I'm 6'1", 34" Inseam. I ride an 07 1200Custom. Bike is perfect. I rode it 12OO miles in 4 days after having it two weeks. I thought it was very comfy. I did feel that I wanted to stretch my legs out more and after changing my pipes to V&H shortshots I fabricated new forward control brackets, effectively moving the forward 5" further to the front... Made a huge difference. I have this mod posted at https://www.hdforums.com/m_1856072/tm.htm. Others have made these modified brackets and have also loved them.

Bottom line... buy the bike you want. Don't be steered into something you don't. The sporty is only 3 inches shorter in wheelbase than the Dyna's. And personally, I like my sporty the best.

 

Well thanks for the replies. I'm planning on visiting another dealership in the area tomorrow and see what happens there. I'm still new to street bikes and didn't really want one of the bigger bikes right away.I just got a feeling that he wasn't listening to whatI was telling him which is why I split. Thanks for the info guys.

 

I'm 5'7". At times the standard controls suck because they hit right in my shins, so I think w/the forward ones, you'd probably be good. I also added crash bar/pegs...and that helps a lot on long trips. I have a custom Corbin seat w/backrest and standard handle bars and the fit is just perfect. I can sit all the way back against the back rest and legs are fully extended and arms are just comfortably bent. My husband is 6'2" about 320 and he has a REALLY hard time fitting on my bike-Length and width (He is used to a bigger bike though so I wonder if that's not part of it??:0) My 883 has a lot of snap to it, and although it has a hard time going 100 mph for 1000 miles, it can keep up with my husband's tricked out Fat Boy pretty well. PS this is my first Harley but I've got 5000+ miles on in 2 years. I think borrow/rent/test drive is the best option I've found. Then you can find a bike you like that's fit you and your wallet. Otherwise there will be issues of one kind or the other. Oh, and there are plenty of salesmen!

 

Do not get the Sportster, I repeat, do NOT get the Sportster if its just because its in your budget. I strongly recommend renting one then trying a softail or dyna out first. If the sportster fits then by all means, wear it. If one of the other fits better, then get a late model used. As much as I hate to admit it, I bought mine based on a buget andhad that new bike fever, but after ridingsoftail standard, I wish i had waited. I like my sportster but when you by a new one and start upgrading pipes and adding accessorys, you can get way up to the price of a used big twin quickly. I've got over$13K tied up in mine and I'd be lucky to get $8k today. My buddy picked up an 05 softail last year for$12.5k and it came with saddlebags and stage one.

I'm not nocking the sportster at all and I'm only 5'7" but the bigger bike just seems to fit me better. If you can try out a few first then you won't be later saying "woulda,coulda, shoulda". Just my .02

 

I bought a 2007 883 Custom. I love it! I put 500 miles on it in 2 weeks. Very comfortable.

 

A lot of buying a bike is emotional. You see the one that has "The Look" of what's in your mind's eye of the perfect bike. Get that one. Your first impression is usually your best. If it's a big twin, then so be it. A Super Glide isn't much more $ than a Sportster. Unfortunetly, the Softail Standard was discountinued for '08, but you should be able to find new '07s. Those are the two least expensive big twins.
I bought my Softail 5 years ago because that's the bike that had the look I wanted. I bought my Sportster because it's a totally different bike to ride and a hell-of-a-lot of fun ....and it'll look even cooler when I'm done with it. My Softail is fast,but it's been lowered and doesn't corner as well as it used to.
I'm 6 ft and 205, 32" pants.

 

Might be best to ride some different models and which one 'fits you' the best.

A Sportster might be exactly what you are looking for, or it might end up being a Dyna or Softail.

Main thing is to buy something you really want and plan on keeping for a number of years. Seems like many buy a certain bike and then decide within a year or so that they want a different model. Needless to say, you end up taking a major financial hit if you go that route.

 

I am 6'2 and 250+ lbs. I ride my 883 every day. It does everything I want it to do. Someday, I hope to get another bike, but I hope to keep my sporty!