...and if so, why? Why not?
I just thought I'd ask this in a neutral forum.
I just thought I'd ask this in a neutral forum.
Do you consider a Sportster to be a "chick" bike..
- Thread starter Big O Dave
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I know a woman that rides a Vulcan 2000 (2053 cc V-twin). I don't think she's manly...in fact, she's very feminine. Likewise, I don't think a Sportster (883 or 1200) is a chick bike. I actually like the looks of the 1200 Night-something....looks more retro than most. Ride what you like, and like what you ride, otherwise, a lot of pleasure is lost.
BTW, I have a V2K, too. I currently love big brute cruisers...makes my old Harley's feel very small...but, I loved my Harley's, just like I loved my Yamaha's, Honda's, BMW's and Kawasaki's.
BTW, I have a V2K, too. I currently love big brute cruisers...makes my old Harley's feel very small...but, I loved my Harley's, just like I loved my Yamaha's, Honda's, BMW's and Kawasaki's.
Since I almost bought one two years ago, no. I was this --><-- close to buying one and then an uncovered car accident ended up tying up basically all of my bike cash. After all the hooplah my motivation to buy a bike kind of dwindled.
No, the Sportster is harleys sport bike ,Dirt bike,light weight sport bike ,an original crotch rocket in its day "when first cane on the market .I looked at one to buy in 1971 but in the end purchased a Kawasaki 500.
I used to think so, but now I realize those things are fast. The old cafe racer was Sporty based, right?
I owned a Cafe Racer (XLCR) Sportster back in the day. Beautiful bike to look at, horrible to ride. Also, a total POS. Left me on the side of the road so often, I sold it and bought a KAW GPZ550. Neither could be considered a "chick" bike.
I bet the majority of checkbook riders would think it was a chickbike.
I, myself, think that the Sportster is only bike that is simple and true to the hobby. All the big/bloated bikes and custom unrideables are for those with ego issues.
Whatever happened to simplicity?
And, why even ask? Purchase what you like and not what is 'marketed' to you by TV or acquaintences.
Back in the day, I had more fun with my ol Honda CB's then any biker that I know of today. And, they cost less then silly paint jobs and chrome. They never needed trailering/towing, ran in the rain, stored outside, were a blast in the snow, and didn't damage disks or kidneys on 1000 mile trips.
Life would be perfect with nothing but a nimble Sportster and a backpack. I wouldn't need anything else(ok a bottomless debit card). Why did I have kids
I, myself, think that the Sportster is only bike that is simple and true to the hobby. All the big/bloated bikes and custom unrideables are for those with ego issues.
Whatever happened to simplicity?
And, why even ask? Purchase what you like and not what is 'marketed' to you by TV or acquaintences.
Back in the day, I had more fun with my ol Honda CB's then any biker that I know of today. And, they cost less then silly paint jobs and chrome. They never needed trailering/towing, ran in the rain, stored outside, were a blast in the snow, and didn't damage disks or kidneys on 1000 mile trips.
Life would be perfect with nothing but a nimble Sportster and a backpack. I wouldn't need anything else(ok a bottomless debit card). Why did I have kids
I don't think the sportster is a "chick" bike, but I do secretly chuckle to myself when I see people buy them just to get into the Harley "name" when more than likely, there was a metric bike for the same or less $ that would have been a much better fit. But to each their own. I like the sporty's, but they are not very comfortable for any real distance riding. At least for me. They are fun and they are fast tho.
I had a 1992 883 standard I bought new. No problems with the bike and it didn't cost more than the Yap bikes. I think the price was $4495.00 new, and the local dealer (Richmond Harley-Davidson) ate the freight and setup charges. With 500 bucks in bolt on options (Mustang seat, horn kit, highway pegs, crash bar, slip-ons and carb jet) I had a really nice bike.
I see more chicks on the bigger Harleys than on Sportsters. Sportsters have been around since the mid 50s(?), they're more of a sporty / dirt track bike. Two friends I use to ride with had them, and they were fun, affordable, but finicky. One friend and I use to sometimes do 'shifts' on the kickstarter to get his started, a humbling affair after an evening of partying :^) If I got a Harley I'd probably get a Sportster, as I'd never pay what I hear others do for the bigger models. If I bought a bike now though it'd probably be a sport/touring 1 liter Yamaha, sporty but not ricky-racer.
i always kinda thought the 883 was. not sure why.
No, I do not but a lot of knuckle draggers do. I think the sporter is one of the best designs that Harley has wich is why it is has lasted for such a long long time!I would recomend you get the larger engine though.The Sporter is about rideing and enjoying it. It is an ideal bike for more people then the rest of their line up.A lot of guys ego's will not let them ride one though. You can modify them for more performance and they handle great right out of the box! The are only bike that Harley makes that I would not hisitate to buy in amade minute is the Sporter. I by bikes to ride them and enjoy them not as investments so I could care less about resale value so I am only interested in how the bike rides and how reliable it is. If it is not fun then I do not want to own it. If I want something larger then a sporter their are other bikes that I like better then the rest of Harley's line up and most of them cost far less then a Harley.
If you do get a Harley they run great on Amsoil and M1 products.
If you do get a Harley they run great on Amsoil and M1 products.
I agree about the high center of gravity. The fellow I saw ride off from the Harley shop last weekend on a brand-new 1200 Night-something (dang, I wish I could remember what they called it), looked VERY uncomfortable with the balance. Partly because it was obvious he was a new rider, partly because it does have a higher CG than many bikes. I really liked the looks of that bike...and it sounded nice, too.
My neighbors learned that lesson the hard way. They got his n' her Harleys, hers being an 883 Sportster. After dropping it one too many times at a standstill, she finally gave up having her own bike out of frustration. I suggested they consider one of the 800cc-ish Japanese cruisers but she'd rather ride on the back of a Harley than ride anything else.
I'll second (or third) the Sportster not being a novice bike. One of my redneck cousins (okay even more redneck than me) came into some money and bought his and her Harleys for herself and her boyfriend. She got a Sportster and her BF got a Fatboy. Could this be any more cliched? Anyway...inside of a week (and this was only a week or two ago) she's laid up with a broken collarbone b/c she couldn't make a turn.
I don't revel in other peoples' misery but she had it coming in oh so many ways.
Same issue with my wife's grandfather. A couple of years back he had visions of reclaiming his motorcycle-riding youth and bought a used Sportster. In not even a day's time he'd pretty much sanded all the chrome off from laying it down a couple of times.
If I ever take up riding, I'm getting a Honda to learn on...
I don't revel in other peoples' misery but she had it coming in oh so many ways.
Same issue with my wife's grandfather. A couple of years back he had visions of reclaiming his motorcycle-riding youth and bought a used Sportster. In not even a day's time he'd pretty much sanded all the chrome off from laying it down a couple of times.
If I ever take up riding, I'm getting a Honda to learn on...
I always wanted one of those things but I felt like I might be a little small. Some years later I worked at a place where a chick rode a sportster to work every day. She couldn't have weighed more than 120 lb. I asked her about it and she said, no problem, you should have bought one too.
I've always respected sportsters for their historical link to racing. Don't think anyone outside the H-D community considers them chick bikes, it's the insiders that think that way. H-D has positioned them as entry level and most likely subsidizes the price down by charging more for the big twins.
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