Let me be the FIRST

[quasar]

to infuse energy into the world of Sportsters at the forum. These compact, powerful, agile and proven dependable Harleys are the essence of the performance that bigger bikes want. I have to shake my head at the condescension of other Harley owners to the Sportster. :eek:

[darrell]

I call 'em "Sportys"

Just sayin'

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f394/ironrdr/low2.jpg

and

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f394/ironrdr/ironhead1.jpg

[GrayRider]

My first Harley was a Sportster.
http://www.harleyarena.net/gallery/data/500/10274_Sporty.JPG

[GODERATOR]

to infuse energy into the world of Sportsters at the forum. These compact, powerful, agile and proven dependable Harleys are the essence of the performance that bigger bikes want. I have to shake my head at the condescension of other Harley owners to the Sportster. :eek:
Don't believe I recognize you, stranger. Might I suggest you stop by the "My Story, the Beginning... " forum and introduce yourself?

[8-Ball]

Don't believe I recognize you, stranger. Might I suggest you stop by the "My Story, the Beginning... " forum and introduce yourself?

You've been waitint to say that haven't you...

[dynageno]

The goderator has spoken. Hey I like the new nightser. It's the first sporty I wouldn't mind owning...

[dwarthog]

The goderator has spoken. Hey I like the new nightser. It's the first sporty I wouldn't mind owning...

I agree with you Geno.

That new nightster is one fine looking ride. Would make a really nice bar hopper around town kind of scoot.

HD did some good work there.

[TimmyD]

An '01 1200 Sporty was my first HD that I bought in Aug. 14, '02, it had 2474 miles on it.
When I traded it in in Mar. 11, '06, it had 14,774.
So, in 42 months of ownership I put 12,300 miles on it.
...an average of 292 mile per month...
...pretty good considering all that time I was working full time,
going to college full time at night and rarely rode it to work/school.
Hey I bought the bike for fun, NOT for commutin'.
I never had any problems with my Sporty.
..I kinda miss the old gal....
I'll post a pic when I find one...

[THEBEAR]

I really like the sportsters. If it werent for my 6'2" 300 lb frame I would probably ride one.

[Scabbydoo]

.....Sportsters..... These compact, powerful, agile and proven dependable Harleys are the essence of the performance that bigger bikes want. I have to shake my head at the condescension of other Harley owners to the Sportster. :eek:

No condecension here. Below is the Sporty I had before I bought the DeLuxe. An XL1200 Sport. The stock engine was a take off on the one they built for Buell with 10/1 compression, hotter cam, hotter single fire ignition and two plugs per cylander. Added items to this beuty were a Mikuni 42, SE Full Flow AF and V&H Straight Shots. Damm thing ran like a scared rabbit and no problem keeping up with a lot of 'build' bikes.

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k292/tmtesauro/bike0003.jpg

[Q-Dog]

I must say......

Starting with the first post there is some very nice photography here.
Very nice! Of some sweet scooters!

The Sportster is indeed a worthy bike.
-Vuk

[LittleBear]

What, no "Girly Bike" comments?:roflback: What is this place, civilized? Can't be, we are a bunch of Doofs.
You guys have got some nice looking rides there. H-D is doing the Sportster right.

[Kfengler]

My first Harley was an XLH1200, fun bike!

[Stone Cold]

My first Harley was a Sportster.
http://www.harleyarena.net/gallery/data/500/10274_Sporty.JPG

Was that THE first Harley?

I'm buying a Sportster for my wife. '05 883 Hugger Custom. Or something like that.

[GRLEGRL]

What, no "Girly Bike" comments?:roflback: What is this place, civilized? Can't be, we are a bunch of Doofs.
You guys have got some nice looking rides there. H-D is doing the Sportster right.

A "girly bike" for a GRLEGRL

The goderator has spoken. Hey I like the new nightser. It's the first sporty I wouldn't mind owning...

