I don't know what's going on in my head. I'm wanting to get either a xr1200 or a Sporster engine buell. geese

 

So try and take out the different bikes for a test run,talk to guys that own bikes like you want,find out the going prices ...photo shop yourself standing next to each bike and choose the one that looks best.
Good luck with the descisions.H.

 

Buy a Honda Civic and put a HUGE tach in it. LOL

 

 

Are you just wanting a bike to blitz corners with? If you're set on the Harley based stuff, don't ride any Japanese sportbikes. Neither the XR or Sporty engines Buell can compete in all out sport-riding. The best thing about the XR and Buel, though, is the sound. You still get the Harley noise.

Really, though, if your serious about getting a more sportbike like ride, go try them all out.

 

The Buells are quite the ride. I just sold my Sporty to buy my 2nd one (the first one I sold a few years back and longed for another one ever since). I don't think the XR would do it for me personally. It's down almost 15hp on a XB12 and weighs over 100lb more. Used Buells can be had for a pretty good price and they really are the perfect sportbike for the street; lots of low end, comfortable ergos, and just plain fun to ride. The Japanese sportbikes are MUCH faster but they really lack in comfort and the top end biased power can become tiring on the street.

 

Well I have a Kawasaki Ninja. It is a great bike to run at speed, but for short trips only. It hurts to stay in that riding position for more than an hour or so. Also it runs crazy RPM's. No torque at all so you have to tach it up and slip the clutch in town. Tough to go between that and my Electra Glide. I am either reving my Glide to much at a stop, or killing the Kawasaki with too little rpms. I am thinking of trading into a sporty fo my around town bike. A little torque is a good thing.

 

Which Ninja? Pretty much any of the 1000cc Hyper-bikes will give more than enough torque to scare the hell out of you. It's a chore keeping the front wheel on the ground, can't say that about a Sporty or Electra-Glide.

But yes, there is no way they are comfortable for just cruising around.

 

Word.

Friend of mine had(still has) an R1 for his 1st bike, he said the torque was scary till he reprogrammed it. He took out some of the low-end and maximized mid-range and top-end on it.
Was much more ride-able in town... wasn't so hard to keep the front wheel down or squirrely in the rain.

Me, i'm happy with my sportie

 

Well a Harley is definitely heavier than any sport bike, but check out what Roland Sands has done with just a harley engine. (Note, the man has his own fab shop so us regular joes are on a different budget entirely) Still he has done some cool stuff, and there is a lot of fusing the sport bike with the cruiser which is evident with some of the new HD's in the last few years. 15 years ago the V rod might have been a dud instead of the bike it is now. Theres so many possibilities, but obviously if its straight speed, quick take offs and cornering a Buell would be closer. Now if you took a harley motor, bored it out as much as safely possible, slapped it in an aluminum reinforced frame, and carbon fiber panels. That would definitely be interesting to say the least. Just a thought, however I am quite insane.