How Many Sportster owners on Bike Talk

It certainly looks lower to the ground than mine (or your lady is tall!). Happy riding!

My wife is like 5' 3"

I liked the Sportster well enough I bought a second one last weekend. The price was too cheap to pass up. The new one is an 04 883C and the old one is a 94 883 hugger bore to 1200. My brother in law liked the bike and bought him a 1200 sportster and I'm selling my 1200 to my father inlaw. I think several others in the family are looking also, may end up with the whole tribe ridding sportsters... lol

For the difference in the money, I would rather buy a 1200 already from the factory.

Tell me I'm wrong but, by the time you bore the jugs or git new ones and pistons and a tuner for the bike yer gonna be the difference between the 883 to the 1200 .

I'm not sure what the price comparison is but for $3800 I couldn't pass on the 04 883C. When I was a kid, my uncle bought a 900 cow and that was considered a super bike at the time. I gotta say I'm not dissapointed with the 883's performance. I'll probly not upgrade anytime soon, frail budget. If I ever scrape up the cash I'll be looking at a Dyna or a fatboy.

If you watch craingslist there are Sportsters for sale all over the U.S.
I've seen some real good prices too.

Actually more 'cause the heads are different on the inside - outside appearance is the same. Used to be that buying a base model 883 then converting to 1200 would leave you enough $$$ left over for a different seat, exhaust, etc. & you'd have a Sportster tailored to your liking for the same or less $$$ than a new 1200. But what you'd get for the $$$ savings changed a lot in 2004 & as of '07 with the introduction of fuel injection, there's no savings, unless you already know how to make the change from 883 to 1200 yourself & have all the tools/equip. to do it. Also, if you like all the chrome, larger gas tank, etc. that comes on a 1200C, you'd spend substantially more converting.

I scraped and moved up to a Dyna Super Glide. It is definitely a different beast. It took a bit of getting used to the different handling. It handles curves OK, but not like a sportster. On the curves I miss the sportster, but on the highways the Dyna is a better ride.

I never rode one of the 883s, so I cannot say what the performance change would be. The 1200 had plenty of zip though, as it had better pipes and a hypercharger. With a freer exhaust and a better breathing intake, the 883 performance should be fine, particularly for solo riding.

Enjoy the riding!

A "tax paid" 883 (aftermarket slip-ons, A/C, tuning) makes ~53 HP & thru 2003, weighs about 500 lbs. - newer ones ~565. Sportsters are geared lower too, so even an 883 has more "zip" than a big twin. The biggest difference between an 883 & a 1200 is torque - ~48 ft/lbs for the 883 & ~74 for a 1200 (both "tax paid"). An 883 isn't good for 2-up riding or long runs down the interstate, but for solo around town, on the backroads, etc., they're loads of fun & ~50 mpg doesn't hurt either. I have ridden one 230 miles with a group on the interstate & had no problem keeping up, but it's not as comfortable as a BT & rubber-mount ('04-up) or not, you'll feel the V-Twin vibration more 'cause you're running a higher rpm than a BT @ the same speed.

Rode my 05 883 from Charleston WV down to Cherokee NC in June. Ran I-64 at about 90 trying to catch up with wifey who was behind us in the car. Yeah long story, they stopped we didn't know, blew by them and kept running trying to catch our tail at that point. When we got Cell service again we found them 30 minutes behind us. Pics of my Sport are on here. Stripped down, no windshield no bags, it had no trouble keeping up with the BT that was with me. I think it just boils down to a lot of folks just have soft rears. 16 hour day (couldn't find the dang cabin either GRRRR but atleast it was in front of us still). Not going to lie felt like someone kicked me real good that night. Got up next morning and was fine (to my surprise) and rode all the following week and back home. Same trip I ran the Dragon's Tail and over to Pigeon Forge TN (Won't go back there again PITA to get around in that town). LOVE my Sporty, but thinking about a Dyna for two up at some point. Sporty will always be with me though if I have anything to do with it.

1998 XL883 Hugger. My wife's "starter bike". She rode it for about 2 years then sold it because of too many close calls with cell-phone-yappin'-dumbasses-in-cars. Nice bike. I might have kept it if we didn't already have too many things to pay for. And no, I don't think Sportsters are girls' bikes either.

son has an 883, Had the chance to bring it back from laramie so it doesn't set out in the snow, 190lbs at about 85mph and room to grow. that was the up hill side. made me appriciate my faring more since the head wind ws about 50-55+, reminds me of what not to miss, although it is periodicly missed.

Does this count ?