Hey all,

I've been looking into buying a bike this Spring for a while now and just got a line on a pretty wicked '09 883 Iron with all the bells and whistles (V & H short shots, Air Cleaner Kit, Fuelpak, etc.), pretty much all the stuff I'd do it less drag bars for 7k.

Anywho, here's my dilema... I'm not a real experienced rider, about 5 years ago I took the MSF class and bought an R6. I sold that to go back to school after 3 years. So I've been out of riding for a couple years and don't have any experience on cruisers, minus short stints on a buddy's Shadow Sabre 1100. Sportsters have always caught my eye and I figured they'd be a good fit for me... I'm short, 5'7" (on a good day) and have worried about being able to control the larger, heavier cruisers. The look of the Nighters are wicked and I figured that'd be the one.

After tooling around forums and reading a lot, I came to the consensus that a 1200 might not be necessary, although I've always thought of 883s as pretty small. I got my speed kicks out of the way with the R6, so I'm in it for the cruisin, commutes to work, and joy rides. I would like to have my lady tag along from time to time, so the I'm a little hesitant to pull the trigger on an 883.

Alas I come here for some of your thoughts. How to the 883s do as far as 2 up riding goes? Are highway speeds much of an issue for them, in general? Any of you fellow short riders care to share how the ride height works out for ya? And is 7k for an 883 Iron a good deal? From what I can tell it's not bad, but popping for that much on an 883 kind of irks me... I mean for about that or maybe a little more oyu can get a Nighters, right?

Sorry for the book and thanks for your thoughts!

Ride safe.

 

I cruise 70 to 75 freeway everyday no problem about 45 miles one way. My ol dose just fine on the bike and I'm 5,11 190 wife's 5,3 110. It's a fun lil scooter I have slot of fun on mine. I just came from sportbikes as well and this cruiser stuff is where it's at. **** l wish I made the change slot sooner.

 

883s are plenty of motor for most uses. Remember that the 883 is the motor that created the legend of the Sportster as a muscle bike back in the '50s. It will feel slow compared to an R6, but so will a 1200. The fact of the matter is that up until the late 1970s, an 883 was a BIG bike, and it will handle two up just fine.

 

Now that is something that many people will not agree with.

 

I'd get the 1200 if you're going to ride two up. Hell I'm not sure I'd buy a sportster if you're gonna ride 2 up.

 

the Iron 883, Nightster 1200, and forty eight 1200 all weigh basicly the same. I have the 48 1200 and its my 1st road bike ever. I am 5ft 6" and 125lbs and have no problem riding it. I think you would be happy with any of the 3 sportsters. I think you will be happier with the 1200 in my opinion though. The 883 is basicly the same motor as the 1200 just smaller cylinders and pistons.

 

The best piece of advice I ever got was buy the biggest thing you can afford.
I love My 48...1200 motor and all.

 

A lot of people won't agree that an 883 will handle two up, true enough. The majority of them have no experience with one, either. I used to ride two up on a GS425, and on an XS650 all the time, and was more than capable of reaching extra-legal speeds on either one. The 883 is larger in every respect than those two.
Those people who have experience on an 883, and still don't think it can handle two up have unrealistic expectations. My wife has an 883, and I can ride it two up (right around 400 lbs loaded), beating traffic at every light. How much faster do you need to go? If you can out-accelerate traffic, and go above the speed limit, then you have all the bike you need. The 883 will do both of those things easily. It will also cruise all day on the freeway with nary a complaint.

"Buy the biggest thing you can afford" is abysmally bad advice. I did that, got a Road King. Loved it on the freeway, hated it everywhere else. So I sold it and bought a SuperGlide. That bike was good at nothing. It was slow, cumbersome, heavy, poorly balanced, etc. So, I sold that and bought a Nightster. That is the bike I should have bought to begin with. It is light and nimble, quick, powerful (for a Harley), and fun to ride.

 

Actually its good advice when I am referring to the Motor....Not the actual bike size.

Motor...Not...Bike

 

yep, I went to the Harley dealer dead set on getting an 883 Iron and then seen the Forty Eight and had to have it! I was the 1st person to buy a 48 in Michigan!