I liked it too until I saw it in person. Looked great on HD website, but when I saw it at the dealership I was disappointed. Didn't like the gray on the engine...I would've blacked it out. There were a lot of exposed wires...most noticeable in the tank/seat gap. Could've upgraded the handlebars (same mine came with). It has wonderful potential, but I feel the designers fell short in some departments. Just my $ 0.02

[ridingjerry]

Hey Gray,
Is that a '74 or '75 model sportster?

[MadCity]

Originally posted by GRLEGRL
Didn't like the gray on the engine...I would've blacked it out. There were a lot of exposed wires...most noticeable in the tank/seat gap. Could've upgraded the handlebars (same mine came with). It has wonderful potential, but I feel the designers fell short in some departments. Just my $ 0.02In a pitiful attempt to add to this old thread, this just-joined member nods in agreement. I thought the Nightster looked totally dark, bad and bold when I first saw it on the H-D Web site. On closer examination, I agree it shouldn't have copped out on gray but gone black. And what's with that cluster of wires behind the rear cylinder? Not to mention the way they've handled the EFI by stringing yet another wire (I presume it's a heat sensor) through the top of the rear cylinder head. I liked the bike at first. On second glance, I would not buy one. Maybe they'll improve upon it for 2008.

[Rock]

I remember my 1200 XLC is what brought me into the Harley world!

[Deejay]

In a pitiful attempt to add to this old thread, this just-joined member nods in agreement. I thought the Nightster looked totally dark, bad and bold when I first saw it on the H-D Web site. On closer examination, I agree it shouldn't have copped out on gray but gone black. And what's with that cluster of wires behind the rear cylinder? Not to mention the way they've handled the EFI by stringing yet another wire (I presume it's a heat sensor) through the top of the rear cylinder head. I liked the bike at first. On second glance, I would not buy one. Maybe they'll improve upon it for 2008.

My "die-hard" Yamaha next door neighbor who always gives me crap about my "rattle-apart Harley" met me at the fence yesterday. He asked me to come check out his new bike. I about died when I saw a new Nightster in his garage and the Yamaha was gone. I agree with all comments here. Too many visible wires, don't like the textured grey areas, and the chrome pipes should have been black ceramic coated...... but all I said was "nice bike" and bit my tongue.

[Lady Godiva]

No gripes here about Sportsters - and yes, we WILL call them a "Sporty" here - hope that's not a problem... :D

My first bike, which as a lot of you know, I bought a week after learning to ride, was an assembled 1982 1000 cc ironhead Sportster. I rode her for 9 years and learned a LOT from that bike.

Here are some "before" and "after" pictures. I still can't believe that I did all that (with help, of course) when I had never, ever been on something with 2 wheels and a motor in my life when I started...

Black Sunshine - BEFORE
http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n140/towlerla/SportyBEFORE.jpg

and AFTER I got done with her:
http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n140/towlerla/aftersporty.jpg

Sometimes I miss her....

[LittleBear]

No gripes here about Sportsters - and yes, we WILL call them a "Sporty" here - hope that's not a problem... :D

My first bike, which as a lot of you know, I bought a week after learning to ride, was an assembled 1982 1000 cc ironhead Sportster. I rode her for 9 years and learned a LOT from that bike.

Here are some "before" and "after" pictures. I still can't believe that I did all that (with help, of course) when I had never, ever been on something with 2 wheels and a motor in my life when I started...

Black Sunshine - BEFORE
http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n140/towlerla/SportyBEFORE.jpg

and AFTER I got done with her:
http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n140/towlerla/aftersporty.jpg

Sometimes I miss her....

Right up until you get on that Road King, no shake and a lot more power.
Nice old Iron head LG. I bet you looked fine on it.

[Lady Godiva]

Right up until you get on that Road King, no shake and a lot more power.
Nice old Iron head LG. I bet you looked fine on it.
Thanks LB - I got no gripes about a Sporty, but my Road King fits me better and definitely makes longer rides more comfortable.

