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883 men, stand up!

The sportster is a cheaper alternative to the big twins. They are not a woman's bike by any means. I ride a big twin but I also own a sportster that I am going to start to restore here shortly. Being 6"7' tall it is going to be a trick to ride it. :p
 
I rode CBR600 and Fireblade 919 for years and got my fair share of enjoyment sliding my knees around corners and hitting 280+ kmh at the track.
I wanted something a little more sedate and upright for daily riding to work so I invested in the 883. It is heavier and slower in sheer acceleration than the big bore sports but I would not change it for the world!
I love the sound of the HD, love the riding position (I am 6'2") and it has more than enough roll-on torque to suit the daily grind and weekend get-away. My wife does not ride and the only occassional pillion is my neice who is at risk of blowing away in a small breeze so no dramas there. 883 for the time being is plenty for me!
 
I totally dig my XL883. I understand where some guys (and gals) are coming from when they dub a bike... "a girls bike". Some just fit that description based on looks\power\size. It just depends on what you are used to. The guys that are used to the bigger twins probably do think of the Sporty as a girlie bike. Guys who ride in the dirt (like I used to) probably look at the Sporty as an intimidating mass of furocious machine. They originally looked pretty mean to me hence why I decided to get back on the pavement via an '07 Savage before my sporty. Riding that thing lasted about a month before I traded it in on my Sporty. Now I look at anything below my Sporty as tame or perhaps even "Girlie"...?

So yep... depends on what you are used to. My Sporty (as I've stated in previous posts) has plenty of power (yes.. even riding 2up)... looks siiiick... I luv it. Maybe in a year or 2 when I pick up a Nightster or a Softail I may think the 883 as girlie... ? But after all is said and done it is about the ride. If someone steps up with the girlie part you just blow it off and understand in their eyes... it may be girlie... but to you... its your baby and fits your needs to a "T". If that fails... just show 'em a picture of the real girl that rides 2up with you :) That might shut 'em up :)
 
I just bought my used first Sportster and LOVE IT! It is not just a girls bike (even though I am a WOMAN), and it has great power. I have been on the freeway with it a few times and keep up with traffic at 65 with no problem.

I put the bigger tank on it and I will tell you, I hear how the guys with the big bikes crab about the gas mileage on their big bikes and I laugh, because I get GREAT gas mileage on mine!

Good luck -- I bought my Sportster on Craig's List and got a 883, with 11,000 miles on it for $2500 and not a (darn)thing wrong with it. It was well kept up with mechanically by the previous owners. I bought the new tank (4 gallon) on Ebay and now I can ride 140 miles without having to worry about filling up! Can't say that for the BIG bikes. Ahahaha
 
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The 883 is a nice, simple and fun bike.

i bought it for the price.

yeah, above 70 it winds out a bit. but you can run it there all day.

my fiance and i ride double on it fairly frequently. albeit SHORT trips of no more than maybe 20-25 miles (those seats suck). but it's fun and has plenty of scoot for the cash.

oh yeah, mine's brand new and stock.



I must admit though- a buddy let me ride his FXR4 the other day and I about embarrassed myself when I got off. Pitched a tent till no tomorrow.
 
Hmmm, My 69 shovel 1200cc kinda the same displacement as a 1200cc sportster, Like to see some dealer dude call one of the old school boys a girl for riding a 1200.
 
i have a 2005 xl883c and i love the bike i have a hyper charger on it, vance and hines pipes, and im thinking abot gettin an s and s carb and the bikes runs like a champ. not keeping up in the pack isn't a worry to me at all. so dont worry what other people ae saying just screw it and ride. he who rides solo is not always alone
 
I'm a girl(actually a 62 year old grandmother of three).I ride my husband's hand me down 883L.He finally got his Heritage Classic. For me the bike has plenty of power. I'll never drive 80 MPH, but it has NO problem doing 65on the highway and that's all I need................It is definitly a fun ride on the country roads of Northwest Jersey. Get the bike you want and when you want something different,go for it. Right now I'm looking at the Nightster 1200.
 
I'm a new member here and a first time Harley owner. I bought my wife an '07 883L a couple months ago and found it to be a really fun motorcycle to ride. It was the first time I had ridden a bike since my Navy days in Oak Harbor Washington back in the early 80's. Her bike was so much fun I bought myself an '04 XL883 so we can ride together without ridding 2 up. As a man, I have NO PROBLEMS at all owning or ridding an 883. These bikes are great bikes for around town and cruising, with just the right amount of power to keep you out of trouble. And, the price on these bikes used allows for a huge Harley tax ;)
 
Hmmm....girls bike. I think this is a girls bike.
bt50qt_11_pic.jpg
 
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