Harley Sportster, good or bad? .. Warranty or no warranty?

[vanrocco]

I have owned a Honda Shadow VT750C2 for over a year now. Nice bike, great ride and I have some money invested in it with some mods (Pipes, paint, Hypercharger, ..) however, I find myself wanting a bigger, more powerful bike. The Honda fits me very well so I would want something similar in size (seat height).  I have been looking at the Harley Sportster 1200N Nightster which is very similar to the Honda in size and weight but offers a bigger motor and is fuel injected. I am soliciting opinions about the Nightster and also would like to hear from other Harley owners out there as to whether or not they recommend purchasing an extended warranty with the bike.

Any help as always is appreciated~

[chornbe]

You like to take turns? The Nightster scrapes everything in every turn. I took one for a ride. I did a u-turn in the parking lot, scraped all the way thru', then pulled it right back into the parking spot and handed the key back.

I bought one with a standard suspension, then did my own work to it. I also don't like spoked wheels. The Nightster has a few visual appointments that are hot, but it's just not functional enough for me.

Harley, in a fit of "genius", also discontinued the only Sportsters that came with dual disc brakes (The 883 Roadster and the 1200 Roadster). Dumbasses.  

[Kat-Rider]

I think you may bave better luck going to a HD forum for this one.  These tend to turn into flame wars.

Myself I think the Nightster is ugly.

[R.Markus]

Harley Davidson Sucks!

[chornbe]

The people who drop $20k on a Sportster (et al) are dumbphukks who bought the wrong bike and are likely so upside down they literally can't afford to get out from under it and spend all their extra income trying to make it something that it's not. They did not think up front about their purchase, or simply bought the only Harley they could afford because they just needed, so badly, to be part of the bad ass brotherhood.   I hate "Harley guys", but Harley makes some very nice bikes.

Meanwhile, I spent $6k on mine and it was a well thought-out, well-researched, second-bike purchase. I dropped another $300 out of pocket (plus selling take-off parts) to get better brakes (dual-disc conversion) and better tires (lots of bikes have crappy OEM tires).

The rest of my customizations were stuff that I, and most other owners, would do to just about any bike of its class anyway (added Givis, better seat, heated grips, better suspension parts). Beyond standard maintenance, which does NOT void your warranty, I haven't done a single thing to the engine; it runs just fine and lots of more capable bikes have had a great view of my tail lights in the twisty bits.

The only stuff that voids your warranty is doing engine UPGRADES of hard parts that are not done by Harley; the Stage-2 kits, etc. Basic stuff (air filters and mufflers, etc) do not void your warranty. If you, say, get an 883 and do a 1200 conversion on it, if you care about warranty at that point, you'll want the dealer to do it. Oh, and it only invalidates ENGINE warranty. The rest of the bike is still covered. Again, moot if you have the dealer do it.

As mentioned, it's all about knowing what you're getting and being realistic about your expectations. The 1200 has some wicked low- and mid-range power and will keep up with anything you're likely to buy (for the same purpose) until you get into license-revocation speeds. Seriously. It's got a top-end of about 125, but it'll get there a boat load quicker than many "faster" bikes. The Sportster is not a cruiser. It's a "sport standard", with less emphasis on "sport" than some competitors. But... With a good rider who's not afraid to lean the thing, the 1200 (heck, even the 883) will exceed a lot of others' expectations. The 883 (which is what I have) does just fine for the type of riding I bought it for; commuting, blasting the local twisties and going squid hunting on the curvy roads.

While *I've* done long miles on it (but I'm crazy like that), the 883 has slightly lower secondary reduction than the 1200 so it revs a bit higher on the highway. Some folks feel this is a problem. The rubber mount models (2004 and up) transmit WAY less vibration to the rider than previous models. I like the feel; it's got a pulse but is never in my way. Purists don't like the additional weight and non-classic feel of the rubber mount models. I suspect you would want the rubber mount. For me, there's a reason I didn't purchase one years ago, or seek a used model when shopping this time. Personally, I don't know how anyone spent more than 10 minutes on a solid-mount model of yesteryear. $.02

I love my Sportster; it remains one of the most genuinely fun and enjoyable machines I've ever owned, top-speed and flat-out top-end power aside. I have done 400-600 mile days and arrived fresh as a daisy. I don't have forward controls and yes, I'd like to put rear-sets on it, but not for what Storz rips people off for. Forward controls would kill your back (just like any legs-out bike) and for a tall guy the bike would be kinda cramped, but any educated buyer would know that right in the showroom before spending a single penny on it.

