Great review. I always liked the 1200 Sportster. And in the big twins my favorite was the Harley fxr with the 1340 Evo combination of a great motor with a nice frame and good handling. Also been rubber mounted was nice.
Thanks for the feedback and subscription! Looking forward to covering the Sportster in depth. Excited about finding the right XL (or XR) and riding it! Although seasonal, we're at an excellent area for motorcycling. Stay tuned...
Subscribed. Bell rung. My 2009 Nightster has 98,500 miles on her and still going strong. It looked awesome slammed on the stock suspension but was one of the first things I switched out. It rode terrible and had no lean angle. When it comes to maintaining your own equipment, it's hard to beat a Sporty. Like most machines engineered in the '50's, it's simple, rugged and reliable. Most folks already have most of the tools required to do so. The first bike I ever purchased new was a '99 Sporty custom, and honestly, IMO, the 2004 - 2022 rubber-mounted Sporty is the way to go. They vibrate tolerably at idle and smooth right out under load. The frame is noticeably stiffer and the heads on the 1200's breath much better. The stock W cams are fantastic once the bike is "Uncorked". 2004-2006 Sportys were carburetor equipped, if that is a requirement of yours. Changing the battery out is a pain in the butt though, the negative lead is just barely long enough. The derby cover seal is a royal PITA, a light coating of Lucas Red-n-tacky and the wife's hair dryer help a lot. And watch the threads on the two covers on the primary, 84 IN-LBS only! Congrats!
Wow, glad you shared the mileage accrual on your Nightster. You do maintain your bikes properly, and your tips are very helpful for owners! My appreciation for the Sportster, like yours, is the fundamental design and serviceability. Your comments on the rubber mount engines is spot on, and in the coming episodes, I'll share an impartial comparison of the rigid versus rubber mount frames and engines...I'm excited about getting the right bike then sharing the maintenance and service procedures at the shop/studio. Your comment about tools is spot on. Most tools are common to automotive mechanics, some are V-twin engine and frame specific. When I wrote the Harley-Davidson Evolution V-Twin Owner's Bible, my library expanded with factory shop books covering 1917 through the Sportster and 1340cc Evolution Era manuals. These books are within reach and ready for work...Thanks for your subscription and valued comments!
I have a 2009 1200XR I love but I'm thinking about selling , it's a long story , it is without a doubt the best of all the Harleys I've owned and one of my favorites among all the Bikes from just about every manufacturer I've had in almost 60 years of street riding .
I was thrilled with the XR1200 and XR1200X when they were available at the dealerships. The Vance & Hines AMA Pro road racing program has been a real boost, promoting the bike's intended use and image. I'm a MotoGP fan, and to see H-D motorcycles run competitive road courses is very gratifying. The XR1200/1200X will be topical in my forthcoming videos on the search for the right Sportster!
Evo Sportster's, I love them. I own 3 older bikes from 3 different decades, 80's, 90's and 00's. All of my bikes have been purchased from salvage auctions and I've spent countless hours and dollars in the search for parts, it's definitely a sickness.
Thanks for your feedback and subscription...The Evo Sportsters are a great choice, and the salvage auction approach is a good way to get into one. If you keep the bikes as you have been doing, there's no stigma about a "salvage title". You can ride till your heart's content to amortize the cost of the bikes, even if they depreciate oddly from the salvage titles. I've looked at the auctions online, and frankly, many of the bikes have not been hurt badly nor are they structurally damaged. I'm sure you're careful about frames and safety concerns when buying.
Cool video. Which year Sportster would you recommend which is carbureted, has the best performance in power to weight ratio, and has the most parts availability?
Thanks...I will be releasing an in-depth series on the technical points, pluses and minuses, best uses and attributes of the niche Evolution Sportsters. For the CliffNotes answer to your question, you're talking about pre-2007 models for openers. 2004-2006 are carbureted bikes with a unit construction engine/transmission, but trap door access to the transmission is gone. Pre-2004 are trap door service on the transmission (engine remains in the frame) with hard/rigid engine mounting. Best power-to-weight in my view would be 1998-2003 Sport models. Rubber mount engines (2004-06) require splitting the case to access the transmission (considerably more labor) and add 65 or more pounds to the bikes. Rigid mount engines have inherently more vibration...Stay tuned for details in the videos, I'll share pointers on the handling profiles for these bikes...Thanks for your subscription!
Great review. I always liked the 1200 Sportster. And in the big twins my favorite was the Harley fxr with the 1340 Evo combination of a great motor with a nice frame and good handling. Also been rubber mounted was nice.