One of the things that gets me about people ragging on folks who ride Sportsters is that a Sporster is a HELL of a lot harder to ride for a long distance.

I tell ya - I rode that old Sporty to Daytona one year from here, and she beat me up. It was a MUCH harder ride than on the Road King - plus it was a 4-speed - I could barely keep her at 75 mph, which on Hwy 95 is damn slow. She was working hard, but ran like a champ the whole way down and back.

[8-Ball]

What is wrong with you people...










nice bikes... gotta love the sporty...

[trmn8r]

Sportsters are cool, only rode a couple... damn fast for sure.

I'm just posting cause I'm curious why quasar the starter of this thread is prospect brown when he only has this one post, never intro'd and never asked to prospect to be a doof, and hasn't been back since 2/12/07.


just aksin'

[TalonChief]

Be careful about pokin' around too much. You could go green again.

[trmn8r]

point taken, still curious but not aksin' any more :roflback:

[Gazoo]

I love Sportsters. Always have, and always will. I'm looking to build a drop seat chopper out of one.

[swmnkdinthervr]

I loved my first HD...a '69 XLCH...I called it a "Sporty"...all my friends with big twins called it a "Shirley-Davidson"...so of course I made sure it would outrun all of em :D

[The Batman]

Nothing at all wrong with Sporty's.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2412/1557365816_825523a604.jpg

Is it spring yet?

[GrayRider]

Hey Gray,
Is that a '74 or '75 model sportster?

It's a '74. Sorry, Jerry..just saw this. Looks like I'm only 6 months late.

[fxr4mikey]

first, or last, here I am

[TJ Willy]

I miss my Sporty. It was a fun bike and a head turner. I did get tired of wearing a back pack every day to work (for the laptop). And worried it getting soaked. Plus, the wife does not want her own - only wants to ride. Not impossible, just not as practical on the long trips.

My first HD. After the tank lift install.

[fxr4mikey]

Nothing at all wrong with Sporty's.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2412/1557365816_825523a604.jpg

Is it spring yet?

i jus want gazoo to notice the change in the tank


mostly the 'rise' in the front .....
to me, this is much more pleasing to the eye, than the old sporty tank that is used for choppers ..........

jus sayin'

[SafetyMan]

I like the peanut tank myself...

It SCREAMS Sportster. I really don't like the new style tanks.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v435/SafetyMan/Harley%20Davidson/2003_0121001.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v435/SafetyMan/Harley%20Davidson/2003_0101016.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v435/SafetyMan/Harley%20Davidson/2003_0101018.jpg

[Highmiles]

I like the peanut tank myself...

It SCREAMS Sportster. I really don't like the new style tanks.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v435/SafetyMan/Harley%20Davidson/2003_0121001.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v435/SafetyMan/Harley%20Davidson/2003_0101016.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v435/SafetyMan/Harley%20Davidson/2003_0101018.jpg


:iagree:

The peanut tank is what I think of when I think of Sportsters.

(plus the only "chopper" I ever owned used one)

[The Batman]

The bigger tank just makes it so I don't have to stop every ten minutes for gas.

[BigTed]

Whenever I see a Sportster with forward controls I immediately think "pity, you should have saved a bit longer and bought a proper Harley" It just looks daft to me, a 50 year old design that was never meant to be like that. I've got 2 before you start on me, but forward controls, on a Sportster? yeuch.
The only purpose of any Harley is to shake itself to bits, keep you broke, and we all fall for it.

The old story over here used to be;
Q: what do you call a Harley without an oil keak.
A: empty

Unless you have actually raced several different bikes there is little point in saying how good a sportster is, it is worse than crap for racing, but the old cafe racer was brilliant. It takes 1200 ccs tuned to god knows what to keep up with a standard 600CBM but much more fun. What other bike can give you whitefinger with the vibration, shake the fillings from your teeth make the mirrors shake off, cause your bowels to loosen, ass to go numb etc. excellent stuff. No metric can do that then eh. I'm sure the back wheel of a sportster weighs more than and entire 600CBM. This new breed of sportster is strange.