Stock:


As it is now with fully-removable luggage system installed:


Luggage system removed:


Luggage system:

[atadaskew]

ANYthing Harley costs, more than you would think.... Are you going to do your own maintenance ?  It may void the warranty.  
IF you have the Stealer do the maintenance, price out a couple of years of service (it ain't cheap).
5K and 10K service can range from $240 to $500 (each), depends upon the Stealer (not MoCo rates), what ever they want to charge.
$95 to $150 for A single tire change depends upon the Stealer.  
Never mind the warranty (that's a whole different issue), learn who this Stealer is, that you are getting involved with.
I checked with (via email) about 50 people (in various local email groups) and If I have to go near a Stealer, I go to the one that is 2 hours away.
Every other one closer, has jacked up people bikes really bad !  One Stealer even sold a friend the warranty, then sold them a "maintenance package" and was doing everything at the wrong intervals, just to Burn Through the maint. package quicker.  Some independents are better, some are worse !

Beware !  Know what you are getting into (at least what your situation will be, where you live)
Some people have great bikes, great Stealers and like is good........, but some don't.  Some take care of you, and (after you buy the bike) some treat you like crap.  

Funny thing, that has been my exact experience with Japanese and Ducati dealers too.
 

[bomber]

Sporties are much more capable than most give em credit for (of course, most have data wrt Sporties from reading internet forums)

it's likely the best basic bike there is, with the possible exception of the SV650 -- different horses for diffeent courses, clearly, but both offer great riding for not a greeat deal of dough

maintenance on a Sportie is simple, easy, and cheap -- if you get the right bike for the kind of riding you want to do, you'll be grinning for year

btw, unlike most brands, almost all HD dealers allow demo rides, so you'll be able to judge for yourself

I love posts from folks with heavily farkled bikes that deride the idea of farkling another brand to get it where the owner wants --

ymmv

[Geoff]

The Sportster 1200 is a solid bike. One finished third in last year's Iron Butt Association rally. There are two nits: The bike is small for someone with long legs. Also, the rear shocks suck.

[Z50a]

Meanwhile, I spent $6k on mine and it was a well thought-out, well-researched, second-bike purchase.
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Stock:

Good post !  

I've just read too many post from people that have bought a Sporty after owning a Sportbike or Metric Cruiser and had no idea what they were buying.

[sempervee]

 We purchased a 2001 1200 Sporty used for my S/O and she rode the hell out of it for more than 13,000 miles as her first bike.
   I was proud of her as she swooped around the curvy CA Hiway 49 of the Sierras where we lived...

It was nice, good, easy handling " standard "  MC... Then she graduated to my DL1000 VStrom and now is happiest with her FJR1300.  I was a long term MSF instructor and also a decent  home mechanic.  HD's are way easy to maintain and easy to sell to those swilling the Pirate Kool Aid.   Sporties are probably the best handling of the HD's and easily have more lean angle available then most of the product line.   BTW, she stands 5.5 and is now as fast as any rider I have seen and we do track days with her on her FJR!

[chornbe]

What's dealer rate for other bikes? My Honda dealer *asks* $30 off the bike, $75-100 on the bike, depending on the bike. Pffffffffft. They don't get my maintenance business either. I don't mind $30 off the bike, but $75 on is NO WAY money. My Harley dealer asks $78 on the bike, $30 on the bike. Again... I'll pay the $30 if I need it done and I can't get over to my buddy's house to use his tire changer. I can have either wheel off either Harley in 2 minutes if I take time to tell bad "your mom..." jokes the whole time.

Anyone who pays dealer rates for maintenance on a Harley is nucking futs. They're the simplest bikes in the world to work on and I maintain, THE cheapest in maintenance costs for DIYers. Anyone who actually worries over dealer rates on oil changes is simply looking for something to bitch about. Seriously, the Big-4 and Honda dealers had me leaving, gasping for air and nearly falling over over some of their maintenance costs. It's not just a Harley thing, not by a long shot.

[atadaskew]

 Seriously, the Big-4 and Honda dealers had me leaving, gasping for air and nearly falling over over some of their maintenance costs. It's not just a Harley thing, not by a long shot.

exactly.  Z50, why dontcha go to a Japanese bike shop and ask those same questions.  You'll find that that $200 quote for the 10K service is way way cheaper than the Japanese shops.