Ive never owned a Harley, but I have owned a cruiser., a sportbike, a dualsport, adventure....I've enjoyed all of them. Just riding makes me happy and I am never in a hurry. Ride safe brother!
Man I got to be honest, after riding around a little more off cam. I’m not feeling it. I need dirt capability. I’m getting really antsy waiting on the T700.
66 and riding since 14. 5,10 170 lbs. Lots of diff. bikes. Currently 08 XL1200C,, Bought it cheap with 4k miles, inc. forwards with heal rests, extra chrome, all the quick clamp-ons and throwovers . I've added Stage 1, LEDs, shocks and 2 more nice saddles. PROs - 25k trouble free miles in 8 yrs. tank with head snapping torque, Dress it or strip it in 10 mins. Looks expensive, sounds just right, fits me like a glove. CONs: None
@Stevo Depends on the person, man. Many will say they suck and you need a bagger. Smaller gas tank, wind blast, etc. Sportsters weren't designed for it but they will do it all day long, with the rider being the weakest link. I plan on picking one up when the right deal lands. If you do road trips a lot ride an XL and ride a FL and look at your wallet, then decide. :)
I love me 1200 xl. I ride it all summer. Short rides. Big bikes aren’t made to be stopped and started. Thing never has failed me. I actually have this exact bike from 2004. I get crazy on it.
I’ve rode baggers and all those bikes with crazy price tags. I keep up. I can lift it up. I can spin the tire. Thing is comfortable like he said. Good bike to buy with a smaller budget.
It is unfair that folks constantly compare a Harley to a sport bike. It's not even the same kind of bike. It is, as you said, a "cruiser". We're not out there scuffing pegs or trying to get to the grave yard at 150+ mph. I live in the Western North Carolina mountains. Lots of steep roads to climb and ride down. My XL1200L pulls like a tractor and has all the power I need. I've also had Softails and Dyna's. Loved both. Harleys are their own breed of bike. And if they are so "bad", as you claim some say they are.... there sure are a ton of them on the road. Harley-Davidson has the most devoted customers in the history of motorcycles. And for good reason.
Absolutely correct. My 1200c gives “sport bikes” trouble” light to light, and I left a few of them on the dragon. So I can be comfortable, and embarrass others.
I never had a sport bike but always had standard or cruiser type bikes. Riding a motorcycle is about being part of the scenery not looking at it though a windshield. I am thinking about getting a Sporter as a returning rider and it would be my first Harley Davidson.
Since my main rides are the CRF230M and the Grom, I've taken my brother's Harley on small trips around town, and I'm not used to reaching 30mph so quickly. That thing is like a couch with wheels and a motor. Nice scenery you're riding in, by the way.
Interesting video! Mid 80's had a 1985 Honda XR350R , and my 1983 FXWG. Trail and cruise. My first Harley was a 1980 Sportster. Sold a Yamaha XS650 Special 1978 model after getting it.
My dream bike as I dont ride but if I did I would buy one .My friend had one and I wish I could ride one . Nice video that's the type of riding I would love.
I also own and wear a pair of hardy gloves when I ride. Currently a Triumph Trident 660, formerly: 08' Triumph Speed Triple, 10' Yamaha Fazer, 1993 CBR600 and a few others. Thinking about getting a HD LiveWire ( but that price though :/ )
I did a lot of dirt riding when I was younger, I'm 72 y/o now, I ride my 2004 XL1200R Sportster and I'm thinking about picking up a Dyna Glide down at the Harley store. For what it's worth, I'm going to sub, leave a thumbs up, and tap on the bell, I like your channel. Thanks for sharing.
I love my 2009 Nightster XL1200. She sounds great (video on my page), and is tons of fun. Sport bike riders need to understand Harleys aren’t built for speed just like Harley riders need to understand just because it’s not a Harley doesn’t mean it’s any less of a bike.
Sportsters are great bikes. Not perfect, but just a great bike to just .. ride! I have a KLR650, a bike that does what it does well. But I really enjoy it. Same with Sportsters. Just a cool back road bike to ride. Slow down and enjoy.thanks for the review on these under rated bikes.
