low mileage. I am glad the gas cap is working out for you 😊, new bikes have flat gas caps now. Another reason to keep the Iron 😎🇺🇸 Ride Safe my friend.
Thanks Rick! Your insight on the RevMax is truly important since you really tried to love it when you got the Pan America. It's too bad the bike was a disappointment. Did you end up swapping it for another bike yet?
Appreciate you sharing your thoughts. Handlebars were the biggest difference to me if you haven't already considered changing them
very interesting as a Yamaha Bolt owner for 3 years who also is new to wrenching my self, first motorcycle, and the such, but w/ different uses as it's my primary method of transport
did you find working on the bolt quite easy?
@@KSMotoCafe I def do, it’s made for being modded as well, it’s just bad luck and being a noob at it that gets me
ive had my first bike which is a iron 883 for about 6 months now and have already changed my own oil and cleaned off the rust on some of my bolts, changed a few out, and also have new bars i plan on installing with grips before the next ride season. i love it personally and will be changing my sparkplugs here soon. its just a different vibe compared to a car, everything is easily accessible and ready to be tinkered with almost as if it was meant to.
yeah man - good on you for doing your own maintenance! at first when I saw the rust on the bolts on my new bike, I was sooooo disappointed but after 3 years.. meh haha I love the style, sound, and just freedom about it
Looking at those bags I'd integrate a set of blinkers into the bags.
Make the blinkers plug n play on the bike with the connector easily accessible.
So when you put on the bags you can pull of the blinkers and connect the integrated blinkers in the bag.
A tip from a near 30years Sporster rider, ditch the crash bar and put the straight basic higway pegs. It will still protect your bike, give you a really comfortable position while keeping the convenience of the mid controls, and you will learn fast how to shift and brake with your heels. Learn that a long time ago from another rider that used to travel a lot, and never enjoy more any other bike for that reason alone.
My 1st bike was the 2020 883. Due to this, I will never purchase another Harley again. The 1st month after purchased NEW ALL the lights shut off as I rode at midnight across a bridge. Spent 2/3rds of its life in the shop for repairs and at the end was shutting off while riding down the hwys at 70mph, riding through the streets and at red lights. Harley dealership stated if they plugged into their computers, my warranty would be voided due to my Van's & Hines pipes. After my warranty was over, they changed their policy. Fun bike when it worked.
oh man sounds like you got a bad one! sorry to hear about your experience- so bizarre with lights turning off and super dangerous. I do remember a certain recall on our model because of the wrong material used as heat cover of the headlight in 2021. Also yeah warranty void thing is so criminal - sigh 😔. Are you still riding it?
That’s a bad dealer. I had a couple minor issues with my roadster when I had it and the dealer was perfectly fine doing the warranty work. The only thing they said they couldn’t warranty was the mufflers and only because I didn’t buy them through the dealer when I got the bike
Thank you man! I have a Royal Enfield Himalayan, and i'm thinking about this bike a lot lately! And this video helped me a lot! Thank you for your time showing us all this! I think this one will be my 2024 motorcycle! 😁
Ride safe! ✌🏻✌🏻
your welcome! himalayan is a great all around bike but I love the look of the iron way more 😬
i'm entering the 2nd year of owing Iron 883 (2021). Love your video, bro! I'll wait for the 4th year review.
nice! congrats on keeping it for 2 years! most riders upgrade too early in my opinion
Yes I loVe the bike aswell great video. it’s my first and you never you forget your first one!
ah yes - you can never forget your first. Do you still have yours?
i still love my street rod 750 even after taken test rides of many other brands and other offerings from Harley-davidson. I don’t ride cross country but have made it comfortable for long rides( ohlins suspension, corbin seats and rox risers). never felt to upgrade.
so I did hear the street rod 750 was pretty decent compared to the street 750 (the one I test rode and didn't really like it). Glad to hear a street rider out there enjoying their ride!
Can't go go wrong with an Evo! Nice bike
Munn Rd! Haven't kept up on the channel but glad to come back to a great video. Hope you're doing well!
That was my first time on that road! It was such a fun ride with all the twisties and the view 🤩 - I am taking longer breaks between videos to have a good life-work-youtube balance lol but yeah- slowly coming back
@@KSMotoCafe it's a great road. Just watch out for the gravel!
