Been reading the forums for a while now, don't own a Harley, but have dreams of the Sportster 1200r. Will have the finances to buy one in about a year.

There are a few reservations I have, though mostly fueled be the negative responses I get when I tell people this is one of the bikes I'm looking at buying.

Reliability and longevity, nearly all the people I talk to say that Harleys have a tendancy to leave a trail of parts on the road behind them as they chug on by, basically they break down a lot and have a high maintenance regime. Longevity, others have told me that engine rebuilds for Harleys come around about every 40,000ks that seems very short.

Cost, up front cost is not what bothers me but service costs and repairs.

Vibration, I have read for and against in the vibration stakes, I'm talking post 2004 WITH the rubber mounting. Those who have ridden the pre 2004 and the post give it the double thumbs up in vibration retardation, but some reviews still report a fair bit of vibe.

Handling, I'm told the things handle like a truck compared to a car, when comparing sportbike to cruiser.

My current ride is an XV 250, Yamaha Virago, have had this ride for 7 years now and although this bike has been a greatly reliable commuter I am looking to scrap the little bitch "YamaHarley", as my pals have dubbed it, for a real bike.

What I'm looking to replace it with is a bike that will be, firstly a reliable commuter, low cost to run, and low maintenance.

Is the 1200r what I'm looking for?

Other bikes I'm looking at are

Suzuki GSR 600
Yamaha FZ6n
Ducati Monster 620
Kawasaki Z750
Triumph Speedmaster

Geo.

 

Geo,

You can see some of the bikes I have owned over the years below. It's not a comprehensive list, just those I have owned and ridden for the longest times. I am now riding a 2005 XL1200R that I bought new last June. I consider it among one the greatest bikes I have owned, with the Triumph probably being #1. The Triumph TR6C I owned was a kick-start only, magneto bike that did disappoint in the electrical area more than I liked, but was a good runner. Engine rebuilds at 20,000 miles were usually required. But in all fairness, I raced it in scrambles and flat track, as well as used it as my daily road bike.

The XL1200R has been an absolutely dependable joy, and the vibration is quite minimal. What little there is dosen't bother me a bit. The rubber engine mounts are a BIG improvement over the pre-2004's that I have ridden. The 1200R is a mid-controls, beefy and tight-framed machine making it perfect for my style of daily riding. It has yet to disappoint me on nice days or even in the rain, and the EVO engine should be good for a lot more than 40,000 miles before a rebuild is required (100,000 is not uncommon). The torque is phenominal, and it has run great since the day I picked it up. Maintenance requirements are what I consider normal for any motorcycle (minus chain lube because of the belt drive), and with the aid of the factory manuals I do all my own maintenance, so cost is minimal. The only thing I leave to the dealer are tire changes because I don't want to be bothered with that.

As far as economica, I average 56 miles per gallon - 17 more than I did with my last bike - a Honda 4-cylinder CB-750C.

All that said, even though I believe the 1200R is the best bike for me for the way I like to ride, only you can decide what's best for you. Whatever you choose, GOOD LUCK, and let us know your decision!

Thumper26

 

Most people who make negative comments about the Sportsters vibration aren't Harley people and haven't kept up with the modifications that Harley has performed over the years.

I always admired the Sportster but wouldn't buy one because of the vibration. However, when they came out with the rubber mount in 04 I decided to take a chance. I flew from Tucson to Nashville to pick up my 05 1200C with 1300 miles on it. On the ride back it took several days. Two of them were 10 hour days. Yeah, it had some vibration but the exhilerating thing about it was that it wasn't offensive. I didn't suffer from numb hands, feet or butt. The vibes were no more than a nice expression of what I call attitude. Considering I'm going on 72, I think this is a pretty good endorsement for the current model Sportster. It's a kick. Perhaps the most "fun" bike I've had in years. My last bike was a BMW R1150RT. It just sold on ebay this past Friday. It was perhaps one of the finest bikes I ever owned but compared to the Sportster it was too refined and sterile. It didn't provide the fun factor I'm now enjoying.

If you get the Sportster I'm sure you won't regret it. Keep in mind that you're not marrying it for life. You will have other bikes in your lifetime (hopefully).

 

Geo,
I'm in somewhat of the same position. I'm looking to buy a Sportster in the next 3-6 months which will be my commuter and weekend fun bike.

