Hello everyone,

I am in the market for an 883 Sportster. I have a 2001 FXDWG now, and I'm selling my commuter motorcycle today and I'm curious about the non rubber mounted Sportsters compared to the rubber mounted models. I have ridden a few newer model 1200 Sportsters and they rode great. I'm just curios if there is a big ride quality difference between the two. Thanks in advance for any replies.

Nailz

 

I have a 2005 Sportster 1200 Custom, but I test rode a 2002 before I bought mine. I found the vibrations to be worse on the 2002. Not terrible, but noticeable. It could have been the bike itself...I don't know. It was enough for me to not decide to buy it though, since I suspect after several hours it would have been very bothersome. I ride my 2005 daily (rain, shine, snow, you name it) and it rides great.

Don't know if I've answered your questions or not...just giving my personal experience. Your mileage may vary

Later!

 

In '04 they switched to rubber mounting the engine. That's the major difference. You will find the pre-'03s will vibrate. It's not too bad really. Unless you plan on racking up hundreds of miles on the highway, it's perfectly fine. Some spots are worse than others though, like on my 883, around 70mph seems to vib pretty good, but above or below is not as bad.

 

My 2008 1200R Is as smooth as a babies ****,,"Dog Bone" Sporties rawk.
Everyone Is Different, I couldn't stand the solid mount Vibes.
People say the rubber mounts seem faster,,an I know why.
It's because the whole RPM range is now useable.
The One time I took the solid above 4,500 rpms It sucked, couldn't let my teeth
come together, dental work Is expensive.
Hated the Buzz In the pegs,
Hated the Buzz In the grips,
Hated the mirrors shaking so bad I could not see a thing.

The frame had to be made stronger for the rubber mounts,,25 Lbs more
steel In the frame and that makes for a better handling bike.
You slap a Super Brace fork brace on the thang an you got a driver!
Smooth at 20 mph,
Smooth at 50,
Smooth at 75 mph,,,thats 3,500 rpms on mine, Roadsters got a tach.
A small ammount of vibes comes thru at about 3,900 rpms,,
seems to go away at about 4,500.
I never look down much to see what I'm Tachin at 100 mph,,don't remember
Been to 104 an no Issues.

Plus less parts will vibrate off the bike when yer a tank away from home...

For round town n bar hoppin a solid would be fine I think,,
Wanna get out of town on the SuperSlabs,,,,,A "Dog Bone" Sporty Is the One

 

I don't have a problem with my 98, then again I've never been on a rubber mount. The older bikes are slightly narrower and lighter than the later ones, and there's been reports of people having motor mount problems on the new ones. Test ride both to see which you prefer. Might want to check out a 1200 while you're at it.

 

Rode my 03 sporty 1200 from San Francisco to So Cal. That was a long ride but my 70 mi commute to orange county is a fun ride. My nephew tells me his 06 1200r vibrates less but he doesn't notice much of a difference. He prefers riding my bike. Maybe because his is stock and mine has a few mods on it.

 

Even long days on the HWY aren't that bad Did 3000 miles door to door in 2008 on my 99 xlh Longest day was about 500 miles. Had a sore a** but just from sitting. She is a day bike/bar hopper now but still fun

 

Hi Guys, newbie mrsteve here. No one seems to ask the question, can you rubber mount the older Sportsters?

 

I have an 2002 and that is the only Harley I rode. I was afraid that vibrations would be a problem but it's not. Vibrations are minimal and I can ride 6 hours in a day (2 3-hours trip) without problems.

 

I have a 99 and don't have any issues with vibration. If I was trying to choose between two sportster models it would be carb/fi. But you can probably find a great deal on either a rubber mount or a solid carb model.