Harley has seen some hard times lately and killing off the sportster would be a big step toward bankruptcy for them in my unqualified opinion. 50,000 dollar baggers ain't the way forward
@@martincvitkovich724 nobody drives a harley stock... i think the cheapest softail is about 15k, and it only mounts the 107, si if you ant a 114 you pay, you want it blacked out you pay, you want cvo? pay double..... sportsters are simply much more affordable, and easier and cheaper to customize edit: for 15k you can buy a stock sportster, maybe used, and put a ton of stuff on it... had a friend with an "883" (that was actualy a 1200), and it came close to 95 hp, which is a lot for its light weight, and he spent about 10k total on the bike
THAT MEANS YOU'RE SMART,i ride a 1980flh80,my friends all wanted me to frame it,widen it,kick it out in the front end,all kinds of bizzaro crap,i said no,know why?, I break something in a out of the way area on the road state to state,i can find the part in a heartbeat,nobody knows more about our bikes like the people who designed it,nobody
As a Harley-Davidson enthusiast since the time they were taller than me, I love the classic look and feel that the Sportster continues to bring. And with just starting to attend MMI in Orlando, I will say that staying with Harley-Davidson is the right choice for me. The work that I have to do with them is less time consuming and frustrating than the import bikes. I got big paws for hands and imports have a ton of small spaces. H-D motors are pretty much an "easy day" at school. Also, if you're a true biker or rider, you won't blast someone else's choice in bike as long as you both share the passion of keeping two wheels down.
As a rider myself, the only riders that are snobby at waving while riding by are the HD riders. I'd say it's a 50/50 chance but almost 100% with everyone else. It doesn't matter if i's my Vstrom or BMW K1200RS.
I have always owned Sportsters and never took to the larger displacement Harleys. Balanced and put a Mccooney carb and new pipes and it was more than I ever needed. I put 6 to 8000 miles on it every summer season in Canadian weather. I hope Harley just keeps making the real CLASSIC ...
I told a friend of mine to get a mikuni carb when he needed a new one for his '02. He said there is no way he would put something "made in Japan" on his American machine. God forbid...
Bought my iron 1200 two years ago here in U.K. I’m nearly 50 now and bought it for keeps until I can’t ever ride again, spent a lot of cash on it worth every penny so far. Cheaper than a new triumph bobber and the engine has way more soul, has become the most favourite bike I’ve owned as yet👍🏻 If they stop sporties I’ll still always have mine😁
When you buy a sportster, it is almost an empty canvas. There is no other motorcycle that has so many after-market parts availiable. A 1200 with a stage 4 kit, is s serious performance machine. The sportster is potential.
Michael12 I agree. The Sportster has great aftermarket and even TH-cam support 😄. My first motorcycle was a 1958 Sportster. I have seen a lot of cool bikes come and go. I currently own a 2004 FZ1 and a 2020 Softail Standard. I traded my 2007 1200 R and my 2009 Dyna Lowrider for the new Softail. The point is there is no support for the Yamaha but plenty for the Harleys. Honda had some cool bikes like the VTX and Yamaha had the Raider but just cut the legs off of owners and potential buyers. People love and keep their Harleys.
@Art Vandelay : Sportys are fun to ride and modify,one of mine (Fatster 1992)has a fatboy frontend,one(Glidester 1993)has an FLH frontend and the 03 sporty I put a 48 frontend and put a full sized light on it,great looking machines and fun to ride and I'm 68! Maranatha, Greetings from Tampa Florida 😎 say hello to George😅!
Dyna looks like a large sportster, and yeah for the most part sportster looks are the best. Only exception is the springer like a bad boy, they're pretty good looking.
Yes, they are, and regardless of this video’s opinion, the sportster isn’t going anywhere. It’s the best selling bike they currently produce. Plus, it is very easy to get 100+ hp out of an evo sportster, the build is not complicated or expensive, especially when compared to buying another brand’s bike new with that much power.
Which ain't sayin' much. The XR750 is the most beautiful bike Harley ever made and it ain't been made in that flat trakker form in a long long long long time. No Harley is as beautiful as any Triumph made between 1949 and 1970.
if they stop making the sportster, they can still rely on their T-Shirts. i would like to add if i may, i really do not like to pay for over priced merchandise and to advertise someone else's product. sorta getting boned twice sorta thing.
A Sportster weighs as much as a lion & goes over 100 mph. That bike will kill you just like any other bike on the market. The only girly bikes are the full dressers with cushy suspension, heated seats, wind deflectors, radio entertainment, gas gauges, lumbar back rest, and heated grips. Mommy, I broke my nail on my overpriced Super Limited Edition Electra Glide Special with chrome accents, custom glitter paint, and leather tassels.
The Sportster is like me; it's the last of it's kind... I've owned three Sportsters since 1982. I purchased my first one, a 1979 Iron Head Roadster, at Killeen, Texas Harley-Davidson in 1982, while I was Stationed with the 1st. Calvary Division at Ft. Good. I have a 2005 883C that I rebuilt and modified and turned into a Screamin Eagle 1200. Also, I have owned two FXR's and one Dyna, too. I love Sportsters; they rock in Traffic, in the Mountains, and cruising through the City. Long live the Sportster!!! Peace, Stiletto :-)
My first duty station was in 1st Cav in Ft Hood in '82-'83 (15th Fin Co). Passed my motorcycle driver's license there, and bought a Kawa CSR 650... and now, at the age of 57, passing my french moto license. (yup, TX license expired when I left the service in '97). And the bike I'm leering at is none other than the Iron 883. They still have them here for sale in France, but this video does have me worried, if only that it'll jack the price of the 2nd hand 883s up (a 2 y/o 883 goes for around 8500 - 9500 euros). Thanks for the excellent video, Different Spokes !
My first Harley was a 79 Sportster. A poor lost orphan of a bike. Most stuff from the catalogs didn't fit. "Fits all Sportsters but 79" was the bain of my existence.
@@jimbob7559 late 70's to 81 were junk. 82 when harley got back in the drivers seat quality seemed to improve. opinion based from working on alot of them. 82-85 were the best of the ironheads
After 37 years motorcycling, I think I'm coming around on Harleys, thanks to videos like this. I'm starting to appreciate the lack of refinement and the continuity from a simpler time.
@Terry Melvin I love sporties. I have 3 ironheads. But even a 1200 isnt going to run with a big twin down the freeway. Maybe light to light but thats it. Not if its a factory stock bike. In fact I hate my sporties on the highway. Keep in mind mine are choppers though.
@@chopperchopster FYI the Sportster was never intended to be driven on today's interstates. It was originally marketed to be a street legal version of the K-Model which was HD's factory race bike which ompeted against @ < 72mph flat track race bikes. Back in the 60s & 70s people REALLY rode the Sportster the way it was intended & nobody wanted a 700+lb 125+ci poor handling/braking 125mph+ old man's 25k mechanically inferior bulldozer.
Sportsters are 'girls bikes' due to it's superior street racing qualities..short, tall, narrow, high center of gravity" tons of 0-50 torque. < This is what made HD...not flyin' 125mph down the interstate pretending it's a 2wheel car.
i kinda missed the sportster 72, 48, iron 883 , 883r's, the nightster's also i remember when they was all came out before i bought my first sportster 10yrs ago it was a 89 883 and i loved that bike i fixed it up to make it look like a nightster since i admired them all since they discontinued them. my newest sportster i fell in love with since i bought the first day from the dealership its a 08 883c back in 2016 and i hope they wont stop making them they are the best looking bike that ever made with the dynas and fxr's.
I've been riding for over a decade, and I've had the Big Japanese 4, including a Busa. My Sportster has been my favorite. She rumbles and she shakes, but she is a lot of fun and she is a keeper.
I love the Sportster. I think you can upgrade a Sportster engine to perform better than any of the Big Twins. Hopefully, it stays in the Harley lineup, but even if were discontinued there will be plenty of Sporty's to go around for many years. With after-market accessories and various engine kits, you can make a Sportster into any type of bike you want without the ridiculous price tags on Harley Big Twins.
Longest production bike Harley has ever had. Has as much power, handles, feels, and rides like a 57 Chevy. Riding one is an experience. I bought my 1200 when I was stationed in England off another service member and rode that thing all across Europe. Stock. Talk about hamburger butt. But I loved it. Everywhere I went I got questions or people wanting to take pictures on it. It's just iconic. And now going to be passing it to my son in six years. One of the beautiful things about it is I know in six years it's still going to be running. It takes a shotgun to kill the damn things. So thanks for doing this video. I thought it would be biased against but it was a very well balanced look.
I agree with you , I bought a Honda Spirit and will eventually buy a Sportster . I wanted a Sportster sence 1985 . I enjoy my current bike , I'm just not a fan of its forward controls .
Bought mine in 2001 and it is still going strong and plenty powerful with a 1200 engine and racing ignition module. does not break down and does not vibrate? even though the engine is not rubber mounted. It is not slow 0-100klm in 4.5 secs.
My XL1200S would go 118 mph with my 200 lbs. plus frame on it. The problem with it was the rigd mounted engine. The handle bars felt like they would come out of my hands at seventy. I had to fix the carburetor myself because the Harley dealer did not want to honor the warranty. I taught my son to ride it and he loved it and he was seventeen at the time so I gave it to him as a graduation gift. I am keeping it for him until he comes back from overseas and I thought about upgrading the styling and I think it could use a balanced crank.
I had the same thing with my Sportster I got a set of the the rubber grips with it it removed all the tingling in my right hand from holding the throttle wish I had bought them 30 years ago but they should help
Great advice! I did the same a long time ago and it did help but the rigid mounted engine transmits right through the handlebars at high speed with no sixth gear.
I bought my first motorcycle in August of '19. a Sportster 48 Special. I love it. It definitely has the classic look and feel you want from a Harley that their other models just don't seem to have anymore. It's gotta plenty enough muscle to have some fun, but not so much it's easy to get into trouble with. I don't have any desire to "upgrade" to a bigger Harley. When I do get an additional bike it'll be something that will fill a role it can't. Like a duelsport or an ADV. But even then the sporty will be there for me when I want to ride a rumbly bit of history.
