hey everyone, i had a few questions for those more knowledgable than me. First off I am a soon to be new rider. I wanna get a bike and was considering a sportster. I am 33....I am 6'4 and am about 3 bills....I ain't small! I live in an area that has highway type roads next to my house. Most of my driving would be on roads somewhere between 35-55 mph. I was wondering about a few things:

1)Am i literally too big for a sportster? I can't afford a much bigger bike and think I will be intimidated anyway by it.
I am not a speed demon or anything.

2)I have sat on my dad's 1200 and it seemed huge and heavy. I know I will get used to any bike I decide to get though

3)My other thought was to get a smaller bike...like a blast(don't laugh too hard)....I mean it is mostly gonna be for commuiting in the summer....running to the store, etc...

4)My budget is 5k and under so obviously it'd be used.....I looked in my area and it seems like sortsters with about 10k miles or under are in that range....Is that alot of miles for a bike?



Any advice will be appreiated.....I am trying to get a bike so I can finally take a ride with my Dad....He finally got a bike after 30+ years of dreaming of one and never being able to afford it. I know it'd make his day to ride with me.....thanks alot guys....ryan

 

For what it is worth: MHO is at your hight and weight I would suggest the Dyna line.

 

Go for the dynaglide.
Dont worry its weenier than the Sportster. I had one.
I run them down all the time with my Sporty.

 

You are too big for a sporty IMO. I am 5-10 190lbs and feel like I am on the verge of being to big. There are some guys your size that will say different though.

 

I see a 450 pound guy riding a sporty where i live.He looks like a grizzly bear on it but he sure rides it.

 

Its your $ man. I say buy what you want and forget what the others say/think! I am 6' and 250 lbs and I ride the sheet outta my Sporty. I ride with smaller guys that have bigger bikes than mine.

They all tell me that I "need" a bigger bike but I am just comfortable on my bike.

I just spent about $600 in a few used accessories and I am gonna have my bike just like I want it with my own custom paint.

 

Have you taken the MSF course yet? Just about anything is going to feel bigger than the little 125 bikes they have there (at least that's what they had where I went) but trust me, you will grow used to it fast. I'd also suggest a 1200 if you're going with a Sportster; I wanted one but opted for the 883 instead to cut down the monthly payment. Kind of regretting that now but I can always fix it

 

as far as dynaglide....I will look into them. I feel like it'll be a little out of budget though. I did not take the course yet. I am going to be taking it at my local harley dealer soon. I wanna have enough money to take the course and buy my bike in one fell swoop.

So what about the mileage issue?...Is say 5-10 thousand miles alot for a harley?.....i guess not but.....Any specific issues to watch out for in sportsters in general?.....ryan

p.s.-i appreciate all the responses

 

this is similar to my thinking. I wanna get a nice sportster with relatively low miles. Ride it and slowly customize it and maybe give it a new paint job. ...ryan

 

Check the tires to determine if they need replaced.Figure on doing a oil change in the motor and tranny.New air filter and new plugs.Check front and rear brake pads for wear.Check for oil leaks.Figure all this in your budget and if you don't do the work yourself figure in the cost of labor at a shop.I find that small local shops are alot cheaper then an HD dealer.I saved alot putting on my own tire and brakes.