A bagger isn't any more difficult to ride than a sportster hence starter bike means nothing.

 

This was my 'starter bike'.

 

Are you kidding me?? Nothing against sportsters....but are you kidding me? You don't think an 850lb Ultra is more difficult to control especially at slower speeds then a Sportser? You don't think a Sportster is more nimble and easier through turns than a touring bike? I AM NOT CALLIING A SPORTSTER A STARTER BIKE SO LETS NOT GET INTO THAT BS. You just can't be serious. this

 

Speaking as a guy who also has a bagger I would actually say the Sportster is the harder of the 2 to ride. More fun, but harder.

My Gold Wing has a lower center of gravity, linked braking, an easier clutch, it really is much easier to ride.

 

So are you saying that your Gold WingHANDLES better than your Sportster???

 

Well i know its a bass ackward way to learn to ride, but i leard 2 up on a elctraglide classic (i guess that what its called).
Uncle stopped on a backroad on the way home from town and said "its your turn." I guess he figured he trust me, and if i could do that then i'd be pretty set.

Now... I really don't recommend it, butt i did it. (guess that's my disclaimer?)

 

Not that it handles better, just easier. Of course you can not lean as far on the GW as you can on the Sportster, and you can not take turns as fast, no.

But because the sportser can lean harder and take turns faster it requires more skill and concentration to ride.

Handling better does not always mean easier to ride.

 

In my opnion.... and from riding Sportster all the way up to the Ultra... General riding, yes they all perform about the same on the open road and the Ultra will glide you along but I will have to admit that there is nothing more nimble then the Sportster when you gotta get there without having to worry about tight fits. The Ultra is darn bit heavy and hard to turn around on a dead end two lane country road with steep banks on both side of you.

800+ pounds can sometime be a challange on slow turns and once it gets away from you there is almost no one strong enough to hold it up... It's going down and you will have to get off it to pick it up..

Baggers are nice bikes but just won't match the nimbleness and easy handling in tight traffic.

 

So I guess you agree with me? Which one of your bikes would you teach a beginner how to ride on? When i taught we put beginners on 175cc bikes for a reason.

 

here we go again...while i dont consider my 1200 to be a beginer bike....size wise it is a small harley...a 250 honda rebel or a suzuki savage 650 is a beginer bike....i love the posts where some one asks what harley they should by for their first bike and people tell themto buy soft tails and road kings....yeah 18 grand on his first bike? now thats a joke. if you think owning a bigger and more expensive bike makes you more of a man theni dont know what to say,,,,you can get in trouble on any size machine and idiots get killed every day on mopeds. i bought my 1200 because its what i wanted and i dont understand why people come on here to try and justify owning a sportster,,,if your really questioning your bikes ability then maybee you should stick to your car...or f350 pickup