I have had several harley sportsters from my first 1973 XLCH , though my main ride nowadays is a 2010 Dyna Superglide - IMO harley went outta buisiness in 2017 (RIP Dyna) The new bikes are about as satisfying as watching a video. The ability to modify your bike into a one of a kind in your driveway, was what really helped bring riders together. Mutual appreciation for the machine and the belief that "chrome will get ya home". Chow bros.
Hey Mike, um with ya, not the best or the fastest but it runs gr8, vibrates like hell at some speeds but is e.z. to work on, I bot it w 43,885 miles and added a good 20 some oddK to her and getting ready to put her back on the road. Sometimes I get 50 a gallon
No way, no way, no way. People are always talking s**t. Friends do not let friends drive japanese , italian, british, chinese, indian, english, bikes. i don't think french people can build anything. Any way. they will be making sportsters long after we have all died and been forgotten.
Great meaningful video. I still own and ride in Europe a Sportster 883R I bought in 2003, the last HD model WITHOUT injection and WITHOUT silent-block to reduce vibration. An amazing bike, I will never be tired of. Delivered originally with 2 in 1 exhaust pipe and 3 disks break. I am having 2 people on a waiting list to buy it (if I decide to sell it) the exact same price I paid it new 17 years ago.
I ride an 07 1200 roadster. Have done a Screaming Eagle stage IV up grade, including better exhaust. Now rated at 100 hp and 86 ft/lbs torque after being dyno tuned. Never giving mine up......don't need to trade "up"!
I'll share another thing about the Sporty. During 07 to 09, I was a professional Harley Davidson Motorcycle test rider. Other than some early gen-2 Evo casting flaws, they were never able to fail the Sporty engine. Our hardest test for the bike was the high-speed auto test. On the 5 mile circle track at wide open throttle, 5th gear. Average speed, 118mph for all day long. In an 8 hour day, 6 hours on the track, it used a tank of fuel each hour, a quart of oil each hour and a brand new tire each day. Alot of pressure on engines and tires at that consistent speed. We did that about once a week with that Sporty engine screaming its head off but the Sporty's engines never failed and we did that no less than 4 times a month on the same bike until the bike milaged out if its test. Remarkable results for any bike. Take it on the road and hold it at wide open throttle for 6 straight hours. That was just one of the many tests the Sporty went through. Our miles were considered 7 times harder than the average rider mile. The bikes often went 30K miles before being sent back to Harley for tear down and specking the parts for test results. The Sporty is small, uncomfortable and rides bad, but its worth buying just to get the motor. And its a genuine, old school bike with boatloads of character. ...Just sayen.
The Sportster motor was ahead of it's time and if you know anything about them you know they aren't obsolete even to todays standards … ie.. rock solid dependability, easy 50+mpg, and much room in them to tune and mod for greater performance (if desired). Sportsters rule, Harley bashers drool.
The Sportster's bottom end can be traced back to the "Flathead" motor from 1929, how anyone can say the Sportster motor was ahead of it's time is beyond me, when the OHV Sportster motor was introduced in 1957, it's bottom end was 28 years old and it's now 91 years old. By the way I'm not a Sportster hater, I have owned a 2011 XL883N Iron from new. Maybe it's time to introduce H-D's modern water cooled motors and give the old air cooled Sporty a rest. Royal Enfield has halted production of their beloved "Bullet" models in March this year after a production run of Bullet's since 1931, the Bullet was the World's longest continually produced motorcycle with an 89 year run, I can't see that record ever being broken by the H-D Sportster. Millennials aren't buying motorcycles and H-D's traditional customer's are now aging, it's adapt for the future or die for all the motorcycle manufacturers, not just Harley-Davidson.
Had a second year of the rubber mount, a 1200 custom. Love hate for sure, but HD just hasn’t done right by the XL. Needs: 6 SPEED TRANNY,badly; slightly bigger engine(1400); better quality small parts, like exhaust mounts, etc.; custom models need speedo and tach; make an LT light touring model, with touring seat, windshield, decent size bags and a tour trunk. Did that to mine, and it was a great ride. Also longer, softer suspension, did that to mine, also. Could be done, and it would really be popular. Long live Sportsters!
@@daveerwin5938 it was called the Dyna.... Now it's a Softail Low Rider with an air-cooled ( no liquid cooling, other than oil of course), Milwaukee Eight 107
I traded in my 2016 Heritage Softail for a 2017 Sportster 1200 Custom. I couldn’t be happier. It’s motorcycling in its purest form. The wind in your face and the rumble and growl of the Evolution engine. A wise man once said: “the only machine that man has made that has a soul is the steam locomotive.” That is false. There are two: the steam locomotive and the Harley-Davidson Sportster motorcycle. Great video!
I had hoped Harley would have done for the Sportster what it had done for the Twin Cam. A redesign. Four valves per cylinder, and water cooled heads would allow them to keep the Sportster alive. I love my 05 883 and have no plans on ever getting rid of it. It might be the least powerful bike I own but it is definitely the funnest road bike I have every had.
@@tomquinn607 Hate to disagree. 2003 was the last Sportsters with a transmission door behind the clutch. My 05 is rubber mounted with the split case design that is the same on today's Sportsters. Only real difference is mine has a carburetor, and runs on regular gas.
I’m 57 & on my 3rd Sportster, a 1995 1200 in showroom cond, this bike is an absolute gem, yes it shakes & vibrates but I wouldn’t have it any other way as it’s an awesome bike & a blast to ride, nice vid, new sub here!
Reading all the comments, I figured Id tell my story. Learned to ride in 03 and very first bike, which was new, was a 2004 FXDLi. After 4 years and gobs of money, I couldnt wait to get rid of it. Total PoS that handled like crap. After many more years and bikes later, I purchased a new/used 2016 Ultra Limited in Dec 2019. The bike had 15 miles on it and was $18k OTD. Now, after all the crap I had to change, the bad feelings of owning a Harley are all coming back. Of all the bikes I ever owned, the Harleys were the only ones that gave me problems. I also have a 2018 VMax and never had to do anything to it. These are the best examples of why Harley is slowly dying.... Very unfortunate.
@@joetroutt7425 I hear you. I actually have the 2016 Ultra Limited up for sale, but may simply keep it. I paid $18k OTD used (it only had 15 miles on it), so I figured I would be relatively safe buying the bike. Unfortunately, the suspension SUX and the bike has no power on the highway. I already dropped about $2k into the bike (Seat, backrest, bars, LEDs and Sony 7000 head unit). I figure, if it sells it sells. If not, Ill just keep it. The only thing Im really happy about is that I didnt buy it new.
I quit riding bikes many years ago, but I still love to see them and learn about what's new. I'm a new subscriber to your channel. I like your thoughtful, reasonable comments. And in this video, the collection of photos and movie clips is fantastic!! Very enjoyable! Thanks and best wishes!
Back in the late eighties I was looking for a bigger bike than my Yamaha XT500. I was looking for a Sportster because it looked great. I went to a dealer and sat on it. I immediately knew that this wasn't going to be my next bike. I looked like a giant on it.
In the early 1980's I owned a Laverda 1200 triple, it was well built, fast and handled reasonably well considering it's top heavy motor and seating position. In 1976 Laverda's legendary 981cc Jota was the fastest motorcycle that you could buy with 95 hp and a top speed of 146 mph. A 45 year old Jota can wipe the floor with any modern day Harley-Davidson or Indian. These days I'm older and slower so I ride a 2011 H-D XL883N 'Iron' of course.
Been riding nearly 50 years. On the road since 1975. Bought my first HD in 1989. ('86 XL1100). Rode it everywhere including numerous interstate trips here in Australia. Kept it 5 years. Since then I've owned 2 other Sporties and 3 big twins. Currently have a 2012 FXDWG with a few tweaks / trinkets. Still tuning / servicing all my own bikes..(I have several others "not HD"). I have always made money on my Sporties when I sell 'em & always lost at least some on the big twins. Sporties are fun, fast enough and just as reliable. Sometimes I think of buying another one but to be honest I need a bigger shed...LoL...one day, hey.
im in the exact same boat. Picked up my first sportster about 6 months ago and it is magnificent. I'm still not much of a Harley enthusiast but my 97 1200 is everything i ever wanted and more. Dirt cheap too.
@@xsonz2 I picked up my '98 sporty 1200 for $2700 two years ago. It came with dual gauge package, forward controls, progressive rear springs, Vance and Hines turn-out short exhaust, and a mustang two-up seat with pillion backrest. I got it because my dealer turned my 2003 Ultra into a project through their ineptness. I was without the bike for 4 months. I changed the oil on the sporty, put a new front disc and pads and rode from then on doing nothing but oil changes. I ride my Ultra mostly, because it's set up really nice and is gorgeous in its 100th anniversary gunmetal paint. I put a six speed Screaming Eagle trans in it because the dealer destroyed my trans by continuing to tighten the new drive belt because of squeaking. It turned out that they put on the wrong size tire. Anyway, the sporty had 30K miles when I got it and it's needed no repairs since. Sure it's carbureted, but it always starts even after sitting for weeks. When I ride it, I am in the pure motorcycling experience. I know a husband and wife young couple who each have an 883 that they outfitted with bags. With those bags and empty pillion, they can pack more stuff for road trips than my wife and I on the Ultra.
Picked up my 1988 1200 Sportster on a -5 degree day and outran the snowstorm in my rearview mirror. Got home before the first flakes hit, half frozen and my butt was num from the vibrations. But I LOVED it!! It is still the genuine article in my book. Put on loads of km on that machine and appreciated every moment.
I bought a new Sportster Roadster last year and I absolutely love it. It’s a shame that it doesn’t get as much attention as the Iron 883 or 1200, I think it’s one of the best-looking bikes Harley makes.
Proud owner of a 2005 xl1200 custom......as long there is fuel, as long my heart is pumping,as long there are roads to ride i'll be riding my sportster.....till i die by heavens command or as roadkill.
I remember it well, Just got the 91 XL1200, sitting under route 275 in St.Pete FL. its staccato beat reverberating off the bridge supports, mine being pre-owned came with an S&S teardrop filter with a Shorty E super carb, 2 plugs per cyl. forward controls. . .vibrates like heel and I love it.