Congrats on the Sporty! After riding and/or owning pretty much every Harley platform, the Sportsters and Dynas are the most fun to ride IMO... Dyna is basically a bigger Sportster, lol. My Dyna was the most comfortable and fun cruiser I've owned. Can't fathom why HD stoped making that platform. Congrats and have a blast with the new bike!
I was looking at the dynas, just a little high on the price. Otherwise I probably would have opted for one. HD seems to be going through some weird growing pains corporate wise. Unwise decision in my opinion.
It's a cruiser. But, it's a light-weight, nimble, and powerful cruiser. They're a whole lot of fun on country roads and around town. If you want to ride something at 65+ for 3 days on your way to Sturgis, you're gonna want something bigger and more comfortable.
i just got a 19 triumph scrambler xe for that exact same reason . when its too muddy , or you just dont feel like loading everything up and traveling to ride offroad . i just go to the garage , put on gear , and hit garage door opener . great bike , tons of torque . very comfortabel . the xe and xc scramblers are tall bikes . if your a shorter guy you might look into a street scrambler .
I have seen a few of those vids as well. So far she seems ultra sturdy. But I have only had her up to 70 or so. One thing I will note, I had death wobble on my dr650 at 75. But I associated that with my tire choice.
At 1:43 or so, you said you would flick this thing as hard as you can... If you don't mind, I would like to make a suggestion... I watched the way you did your "counter steering" move. You pushed "down" on the bars instead of forward on the bars. Take the heel of your palm and push forward instead of using the middle of your palm and pushing down to get the bike to turn.. By pushing forward, you can literally push the front tire out from under the bike, that is how fast you can counter steer by pushing forward and not down on that handle bar grip. Instead of using your lat muscle to push down (contracting your lat muscle), try using your front shoulder and pec muscle to "push" that grip forward. The bike will "snap" real fast into that turn... Try it...
Dude said nobody rides a Harley spiritedly. 🤣 quick search here you can find the hill run of the dude on the sportster who was losing the guy recording from his street bike
I have the exact same bike, same color too. I didn't see a full view of your bike in the video so if anyone wants to see the whole bike, you can check out mine. This is my bike th-cam.com/video/xMkPTHMbsp8/w-d-xo.html before I put on the Arlen Ness air-cleaner and progressive shocks to complete the stage-1 upgrade. It sounds great, maneuvers great, and is a lot of fun to ride anywhere. My only gripe is that it doesn't have a 6'th gear.
Tenere 700 (even with 80/20 tires mitas e09)for me is an even better road bike than a Harley sportster I’ve had both . You’ll be amazed at how it behaves on road and off-road in the right hands.
I can't cruise slow and take in the scenery anymore because of all the worthless rich tourists impatient to go everywhere, right now!, cannot relax with them tailgating me everywhere.
You sound like you are trying to justify the Sportster by saying "yeah it's not a sport bike, but it's ok" I absolutely despise "sport bikes". or crotch rockets as I call them. If they were the only bike available I wouldn't ride. I have owned around 50 bikes (I'm 62) and not a single one of them has been a crotch rocket. I have ridden a couple, or tried to. The riding position is unbearably painful, even for a short distance. They are completely worthless except for reckless and irresponsible riding. That is what they are designed for. They are track bikes. They shouldn't even be allowed on the street. If you want to ride like that, do it on a track, or off road. Fortunately most crotch rocket riders only kill themselves, and they deserve what they get for riding that way on the street. I have been riding Harleys for a long time. I ride them mostly for the feel and the sound. Yes they are comfortable, but without that "shake" and the beautiful sound, which you have to install an aftermarket exhaust system to get, they would be no different from any non crotch rocket Japanese street bike. Back in 2016, H-D removed the feel from their bigger bikes with the very Japanese like M8 engine. I test rode one. It was just like riding a Goldwing. I sold one of those because it was just too boring. That left the Sportster as the only REAL Harley that H-D made. And 2021 is the last year for the Sportster. H-D will officially be out of the Harley business. They are going full on Japanese. I hope they fail. I love the bikes they USE to make, but I have never liked the company. I currently have a 1989 FXRS Low Rider, a 1997 Sportster 1200, and a 2006 Sportster 1200. I also have a 2013 Royal Enfield Bullet 500, converted from EFI to a carburetor, and a 2001 Yamaha XT225 dual sport I would hang onto that Sportster, they are about to become really scarce and really expensive.
