I'd get the 883. Save you some money up front, they get great gas milage (got 63mpg last trip) and they're cheaper to insure. I've taken my sporty on long rides to Vegas and beyond with several friends on BTs and never had any issue with power.

My guess would be that she'll be very happy with the bike...until she decides she wants a Dyna or a Deluxe. Then it wouldn't matter is she had an 883 or 1200...she's moving up to a bigger bike either way.

 

big difference in power. go with the 1200 she'll be hapier and able to keep up with you and no overtax her engine.

 

For general riding, and even some aggressive riding, the 883 will be fine. Has pretty good power. I put 65,000 mile on my bike when it was an 883.

You know what type riding she will do better that anybody here. But the 883 is a solid bike you can take anywhere. The increased power and torque is fun. Just depends on what she wants.

 

I would start with the 883. If she ends up riding alot and needs more, you can always go up from there.

 

883=fun! it is that simple. I can't believe I am saying this but I think I will be converting it eventually to a 1200. So can you when the time comes. That is why I think the sporty 883 is such a good bike all around. Easy to drive, good power (stage 1 necessary I discovered) and upgradeable .

 

I vote you take your wife shopping for at least 3 different occasions, and look at all brands. Let her decide what's right for her, stand back, no influence over her, and let her decide what she's most comfortable on.

When I was out doing some preliminary investigating (my wife's doing the course this spring, and she's 5' nothing, short legs) I found there's a lot more to choose from than I thought.

Let her choose.

 

This is the best approach.

If you impose your preference on her and she doesn't like it then you will never hear the end of it.

Take look at the vstars, perfect for short females, and the Honda 750 might be worth a look. Both of these have low seat heights, low C of G and are easier to ride than a Sporty. They can be picked up cheaply with low miles and would be a good confidence builder before she starts bugging you for a Soft Tail Deluxe.

 

I just bought a 99 883 for my wife ( new to riding ) once she's got her riding legs and she's ready for more power I'll do the conversion. I also plan on changing the front sprocket over to 30 tooth to lower the revs.
I'm not sure what game insurance companies play in the US but in Canada I'm much further ahead claiming to insur a 883 and boost the heart upto the 1200.