People can say what they want about Sportys. Those are usually people who don't even ride! The classic simplicity of my 2K883C still turns heads, and at 180 decibels, makes some folks roll up their windows at a red light. Motorcycles, of any make or brand, represent freedom and independence.
I started with a 1200 custom and went through the big twins ending back to a 1200 2016' Roadster 25 yrs later. To me the Evo is hands down the best engine ever to come from the MoCo. Its practically bulletproof and as iconic as Apple Pie. Just like discontinuing the Dyna, discontinuing the SPORTSTER would be like losing a part of HD soul never to return. Dont do it MoCo your having an identity crisis as it is, hold onto your roots.
i rode bsa; triumphs. sportster and almost every harley model up to my last H.d. 2005 deluxe. my sportster was a 76 ; which was manufactured at that time by AMF and that was the one bike i enjoyed riding the most in my almost sixty years of riding . i did a lot of cosmetic and mechanical work to it and it was a show stopper with a great sound; turned a lot of heads. really miss the riding and that great sportster; but eighty now and it's time to put the toys away
That’s actually an amazing history with bikes. You must have a wealth of knowledge on the subject. You should consider doing some video essays on TH-cam about the various bikes you’ve owned. Thanks for the comment!
Excellent vid!! I bought a 2018 Iron 883. Great looking bike! Last summer, I traded it in for a 2019 48. The 48 is the best Sportster for me! After a Stage 1 upgrade, she really rocks! I plan on keeping her for the rest of my riding years (I'm 61). If H-D plans to be around indefinitely, I suspect they'll never stop making Sportsters. At least I hope not!!
They messed up the marketing was the problem. They were advertised as "sportbikes" but they had way too much Harley DNA to be true sportbikes like Ducatis or Japanese sportbikes. It caused people to have very high expectations for speed and power and they were disappointed. I love my Buell though. So many innovative features. I love the big front brakes on mine. Best brakes ive ever had on a bike, and they are in house too.
@Michael RedCrow I bought a Ulysses in 2009 - 3 dealers in the area carried buells - one dealer had his in the warehouse (salesman didn't know what I was talking about when I asked about one) , one wanted 2 grand over sticker, I bought it from the 3rd dealer for 2 grand under sticker. Harley dealers just want to sell bikes they can accsssorize, every second line bike they have tried to sell failed.
My first "real" street bike was a '68 Sportster XLCH that I purchased used from Roy's Harley Davidson in Pontiac, MI in 1973. It had just 900 miles on the clock. I paid $1400 for it. Sold it in 1977. That bike was nothing but pure fun. I wish I still had it!
Debatable. Probably their most reliable "simple" design, for sure....but the liquid cooled Revolution engine powering the VRod was every bit as rock solid....and a real performer to boot.
The Sportster engine was developed from the 45ci KR and the 55 cu.in. KH from the mid-50s, both flat head types but of unit construction. The Sportster was the "modern" engine with the unit construction and overhead valves. It got the reputation as the Milwaukee Vibrator back in '57 when I first began riding. I was shopping around for my first bike, looked at the Harley 125 and 165, opted out on those for a German Zundapp, never regretted that.
They really got it right, didn't they. I have a '98 sporty 1200 and it makes me smile every time I can tear myself away from my 2003 Ultra Classic. So different, but both alluring in their own way. There is absolutely nothing in the Touring lineup that makes me want to trade up from my 2003 Ultra. They lost the "lollipop" spot lights/turn signals and pressing menus is too automotive for my taste. Relative to an earlier Electra Glide, even mine is a little too modern. But these are the bikes I have and I will keep them until I can't any more.
I bought a 2019 iron 883. I love the look. I also like the 48s, and 1200. I use my 883 every day rain or shine and all though out the year, as the climate in New Zealand is suitable for it. It's a really cool bike. Sure, not fast enough for some but it does the job. I am yet to do a long trip on it and I want to put stage 1 plus the pipes for a better heavier sounds. Overall it's a bike made to ride on. I actually bought it in 2019 because I was afraid they would stop making them in 2020. Maybe I was stupid but it just looks right. Authentic but Modern looking.
I love my '18 Iron 1200! I've had sportbikes, cruisers, and UJM's over the years, but this simple Sporty is the most fun to putt around on of any I've had. Oh, and the retro AMF look just seals the deal!
I've been riding Honda since 1974, loved them, they are ultra reliable and my last one, a CTX1300, was just so smooth, powerful and head turning. Loved the CTX which someone described as my 'Starship Enterprise Bike'. A problem? Yes, the only problem I had with it was the weight. I kept dropping it when moving it around by hand so I decided that at 71 years of age I needed to go smaller. I test rode a few other bikes and then the Honda dealer got a second hand (2017) Sportster Superlow XL1200T in. I rang up and booked a test ride. When I set off it took me a little while to get used to having to ride the corners rather than just gliding around them like the CTX did but I had a feeling, an undefined feeling, of just feeling very good and cool riding this vibrating bike that actually sounded like an old Harley, albeit a bit quiet according to most people. A year later (bought it in June 2019) I absolutely love my 1200T Sportster, it's only 100cc less than the CTX but 100kg lighter, it's lower, it suits me. Never imagined I'd ever ride anything but a Honda but this little Sportster has soul and it transfers that soul into me every time I ride it. Thanks for the video, it gave me an insight as to why I love it so much, and why just a couple of days ago a guy with a huge, and magnificent, Heritage, told me to hang onto the sportster and take care of it. They are going to become rare and expensive in the future. Cheers, I've subscribed and I look forward to viewing more of your videos.
John Smith all those British motorcycle companies were reintroduced by new companies (like Indian), their machines have no connection to the original machines made in the 60s-80s unlike the Harley Davidson Sportsters, but good try 👍
Its true, my 94 softail is smooth at idle and started to vibrate through the gears. but thats what gives you the feeling of power, and a connection to the machine
I own a Superlow 883 2015 model. I never felt of upgrading to another variant of Harley, as I love the looks, the vibration, the sound, the feel. I will preserve my bike, as I wish my daughter rides it after she's grown up. I am damm sure due to emission restrictions being imposed by various countries, there would be a change in place in all the bikes which companies would come up. Hence, I wish my daughter gets an opportunity to ride this legend which her father is planning to preserve for years. She is just 3 and loves riding on the Sporster with me.
I have had newer bikes, but everyone I know never gets rid of their sportster. I still have my old 88 in the garage on a stand. She will be resurrected soon!
When i lived in UK i bought a 92 883 my first harley. I upped the tank to split 5 gal, forward pegs 6 inch risers and fat boy bars, tent across the bars, went through spain and france on it. Loved it
My first Harley was an 02 1200 sport. I liked it. It had plenty of get up and go and top end for me. I have a 2012 street glide now. I’ll have it for awhile. It’s pretty much exactly what I always wanted in a bike
My first Harley was a 2004 883 Sportster. I loved that bike. It still had a carb, but was rubber mounted. It had the potato potato sound, but was smooth as hell. It had enough power for me and tons of aftermarket items. I still miss that bike.
16 bikes...my 16 roadster is one of my favorite to ride...when I was in high school...couldn't wait to move up from a sportster...now, 3 of 16 are sportster ( 2 xr 1200 )...5 are buells ..the newest is a livewire...oldest is an 81 sturgis....all fun all good.....good riding to you alll
@@DifferentSpokesTV yes...it makes me feel like I'm going fast without really doing it....actually handles well if not pushed too hard....just have to ride it before the livewire or else it sounds like there's about 5 hammers loose inside the motor!
If the Sporty had a longer wheel base, it would be more aesthetically appealing to me. For me, it's not about speed, but I do like my 'get out of the way' power. Personally, I prefer bikes that are stripped down as far as you can take it and have the bike still run.
good story thx. When I was a kid in the 70's I used to lust after it. When I was old enough to afford one I couldn't believe how heavy it was, how dangerous the breaks were, how the suspension just didn't . . then I discovered Buell, that engine, that sound, suspension that did, cool looks, light weight ...aah. I've owned my XB12r since 2008.
I ride a Twin Cam. The guys who ride Sportsters with us say they "rev too high" at highway speeds. IMO, put higher gearing in the Sportster transmission and you'll have a whole lot better machine. Harley under-gears the Sportsters as a sales ploy to get you to trade-up to a big twin.
no its to get the tning moving... boomers think anything reving more than 1k at 75 is over reving.... people used to rev big block 3000 at 60 and no one bat an eye.
I have a 1976 XLCH that I bought in 1987. I had ridden other Sportsters before but not like this one with an engine sound unlike any other. It was love on the first ride. Not sure about slow topping out about 110 mph screaming like a Banshee When she starts first kick a feeling of pride comes over me. Mostly stock with a few bolt on things like drag pipes,solo seat,30mm Screaming Eagle carburetor. House of Colors candy apple red paint. Laced wheels with stainless spokes. She is a beauty and sitting at a red light I have had Harley riders ask me what kind of motorcycle is that? When I twist the throttle and shift gears me and the motorcycle fuse together and become one. I still have and ride this bike and after 33yrs together I love her dearly.
Whenever I hear that stale line" Sportsters are a giiirrrllss bike"!,yeah,I reply,like a Corvette is a girls car! And I've got 3 sportys 👍Smell you later, as the tail light fades to black☺! Maranatha, Greetings from Tampa Florida 😎
@@martincohn8245 : is that why you ride dude😳I've got a Dyna and Ultraclassic for 2 up riding, not to mention you do know me to call me a nerd, you looking in the mirror ? I suspect your not riding a Harley at all and probably never have😆
There is a reason that over year ago, when i started looking for my first bike.. i ended that journeys beginning... with a 20 year old Solid mounted 1200cc sporster. #RumbleOn
Your spot on! I love the vibration and carburated engine that sounds amazing and turns heads. I have 1996 1200 Sportser sreamin eagle and love it. And mine is still old school CHROME and not black . I have to wash and polish it. I test drove the M8 and was powerfull but tooooo smoooth
I still have my 1980 XLS, and Iron head Sporty's are an experience all their own. My wife still has her 1999 XLH which she purchased new. Newer bikes are smoother, more power, but so what? sometimes it;s about character and how much they make you smile when you twist the throttle.
