Would the Harley Davidson Sportster XL 883 make a good beginner motorcycle?

Answer 1

Honestly, no. A beginning rider should get something small (400cc or less) and light weight. Also, given that a beginning rider may find afterwards they are really not interested your not out the expenses you will be after purchasing the 883.

I've been riding for 20 years. I first started on an 82 Yamaha Heritage Special 400. The bike was light, economical, looked great and really gave me a chance to get my feet wet on the street. It had enough top end that you could take in on the highway without problems.

I would look for something local for sale, not to new. Shoot for cost effective until your sure of the sport, than look to move up. After a year or two on a small bike you might want to take the plunge towards the 883.

Best of luck and be safe.

Answer 2

I think it would be fine. Some will tell you to start with a smaller bike. From personal experience, that didn't work. I started with a 550 and it wasn't too long after I bought it that I regretted it and wanted something larger. So I went out and bought a larger bike. Salesmen love to sell you things and if you buy a small bike first they know you'll be back to buy the larger bike very soon and they sell two bikes. The Sportster XL 883 is the smallest Harley-Davidson. It should work for you. I prefer Harleys to the other brands and ride a Superglide. If you get the Sportster, I can guarantee you'll be a Harley rider forever after. Welcome to the biking world.

Answer 3

I would recommend the Buell Blast first. It is lighter and smaller. Therefore when you begin to ride and tip it over you can pick it up by yourself. It also doesn't cost that much.
My mom began on a Blast and she loves it. I've driven it and it is fun. Once you get the feel of riding, then move up to a 883 sportster. I started with a Yamaha MX100. Then a 1977 Harley 175, then the Buell Blast. I then bought a 2003 Buell Firebolt 900. It's fun to move up to bigger bikes!!!
I recommend taking a rider safety course. Most Harley shops can give you information on a local course.
Or... if you have the option, learn on a small dirtbike. By the time you have that down and get onto the open road it will feel like you are floating!!!

Answer 4

Don't do it. I was a new rider 4 years ago and would have gone out immediately and purchased a Sportster. My husband has a Fat Boy and he talked me out of getting the Sportster. It is a small bike and you will want to trade it in for a bigger bike (take a look in the classifieds, Sportster for sale all the time). I purchased an older Honda 650 and rode that the 1st two summers to get some experience. After a couple of years I purchased a 2000 Deuce. It is a 1450 and I love it. I could not have ridden it without the couple of years of experience. Find yourelf an older bike for your starter bike. You will be much happier. Also take the safety course and make your spouse take it with you. It is fantastic course no matter what your experience level is.

Answer 5

The Harley Davidson 883 sportster seems to be the main choice of many new riders, as it is light to handle has enough power but not overly much, plus the price is lower by far than the big boys. Therefore I say YES it is a very good first choice bike, then when ready move up, if you so wish.

Answer 6

Hi,I hadn't ridden a motorcycle in 24 years and I'm now 40 years old.I made up my mind I wanted a motorcycle,so I went and took the permit test & got that first then I looked at every kind of bike available and in Feb.2006 ended up buying a 2002 Harley Davidson Sportster 883 XLH Hugger and I love it!! A sportster is heavy though,mine weighes almost 500 pounds but I put over 700 miles by myself with my permit because nobody had time to ride with a beginner.Then I finally talked a guy into going to DMV with me to get my license & passed,no problem.I've now put over 5000 miles on it since June.I would recommend the 883 for anybody that wants to learn or just starting out,I'm trying to get my wife to ride it.Don't worry about getting a bigger bike right now believe me that will come after a couple months of riding.I'm looking at Softails now but plan on riding my 883 Hugger another year,you don't want to jump into a big bike right off the bat.Sportsters are what some Harley riders call Baby Hogs but get it,respect it,ride it,love it,take care of it. I always remember one thing that my dad told me growing up "treat them with respect because once you think you've got it mastered,she'll bust your ***!!"
Take your time,be careful,watchout for other drivers because some of them don't watch out for you and you'll be fine.
LOVE MY 2002 HD SPORTSTER 883 HUGGER!!!

Answer 7

First of all take the MSF saftey course, then it depends on experience. I have 35 yrs. of riding and race experience and have seen a lot of people buy too heavey a bike for there first time. My girl friend started riding last summer, she took the class first then we found her a Kawaski KZ250 street bike. She wanted an 883 but I wanted her to have more seat time first.. good thing.. blinkers are cheap for the kawa.. She had no problem riding with me, the bike worked very well, its so light and didnt get squirlly in sand. I would recomend any brand as long as its light, and small in displacement.. good luck

Answer 8

The sporty is top heavy - but if you have good upper body strength
and your feet are FLAT on the ground when sitting on it - go for it!

I learned on a sporty, dropped it more times than I can count -
but I never sat flat footed on it, and being female, upper body
strength was also an issue. I would not recommend the sporty
as a beginner bike for anyone that is vertically challenged! I'm now
on a softail deluxe, love it! It is much bigger than a sportster, but
the center of gravity is so different, it actually handles much easier.

Answer 9

My husband and I would like to get bikes one day as well and are lucky to have a brand new Mikes's Famous Harleys in our area. We were there admiring the selection they have and got to chatting with the bike manager who let us in on what he takes into consideration when helping a person decide on what type of bike to purchase. The bike should fit the person's body type, for example my husband is 6'6", I'm 5'6". My husband's bike would be big, high seated and with handle bars of his choice as his long arms could reach high up, out and wide or down and close. I on the other hand would need a bike that I could hold up of course, so not too big, a low seater, so I could firmly touch ground, and handlebars down and close which is recommended for beginners as it brings everything close and tight for more control over the bike until you become used to riding. Another thing to consider is what type of riding will you be doing? Long distance highway cruising with fewer starts and stops or short distance gaunts with friends around town or down a stretch of back road and back home with more frequent starts and stops. This is important because some models have a little more rumble and vibration to them, everytime you stop for a light or whatever you will have to deal with this. It may be better to leave these bikes to the open road and opt for a quieter model to sport if you're scenario is of the latter. Whether it be loud and bouncy or toned-down and smooth the one true thing all bikers can agree on is the thrill of being in the wind. Good luck and be safe in your pursuit.

Answer 10

That is what I learned on...so I say yes, but remeber it it a bit top heavy so just get a good feel for the bike in a parkinglot...practice starting and stopping (easing the clutch in and out).

I would suggest also taking the MSF course...most states offer this class for free. That is the way I should've learned, but I did it the hard way. I did take the class about two years after I'd been riding and still learned a good bit on the proper way to do things. Plus, it was fun to ride those littler bikes once I'd been riding on bigger ones.