I've never really liked Harleys because I had to help work on them when I was in high school in the mid 80s. Mostly they were badly maintained old Shovelheads (a lone hot-running Panhead) ridden by guys who would mention they were a 1%-er at every opportunity and seemed equally frightened of soap and cops.
The bikes seemed like 1930s technology with only cosmetic refinement and at least once a month I was taking the shop truck to go pick up someone whose bike stranded them at a trashy bar.
Back then Evo engines were something on the baggers ridden by retirees and mocked by "real" bikers.

Fast forward to 2006.
I just moved back to AZ and all the beautiful weather, awesome scenery and twisty roads make me miss the CL450 Honda I had in high school. Yeah, my bike always ran. Mostly I want a bike to get to and from work and save wear and tear on my ridiculously expensive car.
I see an article on Triumph Scrambler and think "Cool! Retro bike with a warranty!". I can work on stuff and don't mind it so a carburated bike with a chain is no problem. I talk to someone at work who tries to talk me into an FZ-6 or FZ-1. I dig the fuel injection and computer controlled ignition but my 5'8" 230lb *** on anything resembling a crotch rocket just ain't right. I'm too short for them too. I spend a week in Cuba (don't ask, it's boring) with someone who has been riding ONE Harley since the mid 80s. I trust this guy because we were both in Iraq. I bring up the durability thing and he just laughs. He's ridden his bike coast to coast TWICE and never been stranded and has well over 70K miles on it and the heads have never been off of it. He showed me a video of it. No smoke either. Then he reminds me that we have cell phones. I'm still skeptical so I call a buddy who's a BMW freak and ask him how the valve life is on his Bimmer bikes. Apparently, just like with any air cooled engine, the trick is in having it jetted right. He fusses about trying to sync two carbs versus just one like on his other buddy's new Sporty 1200C that runs like a raped ape.

"Sportster?" I think.
Hmmm.
Retro bike with a warranty.
Simple to work on.
Dealer (who isn't a crook and whose mechanics are super sharp) 1/2 mile from home.
Lots of support on the web.
Updated but not rehashed design.

If I were getting a big twin I would have already financed it because saving a suitable down payment would take forever. As it stands I'm saving for a either a black 1200L or an 883C with mid controls.
It's fast enough.
It won't beat me to death.
It's not brain surgery to work on it.

Everything takes maintenance. Rubber mounted Evo Sportsters don't seem to require much more than anything else.

The 1200R will go around corners. One of my coworkers has an 883R that I got to take for a spin. It's no FZ1 but neither is it a covered wagon.
It was amazing how little vibration there was above idle. I wish Harley had been making this bike for the last twenty years instead of the last two.
Before that 883R the last Harley I rode was a 64 Panhead hardtail that someone tried (and failed) to make look like Peter Fonda's bike in Easy Rider. It was a hot, loud, uncomfortable mess. The only similarity was the angle of the cylinders.

 

I just bought a '06 1200R 2 months ago. Its an amazing bike.

The vibration isn't bad. Yes it does vibrate at idle, but under way its barely noticable due to the rubber mounted engine. Once warmed up, the engine is very smooth. Only problem I found, when you first get the bike, it seems a bit rough, but after the 1000 mile tune up, everything is tightened up and 100% more refined.

Handling is very smooth. Its not some 800lbs+ monster bike but its not something you can take switchbacks at 100mph. You can still throw it around pretty good, but it may take a little muscle due to its weight.

I live in a major city and I use my 1200R as a commuter. Both of my jobs are in the center of the downtown district so almost all the milage on my bike is from the streets. Even with all the stop and go, weekend roadtrips and such, I only spend about $7 a week on gas. I love seeing those huge SUVs dropping $100 at a clip and I can fill my take on change from my piggy bank.

Also, it is very comfortable. With the upright seating position and midmount foot controls, its easy to navigate through traffic and those pesky pot holes. Parking is a breeze, well, you can park almost anywhere.

When it comes to tune ups, ask your dealership if they have specials on work. The dealership I went to gives me major discounts because I bought the bike there.

Easy to work on, comfy to ride, very customizable, very fast, sleek and slender. With the black engine and the nice rumble, this bike has a lot of attitude.