Back in the late 60's a TV show called Then came Bronson and he was mounted on a sportster and many of my riding pals all wanted one. I was mounted on a 1941 45CI Sport solo at the time and was happy with it even thought it only did 55 MPH down a hill but it looks cool and girls like it. I never had a Sportster they were uncomfortable and seemed small to me. I been looking for a 1972 Ironhead to restore to match my 1972 FLH police Special just to have one.
Well done video! I ride a 1200XL low. It is an '06 so the last year of carburation adding to that historic sound. I also think the time of the last Evo is coming and have mixed views on this. I could go on and on but you have done an awesome job and if your reading this chances are you are a Sportster enthusiast. On the upside of this topic, I am certain my grandson will still be riding this bike long after I am gone. With all the modern technological advancements in motorcycles not many will live as long. YES it is the best motorcycle H-D has ever produced. I have a friend with a 107 Milwaukee 8 and he often comments that he wishes his bike sounded as good as mine. Long Live the Sportster!!!!!!
The amazing thing about the Sportster is that it is still on sale at all. You can't walk into a Ford dealer and buy a 1964 Mustang or even a 1985 Mustang. But a Harley dealer will happily sell you a bike that hasn't changed that much in over 50 years. Like a classic car, that gives it a lot of character, but not modern performance or reliability. Harley has managed to dodge the bullets that forced car makers (and most bike makers) to update their engineering into the modern era. If the Sportster has to update or die, than that's just the way it works. You can always buy an old one.
Living on coastal Oregon Hwy 101 I am able to see most of the touring and cruisers out for a good ride. HD is also culpable in the runny snot attitude usually the ape hanging club lettered bad boys who like to think they are the preemo bad ass's in town and refuse to acknowledge fellow riders. Scooter and small bike riders happily greet other bikers. The most important fact is riding what and to a small extent what you ride. Sorry for the rant. There is a LOT of bigotry within the motorcycle world and kicking your opponent while he's down is considered OK.
I have owned and still own a full sized Harley dresser (Love the M-8 engine) but I always wondered, and kinda wanted a Sportster. I bought a Iron 883 and I love the lil booger, with three other bikes in the garage (One being a 2018 KLR 650, ironically) I'm picking the 883 more often to ride. It would be a HUGE mistake for the MoCo to 86 the Sportster lineup at this time. Whatever they eventually replace it with it should still be a Sportster in spirit. (Ironically again, the same can be said for the KLR's eventual replacement.)
Uuuh just spottet "BMW R18 - Why BMW?" - that will be pretty dope for me as a German (and as a BMW fanboy) :) But to this vid: Last mid season I finally could afford to buy my absolute dream naked bike: A brandnew MT-09 SP. This bike has so much character for a naked sports bike, with its iconic motor and its overall more kind of hooligan than track focused package. It ticks all my boxes and it feels even better than I thought it would feel. I love this naughty bike!! However, after getting my license back 2 weeks ago I took my stock 2014 Iron 883 out for the first ride of the season. And like every year I was in shock what this bike does to me riding it. I literally had to fight the tears (for safety reasons haha) getting to some speed shifting through the gears for the first time. It's crazy, it really is. Riding the bike feels so good that it hurts sometimes. For me, personally, the 2009 - 2015 Iron 883 is one of the prettiest motorcycles ever made - and it feels exactly as sporty and raw but smooth as it looks. Yes, sporty, it was developed to win races on- and offroad, and you can feel it. Well, I can. I will keep this bike exactly as it is and never ever give it away.
Michael Finck: two of my sportys started out in life as an 883,a 1992 that I put a Fatboy(Fatster, now)frontend on it and bobbed the rear fender and solo seat with springs and drag bars and forward controls and blacked out the motor it looked mean just no real power,but when I converted it to a 1200, what a difference 👍Maranatha, Greetings from Tampa Florida 😎
I used to have a 2018 Moto Guzzi V7 III Special and everyone commented it was like a piece of art. I traded it in for a 2019 Sportster 883. Everyone tells me it’s the best Harley they’ve ever seen.
Back in the 90s I got on the HD bandwagon. Back then they had a waiting list. Everyone wanted one. I couldn’t get the Softail I wanted for a year so I bought a 1200 Sportster to hold me over. I loved that bike but kept thinking how great life would be when the Softail arrived. One day it did. It was big, loud and full of attitude but not nearly as fun to ride. To be honest I wanted my Sporty back but it wasn’t cool to ride a Sporty so I suffered through it. I eventually sold the Softail and moved on to European bikes. Ive never looked back. I do however reminisce about the Sportster and I’ve thought about picking up a used one to add to my collection. Nice low mileage units can be had for less than 3k. Now I’m in my 50s and couldn’t care less what people think about what I ride. Great video! Keep me coming.
After 7 other bikes (GS, Enfield Bullet, KLR...) I finally came around and bought my first ever Harley - a 1200 custom 2018... unbelievable - did not know what I have missed all those years before... a true legend, true riding, simply solid.
I went out of my way to make sure I bought a rubber mounted , carbureted 2006 . The shake is still there without the vibration and with the carbs they are fun to work on and tune to my taste . Fuel injection lost it for me . I love my 2006 custom with all the chrome .
I wouldn't sell my sporster. It looks cool, it sounds cool, it is slow, so I want risk any speed tickets. I also riding from time to time a Honda CB 1000R but I still would chose the Iron883 over the CB1000R
Not a Harley fan though I'm a vintage fan.. But I like the Sportster. Harley has legacy but is relatively expensive and have certain technical problems which are harder to do. Would be nice if they went back to basics, have a more cost effective and re-engineered bike. Enfield did it. No reason Harley can't.
I'm not a Harley guy in any way whatsoever but this video almost makes me want to try a Sportster out. This is exactly the kind of advertising HD need, congrats on an excellent review and video!
Harley has seen some hard times lately and killing off the sportster would be a big step toward bankruptcy for them in my unqualified opinion. 50,000 dollar baggers ain't the way forward
how about 17,000 dollars.
Perfectly said!
@@martincvitkovich724 nobody drives a harley stock... i think the cheapest softail is about 15k, and it only mounts the 107, si if you ant a 114 you pay, you want it blacked out you pay, you want cvo? pay double..... sportsters are simply much more affordable, and easier and cheaper to customize
edit: for 15k you can buy a stock sportster, maybe used, and put a ton of stuff on it... had a friend with an "883" (that was actualy a 1200), and it came close to 95 hp, which is a lot for its light weight, and he spent about 10k total on the bike
@@daxterminator599 I ride a stock Harley.
THAT MEANS YOU'RE SMART,i ride a 1980flh80,my friends all wanted me to frame it,widen it,kick it out in the front end,all kinds of bizzaro crap,i said no,know why?, I break something in a out of the way area on the road state to state,i can find the part in a heartbeat,nobody knows more about our bikes like the people who designed it,nobody
As a Harley-Davidson enthusiast since the time they were taller than me, I love the classic look and feel that the Sportster continues to bring. And with just starting to attend MMI in Orlando, I will say that staying with Harley-Davidson is the right choice for me. The work that I have to do with them is less time consuming and frustrating than the import bikes. I got big paws for hands and imports have a ton of small spaces. H-D motors are pretty much an "easy day" at school.
Also, if you're a true biker or rider, you won't blast someone else's choice in bike as long as you both share the passion of keeping two wheels down.
As a rider myself, the only riders that are snobby at waving while riding by are the HD riders. I'd say it's a 50/50 chance but almost 100% with everyone else. It doesn't matter if i's my Vstrom or BMW K1200RS.
I have always owned Sportsters and never took to the larger displacement Harleys. Balanced and put a Mccooney carb and new pipes and it was more than I ever needed. I put 6 to 8000 miles on it every summer season in Canadian weather. I hope Harley just keeps making the real CLASSIC ...
Ray Dreamer Uh, Ray, it's "Mikuni," bro.
Oh so you're one of the people that absolutely digraced Harleys by putting supersuckers and mikuni's on CV bikes ..
Yea dude it's Japanese. Not Irish.
Why is he putting an Irish McCooney carb on a Harley? Also, what is he balancing?
I told a friend of mine to get a mikuni carb when he needed a new one for his '02. He said there is no way he would put something "made in Japan" on his American machine. God forbid...
Bought my iron 1200 two years ago here in U.K.
I’m nearly 50 now and bought it for keeps until I can’t ever ride again, spent a lot of cash on it worth every penny so far.
Cheaper than a new triumph bobber and the engine has way more soul, has become the most favourite bike I’ve owned as yet👍🏻
If they stop sporties I’ll still always have mine😁
When you buy a sportster, it is almost an empty canvas. There is no other motorcycle that has so many after-market parts availiable. A 1200 with a stage 4 kit, is s serious performance machine. The sportster is potential.
Yeah, it’s like putting racing stripes and a chrome collar on a fat old pig!
Michael12 I agree. The Sportster has great aftermarket and even TH-cam support 😄. My first motorcycle was a 1958 Sportster. I have seen a lot of cool bikes come and go. I currently own a 2004 FZ1 and a 2020 Softail Standard. I traded my 2007 1200 R and my 2009 Dyna Lowrider for the new Softail. The point is there is no support for the Yamaha but plenty for the Harleys. Honda had some cool bikes like the VTX and Yamaha had the Raider but just cut the legs off of owners and potential buyers. People love and keep their Harleys.
Michael12: yep,the #1 modified motorcycle in the world! Maranatha, Greetings from Tampa Florida 😎
@Art Vandelay : Sportys are fun to ride and modify,one of mine (Fatster 1992)has a fatboy frontend,one(Glidester 1993)has an FLH frontend and the 03 sporty I put a 48 frontend and put a full sized light on it,great looking machines and fun to ride and I'm 68! Maranatha, Greetings from Tampa Florida 😎 say hello to George😅!
@Jcam Camarij huh,.... Like the old sales pitch goes,..."you meet the nicest people on a Honda"....
They are the best looking harleys in my opinion.
Dyna looks like a large sportster, and yeah for the most part sportster looks are the best. Only exception is the springer like a bad boy, they're pretty good looking.
