So I am finishing up my riding course this coming weekend and will also be looking for my first bike. I am considering the Sportster 1200C as a good starter bike. However, once I get some experience my wife wants to go 2up with me and I think the Sportster will be too small for that. In other words, I will out grow the Sportster quickly and have to upgrade.

I am also considering something like the Super Glide or even a Fat Boy but think it may be too much bike while I am trying to gain confidence and fundamental skills. What is your opinion with starting out with these larger bikes versus opting for a Sportster that I may outgrow?

 

Start with the sportster or even just a honda but buy cheap used and sell it after a couple months and get the bike you really want. Get those first few mistakes out of the way with a lighter easier to handle bike that you don't really care as much about.

 

Good advice right there!!

 

I thought the E-Glide I got a few months back might have been a tad overkill, but I took it real easy for a while to get used to its handling and performance. I knew it was what I wanted in the end, so why sacrifice now and have to take a possible loss on trading up later. I'm not getting any younger, or prettier either, so I have the model which will suite me through to the end. I now have no reason to trade off as I can easily modify mine to be more personalized and be just what I'm wanting it to be in the end. No regrets! Get what you need to fill your riding needs for the future, not just tomorrow.
I hope this helps!
My $0.02

aka Bob

 

having never ridden before, after i took ther msf course i thought i'd take it safe and buy a honda 750 to practice, which i did. i did fine and within 5 months is was so bored with it i sold it, lost 500 on it, went and bought fatboy next day. the 750 did give me the experience i needed, but i wished i wouldve just gotten the fatboy to begin with. it also depends on u. i saw people in my msf course flopping all over the place had no business riding and were asked to leave. if you have handeled it well and are fairly good at it...go for it. practice on safe roads. dont get me wrong, i love chubby, but now want a road king!

 

When at the dealer, take your time. Take a long time. Sit on every bike that catches your eye. Sit on them for a while. Go back and forth several times. The bike for you will slowly become obvious.

 

+1 to what Turbo Turtle said. Get something you'll be happy with for a few years. Alot of people told me to get a used smaller bike for a year to learn on.

I had the MSF riding course in late May. I have put about about 1200 miles on my Low Rider since Memorial Day weekend. No regrets here.

 

My wife went to the dealer 10x before deciding on her bike. She is a first time rider and completed the msf. She almost got a sporty but our salesman talked her out of it, it didn't take much talking. She ended up with the fxd and has never looked back. She isn't a strong rider yet but has no problem going fast or slow on her bike. Just time and patience. Moral of the story: Get the bike you want and pay for it once.

 

I agree with this. The difference between a Sportster 1200 and a Dyna is going to be negligible (except perhaps price). If you can handle one you can handle the other. For that matter if you can handle a Dyna, you would probably be ok with something in the Soft Tail family. Get the bike you want and take it slow and easy learning to ride it. Good luck.

 

My first one was an 06 Deuce. I never even went through a course, just rode a dirt bike about 20 years ago. My philosophy was why should I buy 2 bikes so I just bought what I wanted right away. Just be careful and get used to it before you ride too far. Be safe and ride what you want. Good Luck!