First post, so here's my background - Been riding since I was 15, I'm 46 now. Ridden dirt bikes and On/Off road bikes (we used to call them Enduros) exclusively, except for a 3 month stint on a Kawa Vulcan 800 Classic(Beautiful bike but not my style). Current bike is a Kawa KLR 650 that is perfect for 99% of the riding I currently do, which consist ofa 10 mile commute to work each way with about 3 miles of gravel road included to keep you awake. My problem is that I have once again caught Sportster fever. I've loved them since my dad used to take me to the stock car races and once in a while they would bring in some flattrackers as a special. God I loved those old XR's. I've wanted one ever since but always convinced myself that I was a dirt biker at heart and thus would talk myself out of the only Harley I've ever wanted, a Sportster. Like I said before, I caught the itch for a Sportster again. I visited a big HD dealer last weekend for the first time in a long time and fell in lust with an 07' 883 in Pewter Pearl. It darned near followed me home. Unfortunately, the wife says only one bike at a time, so if I get the 883, the KLR goes. Now for my question - would you commute on a gravel road with a new Sportster? Thanks for any replies.

 

Pesonally, I wouldn't. I would freak out at the damage (nicks, scratches, etc) all of those little rocks would do to my baby! lol

Maybe a Buell Ulysses would work for you?

 

I DO commute on a gravel road with my Sportster, four miles a day. I made a nice little 6"x16" skid plate for the front, to keep the rocks from hitting the underside of my motor. It's worked just fine; I attached it with zip ties (some time later I'll wire/bolt it on).
Go for it!

 

ahh, but he wants a sportser.

 

I too rode dirt for many years and moved over from a XT600 to a Sportster. I would ditch the 883 ideaand p/u a 1200R if you have to have a Sportster, you will be much happier. Don't overlook theBuell Ulysses though, it's a sportster on steroids you can still take off-road and a true blast to ride after you get use to the flywheel weight (heavy like a XR/XT 600).

The sporty will kick up some rocks and devalue it in the long run, but it fishtails like KrAzy in the soft (like big inch four-stroke dirt dobber).


I miss my sporty, but love theride of the SG. It's only money buy a few and go from there. If I had to change to a dual surface bike again it WILL be a Ulysses.

 

If I could handle the road okay, I would. [/align][/align][/align]IMO, a Harley isfor riding, not for looking at, and "knicks and scratches" come with the territory of being a rider versus being a trophy gatherer.[/align][/align]Why let a gravel road and a few little knicks and scratches ruin your life from not owning and riding a Harley. Knicks and scratches can continuously be fixed, anyway, if you want. [/align][/align]Heck, you ought to see my bike when it's not cleaned up for pictures sake. It's often a pigsty, and I usuallycould give a crap. Heck, I haven't evenbeen able to see out of my left mirror for 3 days now, me forgetting to clean it each time before I leave, ahem. Hell, I got a cleanright mirror, I don't need both.[/align][/align]You going to let a little gravel road dictate your life from owning a Harley or not? Give that gravel road the finger andgrin at it and spit on itwhile you ride a Harley all over the top of it, the *****. [/align][/align][/align]That's just my 2¢ worth, anyway...[/align]

 

I ride some gravel stretches pretty regularily on my 883 and it's not pleasant, handling wise. Might be the tires to some extent (stock Donlops) and more likely my experience level is mostly hard surface. It gets real hairy on the corners and in the deep stuff. No comparison to my son-in-laws dirt bike. Two different rides.

 

Bikes are made to be ridin... If gravel was part of the equation, it wouldnt stop me... i've seen plenty of fender damage to cars from gravel roads, but what can ya do... go for it...

oh, and welcome from Laredo, Texas...

 

I ride my 2006 back a gravel road a half mile almost 5 days a a week to work.The gravel is really loose and when cars and trucks get it packed down they spread it out again so it's loose all over again.I only go about 10 mph any higher or lower the bike wants to go all over the place.I thought about the nicks but want to ride to work so I made a decision to not let the gravel stop me.

 

I would stick with a dual sport for a gravel road ride of 3 miles each way.