Why do some think a Harley-Davidson Sportster 883 is a girls' bike?

Question

Is it the look/style of the bike?
Is it because it's only 883 cc? I was told you can bore it out and make it a 1200, and the only difference between an 883 and a 1200 is the amount of chrome.
I was just wondering why some people view the Sportster 883 as a girls' bike.

I'd love to have a motorcycle, preferably a Harley or an Indian (they're back in biz), because they're American-made motorcycles. And I don't make much money so the only thing I can afford is a Harley Sportster 883. And i really don't care what other people think, I just want to ride. But I was just curious as to why people think an 883 is girly.

Answer 1

Because it is the smallest, least powerful and lightest of the Harley line.
This makes it the logical choice for a girl that wants a Harley.

You cannot " Bore "a 883 to make it a 1200, you can however put 1200 jugs on a 883.

Answer 2

I started on bikes when I was 16 as well and that was 40 years ago. I am still a regular rider and the most important thing I can tell you is that it is not the bike that will or will not get you into trouble. The problem will come from someone else not watching what they are doing or from you not respecting the motorcycle. I can give you some basics to help you make an informed choice. First, make sure your feet can be planted flat on the road. You need this for balance and control. Next, don't worry about how much the bike weighs. If it gets over balanced, let it fall. You can't hold it upright if it weighs 300 or 600 pounds, so it doesn't matter. Also, always stay in your Comfort zone until you gain experience. Heavy traffic, roads that are just starting to get wet, and poor surfaces all require special skills Take you time and it will come to you. Lastly, congratulations on staying away from the crotch rockets and the rider courses are excellent Now for your question. The 883 are good bikes for the beginner, but there are others that are just as good for getting around. You may not think they are as cool, but they are much cheaper. If you get into a starter bike and decide that you don't like riding, you won't loose as much when you get rid of it. If you love the riding, you can still get rid of the one you started with and move up to a Harley. Have you thought about a late model used bike to start on? The most important thing is to be careful and live to ride long enough to find out if it is for you. Good luck from a long time motorcycle fan. (I have ridden Harleys for many years, but did not start on one - don't pressure yourself into something you are not ready for).

Answer 3

The people that say the 883 is a girls bike are a bunch of idiots.It is the smallest bike in the Harley line-up but by no means a girls bike.If it was the only Harley I could afford then that is what I would ride.You can go with the 1200 kit when the money comes in. If you are a taller rider put a set of highway pegs or forward controls on it and a Sundowner seat for comfort, then you'll be ready to hit the highway.
Don't let anyone discourage you by calling it a girls bike,it's not.
Good luck , hope to see ya out there on your 883.

Answer 4

883 might be bit easier to handle for smaller body rider- and that means a female body that on average is 4 to 6 inches shorter and 40 pounds lighter than average male can have some fun on it. Sporty is also the handler of the Harley line, was the basic track racer calmed down for the street for many years. Some people call it a 'girls bike' because they don't have any cycle and the girl they want to fu*k rides a sporty- and won't talk to them. I rode a old 883 for a season, traded it for BMW R69/2 for various reasons. Had a couple big twin choppers and a dresser also at one time or another.

Answer 5

The funny thing is that back in the 50's and 60's the big twin was considered the old Fat mans bike. The sportster handles better and has a bit more torque. Also if you look at the push rods, on a sporty they are straight, not twisted like a big twin. this allows for allot more power to be added later if desired. You can ramp that 883 up beyond 1200 without too much of a problem. There are kits out there that will take it up to a 96" or about 1600cc. that's a ton of power on that light nimble bike. Look man, don't worry about what others think or say about your ride, as long as you are happy who cares.

Answer 6

Probably because they are the smallest of the herd and most first time buyers of Bikes that want a Harley go for the 883 . It seems you will see some big dudes on these 883 and it brings to mind its either their first bike are all they could afford at the time , Nothing wrong with Harley's its just some of these guys are ridiculous when they act Superior to other bike brands

Answer 7

It's not so much a girly bike but more of a beginner Harley. I had a 1200 Sportster as my first Harley and quickly found it was too small and under powered. The 883 would be worse. It is also not good for long rides since it has a very small gas tank with a 100 mile range. Save your money and get a softail.

Answer 8

Sportster is NOT a girls bike, or a beginners bike either.
in all reality the sportster is less of a girls bike than say maybe a Dyno or Softail...sportsters are actually harder to handle in all respects than those other two bikes...they have a higher center of gravity than the Dyno or softail which makes em top heavy....They're a great entry level bike if you want to enter the Harley family because of the price....and they are very dependable and only require routine periodic maintenance...they are however a little hard to sell when you get ready to move up to a larger bike...90% of all Harley riders either started there or have owned one in thier lives so don't listen to the crap about "it's a girls bike"
Go buy...go ride..and jump into the Harley experience...You'll have a ball
Oh...by the way....MY first Harley was a 350cc 1 cyl. Harley Davidson sprint....I loved that bike...ride to live..live to ride.

Answer 9

I think the 883-low is a very good bike for a short-statured person (who may be a girl), but I do not consider the HD 883 a girl bike. I've know three men to ride the 883. I do not consider them sissys by any means. If anything, us girls who ride are just a little tougher. The girls I know ride a Fat Boy, V-Rod, and a Heritage; I don't consider any bike a girl bike. I ride and I do not see any motorcycles specifically made for girls. The 883 is a great bare bones ride. Ride what you want, its your bike and you are a man.

Answer 10

those that knock the 883 are too much of a girly man to get off the rice and actually put it thru a workout on a twisty road. they're jealous they cant afford a harley that even a girl can afford. and a 883 that's seen heavy engine/cam mod's and coupled with a good rider, will smoke practically any non-rice rocket bike out there, and they just cant accept that fact. it's also been proven that a ninja 500 with an experienced rider will smoke a squid on a bigger bike on the track.

Answer 11

I curently own and ride a 79 XLH 1000 and a 04 XL 1200c and let me tell you that the 883's keep up with us on any runs we do and as far as power goes theres more than you will need, but I would put the 1200 kit in it with a screaming Eagle stage 1 kit also...as far as sportsters go I have left many after many big twins sittin at the lights with my so called small bike to include softtails and dynas and fatboys,,,True