FWIW....just becasue you like Harley's doesn't mean to can't like other bikes...there are no rules.

That said Sportsters are TRUE harley. Real bikers know they have old skool soul...it's the RUBs and newcomers who talk **** about them.

My old man is 79 years old and rides a black sporty....wants nothing else....I, am riding the old man's bike in the family. One of my brothers rides an XS 650 in black, the other bro rides KLX 650's.

So, I like them all...but the sporty is on it's own level. The competition moved on.

~Joe

 

At the end of the day, I will still be ridin a Harley.

 

Not a contender, more like a pretender.... Just another manufacture tryin to rip off harley by trying copy looks

 

The first thing I notice is that the thing is 84 lbs. heavier than the Sporty & the rest of the manufacturers' bikes are 100 lbs. heavier....they're in the weight class of the big twins with these bikes. Second thing I noticed is that it's just fugly.
There's only one Sporty and nobody will ever be able to even come close to duplicating it in any way.

 

I agree some of Yamaha's Star bikes are fugly, but there are a couple I do like - from a "looks" standpoint (I've never ridden one). That being said, NOTHING produced by anyone, anywhere, can compare to the iconic H-D Sportster. It is THE standard in its class, and it is loaded WITH class, in fact, it defines class!!

Just my $0.02 worth...

 

The simplicity of the sportster is what makes it what it is. Not alot of extra unnecessary crap. It's a late 50's style street racer. I don't think it can't be competed with....I jsut think that the other manufactureres got away from where they were, while Harley stayed with what worked. The Yamaha XS650 had alot of that old school charm, but they left it behind.

Kawasaki got close with their single 650 they made 10 years ago, but gave up on it, when it didn't sell very well.

It woul'd be nice to see more of the old parallel twins come back, but the people who would actually BUY one seems to be small.

The sportster seems to just keep plugging along. If they didn't sell, they would be toast.

~Joe

 

I'll agree about the Sportster, one of the reasons I bought mine. I liked the old parallel twins, would love to find a decent, and affordable, 1966 BSA Lightning. Saw a Triumph Thunderbird 1700 recently, and got to talk to the owner, looks and sounds like one I'd like. Kind of massive looking (hard to avoid with monster cylinders - standing next to it, it looks huge), almost looks like a 60's Triumph and a late model Harley had a kid...

 

One of the guys on here has a new Trumpet 1700.

 

Quite honestly I don’t like the wannabes who got to do what ever it takes, what ever the cost, to say they got better badder bikes than Harley.
4 valves per cylinder? Or was it 3 valves? What? And over 100 lbs heavier? Water cooled? And they call it a bike!
Well they (the Japs) can have the water cooled do-hickies with 12billion horse power, along with all the Fucashema power plants (another great idea by GE, pay back?).
Ive had the fast bikes & cars yet I’m drawn to the Chevrolet, Harley Davidson, apple pie brigade, and thanks to the wannabes for trying to copy my ICON.
My Honda 750-4 was a good bike but soulless.

PS: Personally I believe all other bike makers are given agendas to bring down the only true US made bike (Indian comes and goes), look what happened to Gibson guitars, GM, Whirlpool, Sears Roebuck etc... US companies that failed by design.

 

don't think so!!