I just picked up a 2002 Sportster 1200 in excellent condition with only 4800 miles on it. This is my first bike. I'm going to be taking the safety driving course to get my license in July.
Yamaha Dealer? I’m Looking for T700, contact me!
Ive never owned a Harley, but I have owned a cruiser., a sportbike, a dualsport, adventure....I've enjoyed all of them. Just riding makes me happy and I am never in a hurry. Ride safe brother!
Man I got to be honest, after riding around a little more off cam. I’m not feeling it. I need dirt capability. I’m getting really antsy waiting on the T700.
66 and riding since 14. 5,10 170 lbs. Lots of diff. bikes. Currently 08 XL1200C,, Bought it cheap with 4k miles, inc. forwards with heal rests, extra chrome, all the quick clamp-ons and throwovers . I've added Stage 1, LEDs, shocks and 2 more nice saddles. PROs - 25k trouble free miles in 8 yrs. tank with head snapping torque, Dress it or strip it in 10 mins. Looks expensive, sounds just right, fits me like a glove. CONs: None
Sportster engines have always had the highest performance design and technology in the HD family. Loved my 1200.
@Stevo Depends on the person, man. Many will say they suck and you need a bagger. Smaller gas tank, wind blast, etc. Sportsters weren't designed for it but they will do it all day long, with the rider being the weakest link. I plan on picking one up when the right deal lands. If you do road trips a lot ride an XL and ride a FL and look at your wallet, then decide. :)
I love me 1200 xl. I ride it all summer. Short rides. Big bikes aren’t made to be stopped and started. Thing never has failed me. I actually have this exact bike from 2004. I get crazy on it.
I’ve rode baggers and all those bikes with crazy price tags. I keep up. I can lift it up. I can spin the tire. Thing is comfortable like he said. Good bike to buy with a smaller budget.
highest performance design and technology .... LOL
I love my 1200.
‘Cause it is fun too! I just brought my ‘06 XL1200C home last night
It is unfair that folks constantly compare a Harley to a sport bike. It's not even the same kind of bike. It is, as you said, a "cruiser". We're not out there scuffing pegs or trying to get to the grave yard at 150+ mph. I live in the Western North Carolina mountains. Lots of steep roads to climb and ride down. My XL1200L pulls like a tractor and has all the power I need. I've also had Softails and Dyna's. Loved both. Harleys are their own breed of bike. And if they are so "bad", as you claim some say they are.... there sure are a ton of them on the road. Harley-Davidson has the most devoted customers in the history of motorcycles. And for good reason.
Absolutely correct. My 1200c gives “sport bikes” trouble” light to light, and I left a few of them on the dragon. So I can be comfortable, and embarrass others.
I never had a sport bike but always had standard or cruiser type bikes. Riding a motorcycle is about being part of the scenery not looking at it though a windshield. I am thinking about getting a Sporter as a returning rider and it would be my first Harley Davidson.
Since my main rides are the CRF230M and the Grom, I've taken my brother's Harley on small trips around town, and I'm not used to reaching 30mph so quickly.
That thing is like a couch with wheels and a motor.
Nice scenery you're riding in, by the way.
There is something to JRA, enjoying the scenery. Thanks for the vid.
Had a 2004 1200R with the Buell heads. Loved that bike. Sounded great and pulled hard. 🤓👍
Cool. Thank you for video
Interesting video! Mid 80's had a 1985 Honda XR350R , and my 1983 FXWG. Trail and cruise. My first Harley was a 1980 Sportster. Sold a Yamaha XS650 Special 1978 model after getting it.
Cool man, hope you enjoy it. It is definitely a different riding style.
My dream bike as I dont ride but if I did I would buy one .My friend had one and I wish I could ride one . Nice video that's the type of riding I would love.
I also own and wear a pair of hardy gloves when I ride. Currently a Triumph Trident 660, formerly: 08' Triumph Speed Triple, 10' Yamaha Fazer, 1993 CBR600 and a few others. Thinking about getting a HD LiveWire ( but that price though :/ )
Nice job with the white zombie too! Love it!
