Dont worry about it. I had never ridden a bike when I bought mine. Bicycles and four wheelers. THats was it. I just knew I was meant to ride one. Harley that is, not anything else. Just buy what you like and you'll never go wrong.

 

First of all, thank you for your service. Safe travels coming home.

I have owned a sportster 883L and then Dyna. Both are great and you can't go wrong with either as they are terrific in the city and cruising on the highway. You will have a blast with the Nightster.

 

If you're going overseas, wait until you get there and buy it thru AAFES. They'll get it cheaper for you, and I believe you don't pay tax on it either. Don't quote me on that last part, lol.

 

First of all, logic will tell you that when you get comfortable with the Sportster, you will want a bigger bike, but don't count out the Sportie as far as pure speed and fun is concerned. You will never grow out of the bike, your tastes may change over time. If that is the case, then move up. I will eventually, but i'll never forget the enjoyment my Nightster gave me...FWIW...

 

If you want a Nightster get it you'll enjoy it!

Thank you for your service to this country.

 

BT= Big Twin. Dyna's, Softies and Baggers.
Look here is the thing. You have to look at what kind of riding your going to be doing and how you want your bike to look. My bike is a 06 883. Basically the same as the Nighty but a smaller engine. Here are things I like.
1. Easy to handle. You can split lanes and ride it pretty hard.
2. I think it looks cool.
3. Compared to other models it's really easy to work on. For instance when I broke my belt it took me 2 hours to replace it and I had never done that before. On a Softy you would have had to remove the whole swingarm.
4. Plenty of performance upgrades available.
Things I dislike.
1. Small tank, I have to fill up about every 110 miles.
2. Not the best brakes in the world.
3. Stock seat and shocks are not very good. I can't feel my ***** after about 50 miles. Usually stop about every 70 just to stretch and I'm HE-Man.
4. No 6th gear. Really could use on of those.

 

You're the perfect size for a Nightster. I think you'd be happy with it.

 

Nightster,

Couple things. First, I was in the Army for 4 years so I know that a lot of people don't appreciate the sacrfiices you make serving our country in the military. Thank you for your service. It's greatly appreciated even if sometimes you don't feel like people really care or understand. You have my upmost respect.

Second, if you're thinking about having the lady ride with you often you're definitely gonna want to do something with the shocks. Compare the ride with stock shocks to being in an M113. You're gonna feel the road. You can go with some progressive shocks that will give you a little more suspension travel so your lady friend doesn't end up in your lap the first time you bottom out. Take a look at some of the Nightsters in Europe to see what the added ride heighth would look like to see if you like that. There's also ways to get more travel without raising it up much if you want to do a little more work.

The pipes are Vance and Hines Short Shots. Take a look around on the internet for a good deal. They're pretty easy to find, but the black short shots are a bit more expensive than other pipes I've seen.

 

can't go wrong with the deal you'll get via Overseas Car Sales program. Also check with your local HD dealer if they can give you the same deal. Better still, check out the used Sporty market also. Stay warm, be safe out there and enjoy that R&R lave

 

If this bike was out there, I'm sure a lot of people would be looking for it. BT in a Sportster frame.

Seriously, you should be fine with a Sportster.

With the "Ride Free" program there's really no risk if you want to trade up later.
http://www.harley-davidson.com/wcm/C...p?locale=en_US

With two Sporties and a Dyna in the garage, I would not have a Sportster for my only bike.

Things that you will generally find with with a bigger bike:
More comfortable ride.
Larger storage and luggage options.
More seat room.
6 speed tranny - You can do this to a sportster also with a $3000 Baker kit.
Larger Fuel tank.
Better highway cruising.

A lot people trade to a bigger bike. Try putting the word "traded" it on a Sportster forum search. Even the Sportster moderator did it. But starting off with a Sportsters not a bad thing. Initial cost is less and its great beginning whether you stay with it or move on to something else.