[The Batman]

Now that I've found you, I'll be sure to double check with you before my next purchase. Sorry to have let you down.

[BigTed]

Now that I've found you, I'll be sure to double check with you before my next purchase. Sorry to have let you down.

No need to check, but many thanks for your offer, just you tell them get that sh1t off that gorgeous bike and get the proper controls on it or I'm telling Big Ted. Just you watch them squirm when you tell them, and then ask for a good discount.
What speed can you get from yours. We got 161.6 on second try on the white one we have (did you see piccy?) 1.3 mile track with high octane fuel but rider was tiny and weighed nothing. The specials are all much more than this but need a longer track to get there. We did'nt want to try it as many were clocking near to the 200 mark and the best we ever had (dyno) was about the 180 region.

[Jakie]

This was my Sportster I just sold 2 years ago. Loved the bike but I got married and I needed more room. Miss it sometimes.

[BigTed]

This was my Sportster I just sold 2 years ago. Loved the bike but I got married and I needed more room. Miss it sometimes.

AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHGGGGG Forward contols, puke puke, oh dear . :roflback: :roflback:

Needed more room? room for what?

[Jakie]

I herd yea Bit_ _ _ _ _ about forward controls further up the post.:Poke: :roflback: :Scared:

[route66paul]

Whenever I see a Sportster with forward controls I immediately think "pity, you should have saved a bit longer and bought a proper Harley" It just looks daft to me, a 50 year old design that was never meant to be like that. I've got 2 before you start on me, but forward controls, on a Sportster? yeuch.
The only purpose of any Harley is to shake itself to bits, keep you broke, and we all fall for it.

The old story over here used to be;
Q: what do you call a Harley without an oil keak.
A: empty



That joke from someone in the U.K.? Don't you Scots use anything built in GB? They all leak sooner or later. And don't get me started about the Lucas water cooled contact points and taillights.

[BigTed]

That joke from someone in the U.K.? Don't you Scots use anything built in GB? They all leak sooner or later. And don't get me started about the Lucas water cooled contact points and taillights.

Use stuff built here? are you mad? no way.

The worlds only diesel engined bike Made in England a single cylinder.:roflback:

The joke used to be:
Q...why do so many catholics buy Triumphs
A...they spend so much time on their knees to repair them

They used to use more oil than fuel, nothing ever sealed on them. It's about the only commercial machine made in the UK now.
A lump of total sh1t. They designed, with a huge goverment grant, of course, a 3 cylinder straight across the front machine (it never worked correctly in the past) in a new concept frame. The frames used to break at the joint to the triple tree main stock. Instead of trying to remove the vibration from the engine (which was/is horrendous) they welded another tube alongside the existing one. So now two tube welds break instead of one and always on the right hand side.

A great concept frame, yeah right, this second tube also precludes you being able to get at parts to service the bike easily. Another major problem was/is if the bike was knocked off the stand and fell, a spring inside the gearbox could be knocked off it's pin as in the relaxed mode it was not tight on it's pins the result, no gears.

This was a major stripdown and a common problem but no bikes were ever recalled to fix the problem the customer had pay if it happened after the warranty ran out. They then got another huge grant to develop a V12 machine a few years ago, it never got finished.

Lucas have a place in Glasgow and how they ever got these huge contracts to supply the manufacturers with parts is totally beyond belief your comment on tailights is so accurate, and brought back so many memories we used to try and seal them with silicon but they still filled with water.

The Buell is based on the Norton UK full loop featherbed frame.

AJS UK invented the (Jam Pots) first damped rear suspension an a bike.
BSA, Matchless, Sun, Heskith, now that was an amazing machine especially the Vampire, and many many more, all gone to the wall.
Nemo, thats the nickname of the bike, a 1947 1,000cc V twin Vincent UK still held many world records till just a few years ago.

The last world records for a standard bike at Bonneville were all broken by a 750cc Triumph, must have has a big oil can. A damned disgrace when you look at what they are making now.