I am just past 2 years and 20K miles on mine. I still love mine too! ^_^
10k per year is a lot of riding on that sporty! Well done 😎🤟
@@KSMotoCafe Its my daily driver. I have taken a few long road trips on it, and I live in the Ozarks. This whole area is a choose your own adventure book for motorcycle riders. Lol
Started off on an iron 1200 this season, will definitely go for a Street Bob once im ready to upgrade. Would like to keep the 1200 for another season for sure.
great choice! what year 1200 did you get?
@@KSMotoCafe 2019!
Im thinking of getting an 884 and this has helped me alot
Hey man. That was Munns Rd right? Haha. I had a similar journey to doing my own maintenance. Difference being that I started doing my own maintenance on my car when I got tired of dealing with the dealership. So when I got my first scooter committed to do all my own maintenance on my bikes as well. It has been fun learning how to do it and the satisfaction of doing your own work is really great.
I took a little tumble last Sunday on my adventure bike when I was out on the logging roads in the Nanaimo Lakes area. Got a few minor things to repair this weekend before I can go off on another adventure. Crash bars saved me from some real grief at least. 😅
😄I don't ride up there often - in my head I was still on Millstream Rd but looking at a map Munn Rd makes way more sense lol 😂. I need to ride up there more often because it was so fun and the scenery was just amazing. I am so close to pulling the trigger on getting a dual-sport to get into offroading but the mrs has currently set only 1 bike rule and I dont want to get rid of my street bike 😔
@@KSMotoCafe Perhaps one day on the dual sport, haha. Another local ride I really enjoy is start off at the lagoon, then SW on Metchosin Rd and then to Rocky Point Rd, you can follow that all the way to the end of East Sooke. Street bike friendly, but you should look out for gravel and other debris as you get close to East Sooke.
Glad to hear you are enjoying the little sporty, I am considering getting one myself, I currently ride a bmw r1200gsa and while it is an amazing bike for long touring trips and gravel roads, I want something different to just putz around on and have had my eyes on a sporty 883 as well.
yeah - for town riding, the 883 is a really fun bike. But you need to prepare to appreciate the flaws of the sportster - like all of its shakes, loud noises, and lack of tech lol; or else you will hate the bike
sounds good, I have all the comfort and tech I need on the BMW, something crude and loud is exactly what I am after 🙂@@KSMotoCafe
Beautifull scenery,where is this youre riding??BTW,love your bike :D
It's true when you buy a bike, then add to it to make it siut your style of riding and the way it looks it's hard to let someone else own after everything you've put into it that's how I ended up with three bikes but I love them all they are like family if one wasn't there I would miss it I'm just selfish,?
please list your bikes!!
I owned Softtail, Electra glide and sportster 1000 I really enjoyed the sportster the most which is way I’ll most likely trade my Electra glide for a sportster just more fun to ride
interesting! I always do find that previous sportster riders always have a soft spot for the sporty after riding different cruisers. The evo engine and the styling is just so cool
Time for hammer 1275 kit. I want an 883 specifically to get the 1275 kit
What about private sale / purchase (FB marketplace, CL)?I am sure it's not as easy or convenient as the dealer purchase but you should be able to save some money.
so sometimes there are the private sales that randomly pop up at a great price but usually they are listed too far away or the bike condition is a little sketch. Also I just want to avoid privately selling my bike if I could.
Does the cafe fairing really help with the wind on the highway?
Can you tell me is this a first bike for a new rider ?? Or you don't think so??
Wonder if you still have her...?
Get the 1200 kit! Wont need to upgrade then
Enjoy your 883 buddy
Where did u get the gas cap?
Whst year is she exhaust is on her
Did that fairing make a difference??
not really- mostly for looks
If you don't want it, I'll take it! ; )
If you go bigger keep the Iron. You will miss a smaller bike. Big heavy bikes are a pain in the azz everywhere but highways.
These are great nestolgic bikes.
People aren't objects and I certainly wouldn't toss a happy relationship with my wife away for something that might or might not treat me better. But I would buy another bike.
Don’t sell it …. 😮
GODBLESS
Are you a physician?
i have a 2017 iron883. yesterday, I went to sell it, but my wife took the key and kick at my butt.
lol smart wife
Godbless
I'm loving my new 2022 iron 883
right on man!
I got mine last year in October it’s my first bike but I only got to ride it for 10 days before winter parking it🥲but it scares the shit out of me and is fun asf at the same time lol