I think it was a stock seat, but I can't be sure. Thanks for taking the time to respond, it is a HUGE help my friend. When I sat on it an my feet were almost completely on the ground I was in tennis shoes, so with boots I'd probably be ok stock.

 

take that MSF and you'll know what to do. buying the bike is easy. knowing your riding abilities will help you decide what bike is for you. i know a lot of people have bought bigger bikes as their first bike and have been successful about it. folks here have great advice but the final decision is yours.

i've only ridden for over a year and i'm pretty much doing everything by the book. my priority is safety. bought my gear, took the MSF and bought my bike then applied what i learned on my first ride on public roads.

on my bike hunting i sat on a sportster, because my mind is made up on owning a sportster, but it felt top heavy and i don't want to make my first riding experience a bad one so i decided to get a girly bike. a honda rebel 250. this bike is so light and it improved my riding skills and confidence without a single drop (knock on wood). now i think i'm ready to buy the bike i want. hopefully the 48. it'll be hard to let go of my little rebel though

i'm only 5'3" and i sat on my friends nightster with forward controls and stock seat and height. i can flat foot the bike but my legs are stretched just to reach the controls. and they are correct about the stock seat being a little wide that it spreads your legs a little. so i'm thinking a super reach/reduced seat and mid controls on my sportster.

good luck and be safe.

 

Funny you should mention the MSF, my first night is tonight. I'm about to leave work early so I can make it there (5:30-9:00 tonight) then Saturday and Sunday.


Thanks for all the advice guys, you rock. Us hobbits need to stick together.

 

A lot of people will say, "buy and old bike like a metric, or a small bike to learn on" but, for me, it boils down to one of those life philosophies. You can get a different bike to learn on with the fear that you may drop it someday and you probably will or scratch it up or something OR you can buy the HD because you KNOW what it means to ride one.


I like the Nightster better but the low will sit a little lower. You can lower the Nightster for pretty cheap if it is a problem. I am 5'8" and my Iron is plenty low. My buddy has a Nightster and he is about 5'6", no problem. I can stand flat footed and my butt is not on the seat. As a first bike, sure, it would be great.

 

Go in & sit on both...see which one fits best w/your size. My choice is the Nightster, or you might want to try a 883 Iron...??

 

Yeah Sagivius an 883 Is plenty powerful for what you said your gonna do,,
FYI the 1200's are 5lbs less weight due to thinner jugs and won't leave ya
wanting more power after you master the bike. BUT 1200 Power can be a bit much,,
Unless you got a cool calm right hand.
Yo say your In shape, athletic,,go for the 1200, Learn first to respect the power.
Remember the "Low" hand hold on the throttle,,MSF will cover that.

The MSF course will not teach you what you need to stay alive In traffic.
Its just the basics......
You gotta practice,,,alot,,
you gotta practice,,alot more,,,

You GOTTA keep your hand away from the front brake at slow speeds Unless the bike and front end Is perfectly straight.

Stick to parking lots and empty early AM streets for a few rides,,

Become a master with the Brakes,,

A good book on rider technique and skills will serve you well.
Riding a motorcycle will change your life.
Like any sport you get better as you go. The object Is to not let this become a contact sport XD

Find a sane cool riding partner to help you out.
Wear Protective gear,,,,

 

You should be fine with an 883, but there is a chance you will be wanting more. Keep your eyes open for a 1200 for a good price. They are basically the same, just more power in the 1200.

I bought a 1200 for my first bike, pictured below, and it wasn't too much to handle.

Good idea on going used first. With the crappy economy, there are tons of used bikes with less than 5k miles, at thousands less than a new one. Especially sportsters, because lots of people buy them and then move up to a dyna or softail.

 

My first bike is a 2011 sportster 1200c.

 

Ide go nightster !

 

Actually according to Harley the Nightster's seat height is 26.5 inches, while the SuperLow sits at 26.8 inches. So, technically you're right, but I doubt anyone will notice .3 inch difference.