I Agree
Yes, they are, and regardless of this video’s opinion, the sportster isn’t going anywhere. It’s the best selling bike they currently produce. Plus, it is very easy to get 100+ hp out of an evo sportster, the build is not complicated or expensive, especially when compared to buying another brand’s bike new with that much power.
I agree! I used to have a Honda cbr, then I saw this great looking sportster ! And I've had a sportster ever since!
Which ain't sayin' much. The XR750 is the most beautiful bike Harley ever made and it ain't been made in that flat trakker form in a long long long long time. No Harley is as beautiful as any Triumph made between 1949 and 1970.
The Sportster is a motorcycling Icon !
Yeah....for POSERS!
@@Martmns what is a real harley then?
if they stop making the sportster, they can still rely on their T-Shirts. i would like to add if i may, i really do not like to pay for over priced merchandise and to advertise someone else's product. sorta getting boned twice sorta thing.
I admit that I don't see many Sportster a on the road like I use to.
I've got a 1200 Roadster and a knock off T Shirt . 😁🇨🇳
@@joetroutt7425 Check out Sportster Sickness UK FB page . 9,000 members and counting .
And the T-Shirt last longer than their "tractor'.......
A Sportster weighs as much as a lion & goes over 100 mph. That bike will kill you just like any other bike on the market. The only girly bikes are the full dressers with cushy suspension, heated seats, wind deflectors, radio entertainment, gas gauges, lumbar back rest, and heated grips. Mommy, I broke my nail on my overpriced Super Limited Edition Electra Glide Special with chrome accents, custom glitter paint, and leather tassels.
I don't condone this comment but it's funny as f**k.
Different Spokes TV Why he’s right. Harley is going down the drain and I own two.
Well said..lmfao
Lol
Spot on. Sportster is the most harley harley
Sportster is my favorite model! Stripped down, minimalist, you can personalize it and its compact!
The Sportster is like me; it's the last of it's kind... I've owned three Sportsters since 1982. I purchased my first one, a 1979 Iron Head Roadster, at Killeen, Texas Harley-Davidson in 1982, while I was Stationed with the 1st. Calvary Division at Ft. Good. I have a 2005 883C that I rebuilt and modified and turned into a Screamin Eagle 1200. Also, I have owned two FXR's and one Dyna, too. I love Sportsters; they rock in Traffic, in the Mountains, and cruising through the City. Long live the Sportster!!! Peace, Stiletto :-)
Thanks for the comment. Hopefully they don’t cancel them.
Bought my first sporty at the Killeen dealership too, still got it
My first duty station was in 1st Cav in Ft Hood in '82-'83 (15th Fin Co). Passed my motorcycle driver's license there, and bought a Kawa CSR 650... and now, at the age of 57, passing my french moto license. (yup, TX license expired when I left the service in '97). And the bike I'm leering at is none other than the Iron 883. They still have them here for sale in France, but this video does have me worried, if only that it'll jack the price of the 2nd hand 883s up (a 2 y/o 883 goes for around 8500 - 9500 euros).
Thanks for the excellent video, Different Spokes !
My first Harley was a 79 Sportster. A poor lost orphan of a bike. Most stuff from the catalogs didn't fit. "Fits all Sportsters but 79" was the bain of my existence.
@@jimbob7559 late 70's to 81 were junk. 82 when harley got back in the drivers seat quality seemed to improve. opinion based from working on alot of them. 82-85 were the best of the ironheads
After 37 years motorcycling, I think I'm coming around on Harleys, thanks to videos like this. I'm starting to appreciate the lack of refinement and the continuity from a simpler time.
I loved my sportster. It's only a girls bike when it's owned by a girl.
Sonny Barger rode one, I doubt people thought he was a girl.
I wanna see a girl kick start my ol ironhead . NO WAY
@Terry Melvin I love sporties. I have 3 ironheads. But even a 1200 isnt going to run with a big twin down the freeway. Maybe light to light but thats it. Not if its a factory stock bike. In fact I hate my sporties on the highway. Keep in mind mine are choppers though.
@@chopperchopster FYI the Sportster was never intended to be driven on today's interstates. It was originally marketed to be a street legal version of the K-Model which was HD's factory race bike which ompeted against @ < 72mph flat track race bikes. Back in the 60s & 70s people REALLY rode the Sportster the way it was intended & nobody wanted a 700+lb 125+ci poor handling/braking 125mph+ old man's 25k mechanically inferior bulldozer.
Sportsters are 'girls bikes' due to it's superior street racing qualities..short, tall, narrow, high center of gravity" tons of 0-50 torque. < This is what made HD...not flyin' 125mph down the interstate pretending it's a 2wheel car.
i kinda missed the sportster 72, 48, iron 883 , 883r's, the nightster's also i remember when they was all came out before i bought my first sportster 10yrs ago it was a 89 883 and i loved that bike i fixed it up to make it look like a nightster since i admired them all since they discontinued them. my newest sportster i fell in love with since i bought the first day from the dealership its a 08 883c back in 2016 and i hope they wont stop making them they are the best looking bike that ever made with the dynas and fxr's.
Never had a sportster I’ve always had softail and touring but..... the sportster 48 looks like a work of art. Beautiful bike.
I love my sportster. Maintenance is easy, parts are abundant, and a huge aftermarket
I just bought my first bike of my own, an Iron 883, and I could not love it more.
I've been riding for over a decade, and I've had the Big Japanese 4, including a Busa. My Sportster has been my favorite. She rumbles and she shakes, but she is a lot of fun and she is a keeper.
I love the Sportster. I think you can upgrade a Sportster engine to perform better than any of the Big Twins. Hopefully, it stays in the Harley lineup, but even if were discontinued there will be plenty of Sporty's to go around for many years. With after-market accessories and various engine kits, you can make a Sportster into any type of bike you want without the ridiculous price tags on Harley Big Twins.
too bad most of them will be butchered into hardtails
Longest production bike Harley has ever had. Has as much power, handles, feels, and rides like a 57 Chevy. Riding one is an experience. I bought my 1200 when I was stationed in England off another service member and rode that thing all across Europe. Stock. Talk about hamburger butt. But I loved it. Everywhere I went I got questions or people wanting to take pictures on it. It's just iconic. And now going to be passing it to my son in six years. One of the beautiful things about it is I know in six years it's still going to be running. It takes a shotgun to kill the damn things. So thanks for doing this video. I thought it would be biased against but it was a very well balanced look.
Thanks. Appreciate it. Hope your son enjoys the bike!
The sportster is the best model hd makes, it’s like a 350 Chevy just keeps going
Mine didn't. It kept stopping. Usually in the middle of a desert. Utah, Nevada, Texas, didn't matter. I was stranded in all of them.
I agree with you , I bought a Honda Spirit and will eventually buy a Sportster . I wanted a Sportster sence 1985 . I enjoy my current bike , I'm just not a fan of its forward controls .
Bought mine in 2001 and it is still going strong and plenty powerful with a 1200 engine and racing ignition module. does not break down and does not vibrate? even though the engine is not rubber mounted. It is not slow 0-100klm in 4.5 secs.
My XL1200S would go 118 mph with my 200 lbs. plus frame on it. The problem with it was the rigd mounted engine. The handle bars felt like they would come out of my hands at seventy. I had to fix the carburetor myself because the Harley dealer did not want to honor the warranty. I taught my son to ride it and he loved it and he was seventeen at the time so I gave it to him as a graduation gift. I am keeping it for him until he comes back from overseas and I thought about upgrading the styling and I think it could use a balanced crank.
I had the same thing with my Sportster I got a set of the the rubber grips with it it removed all the tingling in my right hand from holding the throttle wish I had bought them 30 years ago but they should help
Great advice! I did the same a long time ago and it did help but the rigid mounted engine transmits right through the handlebars at high speed with no sixth gear.
I loved my Sportster. Had many bikes but the Sportster was a unique bike.
My first bike was an 84 Sportster. I took a lot of crap about riding a sporty back then . I liked that bike except on long trips .
I bought my first motorcycle in August of '19. a Sportster 48 Special. I love it. It definitely has the classic look and feel you want from a Harley that their other models just don't seem to have anymore. It's gotta plenty enough muscle to have some fun, but not so much it's easy to get into trouble with. I don't have any desire to "upgrade" to a bigger Harley. When I do get an additional bike it'll be something that will fill a role it can't. Like a duelsport or an ADV. But even then the sporty will be there for me when I want to ride a rumbly bit of history.
Just purchased a 2003 883 Hugger with 2400 miles in like new condition. It's my 11 Harley, at at 70 my last. I will go out in style :)
Thanks for sharing and congrats on the bike.
I have had several harley sportsters from my first 1973 XLCH , though my main ride nowadays is a 2010 Dyna Superglide - IMO harley went outta buisiness in 2017 (RIP Dyna) The new bikes are about as satisfying as watching a video. The ability to modify your bike into a one of a kind in your driveway, was what really helped bring riders together. Mutual appreciation for the machine and the belief that "chrome will get ya home". Chow bros.
Can’t imagine a world without the sporty
Hey Mike, um with ya, not the best or the fastest but it runs gr8, vibrates like hell
at some speeds but is e.z. to work on, I bot it w 43,885 miles and added a good
20 some oddK to her and getting ready to put her back on the road. Sometimes I
get 50 a gallon
The Hammie Matt at least now it’s 72🤩
No way, no way, no way. People are always talking s**t. Friends do not let friends drive japanese , italian, british, chinese, indian, english, bikes. i don't think french people can build anything. Any way. they will be making sportsters long after we have all died and been forgotten.
Great meaningful video. I still own and ride in Europe a Sportster 883R I bought in 2003, the last HD model WITHOUT injection and WITHOUT silent-block to reduce vibration. An amazing bike, I will never be tired of. Delivered originally with 2 in 1 exhaust pipe and 3 disks break. I am having 2 people on a waiting list to buy it (if I decide to sell it) the exact same price I paid it new 17 years ago.
I ride an 07 1200 roadster. Have done a Screaming Eagle stage IV up grade, including better exhaust. Now rated at 100 hp and 86 ft/lbs torque after being dyno tuned. Never giving mine up......don't need to trade "up"!
laurie forrest
Agreed!!
