You will not be comfortable on a sportster. Get a bike that is comfortable to sit on and then treat it nice until you are comfortable with riding it.

 

I took my wifes 99 sporty out yesterday for a quick check and I felt like a dwarf and I'm 5'8 and 210 so I'd definately recommend and flh fatboy or roadking. Keep in mind there all the same once you get them rolling, the bigger bikes that is.And as you said price is a factor, look for an EVO, you won't regret it.

 

Can't really picture a guy your size on a Sportster. Well I can but it makes me giggle.

 

Not making fun of your size either, but I think you would look like a big kid on a mini bike. Sportsters are great like all HD's. I remember having a 1980 Corvette and working at a bar in Florida in the mid 90's. Took the bouncer for a ride. I felt like I was in a go cart with him in it. I'm only 5'10, 200#.
I had a Dyna for a while. Wished I knew more before I bought it.
But I moved up to a Road King last summer. I like longer distances.

I learned; I don't like a windshield, but I respect them to keep the wind off of you for a long trip and not feel like you've been up for 2 days. 70mph wind hitting you without a windshield wears you out more than I ever imagined. Most are easily detachable and I have that option on my RK. I'm 52 and can't stay up all night like I used to.

I think drag bars look great, but after a day of riding, even around town, it kills my back.
Parts, chrome, seats, pipes, all cost a ton of money. I love chrome. If you do, find one with a lot on it, we can't charge what it cost when we sell it. Pretty much give it away with the bike all that you invest in it. So let someone else do it if that's what you like.

I bought a CVO this time because I knew I'd spend $8000 on chrome and custom stuff anyway-probably eventually. But that's just me. I still find stuff to buy, we always do. I've bought 2 sets of exhaust already. Got CFR's off of ebay and they sound awesome.

Take your time, there's a lot of good bikes out there and you can find a nice one in your price range. A lot of people buy a bike and just don't ride it much. Just keep looking and posting. Welcome to the club.

 

You need to be in the touring line with your size!! Stay away from the sportsters, they are to small for you!! Your budget might not allow you to get a tourer though.You might have to save a little more money!!

 

Saw this on "New Posts" today and was going to put in my 2 cents ... then saw the OP's last response was 2 weeks ago. So, dbk1029, what did you do?

And while I'm here ... I was in a pretty similar position as you are - hadn't ridden in years, took MSF, has a similar budget and originally went looking for Sportys. Rode a bunch of Nightsters. While I was at the dealer, I rode a few Dynas just to see how they felt. Couldn't go back to a Sporty. I'm 6' 225.

My advice is go to a few dealers and ride a bunch of bikes - even different ones of the same model. On used bikes, the previous owners mods can make them feel very different. Eventually, one will stand out as "the" bike. That's the one to buy.

Oh - then, when you've found that PERFECT bike for you, you will bring it home and immediately start buying stuff to change everything about it. But, that's another story.

I bought a FXDF, now with new bars, risers and chopped rear fender; turn signal, brake light and license plate relo; solo seat; luggage rack and custom powder coated tins.

Good Luck.

 

Road king. Won't have to upgrade the suspension right away. Bags are way handier for every day riding than you would ever think. Windshield comes off in 5 seconds. Easy upgrade to a batwing later if you want. Touring frame handles awesome and really helps the rk feel like a much lighter bike than it actually is. All models of Harley have their strong points especially sportys, which I happen to really like, but getting a road king (or sg or rg) first will save you an expensive upgrade a year or two down the road.

 

What he said. I started looking at Sportsters and ended up with a Road King. Utterly fabulous bike, but lots and lots of machine for a newbie.

Be advised, you'll have to be very careful with it - they're heavy and powerful, which isn't ideal for someone new to motorcycles. Not that you shouldn't get one, but just think carefully before you do and treat it with lots of respect until you're used to it.

 

I don't know about "avoid" - I'm 6'1" and 220 and I was as comfortable on my Sportster as on my Softail, but I wanted to move up to the bigger bike. Now I'd still like to have a Sportster as a second bike. They are fun and light and easy to handle around town.

BUT, if you just get the sportster, in a few months you'll be looking at everybody else's big twins and wanting to move up.

 

Those that say Sportsters don't fit "adult sized males" are full of crap, at least with respect to height. I am 6'2" (and 210) and love my 1200 Custom (which has forward controls). Anyone who is being honest will tell you that Sportsters are quicker, more nimble and easier to handle. It is alot harder to correct a mistake when you have a much heavier bike going the wrong direction (like down). In addition, forward controls on a Dyna are much farther forward than those on a Sportster which also gives you less control, particularly for inexperienced riders.

That being said, your weight, with all due respect, may change the equation. 300+ pounds on a bike that weighs 600 pounds (Sportster) will raise the overall center of gravity more than it would on a 1000 pound bike (touring bikes) and accordingly affect handling.

The best advice, ignoring the obviously biased comments telling you one bike is absolutely better than another for everyone, is to test ride as many as you can and see what you are comfortable sitting on, but, most importantly, what you are comfortable handling.