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This thread has the potential to go on forever. It isn't whether Harleys are "good" or not, it's whether one likes them or not. There is one group which worships at their altar, another which hates them, and a third (which includes me) which thinks they are OK but prefer other bikes.
I have a Harley Sportster XL883c. I hate it. It is VERY top heavy. It body-slammed me to the pavement about two months ago and I am just starting to heal. Definitely not the bike for a short female . . . It's for sale if anyone's interested . . .
[quote=Rebel06;19704379]I have a Harley Sportster XL883c. I hate it. It is VERY top heavy. It body-slammed me to the pavement about two months ago and I am just starting to heal. Definitely not the bike for a short female . . . It's for sale if anyone's interested . . .[/quote
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Body slam? As in a high side laydown? That can hurt. I hope you are getting better.
Ummmm....did you not know that the Sportster can be extremely top heavy at slow speeds before you bought it if you're not careful? Just sit on it with your hands off the bars and wobble back and forth....
If you are a short female I would recommend a dyna low rider....great center of gravity and you can even bring that thing lower if you want.
Sorry you had a laydown and hope you are ok. It takes a lot of practice in the beginning to feel comfortable on the bike and especially getting to know it.
Bigger the bike the better - a sportster is like riding a mini bike and most men look rather funny on them and all that ive known have totally hated theirs after they got one .... like everyone says ...top heavy & dangerous ...unlike a heavy bike low to the ground AND dont forget LOT'S OF CHROME !!
I know people who have Sportsters and like them a lot. If I were going to get a Harley, I'd probably get a 1200 Sportster, preferably the XR. You just have to get used to the bike.
Of course everyone has to get used to a new bike, but everyone also has his/her own preferences, and no bike is perfect in every way. It all depends on one's priorities. For example, as I get older, I'm less concerned about what the quarter-mile time is, partly because the fastest bikes now are incredibly fast.
Have a good friend who has a mid 90's 883 Sportster. He's about 6' and often rides w/ his wife on the back. They never seem to have any trouble getting around on the little bike, then again they're not going cross country with it either but he LOVES the bike, and the Harley Davidson "Lifestyle". Another friend had a Dyna Wideglide and absolutely loved that bike and swore by HD. His previous ride was a Honda Shadow 750. That bike was "ok" until he went two up (according to him) and he hated downshifting going uphill...
I've personally never owned a Harley Davidson. Don't have anything against them, they just tend to cost more than i've ever spent on a bike. Honestly, I currently have owned 4 motorcycles, a 79 Honda CM400T (Bought for $300), a Suzuki SV650 (Bought for $1400 + the CM400T), a Honda Nighthawk 650 (Bought for $270), and recently a Honda Magna 750 (Bought for $1500). So i've paid a total of $3470 for 4 different motorcycles with 4 unique riding experiencing. (Inline Twin, V-Twin, Inline Four, and V-Four...Not to mention one standard, one naked sport, one sport cruiser, and one muscle cruiser)...And it'd have been difficult to get onto ANY HD for the price of all the bikes i've owned put together.
My wife rides a V-Star 1100 that's been lowered (slammed) and fits her well. It's really a nice bike and turns a lot of heads.
I started shopping for a bike for myself about three months ago. I found the new V-Star Stryker very appealing (1300 cc) but the dealers won't allow test rides. No test ride took it off my list...period.
Triumph Storm...matte black...1700cc... and wicked cool. Dealer encouraged test riding it...very appealing bike!
H-D FLXF Fat Bob...denim black...1584cc... also wicked cool. Dealer also encouraged test riding it or anything else that I might like.
Triumph was a bit more nimble and cheaper than the Fat Bob. Parts were more and service was questionable. H-D parts are readily available and the bikes are easier to find mechanics for.
It came down to a side by side comparison and the Harley is now on my garage.
and as a footnote...my wife's V-Star is louder than my Harley...
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