My sport touring 2008 yamaha fz1 that I street fightered out makes 151hp and 80 ft/ . Lol and I got it for 3000 . Harley needs to step it up .
Apples to oranges. I ride a Honda CBR600 and a Harley V-Rod. They are both fun in their own way.
I'll share another thing about the Sporty. During 07 to 09, I was a professional Harley Davidson Motorcycle test rider. Other than some early gen-2 Evo casting flaws, they were never able to fail the Sporty engine. Our hardest test for the bike was the high-speed auto test. On the 5 mile circle track at wide open throttle, 5th gear. Average speed, 118mph for all day long. In an 8 hour day, 6 hours on the track, it used a tank of fuel each hour, a quart of oil each hour and a brand new tire each day. Alot of pressure on engines and tires at that consistent speed. We did that about once a week with that Sporty engine screaming its head off but the Sporty's engines never failed and we did that no less than 4 times a month on the same bike until the bike milaged out if its test. Remarkable results for any bike. Take it on the road and hold it at wide open throttle for 6 straight hours. That was just one of the many tests the Sporty went through. Our miles were considered 7 times harder than the average rider mile. The bikes often went 30K miles before being sent back to Harley for tear down and specking the parts for test results. The Sporty is small, uncomfortable and rides bad, but its worth buying just to get the motor. And its a genuine, old school bike with boatloads of character. ...Just sayen.
The Sportster motor was ahead of it's time and if you know anything about them you know they aren't obsolete even to todays standards … ie.. rock solid dependability, easy 50+mpg, and much room in them to tune and mod for greater performance (if desired). Sportsters rule, Harley bashers drool.
Total agree.
The Sportster's bottom end can be traced back to the "Flathead" motor from 1929, how anyone can say the Sportster motor was ahead of it's time is beyond me, when the OHV Sportster motor was introduced in 1957, it's bottom end was 28 years old and it's now 91 years old. By the way I'm not a Sportster hater, I have owned a 2011 XL883N Iron from new. Maybe it's time to introduce H-D's modern water cooled motors and give the old air cooled Sporty a rest. Royal Enfield has halted production of their beloved "Bullet" models in March this year after a production run of Bullet's since 1931, the Bullet was the World's longest continually produced motorcycle with an 89 year run, I can't see that record ever being broken by the H-D Sportster. Millennials aren't buying motorcycles and H-D's traditional customer's are now aging, it's adapt for the future or die for all the motorcycle manufacturers, not just Harley-Davidson.
@@davidmacgregor5193 Where have you been, V Rod has come and gone !
Had a second year of the rubber mount, a 1200 custom. Love hate for sure, but HD just hasn’t done right by the XL. Needs: 6 SPEED TRANNY,badly; slightly bigger engine(1400); better quality small parts, like exhaust mounts, etc.; custom models need speedo and tach; make an LT light touring model, with touring seat, windshield, decent size bags and a tour trunk. Did that to mine, and it was a great ride. Also longer, softer suspension, did that to mine, also. Could be done, and it would really be popular. Long live Sportsters!
@@daveerwin5938 it was called the Dyna.... Now it's a Softail Low Rider with an air-cooled ( no liquid cooling, other than oil of course), Milwaukee Eight 107
I traded in my 2016 Heritage Softail for a 2017 Sportster 1200 Custom. I couldn’t be happier. It’s motorcycling in its purest form. The wind in your face and the rumble and growl of the Evolution engine. A wise man once said: “the only machine that man has made that has a soul is the steam locomotive.” That is false. There are two: the steam locomotive and the Harley-Davidson Sportster motorcycle. Great video!
I had hoped Harley would have done for the Sportster what it had done for the Twin Cam. A redesign. Four valves per cylinder, and water cooled heads would allow them to keep the Sportster alive. I love my 05 883 and have no plans on ever getting rid of it. It might be the least powerful bike I own but it is definitely the funnest road bike I have every had.
@@tomquinn607 Hate to disagree. 2003 was the last Sportsters with a transmission door behind the clutch. My 05 is rubber mounted with the split case design that is the same on today's Sportsters. Only real difference is mine has a carburetor, and runs on regular gas.
I’m 57 & on my 3rd Sportster, a 1995 1200 in showroom cond, this bike is an absolute gem, yes it shakes & vibrates but I wouldn’t have it any other way as it’s an awesome bike & a blast to ride, nice vid, new sub here!
Thanks! Appreciate it :)
Lots like to talk crap on the Sporty but it is a fun bike to ride. Honestly its hard to beat the sound of a properly exausted EVO.
Yes, of course, for real RIDERS sound is important... NOT!
Yeah, I get the same feeling when I put playing cards in the spokes of my Huffy.
@@MrJC7071 what the fuck is a real rider? Tell me please.
@@martincohn8245 yeah sound the type of guy that drives a Prius and enjoys the sound of a quiet exhaust.
Vance n Hines pipes are the best sounding pipes for a Sportster. No baffles.
My first bike was a 86 883,loved it.My new bike is a thirteen 48,I like anything with two wheels but the sportster just does it for me.
Reading all the comments, I figured Id tell my story. Learned to ride in 03 and very first bike, which was new, was a 2004 FXDLi. After 4 years and gobs of money, I couldnt wait to get rid of it. Total PoS that handled like crap. After many more years and bikes later, I purchased a new/used 2016 Ultra Limited in Dec 2019. The bike had 15 miles on it and was $18k OTD. Now, after all the crap I had to change, the bad feelings of owning a Harley are all coming back. Of all the bikes I ever owned, the Harleys were the only ones that gave me problems. I also have a 2018 VMax and never had to do anything to it. These are the best examples of why Harley is slowly dying.... Very unfortunate.
I have had one Harley that was a total PoS (an Electra glide which was used) out of the 4 that I have owned. Two of which were Sportsters.
@@joetroutt7425 I hear you. I actually have the 2016 Ultra Limited up for sale, but may simply keep it. I paid $18k OTD used (it only had 15 miles on it), so I figured I would be relatively safe buying the bike. Unfortunately, the suspension SUX and the bike has no power on the highway. I already dropped about $2k into the bike (Seat, backrest, bars, LEDs and Sony 7000 head unit). I figure, if it sells it sells. If not, Ill just keep it. The only thing Im really happy about is that I didnt buy it new.
I quit riding bikes many years ago, but I still love to see them and learn about what's new. I'm a new subscriber to your channel. I like your thoughtful, reasonable comments. And in this video, the collection of photos and movie clips is fantastic!! Very enjoyable! Thanks and best wishes!
Awesome, thank you and welcome to the channel. Good to have you aboard, maybe you'll be inspired to get back into riding. Cheers.
Back in the late eighties I was looking for a bigger bike than my Yamaha XT500. I was looking for a Sportster because it looked great. I went to a dealer and sat on it. I immediately knew that this wasn't going to be my next bike. I looked like a giant on it.
In the early 1980's I owned a Laverda 1200 triple, it was well built, fast and handled reasonably well considering it's top heavy motor and seating position. In 1976 Laverda's legendary 981cc Jota was the fastest motorcycle that you could buy with 95 hp and a top speed of 146 mph. A 45 year old Jota can wipe the floor with any modern day Harley-Davidson or Indian. These days I'm older and slower so I ride a 2011 H-D XL883N 'Iron' of course.
Waiting on my tires for my 97 Sportster and i'm going on a trip, I love that bike feels so good to ride and always been reliable !
Been riding nearly 50 years. On the road since 1975. Bought my first HD in 1989. ('86 XL1100). Rode it everywhere including numerous interstate trips here in Australia. Kept it 5 years. Since then I've owned 2 other Sporties and 3 big twins. Currently have a 2012 FXDWG with a few tweaks / trinkets. Still tuning / servicing all my own bikes..(I have several others "not HD"). I have always made money on my Sporties when I sell 'em & always lost at least some on the big twins. Sporties are fun, fast enough and just as reliable. Sometimes I think of buying another one but to be honest I need a bigger shed...LoL...one day, hey.
Thanks for sharing!
As the saying goes I never wanted a Harley but I always wanted a Sportster. So much so I’ve had 3 and still have 2 of them 👍
Me too. Harley hater, yet Sportster lover. Is it normal?
I have a Road King which I love. My wife has a Sportster 1200 Custom and it is a blast to ride. Fun which my RK is not.
im in the exact same boat. Picked up my first sportster about 6 months ago and it is magnificent. I'm still not much of a Harley enthusiast but my 97 1200 is everything i ever wanted and more. Dirt cheap too.
@@xsonz2 I picked up my '98 sporty 1200 for $2700 two years ago. It came with dual gauge package, forward controls, progressive rear springs, Vance and Hines turn-out short exhaust, and a mustang two-up seat with pillion backrest. I got it because my dealer turned my 2003 Ultra into a project through their ineptness. I was without the bike for 4 months. I changed the oil on the sporty, put a new front disc and pads and rode from then on doing nothing but oil changes. I ride my Ultra mostly, because it's set up really nice and is gorgeous in its 100th anniversary gunmetal paint. I put a six speed Screaming Eagle trans in it because the dealer destroyed my trans by continuing to tighten the new drive belt because of squeaking. It turned out that they put on the wrong size tire. Anyway, the sporty had 30K miles when I got it and it's needed no repairs since. Sure it's carbureted, but it always starts even after sitting for weeks. When I ride it, I am in the pure motorcycling experience. I know a husband and wife young couple who each have an 883 that they outfitted with bags. With those bags and empty pillion, they can pack more stuff for road trips than my wife and I on the Ultra.
Yeah that's funny, I've never heard that one. Got any other nonsensical axioms to share?
Picked up my 1988 1200 Sportster on a -5 degree day and outran the snowstorm in my rearview mirror. Got home before the first flakes hit, half frozen and my butt was num from the vibrations. But I LOVED it!! It is still the genuine article in my book. Put on loads of km on that machine and appreciated every moment.
I bought a new Sportster Roadster last year and I absolutely love it. It’s a shame that it doesn’t get as much attention as the Iron 883 or 1200, I think it’s one of the best-looking bikes Harley makes.
Proud owner of a 2005 xl1200 custom......as long there is fuel, as long my heart is pumping,as long there are roads to ride i'll be riding my sportster.....till i die by heavens command or as roadkill.
