[HellBoy]

I was at my Harley dealership today and the parts guy said the 2009 Rocker is different in many ways from the 2008, but he had no time to elaborate other than saying many of the parts are now different sizes. There weren't any salesmen nearby and I had to rush out for an appointment.

Is anyone here familiar with the differences between the 08 and 09 Rocker?

[ironhorse]

sorry hellboy havent cared for the rocker, so haven't payed any attention

[chucktx]

sorry, i agree with ironhorse........maybe someone will help ya out!!!!!!!!

[ringo912]

Can't help ya either, I've been off my rocker for years. Sorry hellboy, couldn't help my self on that one I'm sure someone will respond with the right info.

[HellBoy]

It's strange how one bike seems to fit and others don't. I liked the Crossbones, but it wasn't comfortable and the Rocker just felt right. Of course I'd have to try one before buying, and truthfully, I can't afford one yet, but I'd like to be informed, just in case I find a workable deal.

I've sat on a 2008 Sportster, thinking perhaps the bigger tank and the 1200 cc rubber mounted engine would be a nice upgrade, but it feels small, yet for some reason my 2003 883 XLH Sporty feels OK. Perhaps it's the Mustang seat seat or that I raised the shocks one click, I don't know.

[ironhorse]

have you tryed a dyna or fatbbob, heratige, or is the look whats draggin ya in

[HellBoy]

My buddy has an 2007 Dyna. I rode it for a while last weekend and liked it. It's a bit of a truck compared to the Sporty, but I really liked how effortless it was to get from 35 to 55 and the various cruising speeds were at just the right spots, not too close to shifting to the next gear, if you know what I mean. Perhaps that's the 6 speed design.

Most likely I'll look for something similar to my 100th Anniversary Sporty's design. I noticed a sweet 2005 Vivid Black Dyna with lots of chrome that was in great shape on ebay last week, but I could only see my way to 10G's and it was being sold for 12.

The Rocker just felt comfortable. The seat was positioned well, the handlebars were in a good spot for me, my legs were comfortable on the ground, making me feel very stable, and I felt like I could see the road from a good angle. Since it's based on the Softail model, I figure Harley won't have too many issues with the new design. Also, it does look cool to me, I must admit.

[Lucifer]

Originally Posted by HellBoy

My buddy has an 2007 Dyna. I rode it for a while last weekend and liked it. It's a bit of a truck compared to the Sporty, but I really liked how effortless it was to get from 35 to 55 and the various cruising speeds were at just the right spots, not too close to shifting to the next gear, if you know what I mean. Perhaps that's the 6 speed design.

Most likely I'll look for something similar to my 100th Anniversary Sporty's design. I noticed a sweet 2005 Vivid Black Dyna with lots of chrome that was in great shape on ebay last week, but I could only see my way to 10G's and it was being sold for 12.

The Rocker just felt comfortable. The seat was positioned well, the handlebars were in a good spot for me, my legs were comfortable on the ground, making me feel very stable, and I felt like I could see the road from a good angle. Since it's based on the Softail model, I figure Harley won't have too many issues with the new design. Also, it does look cool to me, I must admit.

]
They all seem like a truck compared to a Sporty, the dyna's would be the closest to a Sporty just a bit heavier and longer. IMO you'd want to ride a Softail for a while before you make a decision,I've got an 18yr old lowered softail and not only does it look like a hardtail it rides like one.I have been thinking I might as well just weld the dang swingarm to the frame, altho that might not be fair to the newer softails,they may be a little softer ride.

[ironhorse]

hellboy remember its what you like and is comfortable to you not what our thoughts are

[skull2007]

what does this thread have to do with technical help should it not be under something like soap box. imo tech help should only be for helping people work on their bikes and technical issues. maybe by keeping this sort of thread in it's right place would help prevent real worth while bike problems from falling through the cracks

[ironhorse]

calm down skull the world isn't ending

[skull2007]

i know. it's just that i value this forum

[ironhorse]

we all do skull but when we got some one slammin it takes the fun out maybe you need a midnight ride calm the soul a little come back and the world will look different, been on a few midnight runs myself at about 90-100 in the dark for a short spurt and you think about how freivilise things can be when you returned with out incident.

[chucktx]

i think the first post was a tech question,,,,,then folks were giving there opinions..................................

[Red Rider]

Heh! No opinions should ever be in the Tech Section!

There is no room for dissent here - its all about specs and absolutes!

So lets get off opinion stuff - now, does anyone want to talk about the performance gains of Yost tubes or the correct, one-and-only way to tune a bike?........



Sorry, couldn't help m'self!

[ironhorse]

put the cattle prod away red

[HellBoy]

I thought the technical difference between model years was worth discussing, or am I mistaken? The wealth of experience here could make all the difference when making a bike decision. I may be speculating, or I might just buy one of these things and thought this was a great place to get some help and advice. Certainly not an emergency, but thread worthy, I think. It was only after I bought my 2003 Sporty and began researching here that I learned how in 04 Harley changed everything. I didn't want to make the same mistake again. If a few members here happened to be familiar with the new Harley Rocker, the answers might have indeed been both technical and of value to all. Sorry 'bout that Skull, but just because the question isn't about a repair dilemma doesn't make it unworthy. Cheer up there bro!

[steveb]

At Harleys web page they have a link that you can compare specs on all of the'08's and '09 models.

Browser Update Required

[HellBoy]

Good suggestion Steve, thanks. I had to print out specs for each year, since they wouldn't allow a side by side comparison between years. The only difference seems to be engine torque. The 08 is 117Nm/86 ft. lbs. @ 3200 rpm
and the 09 is listed as 119.19Nm /87.90 ft. lbs. @ 2750 rpm. I don't know how to interpret that myself anyway.

The parts guy at Harley had said to me that "nothing from the 08 fits 09", but I had no time to ask for more details. Hopefully someone at Harley will be able to elaborate. You all know how that can go. Sometimes there's someone there who has good knowledge and understands that taking time to share it with a regular customer is good for business, sometimes not.

[Lucifer]

Sry,man...I'll keep my opinions out of the tech section