questions about a sportster 1200

[ronhend]

About 4 months ago I got interested in getting a bike afrer not riding for 20 years.
My wife told me in no uncertain terms that she had no interest in riding with me on a bike.
So, not wanting to spend a lot of money, not knowing if I really would ride that much, I bought a 2011 Sportster XL 1200 C.
I love the bike, but at 6'3" I found it to be uncomfortable to ride beyond an hour. Butt and back hurts, even with Sundowner seat.
Also, did I mention that my wife changed her mind about the riding thing.

Long story short, I have a 2010 Ultra Classic and a 2011 Sporster with 800 miles on it.
I now need to make up my mind do I want to sell the Sporster and lose approx $3000 or keep it for a while and ride them both.

Sportster's are great,fun bikes, just not all that great for long rides.

Ron

 

[horatio]

when looking at the measurements on a Harley what are the important ones for fit? Most of the seat heights are within a inch or two.

I am six ft tall and weigh about 200#.

Thanks for all the advice so far.

 

[BUBBIE]

ronhend,

Boy that is a TOUGH decision to make..
I bought the 06 1200 R to ride while down in Az.to keep Miles off my 2ooo FXDS. the sporty is special to me as a retirement gift to myself New in 05...

I did ride it a lot and it paid for its self in 34,000 miles I rode..

Now in your case? not rode as much or planned to ride that much.

That is a big drop in $$ but if you had a friend that would buy the bike,,, a bonus to them.

I had to think to KEEP my sport, How much extra would it take?

IF you ride it NO Problem BUT IF it sits and sits and sits.... Insurance? here in Wa. it doesn't have to have insurance on it BUT when I go full time in Az. it does. Big $$ for Both bikes.

Then I will have the same THOUGHTs ... IS it WORTH IT???

signed....BUBBIE

 

[nakkers]

when looking at the measurements on a Harley what are the important ones for fit? Most of the seat heights are within a inch or two.

I am six ft tall and weigh about 200#.

Thanks for all the advice so far.

Horatio,

Welcome and great questions. The spec sheets are a good starting point but, you really need to sit on a few and maybe look for a demo day.

I fell in love with my 1200 C. It looks great, I love how it feels. I can't imagine ever selling it. But, it does have it's limitations. You can update the seat and bars for comfort. As for 2 up rides, your partner maybe fine with dinner and movie and a ride around town but, heading out for a day trip might be asking a bit too much of the bike and your riding partner.

Good luck and let us know what your decide.


Cheers.

 

[Dr. Dolittle]

when looking at the measurements on a Harley what are the important ones for fit? Most of the seat heights are within a inch or two.

I am six ft tall and weigh about 200#.

Thanks for all the advice so far.

You'll be real sorry if you just depend on specs and measurements. You've got to sit on them and ride them. Seats, controls (mid or forward), and handlebars all affect the comfort of a particular bike.

 

[Jack Klarich]

About 4 months ago I got interested in getting a bike afrer not riding for 20 years.
My wife told me in no uncertain terms that she had no interest in riding with me on a bike.
So, not wanting to spend a lot of money, not knowing if I really would ride that much, I bought a 2011 Sportster XL 1200 C.
I love the bike, but at 6'3" I found it to be uncomfortable to ride beyond an hour. Butt and back hurts, even with Sundowner seat.
Also, did I mention that my wife changed her mind about the riding thing.

Long story short, I have a 2010 Ultra Classic and a 2011 Sporster with 800 miles on it.
I now need to make up my mind do I want to sell the Sporster and lose approx $3000 or keep it for a while and ride them both.

Sportster's are great,fun bikes, just not all that great for long rides.

Ron

Keep the Sporty for short fun rides, JMO:s Welcome to The Forum

 

[HDDon]

Everyone is giving you some solid advice. I have a couple of questions for you. Just how long has it been since you last owned a motorcycle? How long did you ride before you stopped? What type of bike did you ride before? My first thought is that you should take a Motorcycle Safety Course, this will also help with insurance. It will also give you some time to think about if you want to start riding again. I'm not trying to discourage you I just think before you spend a lot of $$$ and get that "cool" Harley you need to evaluate why you want to ride again.