Harley actually had to put some vibration back into the Milwaukee 8.
The first versions were dead smooth.
They got complaints.
I get why. If you’re going to base your brand on tradition your bikes have to be a little rough.
I remember it well, Just got the 91 XL1200, sitting under route 275 in St.Pete FL. its staccato beat reverberating off the bridge supports, mine being pre-owned came with an S&S teardrop
filter with a Shorty E super carb, 2 plugs per cyl. forward controls. . .vibrates like heel and I
love it.
People can say what they want about Sportys. Those are usually people who don't even ride! The classic simplicity of my 2K883C still turns heads, and at 180 decibels, makes some folks roll up their windows at a red light.
Motorcycles, of any make or brand, represent freedom and independence.
"Those are usually people who don't even ride! " Fer sure, 'cuz what they really want is a 'lifestyle fashion accessory', not a motorcycle.
Oh I know about the ppl at red lights rolling their windows up.
Homeless people that can make motorists roll up their windows, that isn't really something to brag about.
@@AveragePicker yeah sure homeless ppl want freedom and independence that's why some are homeless but to call a motorcyclist homeless is dumb af.
@@AveragePicker 'Loud pipes save lives'... maybe, if they don't know how to ride safely in the first place.
I started with a 1200 custom and went through the big twins ending back to a 1200 2016' Roadster 25 yrs later. To me the Evo is hands down the best engine ever to come from the MoCo. Its practically bulletproof and as iconic as Apple Pie. Just like discontinuing the Dyna, discontinuing the SPORTSTER would be like losing a part of HD soul never to return. Dont do it MoCo your having an identity crisis as it is, hold onto your roots.
i rode bsa; triumphs. sportster and almost every harley model up to my last H.d. 2005 deluxe. my sportster was a 76 ; which was manufactured at that time by AMF and that was the one bike i enjoyed riding the most in my almost sixty years of riding . i did a lot of cosmetic and mechanical work to it and it was a show stopper with a great sound; turned a lot of heads. really miss the riding and that great sportster; but eighty now and it's time to put the toys away
Nah, get another one!
That’s actually an amazing history with bikes. You must have a wealth of knowledge on the subject. You should consider doing some video essays on TH-cam about the various bikes you’ve owned. Thanks for the comment!
God bless you friend.
Thunderbolt's Rule
My dad threw the towel in his 50's... If you want to ride... Ride it as f!
G... I want to trade in my dad for you 😂
Excellent vid!! I bought a 2018 Iron 883. Great looking bike! Last summer, I traded it in for a 2019 48. The 48 is the best Sportster for me! After a Stage 1 upgrade, she really rocks! I plan on keeping her for the rest of my riding years (I'm 61). If H-D plans to be around indefinitely, I suspect they'll never stop making Sportsters. At least I hope not!!
They f'ed up when they got rid of Buell
Yeah, I have had a few Buells< they are the bikes Harley should have made.
BIG TIME!
They messed up the marketing was the problem. They were advertised as "sportbikes" but they had way too much Harley DNA to be true sportbikes like Ducatis or Japanese sportbikes. It caused people to have very high expectations for speed and power and they were disappointed. I love my Buell though. So many innovative features. I love the big front brakes on mine. Best brakes ive ever had on a bike, and they are in house too.
@Michael RedCrow I bought a Ulysses in 2009 - 3 dealers in the area carried buells - one dealer had his in the warehouse (salesman didn't know what I was talking about when I asked about one) , one wanted 2 grand over sticker, I bought it from the 3rd dealer for 2 grand under sticker. Harley dealers just want to sell bikes they can accsssorize, every second line bike they have tried to sell failed.
My first "real" street bike was a '68 Sportster XLCH that I purchased used from Roy's Harley Davidson in Pontiac, MI in 1973. It had just 900 miles on the clock. I paid $1400 for it. Sold it in 1977.
That bike was nothing but pure fun. I wish I still had it!
Sound awesome. Thanks for sharing!
It's the most reliable engine that Harley makes in recent times.
Debatable. Probably their most reliable "simple" design, for sure....but the liquid cooled Revolution engine powering the VRod was every bit as rock solid....and a real performer to boot.
The Sportster engine was developed from the 45ci KR and the 55 cu.in. KH from the mid-50s, both flat head types but of unit construction. The Sportster was the "modern" engine with the unit construction and overhead valves. It got the reputation as the Milwaukee Vibrator back in '57 when I first began riding. I was shopping around for my first bike, looked at the Harley 125 and 165, opted out on those for a German Zundapp, never regretted that.
They really got it right, didn't they. I have a '98 sporty 1200 and it makes me smile every time I can tear myself away from my 2003 Ultra Classic. So different, but both alluring in their own way. There is absolutely nothing in the Touring lineup that makes me want to trade up from my 2003 Ultra. They lost the "lollipop" spot lights/turn signals and pressing menus is too automotive for my taste. Relative to an earlier Electra Glide, even mine is a little too modern. But these are the bikes I have and I will keep them until I can't any more.
Evolution is the Solution
I love my sportster. 2006 1200c. The last carbureted evo. It’s a fantastic bike. I’ve done thousand mile weekends and every second has been a blast.
I bought a 2019 iron 883. I love the look. I also like the 48s, and 1200. I use my 883 every day rain or shine and all though out the year, as the climate in New Zealand is suitable for it. It's a really cool bike. Sure, not fast enough for some but it does the job. I am yet to do a long trip on it and I want to put stage 1 plus the pipes for a better heavier sounds. Overall it's a bike made to ride on. I actually bought it in 2019 because I was afraid they would stop making them in 2020. Maybe I was stupid but it just looks right. Authentic but Modern looking.
They look great and you can do anything on them. It’s a proper old school bike.
I love my '18 Iron 1200! I've had sportbikes, cruisers, and UJM's over the years, but this simple Sporty is the most fun to putt around on of any I've had. Oh, and the retro AMF look just seals the deal!
I love my 20 years old Sportster 1200S and refuse to sell it any time soon. It just is so much fun to ride it.👍🙂
I've been riding Honda since 1974, loved them, they are ultra reliable and my last one, a CTX1300, was just so smooth, powerful and head turning. Loved the CTX which someone described as my 'Starship Enterprise Bike'.
A problem? Yes, the only problem I had with it was the weight. I kept dropping it when moving it around by hand so I decided that at 71 years of age I needed to go smaller. I test rode a few other bikes and then the Honda dealer got a second hand (2017) Sportster Superlow XL1200T in. I rang up and booked a test ride.
When I set off it took me a little while to get used to having to ride the corners rather than just gliding around them like the CTX did but I had a feeling, an undefined feeling, of just feeling very good and cool riding this vibrating bike that actually sounded like an old Harley, albeit a bit quiet according to most people.
A year later (bought it in June 2019) I absolutely love my 1200T Sportster, it's only 100cc less than the CTX but 100kg lighter, it's lower, it suits me.
Never imagined I'd ever ride anything but a Honda but this little Sportster has soul and it transfers that soul into me every time I ride it.
Thanks for the video, it gave me an insight as to why I love it so much, and why just a couple of days ago a guy with a huge, and magnificent, Heritage, told me to hang onto the sportster and take care of it. They are going to become rare and expensive in the future.
Cheers, I've subscribed and I look forward to viewing more of your videos.
Thanks a lot for the awesome comment and enjoy that sweet ride. Cheers.
How many motorcycle company’s can say they have a model today that was introduced in 1957 ?
John Smith all those British motorcycle companies were reintroduced by new companies (like Indian), their machines have no connection to the original machines made in the 60s-80s unlike the Harley Davidson Sportsters, but good try 👍
Ural
@@ilyafilru Correct, Ural have been producing motorcycles since WW2 👍
how many buyers think that's a good thing?
Moto Guzzi
Its true, my 94 softail is smooth at idle and started to vibrate through the gears. but thats what gives you the feeling of power, and a connection to the machine
I have 2 pans, 3 shovels, 8 45s and sold my sporty a few years ago. Think I’ll buy another.
I own a Superlow 883 2015 model. I never felt of upgrading to another variant of Harley, as I love the looks, the vibration, the sound, the feel. I will preserve my bike, as I wish my daughter rides it after she's grown up. I am damm sure due to emission restrictions being imposed by various countries, there would be a change in place in all the bikes which companies would come up. Hence, I wish my daughter gets an opportunity to ride this legend which her father is planning to preserve for years. She is just 3 and loves riding on the Sporster with me.
I have had newer bikes, but everyone I know never gets rid of their sportster. I still have my old 88 in the garage on a stand. She will be resurrected soon!
When i lived in UK i bought a 92 883 my first harley. I upped the tank to split 5 gal, forward pegs 6 inch risers and fat boy bars, tent across the bars, went through spain and france on it. Loved it
Turn the idle up a bit and it will oil better.
My first Harley was an 02 1200 sport. I liked it. It had plenty of get up and go and top end for me. I have a 2012 street glide now. I’ll have it for awhile. It’s pretty much exactly what I always wanted in a bike
In 2005 a 1200 Sportster had the 2nd quickest 1/4 mile ET of the whole Harley line up! Second only to the Vrod
My first Harley was a 2004 883 Sportster. I loved that bike. It still had a carb, but was rubber mounted. It had the potato potato sound, but was smooth as hell. It had enough power for me and tons of aftermarket items. I still miss that bike.
16 bikes...my 16 roadster is one of my favorite to ride...when I was in high school...couldn't wait to move up from a sportster...now, 3 of 16 are sportster ( 2 xr 1200 )...5 are buells ..the newest is a livewire...oldest is an 81 sturgis....all fun all good.....good riding to you alll
The Roadster would be my choice if I was in the market. I like the riding position and suspension.
@@DifferentSpokesTV yes...it makes me feel like I'm going fast without really doing it....actually handles well if not pushed too hard....just have to ride it before the livewire or else it sounds like there's about 5 hammers loose inside the motor!
love the 1200XR those are my faves
If the Sporty had a longer wheel base, it would be more aesthetically appealing to me. For me, it's not about speed, but I do like my 'get out of the way' power. Personally, I prefer bikes that are stripped down as far as you can take it and have the bike still run.
