Sportster or Wideglide?
#11
03-13-2011, 10:52 AM
Should have stuck with what you wanted the first time around. You'll just keep second guessing it and wanting the Wide Glide, until you finally get one. I wanted a Wide Glide when I decided to get a bike. They couldn't find one for me and I'd probly still be waiting and would have missed a whole season. I'm happy with my Street Bob, but if a Wide Glide became available I'd try to get it. My Dyna is comfortable for all day trips, and still has the stock seat. I did almost 1k miles in 4 days last summer and was fine each day.
#12
03-13-2011, 11:13 AM
Thanks all! I do like my sportster 1200... Its just that I sat on the new wideglide last year when I bought my bike and really liked it. Didn't ride it but it felt good sitting on! Would of bought it but their was a 09 custom sitting by it that I could buy out right without payments! So I took that road! Now I wondering before I start dumping $$$ in upgrading my bike if I should of just got the wideglide? I went back in the Harley shop last week and they offered me full price on my sportster if I wanted the wideglide. Haven't rode the wideglide but just love the way it looks and feels sitting on it. The ideal situation is me getting the wideglide, and getting my wife to ride so I could keep the sportster around! I dont think that will happen.. She's into riding but what she rides has 4 legs not 2 wheels! If I could get the harley shop to take a couple horses in for trade then I could have both! Dont think that will happen either.... Thanks again everyone for comments!
Last edited by haluk; 03-13-2011 at 11:34 AM.
#13
03-13-2011, 01:03 PM
First off, what size is your Sportster? I'm assuming it's an 883.
The 883 may feel underpowered but really it's not. It will do just fine at freeway speeds it is just sometimes it's going to feel like you are really getting into the throttle to maintain speed. Uphil, headwind, and the bike may top out at 80...which is still faster than any speed limit in the country.
If you do a 1200 conversion, or your bike is a 1200, it is anything but underpowered and the Dyna is going to feel no more or less powerful.
For comfort, if you have the stock shocks, seat, and mid pegs yes it will be uncomfortable at your size. Get a set of Road King air shocks (street glides if you have a Nightster, Iron, or Low as those bikes come with 1" lower shocks or if you want to drop your bike 1") and the difference in suspension will amaze you. Cost is about $50 (more for the Street Glide shocks) if you look on eBay.
A comfortable seat will help too. Most Sportster owners swear by the Mustang wide solo seats.
If you have mid controls, forwards or highway pegs will definately make the ride more comfortable. I like forwards but a good set of highway pegs will give you a couple of different places to put your feet on long rides.
I have a 99 Sportster and a 2011 Dyna Wide Glide. They are very different bikes. The Dyna feels better on highway rides because of the longer rake and slightly larger size. Draw back is the shocks still could stand to be upgraded (but better than the Sportsters stock shocks) and ground clearance while turning is very lacking. I rub my exhaust every time I make a right hand corner and the suspension compresses a little bit...like if I start accelerating out of the corner. It annoys me and in a twisty section of road the Sportster will lose it every time.
The Sportster is a great short distance bike and shines in the twisties. I did ride mine from So. Cal. to Vegas and from So. Cal. to Phoenix. The Vegas run was with my 2-up seat with gel and the Phoenix was with my stock solo seat. The gel seat wasn't too bad but the solo killed me. Still, both trips were well over 300 miles one way and I wasn't dead tired when I arrived.
So really ask yourself how much do you want to spend on a new bike when you've only rode 300 on your current one? I would ride a bit more, enjoy the bike you have, maybe make some changes and go from there. 300 miles isn't far at all...I put about 500 on mine in a week.
The 883 may feel underpowered but really it's not. It will do just fine at freeway speeds it is just sometimes it's going to feel like you are really getting into the throttle to maintain speed. Uphil, headwind, and the bike may top out at 80...which is still faster than any speed limit in the country.
If you do a 1200 conversion, or your bike is a 1200, it is anything but underpowered and the Dyna is going to feel no more or less powerful.
For comfort, if you have the stock shocks, seat, and mid pegs yes it will be uncomfortable at your size. Get a set of Road King air shocks (street glides if you have a Nightster, Iron, or Low as those bikes come with 1" lower shocks or if you want to drop your bike 1") and the difference in suspension will amaze you. Cost is about $50 (more for the Street Glide shocks) if you look on eBay.
A comfortable seat will help too. Most Sportster owners swear by the Mustang wide solo seats.
If you have mid controls, forwards or highway pegs will definately make the ride more comfortable. I like forwards but a good set of highway pegs will give you a couple of different places to put your feet on long rides.
I have a 99 Sportster and a 2011 Dyna Wide Glide. They are very different bikes. The Dyna feels better on highway rides because of the longer rake and slightly larger size. Draw back is the shocks still could stand to be upgraded (but better than the Sportsters stock shocks) and ground clearance while turning is very lacking. I rub my exhaust every time I make a right hand corner and the suspension compresses a little bit...like if I start accelerating out of the corner. It annoys me and in a twisty section of road the Sportster will lose it every time.
The Sportster is a great short distance bike and shines in the twisties. I did ride mine from So. Cal. to Vegas and from So. Cal. to Phoenix. The Vegas run was with my 2-up seat with gel and the Phoenix was with my stock solo seat. The gel seat wasn't too bad but the solo killed me. Still, both trips were well over 300 miles one way and I wasn't dead tired when I arrived.
So really ask yourself how much do you want to spend on a new bike when you've only rode 300 on your current one? I would ride a bit more, enjoy the bike you have, maybe make some changes and go from there. 300 miles isn't far at all...I put about 500 on mine in a week.
#14
03-13-2011, 01:24 PM
Tourer
Thanks all! I do like my sportster 1200... Its just that I sat on the new wideglide last year when I bought my bike and really liked it. Didn't ride it but it felt good sitting on! Would of bought it but their was a 09 custom sitting by it that I could buy out right without payments! So I took that road! Now I wondering before I start dumping $$$ in upgrading my bike if I should of just got the wideglide? I went back in the Harley shop last week and they offered me full price on my sportster if I wanted the wideglide. Haven't rode the wideglide but just love the way it looks and feels sitting on it. The ideal situation is me getting the wideglide, and getting my wife to ride so I could keep the sportster around! I dont think that will happen.. She's into riding but what she rides has 4 legs not 2 wheels! If I could get the harley shop to take a couple horses in for trade then I could have both! Dont think that will happen either.... Thanks again everyone for comments!
#16
03-13-2011, 02:24 PM
Outstanding HDF Member
You will out grow the Sporty very quickly. Many for sale on Ebay & Craigslist. Check out the Superglide Custom. If not, WIDEGLIDE!!!
#17
03-13-2011, 02:34 PM
Road Captain
If they are offering you full price for the Sporty on the WG...Jump on that SH** !!! I did the same in 09 when i got full price for my Nightster on an FXDC...i would still be on the Custom if my Fat Boy wouldn't have fallen into my lap !!!
#19
03-13-2011, 03:43 PM
Such a common thing, we all do this, I did too. Had an 04 sporty brand new. But always wanted the bigger bike. This work out so well for harley. They get you on a sporty and know you will want the bigger bike. They get to sell two bikes lol. Get a full size harley, you will always feel like your bike isn't rite if you don't. z
#20
03-13-2011, 03:52 PM
Tourer
Or, like you said, convince the wife to ride, and keep it for her, them go get the wide glide. Tell her it may be an ironhorse, but it has horsepower!
Good luck
Good luck