I ride a 1200n and I love it. I'm 6-4 and 240. Some advice for bigger riders on sportys... I didn't get the forward controls, but I did get highway pegs and left my mid-controls on it. I shift with my ankle and brake with my heal. This allows me some variation in leg position on long trips. I also needed taller bars. I've got 14" Big Dukes from Hard Tail Choppers and they work great for me.

As far as any sporty being a 'girls' bike. BS. A girls bike would be anything under 750cc's. I've had mine up to about 115 mph and done 3k mile road trips with no saddle bags and a woman with me. I plan to get a bagger for longer trips, but I can do 8-10 days on my sporty no prob.

Post pics when you find the one you want!!
Safe ridin.

 

Hey man I was in the same boat as you a few months ago ... 21 yr old guy looking for a bike that would be a good starter and I went with an 883 iron. I looked at r6's and cbr600rr, didn't even have HD in mind. Than after getting insurance quotes of 2,200 plus with 0 tickets I became discouraged as that is just insane! One day I randomly decided to go to an HD dealer and it is a world of difference, the people there are actually friendly ! ! ! ! Long story short I got a great deal pay $375 a yr in insurance love the bike, and think that I am way happier than I would have been with a sports bike as I am 5'9 and woulda been tip toeing and extremely uncomfortable ! Good luck with your search, however as mentioned above there are no frame sliders on harleys and simple drops can be very pricey.

 

I am currently only 21 and have had my sportster since i was about 18. prior to getting this bike i really did not have any riding experience but i knew i wanted a Harley. i am a relatively short guy at 5'9 so i fit on the bike just right but for someone your height if you want to look at a dina. I took a friends on a spin and with forward controls the foot pegs were a little farther out than i would have like but i would think that it would fit you well. just always remember there are 2 types of riders ones that have dumped a bike and ones that will.

 

I would suggest getting your endorsement, and finding a harley dealer close by. They will have days when they have bikes you can take on a ride available. I forget what it's called, but it's a semi usually full of their new models and you can test ride all of them if you want to. Or find a buddy that would be willing to let you take a spin on one. I let a friend of mine ride mine across a parking lot, and he was grinning ear to ear on it and bought a sporty a week later.

 

Sportbike or Sportster? the 2 are COMPLETELY uncomparable except for the fact that they both have 2 wheels..

I've ridden both and honestly, I prefer the sportbikes. I currently ride a Buell so I ended up 1/2 way in between the 2.

You need to try to figure out just what you're really looking for in a bike. Power/performance? style/ flair? If you don't really know then I'd suggest buying something really cheap just to get started and learn on. A little bit of road time should help you figure out what performance level is acceptable to you and what kind of riding position you prefer. Personally, I like my feet under me and a slight forward lean. I feel more "in control" of the bike as opposed to "just along for the ride" and I find it more comfortable for longer rides, especially at highway speeds. The "lazy boy" riding position, although comfortable, just didn't do it for me.

At 6'3 you will definetly want forward controls if you go the Sportster route. I had an 883 custom, with forwards, and it was very comfortable bike. Just for reference, I'm 6'0 and about 185lb, btw. I found the performance level (accelleration, handling and braking) to be FAR too low though. I had just come off of a sportbike though, so my perspective was obviously scewed. For a new rider I'd imagine an 883 would feel fairly powerful at first and then become "adequate" as you got used to it. It would easily cruise at 70mph+ and top out at 115 or so. It's not like it's so underpowered that you can't ride interstate or nothing.

As far as the sportbike: they make TERRIBLE beginners bikes. The are more powerful than you can imagine. Without exaggeration, my GSXR would clear 100mph in less time than it took my Sporty to hit 60. It was EASY to rap it out in a couple of gears and find yourself going 120+. Self control is MANDITORY on bikes like that.
Also, they are VERY sensitive to rider input. That means one ham fisted throttle twist or one unintentional steering input at the wrong time can leave you in a heap on the side of the road. They have a very small margine for error. The Sportster is FAR more forgiving.

As far as comfort, they vary. My brother is 6'3/230 and he's been riding an R1 for several years now. He's put 25-30000mi on it and never complains about being uncomfortable. He's ridden from In. to Cali on that bike.
I've ridden some sportbikes that were quite cramped and some that were very comfortable places to be. Sitting on them and test rides (if possible) are the only way to really know if you'll be comfortable on one.

So, of the options you listed the Sportster is the far better bike to start on. Starting off on a sportbike is like giving a 16yr old the keys to a Ferrari. If you're unsure I would buy something cheap (under $2k) and get a feel for things. After that then you may have more experiance to help you decide what you're really after.

 

The best difference is that you will get more women on a Harley. 883 will get on average 50 miles per gallon. And 5 women per road trip.

 

LoL thanks for that one.

Thanks for everyone's input and suggestions. I have ridden sport bikes before, just not my own so I really couldnt do anything too stupid on them thankfully.
I am also a very firm believer in buy what you want/can afford now and learn on that.
I'm looking at an April timeframe, gonna be very busy the next month or so with work, to really start my search and all that fun stuff.
Once again thanks for all the info and help, if I have any more questions ill be sure to post them.

 

Hey man, you should probably start off with a good used Japanese bike to get comfortable with the ride. Chances are you will only have this bike for like a month ot two so I'm talking like Honda CB750 territory...after you feel comfortable enough, then look into picking up a Harley. Personally, i would suggest a Dyna due to your size. I am a little bigget than you and I started out on a Sportster (mistake #1). While learning, I dropped it and banged up the bars really badly...the bike was an '08...and brand new(mistake #2). I fixed it...$200 later and still ended up trading it in 3 months after repairs...on a Dyna. The moral of the story...don't throw away good money fir bad, learn on a cheap bike first, then put your money into a good bike, Sportster if you wish, my suggestion...Used Wide Glide or Low Rider. There, off of my Soapbox...lol...Enjoy !

 

I suppose if you're a guy who can't "get chicks" on his own w/o a bike this could be beificial.

 

My first bike was a 883 Custom. Weighs more than what I learned on, but also has more power. I'm 5'11'' and 190 lbs, and with the forward controls it's pretty comfortable. My typical riding is back and forth to work (10 miles each way on surface streets) and around town. I have pretty good insurance and it is cheap (about $170/year), but I am also older than you and my license says 'Safe Driver' on it. Never considered a sport-bike for the type of riding I knew I would be doing.

You won't be able to keep up with your buddies on their crotch rockets, but you'll look cooler and be more relaxed and comfortable...lol.

Good luck,
Jim