 

[horatio]

Everyone is giving you some solid advice. I have a couple of questions for you. Just how long has it been since you last owned a motorcycle? How long did you ride before you stopped? What type of bike did you ride before? My first thought is that you should take a Motorcycle Safety Course, this will also help with insurance. It will also give you some time to think about if you want to start riding again. I'm not trying to discourage you I just think before you spend a lot of $$$ and get that "cool" Harley you need to evaluate why you want to ride again.

Thanks for the advice. It has been about 20 years since I rode a motorcycle. That was a Suzuki 400. I am planning on taking the Learn to Ride course at the local Harley dealership before I buy anything. I was thinking about buying a Buell Blast and that is what they train with.

I can buy a Honda 1800cc (or there abouts) from my boss for $4000. That might be the smart thing to do. It is not really what I want to do though. (just being honest).. It is huge and looks huge. The gas tank looks like it is a foot and an half wide, maybe an exaggeration. It has 52000 miles but has been well taken care of.

 

[R_W_B]

Thanks for the advice. It has been about 20 years since I rode a motorcycle. That was a Suzuki 400. I am planning on taking the Learn to Ride course at the local Harley dealership before I buy anything. ....... .. . .... ... .. .. I can buy a Honda 1800cc (or there abouts) from my boss for $4000. That might be the smart thing to do. It is not really what I want to do though. (just being honest). It is huge and looks huge. The gas tank looks like it is a foot and an half wide, maybe an exaggeration. It has 52000 miles but has been well taken care of.

What year Honda is that ? Is it a Goldwing or V-Twin ? Is it a VTX model ? I know some guys that ride VTX's (they come in 1300cc and 1800cc versions) and they are awesome bikes. All kinds of power and very dependable. Don't want to influence you just trying to clear the air some on your options. I'm a lot like you, had 3 bikes in my younger years then got married and had a hiatus for many years that I rode nothing on two wheels. I have my first Harley now, bought it used.

The main thing is that you like the looks and feel for the bike you choose. Then equally important is what kind of riding you envision yourself doing. Are you a solo rider, are you an around town rider, or do you plan to also take longer trips (80 miles or more one way) and/or carry a passenger. The last two items are not generally Sportster compatible at all. I know a medium sized lady that rides a Sportster on long PGR rides, but I could not do it.

After you settle the above aspects, they all are good. Riding on two wheels is riding on two wheels. All that matters is what you like and feel good with. I love Harleys, they are nice, but Hondas and Kawas are very nice too.

$4000 is a nice price to get a bike that will carry you and whatever or whomever you want to add on. HOWEVER what year is that Honda, if it's very old (year wise) that is not that great a price on a VTX for 52,000 miles (unless it's mint condition, or it's a Goldwing). I personally don't care for the Goldwing scenario, they are more expensive in price and just don't suit me. But they are solid and very powerful (wide and heavy). The VTXs are sharp, but you have to buy a tourpak aftermarket. Honda only sells OEM tourpaks for the Goldwing (not smart in my book).

My stepson bought a 2002 Kawasaki Vulcan 1500cc a year ago with 4200 miles (yes that's 2 zeros) for $4500, including windshield and OEM hardbags, all in good condition.

 

[NEWHD74FAN]

Horatio...welcome to the forum. The key here is try before you buy...and get a little bit of riding under you belt before you make the plunge. The 2004 XL1200R Sportster I ride was my first purchase of an H-D...I had several test rides in the early days 70's and 80's but ended up going up thru metrics by Brand Y and S inline twins and fours. You will find the torque of a large V-Twin is extremely satisfying.

Take your time and buy a lightly used Sporty or Dyna...prices are way down right now...so timing is everything AFTER you have made your choice. But if you are set on what you want and truly want to buy new...you can at least buy 2010 model and save $$$.