I keep reading messages on here from guys looking for a first bike for themselves or for their wife/GF/Old lady.
A bunch of people have been saying that Sportster is a bad first bike. I just wanted to weigh in as a brand new rider who got a 883C. I have been very surprised by these posts. In fact they made me nervous while I was waiting for my sportster to get delivered.

For me the sportster 883c is MUCH easier for me to ride than the beull blasts we had in riders edge. I am tall for a girl (5'9) but I am pretty thin.
Couple of things about the bike that see much easier. 1. The hand controls are more responsive. The forward controls feel way more natural to me than the controls on the Buell Blast. I will even admit I dropped the blast in class twice. Brake in a turn at a very slow speed. I know dumb a** move.

I don't find my bike top heavy. Even though the thing is much heavier than the Blast I find it a lot easier to ride.

The only reason I am writing this is if I had been on this site before I got my sportster 883 I would have been afraid to buy it. I would have a vulcan 500 or a rebel in my driveway. For me that would have been an expensive mistake to get one of those bikes before the harley. I wanted my harley since I was 13. A sportster may not be the best first bike for everyone. But I want to make sure that those of you looking hear from a total newbie that not all of us have a hard time learning on a sportster.

Maybe I will feel different in a month but I would think the the first few weeks would be the hardest. So if you are thinking for your self or someone you love to get a sportster as a first bike I say go for it.

This is merely my thoughts. I realize that many have had other experiences but I wanted to make sure that people were able to read positive new rider on a sportster.
Now if the f**king weather would change I would be out on the bike now.

 

Congrats!!!!!!!!!!!! on the bike Liz. You have to get what you want and are going to be comfortable riding. There is nothing wrong with the 883. I have had 11 Harleys and 2 Hondas. My last Harley was a Screamin Eagle Road King,and I just sold the VTX 1800 in the picture to get the 1200 Just picked up because I liked the way the Sportster felt while taking it for a spin. Ride what you want to ride and I hope the weather warms up for both of us!

 

Congrats Liz, definitely your review would have helped influence my decision if I had read it a year and a half ago before I bought my ride. I **** and moan every once in a while about the ride, but I get over it very quickly when I take it out again. If I ever do decide to go to a larger bike it is going to be one helluva hard choice because I really do like my sportster, may even try to keep 'em both if I can afford it.

Hope the weather improves for you soon.

Ride safe.

 

i had a 05 1200 custom up till about two months ago traded for a 04 softail custom,for the kind of riding i do curvey mountain roads in tn and nc i liked the sportster better it just had more control for me so when i can afford to i plan on getting one back,be safe and just enjoy your time out on the ride..

 

my 1st bike was an 400c honda i paid 800.00 for , either it be your 1st bike or 1st car really dont want alot of $$$ into it just incase ...

 

Welcome to the forum Liz. Looking great on that sporty. No worries, many of us start out on the Sportsters. This is my first bike and I hope to always have it. Already have plans to do a 1250 kit next year. For now though I love my 883 and I'm glad I didn't get anything else first. BTW, do you live in DC? Just a guess by your name. Looking forward to riding down there next May for the Rolling Thunder ride. Maybe I'll see you there.

 

keep'em straight Liz

 

yea I remember you Liz, but I can't remember the subject matter of your previous thread. I think you were awaiting delivery. Anyway yea sporty's a great first Harley I am still enjoying the hell out of my 1200L. Sorry to hear about your weather issue. It's nice and sunny here today but it's just barely 40 degrees, been thinking about leatherin'-up and goin for a quick one but.........man it sure is toasty by this fire.

 

For that matter. I think they are simply good bikes. I'd love to have one. Sportys handle much better than Softails.

 

Lizz, congrats on your new bike, I hope it brings you all the fun in the world.

The 883 is bullet proof, great bike. My first HD was a 06 1200c, and I loved that bike. I could rock the baggers from the light (eventually they would catch up) and take it hard into the corners. I traded it on a fatboy because of the two-up I was doing with my wife and kids. I ended up riding two-up more and more. Then I traded my fatboy in on a 09 Electra Standard.

So, I am a 6-3 and 250 give or take 20...lol, anyway, I miss taking that sporty out and hitting the curves. They are just great bikes, you can get them to ride all day long, make it as comfortable as you want with a long-long list of add-ons.

I never understood why people jump the sportsters... untill march of 2009. When i dropped 17k on a bike and a 883 is 7k or so. If we rode together we would both have the same amount of fun.

Good Luck