With a Harley you know exactly what you are getting and what to look forward to.

[The Batman]

I got mine all the way up to 75 on the highway. Didn't buy it to race. When I race, I like to have 4 wheels under me. I bought the bike to cruise and enjoy myself.

Mid controls, sorry, I don't like sitting on the bike with my knees in my chest, takes away fromm the experience, I'll keep the forwards.

[BigTed]

I got mine all the way up to 75 on the highway. .

What happened when you changed to 2nd gear, lol

How about a piccy of bike, sounds nice.

We did'nt buy them to race either it just kind of somehow happened as they could be tuned a bit more then a bit more then a bit more ad infinatum and still look "ordinary" we use them mainly as road bikes. We have the belt to chain convertor sprockets if we want to get some wierd gearing at the rear wheel. We managed to get another rear wheel and use that as it's quicker to change.

[The Batman]

What happened when you changed to 2nd gear, lol

How about a piccy of bike, sounds nice.

We did'nt buy them to race either it just kind of somehow happened as they could be tuned a bit more then a bit more then a bit more ad infinatum and still look "ordinary" we use them mainly as road bikes. We have the belt to chain convertor sprockets if we want to get some wierd gearing at the rear wheel. We managed to get another rear wheel and use that as it's quicker to change.
It's the Yellow one on the previous page. You won't like it, it has forward controls.

As far as going fast...Murphey's Law and I have an agreement, as long as I don't do something stupid (includes my inexperianced self going fast on a bike) then he leaves me alone. I don't push my luck with Murphey. I know the bike has a lot in it, more than I want to try to wring out of it on the street. With proper gear and a closed track, might be a different story, but for now, I just enjoy the cruise and leave the go fast stuff to the guys on crotch rockets.

[BigTed]

It's the Yellow one on the previous page. You won't like it, it has forward controls.

As far as going fast...Murphey's Law and I have an agreement, as long as I don't do something stupid (includes my inexperianced self going fast on a bike) then he leaves me alone. I don't push my luck with Murphey. I know the bike has a lot in it, more than I want to try to wring out of it on the street. With proper gear and a closed track, might be a different story, but for now, I just enjoy the cruise and leave the go fast stuff to the guys on crotch rockets.

Did'nt know that one was yours, nice bike (pity about the you know whats). Just get a big huge hammer and knock them back a bit. lol.

[The Batman]

Did'nt know that one was yours, nice bike (pity about the you know whats). Just get a big huge hammer and knock them back a bit. lol.If I end up giving it to my wife to ride, I may put mids on it. Her legs are much shorter than mine. I sat on one that had mids. I felt cramps and it made it look like the bike was way too small for me.

[SafetyMan]

My wife is 5'2" and her Sporty had forward controls...

I'm thinking of putting the stock mids on, she may like it better.

[rk custom]

Big Ted you even have and accent when you type :Poke:
My first bike was a 72 XLCH
it hurt trying to keep up with 74's
glad I relieved myself of it

[The Batman]

So far, I'm not having any trouble keeping up with anyone. Been told to slow down once or twice. My buddy on a 600cc sport bike kept telling me to calm it down when leaving stop lights. I had no idea I was taking off that fast.

[BigTed]

So far, I'm not having any trouble keeping up with anyone. Been told to slow down once or twice. My buddy on a 600cc sport bike kept telling me to calm it down when leaving stop lights. I had no idea I was taking off that fast.

The sport takes off like sh1t from a shovel. My boy is 6'4" and tried the forward contols, he loves them on the glide, fat fcuk etc. but just could not use them on the sport. A pal bought them from us and we went back to the mids. That is a nice shade of yellow on yours, the black one we have has forward controls we fit as another pal more or less uses it all the time and is going to buy it (been waiting for money for last 3 years) we had it fitted with the bob tail back mudguard (fender?) and a few other things and then we tuned it, but neither of us seemed to like it, there was just something we did not seem to like but not sure what.