Is it not made by Harley? Does it have the harley name on it?
2006-12-25 04:04:50 · 18 answers · asked by Anonymous in Cars & Transportation ➔ Motorcycles
883 is the smallest cruiser hd makes. rider's over 6' tall might find it just a tad too small. most popular hd bikes are the tourer's; road king, electra glide, and ultra classic's. but these big bikes dont have the nimbleness at speed a sportster has, nor does it have the acceleration a sporty has.
seems to me those that say a sportster is a 'girl's bike' are the 1's that havent ridden em, and its just easier to cut em down instead.
a 883 that has the stage1 on it will easily leave the big twins in the dust at a stop light, those that have a stage2 will pwn em even worse. i've seen 883's fly even loaded down with a moderate weight passenger...and the driver wasnt a toothpick either. it's a real harley. dont let no1 tell ya different. their just jealous be sure.
2006-12-25 04:18:32 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
I held off buying a Harley for that reason. Actually I prefer the 650 to 1000cc class bikes better. I had a 1100 Yamaha Silverado wihch I dearly loved, but it was a little big and heavy. I have ridden everyday for 37 years so my mindset is still in the sixties. That is small bikes are still to me 50cc to 200cc mid size bikes are 250cc to 500cc and large bikes are 550cc up.
Back then the largest bike you coud buy was a 1200cc harley.
What changed my mind is a 15 yearl kid ran out in fron of me and I hit him at 50 miles an hour and flew over his car and landed face first on the pavement. I had planned to wait until I retire and buy a large Harley and just keep riding Yamaha's till then.
I still love Yahamas, but that wreck made me realize I might not live long enough to retire especally with the bad drivers in cars here, so I decided to replace my wrecked Yahama with an 883 Sportster. If I am going to die on a bike it will be a harley even if it is an 883.
I know it is actually an introdutory bike and that is fine, I understand most people buy the 883 and like it so well they trade it in for a larger bike within a yesr.
Me on the other hand am limited to price. The 883 is just the right price for me and i am convinced I will ride Sportsters the rest of my life. I agree with the other poster who said don't let anyone full you the 883 Sportster is a real Harley ride and be proud. Not everyone can afford the big honkers. Ride what you can afford and handle and don't let the opinions of others ruin your fun.
In 1969 there was a hit television show about a reporter quitting his job buying his dead friends's 900cc sprotster and riding accross the country. The show was Then Came Bronson. This show increased the sales of Sportsters and back then harley made small medium and large bikes, my firend had a 65cc Harley.
2006-12-25 17:08:41 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
The sportster is an entry-level bike. I also have a 1200R and it is basically the same bike as the 883. Some people have issues, they feel they have to compensate for something. Some people say its a chicks bike, but I seen quite a few chicks on fatboys and softails and dynas last summer. I will have a softail myself maybe next year if not the next. But I couldn't look down on anyone with a sporty, its still American made, its still a Harley. $20,000 is quite a bit for a motorcycle, in one hit anyway. A new sporty is about half of that. Most of the original old school choppers were sportsters.
2006-12-25 21:27:50 · answer #3 · answered by greg 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Harley Davidsons have built a reputation and image by manufacturing a certain style and type of bike to a select clientelle
The image and pedigree of the bikes reflected the owners and this is something that was prized by the owners. the ability to customise the bikes further was a bonus.
The sportster went against the grain with these owners, it was an attempt to commercialise what had been seen as a speciality market brand and this would bring in people who would not fit the Harley rider mould.
It was a gutsy move and down the track has been proven to be a winner as Harley salesd have skyrocketed , particlarly with the new range of bikes like the Rod
Harley want to be careful thought that they dont loose their mainstream customer base who supported them all these years and move away from the traditions that have kept their company afloat
2006-12-26 03:44:52 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have a 2002 Harley Sportster 883 XLH Hugger and I go thru the same thing from alot of Harley riders too,they tell me it's a girl's bike or a baby Harley but like one old Harley rider told me son,we all started out riding a smaller bike so just tell them to kiss your as-!! My hugger has the stage 2 kit and I've put forward controls on,I've chromed her out,dressed her with saddlebags,changed the seat,I've done everything that I wanted to do to her to make her comfortable for me and I'm 5'11 & 240 pounds.I love my Hugger and get compliments everywhere I go on her.A 883 is a great bike and I plan on getting a Softail one day but I'll keep my baby Hog alittle while longer!!
2006-12-25 22:04:45 · answer #5 · answered by wild1highinvamountains 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It is a Harley, and some people absolutely love their Sportsters. The problems that I see that most people have are:
-They own a Fat Boy/bigger Harley- they spent way more than the 883 buyer, and don't see how it could have the same brand
-It will always appear as an 'intro' bike to most, and for many riders it is, but to some that is a negative
-They really don't look quite the same, stock. They don't have the same grace/flow/whatever that the bigger bikes do. On the same token, people that cusotmize them tend to do a great job.
-I've heard from some that they can't enjoy the ride of an 883, prob. because they are used to the bigger, heavier bikes
-They're the Little Brother of the HD family, and everyone just likes to pick on the underdog...
2006-12-25 12:13:48 · answer #6 · answered by bkfd202 2 · 5⤊ 1⤋
Most of the people that look down on Sportsters don't even own a street bike. Know-it-alls are everywhere. The Sportster is made by Harley Davidson alright, and before Beulls it was the closest thing HD had to a sport bike.
2006-12-25 13:36:12 · answer #7 · answered by bobo383 3 · 5⤊ 0⤋
A Sportster is to Harleys what the Ford Ranger is to Ford pick ups. It's 'real' its' 'whole' it's just a smaller version. For a first Harley it's not a bad bike but most outgrow them.After reading some of the answers I have to add,I in fact own a 91 XL1200 it used to be my girlfriends bike ***But she outgrew it*** she now rides a custom 90 FXR. Some may not outgrow them ,but most do.I ride a 91 FXR and decided to keep the Sporty for an around town "Kicks" bike.
2006-12-26 01:57:39 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Oh It.s a real Harley alright . some people knock it just because it is the smallest bike Harley makes and a lot of them happen to be ridden by women. It is a very good little bike and increasing it;s size to 1200 cc is easy to do
2006-12-25 16:40:10 · answer #9 · answered by bisquedog 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
They are just smaller and have the tranny and engine in the same case like the metric boys. Thy are fun to ride and get around in traffic better than the bigger ones but is not near as zippy as a sport bike. If you still play a lot on winding roads it may be more for you. If you are going to ride with a passenger then look into the 1200. If more than around town you may want to look into a big twin so that you will be more comfortable.
2006-12-25 18:37:54 · answer #10 · answered by ronnny 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