The Sportster is to motorcycles what a hot rod is to cars.

 

Bottom line is get the bike that you want.. I am only 5'7" and I have a 04 1200 custom. I fit perfect. Dont let your height stop you from getting what you want, I have ridden just about every harley out there since I ride with a lot of different bikes and my height has never been an issue. But like others said I would look into the 1200 Low if that is the bike you like, the extra power is nice!

 

I'm 6' 2" and 210 lbs. I've had a Sporty for years. I also have an E-Glide. The sporty is a great bike around town. The E-Glide is for the road. What you will notice on the Hiway with the sporty, at 70 mph you want another gear. You cruising 3500+ rpms in 5th. It rides a little stiffer so you want a good seat and maybe switch out the bars to give you a good ride position. I like my sporty.

 

i was told when i got y sporty, its a girls bike. well i say, its a 1200cc engine. so its bad ***. and its a harley. 1200 he says? so, its a fat girls bike then. har-de-har-har. so i say what kinda you got mike? um...none. so shut it. case closed. i ride a bike. its my 3rd, and my first harley. get it and forget it.
J

 

GOT A 06 LOW ALSO I LOVE THE WAY IT HANDLES NOT SO HEAVY I HAVE TO FIGHT IT 5FT 11 330 PS:HAULS MY FAT A-- FAST

 

Well folks, I am a man and I am 5'3" . I got the 883 Low because it sat lower than the 1200 Low. It's a nice bike but a bit under powered. That can be taken care of by any of the 1200 upgrades. It is a great bike for a small person. I have ridden the Dyna Low Riders. They are nice bikes but they are a little too wide for smaller riders. The Sportster just feels better to me. Go with what feels best to you.

 

To put in my two cents. I'm in the process of buying a Sportster ... a 2006 Custom 1200. It'll be my 1st Harley. I'm 5'8.5" tall and 200 lbs. (Got to loose a little weight! ) I currently ride a VTX1800. anyone who knows this bike knows it's one of the biggest, heaviest, and most powerful bikes on the road. It weighs over 800 lbs and puts out around 100 HP. It's a beast! So WHY am i going to trade it for a Harley Sportster Custom? NOT because i think it's a GIRL's bike or a Beginner's bike. I'm NOT a GIRL OR an Beginner. I want a Harley sportster because not only is it a HARLEY but it's SEXY, has good power to weight ratio, can be upgraded for more power, has tons of accessories to personalize it with and PERSONALLY I'm SICK of riding a HUGE bike. I don't WANT a big Harley ... I've had a lot of metric Fat Boy copies in my time. None were Fat boys BUT I spent a lot of time with that STYLE bike and I want a smaller bike. Something that is easier to throw around, takes less stearing input and doesn't make me grunt everytime i take it off the side stand.

The way I LOOK at it a Sportster is ALL Harley ... it's the FUN Harley. The one that's made to be played with. Has all the history if you care about that kind of stuff, has respectable power to weight, and let's face it ... they are awesome LOOKING bikes too.

(I would say they're cool but i've taken too much flack on this forum for using that word! )

 

Since when do Harley riders give a crap what other people think! I picked up my 883 Low last night and I love it. I'm 5'7 155lbs and I wanted it because of the lower center of gravity. I was worried that since it's my first bike it would be hard to turn compared to the higher Sportsters and this one just felt more comfortable. Get what your gut tells you, you won't regret it.

 

I dont get all the 'girl' talk. I always though it was just friendly joking between HD owners...but from browsing this forum some people seem to be serious!


A Sporty1200 Low sits 1" higher than a Softail standard...

 

Some people on this forum are WAY to serious in general. A few wanna be bad boys ... but the vast majority are good people with their heads on fairly straight.