Ok, so my wife and I are looking for our first harley. We were looking at Dynas but a bit pricey. My question is for those of you riding double on a sportster. 883 or 1200? We really like the custom model. I am 6ft 180 my wife is 5ft8 135. With the addition of a sissy bar so she doesn't slide off will she be comfortable on short trips? Not like 1000 milers, just maybe 100 mile day trips etc. we were really looking at one to see if she likes riding, if not I will just keep it...if so we will later move up to a dyna...but I don't want to have to immediately do that. Is there really "that much" extra room on a superglide or a street bob (as this is what we were looking at)? I really need input here.

 

the sporty is a great around town bike even for 2 up...
i have been through a coupla seats now and still have not found one that is what i would think of as a road trip seat.
in fact i got my bike when it was less than a year old cause the seller's wife complained about the back seat. she made him sell it... his loss was my gain.
the sporty is a great bike- and i wouldnt mind taking it on the road, but dont think i would take the mrs. if it was a very long trip.
have a mustang daytripper on the bike now and it seems to be a bit better than the stock seat, but still not a comfortable 100 miler.

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My wife and I went on lots of day trips on our Sporty. Only thing she wanted was the sissy bar. Got a nice passenger pillion from Harley with the bike and it never failed us. Together we're probably 350 pounds and the 883 never had any issues getting us around. The bike can do a lot more than it's given credit. In fact, momma liked it enough to say we needed another bike so that she can start riding on her own. Just got the Deluxe a few weeks ago. Now we can take those day/over-night trips in the comfort of our own bikes. So yes...a Sportster is a fine 2up bike.

 

Sporty does just fine two up... I put a sundowner on mine and as for passenger comfort it is great.. I don't care for it for rider comfort as much though. To me it raises me up too much... seems to lift me a bit in the seat, I prefer stock seat for rider comfort. Bike will certainly pull 2 riders easy enough though... Keep in mind, years ago the biggest bike on the market were 750cc...

 

My wife and I have about the same weight as you two; our xl1200l does just fine. We have a sundowner seat that seems real comfortable. 100+ mile trips are weekly runs for us. The farthest we have traveled in a single day was 350 miles. Talimena is on the agenda for the week after next. It will be our fisrt over night camping with the bike. If money is a factor then nothing beats a Sportster.

 

You can ride two up on a Huffy bicycle. Does that make it the best choice? If your wife will be riding a lot with you then I would not be looking at a sportster. I will be getting a lot of grief for saying this but other than a Rocker, it is probably the worst two up bike in line up. I repeat, not saying you can not ride 1000 miles per day two up. 100 mile trips will morph into longer trips and before you know it, you will be joining the ranks of those guys who traded up if you buy a sportie for you and you wife.

 

The wife and I ride 2 up on our 1200C, she was uncomfortable with the stock seat and complained about it quite a bit but when I put the sundowner on it she has been just fine so you may want to consider getting a new seat right off the bat.

 

Wife and I used to ride 2 up on a honda vlx 600 with no problems at all. The 1200 is like a dream come true for us. I have a pillow seat on it and we have no probs going at least a few hundred a day. Enjoy a sportster.

 

me and the wife this past saturday rode about 100 with factory seat. it did fine. I agree if you going to ride ALOT get a dyna. but for me i love the 1200custom i have for 2 up. Maybe one day if we have time to ride serious miles 2000 plus we will prb move to something alittle bit more comfy but for now the sporster is great. dont see me getting anything else for a long time

 

I bought a custom so I have the option of the occaisional 2-up. I originally added the sissy bar so I could carry a T-bag on solo trips. My daughter loves it, since she can relax more without fear of rolling off the back. I also found it keeps her from fidgeting so much, so I'm not making those funny little s-turns so much anymore.

The choice of bike is very dependent on the individual. Everybody has different thresholds on what they can take and still enjoy, and when 2 individuals are involved it's even tougher.

You know your wife, but you have to make the decision. Since she hasn't ridden before, she may dislike the sporty and pass that judgement onto ALL motorcycles. Changing her mind after she has an established opinion might be difficult.

For a daily ride and the occaisional 400mi day SOLO, I don't think there is anything better than a Sporty, but that's my choice. Master everything a Sporty can do, and you can ride anything HD makes.

2-up is possible, and the bike won't have any trouble carrying you and your wife. You and I are the same size, my daughter is about the same size as your wife. I have an 883, and there's plenty of power to 2-up, enough to scare an inexperienced passenger.

From the passenger's comfort perspective, you could have some problems. The ride is stiffer, and the stock pillon will make any passenger fidgety after an hour or so... and I mean stop and walk it off for a while after an hour on the road. Mustang or Sundowner seat will help, but you still don't have a place for gear (even on a day trip, you'll wish you had a place for a rainsuit or sweatshirt, or to stash the jacket when you find the weather warmed up too much). Add new seats, saddlebags, and a windshield, and you'll only have a top-heavy, underpowered version of the tourer you should have bought to start with.

It boils down to where you ride, how you ride, and what you are trying to get out of it.