Sportsters will always be the real Harleys!
good story thx. When I was a kid in the 70's I used to lust after it. When I was old enough to afford one I couldn't believe how heavy it was, how dangerous the breaks were, how the suspension just didn't . . then I discovered Buell, that engine, that sound, suspension that did, cool looks, light weight ...aah. I've owned my XB12r since 2008.
I ride a Twin Cam. The guys who ride Sportsters with us say they "rev too high" at highway speeds. IMO, put higher gearing in the Sportster transmission and you'll have a whole lot better machine. Harley under-gears the Sportsters as a sales ploy to get you to trade-up to a big twin.
no its to get the tning moving... boomers think anything reving more than 1k at 75 is over reving.... people used to rev big block 3000 at 60 and no one bat an eye.
I have a 1976 XLCH that I bought in 1987. I had ridden other Sportsters before but not like this one with an engine sound unlike any other. It was love on the first ride. Not sure about slow topping out about 110 mph screaming like a Banshee When she starts first kick a feeling of pride comes over me. Mostly stock with a few bolt on things like drag pipes,solo seat,30mm Screaming Eagle carburetor. House of Colors candy apple red paint. Laced wheels with stainless spokes. She is a beauty and sitting at a red light I have had Harley riders ask me what kind of motorcycle is that? When I twist the throttle and shift gears me and the motorcycle fuse together and become one. I still have and ride this bike and after 33yrs together I love her dearly.
Whenever I hear that stale line" Sportsters are a giiirrrllss bike"!,yeah,I reply,like a Corvette is a girls car! And I've got 3 sportys 👍Smell you later, as the tail light fades to black☺! Maranatha, Greetings from Tampa Florida 😎
yea, you sound kinda girlish. 3 sportys? on yellow, pink and candy-white? how many butts do you have?
Yeah okay, guy. Good luck getting any ass on your sporty, nerd!
As the tail light fades to black?
Is your battery dying or something?
@@martincohn8245 : is that why you ride dude😳I've got a Dyna and Ultraclassic for 2 up riding, not to mention you do know me to call me a nerd, you looking in the mirror ? I suspect your not riding a Harley at all and probably never have😆
What a great intro! This is a video that I want watch over and over. This is a great video for people that long for that we have lost!
There is a reason that over year ago, when i started looking for my first bike.. i ended that journeys beginning... with a 20 year old Solid mounted 1200cc sporster. #RumbleOn
Yeah there is, but I am honestly too tired of shit posting to say it again. You know what I am thinking though, don't you? 😏
Your spot on! I love the vibration and carburated engine that sounds amazing and turns heads. I have 1996 1200 Sportser sreamin eagle and love it. And mine is still old school CHROME and not black . I have to wash and polish it. I test drove the M8 and was powerfull but tooooo smoooth
I love my Sportster. Great bike, one of my favorite rides.
I still have my 1980 XLS, and Iron head Sporty's are an experience all their own. My wife still has her 1999 XLH which she purchased new. Newer bikes are smoother, more power, but so what? sometimes it;s about character and how much they make you smile when you twist the throttle.
Back in the late 60's a TV show called Then came Bronson and he was mounted on a sportster and many of my riding pals all wanted one. I was mounted on a 1941 45CI Sport solo at the time and was happy with it even thought it only did 55 MPH down a hill but it looks cool and girls like it. I never had a Sportster they were uncomfortable and seemed small to me. I been looking for a 1972 Ironhead to restore to match my 1972 FLH police Special just to have one.
I thought it was Then came Bronson
@@MrRemo58 Thanks I have big fat finger typing syndrome.
Well done video! I ride a 1200XL low. It is an '06 so the last year of carburation adding to that historic sound. I also think the time of the last Evo is coming and have mixed views on this. I could go on and on but you have done an awesome job and if your reading this chances are you are a Sportster enthusiast. On the upside of this topic, I am certain my grandson will still be riding this bike long after I am gone. With all the modern technological advancements in motorcycles not many will live as long. YES it is the best motorcycle H-D has ever produced. I have a friend with a 107 Milwaukee 8 and he often comments that he wishes his bike sounded as good as mine. Long Live the Sportster!!!!!!
Thanks for sharing. That sweet sound is going away unfortunately. Hopefully the Sportster doesn't. Cheers.
The only hd left that looks like motorcycle
Exactly!
The amazing thing about the Sportster is that it is still on sale at all. You can't walk into a Ford dealer and buy a 1964 Mustang or even a 1985 Mustang. But a Harley dealer will happily sell you a bike that hasn't changed that much in over 50 years. Like a classic car, that gives it a lot of character, but not modern performance or reliability.
Harley has managed to dodge the bullets that forced car makers (and most bike makers) to update their engineering into the modern era. If the Sportster has to update or die, than that's just the way it works. You can always buy an old one.
Always wave to other riders no matter what they ride. 👍✌
Except scooters. Scooters dont count
@@TheZachjsr Anything with a motor and two wheels counts. If you're out there risking your brisket on the road you get a wave from me.
Living on coastal Oregon Hwy 101 I am able to see most of the touring and cruisers out for a good ride. HD is also culpable in the runny snot attitude usually the ape hanging club lettered bad boys who like to think they are the preemo bad ass's in town and refuse to acknowledge fellow riders. Scooter and small bike riders happily greet other bikers. The most important fact is riding what and to a small extent what you ride. Sorry for the rant. There is a LOT of bigotry within the motorcycle world and kicking your opponent while he's down is considered OK.
@@TheZachjsr. Scooters don't wave back anyway.
@Zacharia Abdollahi Correct, even if you would ... they don't know why you are waving and think: why is this weirdo waving at me😁👋
I have owned and still own a full sized Harley dresser (Love the M-8 engine) but I always wondered, and kinda wanted a Sportster. I bought a Iron 883 and I love the lil booger, with three other bikes in the garage (One being a 2018 KLR 650, ironically) I'm picking the 883 more often to ride. It would be a HUGE mistake for the MoCo to 86 the Sportster lineup at this time. Whatever they eventually replace it with it should still be a Sportster in spirit. (Ironically again, the same can be said for the KLR's eventual replacement.)
Uuuh just spottet "BMW R18 - Why BMW?" - that will be pretty dope for me as a German (and as a BMW fanboy) :)
But to this vid: Last mid season I finally could afford to buy my absolute dream naked bike: A brandnew MT-09 SP.
This bike has so much character for a naked sports bike, with its iconic motor and its overall more kind of hooligan than track focused package. It ticks all my boxes and it feels even better than I thought it would feel. I love this naughty bike!!
However, after getting my license back 2 weeks ago I took my stock 2014 Iron 883 out for the first ride of the season.
And like every year I was in shock what this bike does to me riding it. I literally had to fight the tears (for safety reasons haha) getting to some speed shifting through the gears for the first time. It's crazy, it really is. Riding the bike feels so good that it hurts sometimes. For me, personally, the 2009 - 2015 Iron 883 is one of the prettiest motorcycles ever made - and it feels exactly as sporty and raw but smooth as it looks. Yes, sporty, it was developed to win races on- and offroad, and you can feel it. Well, I can.
I will keep this bike exactly as it is and never ever give it away.
Michael Finck: two of my sportys started out in life as an 883,a 1992 that I put a Fatboy(Fatster, now)frontend on it and bobbed the rear fender and solo seat with springs and drag bars and forward controls and blacked out the motor it looked mean just no real power,but when I converted it to a 1200, what a difference 👍Maranatha, Greetings from Tampa Florida 😎
I used to have a 2018 Moto Guzzi V7 III Special and everyone commented it was like a piece of art. I traded it in for a 2019 Sportster 883. Everyone tells me it’s the best Harley they’ve ever seen.
It's hard not too feel good on two wheels.
Back in the 90s I got on the HD bandwagon. Back then they had a waiting list. Everyone wanted one. I couldn’t get the Softail I wanted for a year so I bought a 1200 Sportster to hold me over. I loved that bike but kept thinking how great life would be when the Softail arrived. One day it did. It was big, loud and full of attitude but not nearly as fun to ride. To be honest I wanted my Sporty back but it wasn’t cool to ride a Sporty so I suffered through it. I eventually sold the Softail and moved on to European bikes. Ive never looked back. I do however reminisce about the Sportster and I’ve thought about picking up a used one to add to my collection. Nice low mileage units can be had for less than 3k. Now I’m in my 50s and couldn’t care less what people think about what I ride. Great video! Keep me coming.
Thanks! Much appreciated.
Learned to ride on a street 750. Bought a sportster 48 special 1 year later. I love it to bits. Cant imagine ever getting rid of it 😅
Do you scape the pegs in turns ?
@@chopperking007 all the time 😅 the more you scrape em the deeper you can turn overtime 😂
After 7 other bikes (GS, Enfield Bullet, KLR...) I finally came around and bought my first ever Harley - a 1200 custom 2018... unbelievable - did not know what I have missed all those years before... a true legend, true riding, simply solid.
for me a true american motorcycle with a history line
I went out of my way to make sure I bought a rubber mounted , carbureted 2006 . The shake is still there without the vibration and with the carbs they are fun to work on and tune to my taste . Fuel injection lost it for me . I love my 2006 custom with all the chrome .
I wouldn't sell my sporster. It looks cool, it sounds cool, it is slow, so I want risk any speed tickets. I also riding from time to time a Honda CB 1000R but I still would chose the Iron883 over the CB1000R
Not a Harley fan though I'm a vintage fan.. But I like the Sportster. Harley has legacy but is relatively expensive and have certain technical problems which are harder to do. Would be nice if they went back to basics, have a more cost effective and re-engineered bike. Enfield did it. No reason Harley can't.
I rode an earlier AMF Sportster. You want to talk about vibration. Makes your hands itch. The newer ones when they fuel injection were pretty nice.
I have a 03 frame mounted Evo Sportster and mine doesn't vibrate that bad. Actually no worse than my 14 Streetglide.
@@joetroutt7425 This one was old, but fun. My friend bought a 2013 Sporty 1200. Sweet !!!
I'm not a Harley guy in any way whatsoever but this video almost makes me want to try a Sportster out. This is exactly the kind of advertising HD need, congrats on an excellent review and video!
Thanks a lot for the complement.