Because you are allowed to buy and do nearly whatever you want, the joys of living in our beautiful and free North America! Keep doing what you enjoy.
Truth!
I did a lot of dirt riding when I was younger, I'm 72 y/o now, I ride my 2004 XL1200R Sportster and I'm thinking about picking up a Dyna Glide down at the Harley store. For what it's worth, I'm going to sub, leave a thumbs up, and tap on the bell, I like your channel. Thanks for sharing.
Mine is a 2006 sporty low 1200. Love it.
I totally agree. I px my Yamaha Niken GT for a Harley 48,( stage 1). Really glad with my choice.
I love my 2009 Nightster XL1200. She sounds great (video on my page), and is tons of fun. Sport bike riders need to understand Harleys aren’t built for speed just like Harley riders need to understand just because it’s not a Harley doesn’t mean it’s any less of a bike.
Make more vids love em keep it up
Fun bikes. I have a 2013 Sportster 1200 custom xl for 5 years now. But I'm now more interested in the triumph speed twin 1200
Ayeee man I see ya with the Hardy work gloves🤙
Sportsters are great bikes. Not perfect, but just a great bike to just .. ride! I have a KLR650, a bike that does what it does well. But I really enjoy it.
Same with Sportsters. Just a cool back road bike to ride. Slow down and enjoy.thanks for the review on these under rated bikes.
Nice video brother 🤗
It is what it is. I love my 1200. I cruise if I wanted a sport bike Ducati all the way. Different deal.
I love my Sportster.
1999 XLH883
How many miles does your spotter 1 liter of oil drive?
best bike on the planet! sportster 1200!!
Harleys have the sound and feel you can't get from a sport bike
either this or a triumph bonneville, it would be a good confortableComparision withe the sporster xr1200 , another great harley
Congrats on the Sporty! After riding and/or owning pretty much every Harley platform, the Sportsters and Dynas are the most fun to ride IMO... Dyna is basically a bigger Sportster, lol. My Dyna was the most comfortable and fun cruiser I've owned. Can't fathom why HD stoped making that platform. Congrats and have a blast with the new bike!
I was looking at the dynas, just a little high on the price. Otherwise I probably would have opted for one. HD seems to be going through some weird growing pains corporate wise. Unwise decision in my opinion.
Love my 1200❤❤❤❤❤
It's a cruiser. But, it's a light-weight, nimble, and powerful cruiser. They're a whole lot of fun on country roads and around town. If you want to ride something at 65+ for 3 days on your way to Sturgis, you're gonna want something bigger and more comfortable.
I have a 1200 sportster. I'll race any body any time. I love my sporty. I do need louder pipes.
I like it
Do you still have your bike?
Well I’ve had 8 Sportsters mostly 1200Rs. Once you know how to ride one, Zen, it’s like nothing else, the sound, the feel.
Triumph is cool too
I haven’t done much research into the Tiger, can it rip off-road?
good to know i’m not the only one who owns a sporster and ktm 300 lol.
These same things are what make me consider a Triumph scrambler. But yeah... T7. If only.
Yea no doubt, scrambler would be tight. This whole T700 lust is your fault btw 😂.
i just got a 19 triumph scrambler xe for that exact same reason . when its too muddy , or you just dont feel like loading everything up and traveling to ride offroad . i just go to the garage , put on gear , and hit garage door opener . great bike , tons of torque . very comfortabel . the xe and xc scramblers are tall bikes . if your a shorter guy you might look into a street scrambler .
If you counter steer the sportster it responds instantly!
How would you rate this as a beginner bike?
This is my beginner bike. I just picked up a 2002 1200 today. I don't have my license yet. Going to do the HD driving course to get it.
I've seen too many harely's death wobble at freeway speed. We decided on the yamaha bolt for the wife to ride while I ride a vstrom 1000.
I have seen a few of those vids as well. So far she seems ultra sturdy. But I have only had her up to 70 or so. One thing I will note, I had death wobble on my dr650 at 75. But I associated that with my tire choice.
