Doesn't matter how you ride it, like a said it's only good for a straight line it sucks on curves, my xrx sportster is made for curvy roads and eats the vrods lunch all day everyday. Vrod only has 26° lean angle which sucks big time xr has 45°

 

0-60 times 1/4 mile times top speed q
v rod 1130cc 0-60 3.5 sec 1/4 mile 11.4 top speed 143
V rod 1250cc 0-60 3.7 sec 1/4 mile 11.7 top speed 143

Sporty 1200 0-60 4.6 sec 1/4 mile 13.0 top speed 118
sporty 1200r 0-60 4.9 sec 1/4 mile 13.4 top speed 123

Spirty 883 0-60 6.3 sec 1/4 mile 14.5 top speed 107

All things being equal.

 

680 vs 555lbs is one helluva comparision. The VROD's power peaks around 9k, the Sportster's around 4300 rpms. Much above 5k is not a range I wanna ride in very often on a vtwin motor nor is a speed above 72mph much fun. Taking turns on a two-wheeled 700lb vehicle is too much for me. Regardless of $$ poured into R&D the laws of physics apply to fun too.

 

the xr sportster is 91hp at 7000rpm

 

^ Mine is actually 4300 which is less than half of your V-Rod. I'll take my Sporty any day. The fun factor of a Sportster is that indefinable quality that NO other motorcycle can duplicate.
https://www.motorcyclespecs.co.za/mo...tster%2004.htm

My XB12r peaked at 6000 which is still a helluva lot less than 9 grand. I can see now why HD axed the vrod.
https://www.motorcyclespecs.co.za/mo...ebolt%2008.htm

 

the xr sportster is an entirely different animal from the regular sportster, yeah sportsters are super fun. I only had my vrod for 17,000 miles before i traded it for an xr

 

^ Well said! Accurate as well.

 

I think the appeal of the Sporster is it is the epitome of what a motorcycle should be in a helluva lotta people's minds, they're imaginations and < THAT'S what sells anything. Its just a VERY simple, uncomplicated, fast, loud, basic, relatively cheap motorcycle. It's like Andre the Giant in wrestling. He wasn't much a technical wrestler, had no 'personality' like Macho Man Randy Savage or Hulk Hogan but he epitomized in the public's mind what a pro wrestler should be like the Sportster epitomizes what a motorcycle should be.

 

No doubt the fun factor is a big part of the Sportster. I find the overall raw experience of the Sporty a very desirable trait and when combined with the simplicity and overall size, makes it very hard to beat. I also love the EVO engine. I currently own a Touring platform and a Softail platform. To miss having a Sportster when I have 2 great bikes already, says something. My Road King is a beast...117 Stage IV and it has some of the rawness I like. Its hot, loud and shakes. But, it is heavy and the ride is much more refined than most bikes. By comparison, the Softail feels like an antique. Its slow and doesn’t handle as well. It makes me want to slow down and cruise. It doesn’t have any rawness to it...very smooth.

The Sportster gives me something the others don’t...hard to articulate but its there.

 

As much of BULLSH#@ as it sounds I still like the shorter, more compact $10k Sportster even better than the rather elongated stretch of the $20k FXDR which will smoke just about anything on two or four wheels but still only has a 32 degree bank angle which will scrape eventually & weighs 670lbs, 110+lbs more than an 883. For me its all about the simplicity and rawness of the basic 883 that goes plenty fast enough, and can corner like a razor blade. Lose the restrictive power choking slip-ons, throw on a set of HD 412s & a SE intake and you can have all the fun that can be had on two wheels. To add to < that might be a different pulley or gear arrangement or piston/cam setup but even that ain't gonna make it a rocket nor would I want it to be one.