Thanks for the feedback and subscription! Looking forward to covering the Sportster in depth. Excited about finding the right XL (or XR) and riding it! Although seasonal, we're at an excellent area for motorcycling. Stay tuned...
If it's about an XL, I'm all in! Great vid!!
Thanks for the feedback and subscribing. Glad you're interested in the search for the right Sportster! I like your enthusiasm, too...I'm all in, too!
You're very welcome!@@MotorcycleTechandTravel Looking forward to the next one!
Coming out soon! Thanks...
Subscribed. Bell rung. My 2009 Nightster has 98,500 miles on her and still going strong. It looked awesome slammed on the stock suspension but was one of the first things I switched out. It rode terrible and had no lean angle. When it comes to maintaining your own equipment, it's hard to beat a Sporty. Like most machines engineered in the '50's, it's simple, rugged and reliable. Most folks already have most of the tools required to do so. The first bike I ever purchased new was a '99 Sporty custom, and honestly, IMO, the 2004 - 2022 rubber-mounted Sporty is the way to go. They vibrate tolerably at idle and smooth right out under load. The frame is noticeably stiffer and the heads on the 1200's breath much better. The stock W cams are fantastic once the bike is "Uncorked". 2004-2006 Sportys were carburetor equipped, if that is a requirement of yours. Changing the battery out is a pain in the butt though, the negative lead is just barely long enough. The derby cover seal is a royal PITA, a light coating of Lucas Red-n-tacky and the wife's hair dryer help a lot. And watch the threads on the two covers on the primary, 84 IN-LBS only! Congrats!
Wow, glad you shared the mileage accrual on your Nightster. You do maintain your bikes properly, and your tips are very helpful for owners! My appreciation for the Sportster, like yours, is the fundamental design and serviceability. Your comments on the rubber mount engines is spot on, and in the coming episodes, I'll share an impartial comparison of the rigid versus rubber mount frames and engines...I'm excited about getting the right bike then sharing the maintenance and service procedures at the shop/studio. Your comment about tools is spot on. Most tools are common to automotive mechanics, some are V-twin engine and frame specific. When I wrote the Harley-Davidson Evolution V-Twin Owner's Bible, my library expanded with factory shop books covering 1917 through the Sportster and 1340cc Evolution Era manuals. These books are within reach and ready for work...Thanks for your subscription and valued comments!
I have a 2009 1200XR I love but I'm thinking about selling , it's a long story , it is without a doubt the best of all the Harleys I've owned and one of my favorites among all the Bikes from just about every manufacturer I've had in almost 60 years of street riding .
I was thrilled with the XR1200 and XR1200X when they were available at the dealerships. The Vance & Hines AMA Pro road racing program has been a real boost, promoting the bike's intended use and image. I'm a MotoGP fan, and to see H-D motorcycles run competitive road courses is very gratifying. The XR1200/1200X will be topical in my forthcoming videos on the search for the right Sportster!
Evo Sportster's, I love them. I own 3 older bikes from 3 different decades, 80's, 90's and 00's. All of my bikes have been purchased from salvage auctions and I've spent countless hours and dollars in the search for parts, it's definitely a sickness.
Thanks for your feedback and subscription...The Evo Sportsters are a great choice, and the salvage auction approach is a good way to get into one. If you keep the bikes as you have been doing, there's no stigma about a "salvage title". You can ride till your heart's content to amortize the cost of the bikes, even if they depreciate oddly from the salvage titles. I've looked at the auctions online, and frankly, many of the bikes have not been hurt badly nor are they structurally damaged. I'm sure you're careful about frames and safety concerns when buying.
Cool video. Which year Sportster would you recommend which is carbureted, has the best performance in power to weight ratio, and has the most parts availability?
Thanks...I will be releasing an in-depth series on the technical points, pluses and minuses, best uses and attributes of the niche Evolution Sportsters. For the CliffNotes answer to your question, you're talking about pre-2007 models for openers. 2004-2006 are carbureted bikes with a unit construction engine/transmission, but trap door access to the transmission is gone. Pre-2004 are trap door service on the transmission (engine remains in the frame) with hard/rigid engine mounting. Best power-to-weight in my view would be 1998-2003 Sport models. Rubber mount engines (2004-06) require splitting the case to access the transmission (considerably more labor) and add 65 or more pounds to the bikes. Rigid mount engines have inherently more vibration...Stay tuned for details in the videos, I'll share pointers on the handling profiles for these bikes...Thanks for your subscription!