@@GladiusJon sportster dont do the death wobbble
I'm buddy bagger is 1200 hp
At 1:43 or so, you said you would flick this thing as hard as you can... If you don't mind, I would like to make a suggestion... I watched the way you did your "counter steering" move. You pushed "down" on the bars instead of forward on the bars. Take the heel of your palm and push forward instead of using the middle of your palm and pushing down to get the bike to turn.. By pushing forward, you can literally push the front tire out from under the bike, that is how fast you can counter steer by pushing forward and not down on that handle bar grip. Instead of using your lat muscle to push down (contracting your lat muscle), try using your front shoulder and pec muscle to "push" that grip forward. The bike will "snap" real fast into that turn... Try it...
Is this a good beginner bike?
I think so. But it also depends on the individual. Some people can start on a monster of a bike and be fine, other people need to start on 250s.
Nah, go for a Ninja 300 or CBR300r, or if you want a cruiser, go for a Harley Davidson Iron 883 or Kawasaki Vulcan 900
More human than human
The good shit!
Who knows
Dude said nobody rides a Harley spiritedly. 🤣 quick search here you can find the hill run of the dude on the sportster who was losing the guy recording from his street bike
If it's the same video I'm thinking of, the dude on the Harley was fearless lol 🍻 🍻
Cruisers are for cruising. you want to go fast get a sport bike want to be comfortable, get a Harley.
I have the exact same bike, same color too. I didn't see a full view of your bike in the video so if anyone wants to see the whole bike, you can check out mine. This is my bike th-cam.com/video/xMkPTHMbsp8/w-d-xo.html before I put on the Arlen Ness air-cleaner and progressive shocks to complete the stage-1 upgrade. It sounds great, maneuvers great, and is a lot of fun to ride anywhere. My only gripe is that it doesn't have a 6'th gear.
Tenere 700 (even with 80/20 tires mitas e09)for me is an even better road bike than a Harley sportster I’ve had both . You’ll be amazed at how it behaves on road and off-road in the right hands.
I can't cruise slow and take in the scenery anymore because of all the worthless rich tourists impatient to go everywhere, right now!, cannot relax with them tailgating me everywhere.
Channel must be done?
You sound like you are trying to justify the Sportster by saying "yeah it's not a sport bike, but it's ok" I absolutely despise "sport bikes". or crotch rockets as I call them. If they were the only bike available I wouldn't ride. I have owned around 50 bikes (I'm 62) and not a single one of them has been a crotch rocket. I have ridden a couple, or tried to. The riding position is unbearably painful, even for a short distance. They are completely worthless except for reckless and irresponsible riding. That is what they are designed for. They are track bikes. They shouldn't even be allowed on the street. If you want to ride like that, do it on a track, or off road. Fortunately most crotch rocket riders only kill themselves, and they deserve what they get for riding that way on the street.
I have been riding Harleys for a long time. I ride them mostly for the feel and the sound. Yes they are comfortable, but without that "shake" and the beautiful sound, which you have to install an aftermarket exhaust system to get, they would be no different from any non crotch rocket Japanese street bike. Back in 2016, H-D removed the feel from their bigger bikes with the very Japanese like M8 engine. I test rode one. It was just like riding a Goldwing. I sold one of those because it was just too boring. That left the Sportster as the only REAL Harley that H-D made. And 2021 is the last year for the Sportster. H-D will officially be out of the Harley business. They are going full on Japanese. I hope they fail. I love the bikes they USE to make, but I have never liked the company. I currently have a 1989 FXRS Low Rider, a 1997 Sportster 1200, and a 2006 Sportster 1200. I also have a 2013 Royal Enfield Bullet 500, converted from EFI to a carburetor, and a 2001 Yamaha XT225 dual sport
I would hang onto that Sportster, they are about to become really scarce and really expensive.
I just picked up a 2002 Sportster 1200 in excellent condition with only 4800 miles on it. This is my first bike. I'm going to be taking the safety driving course to get my license in July.
@@traviswhitworth6506 …hopefully they will give you riding instructions in that safety driving course.
Just bought one.
2019 sportster 1200 vs 2023 drz400s night and day difference