Wow, learning a ton already! Glad I found this thread as I have the same dilemma.

 

One thing I dislike about 2-up on my sportster is my legs run into the pegs and her feet when I walk it

 

This is really great information guys and I thank you very much for it! I'll look closer at the Dynas and see if there are any in my price range. Meanwhile, I'm still not sure about the 883 vs. 1200. Good points have been made for both.

 

Buy a used XR1200 and smoke them all...twisties, straight aways and everywhere inbetween. XR's rock....I might be a bit partial though.

 

Definately agree with the things here I know about. For handling, I can only compare my Wide Glide and that has a far worse lean angle than my Sportster and when you add in the extra rake it's handling dimishes a bit further. The Street Bob you have is definately the performer of the Dyna line with the Fat Bob looking good too. I'd love to compare both of them to my Sportster.

Also agree that the Dyna is far more comfortable and a better freeway bike than the Sportster. I always think of quickness as 1/4 mile acceleration. At highway speeds, the extra torque of the twin cam is really helpful and superior to the Sportster.

Most current sportsters suck when it comes to lean angle but some of the older ones without the lowered suspension are very good. If you haven't ridden the something other than the low (and maybe you have, I don't know) the low's handling to a standard height Sporty is like comparing the Lowrider to your Street Bob. Big difference.

That's why I have both bikes. The Dyna is great for 2-up and long distance riding but if I want to go hit a twisty mountain road, the Sportster is more fun to ride with the higher suspension and greater lean angle. No matter which bike you go with, there are compromises to be made.

Notorious, for a pure performance Harley, I concour. The XR is a great bike. I'm just not sure for the OP that the look is what he's after. Would love to ride an XR too...I keep telling people I need a 1200 square foot house with a 20,000 square foot garage. Priorities. LOL

 

And that's what it comes down to. We can give you a ton of advice, but in the end it comes down to your priorities and what you want. A bit of background on my Sportster experiance...it was my first bike and I wanted a Harley but something that had some handling and, if I dropped it, I wouldn't cry. So I found my bike in 09 and it was ten years old but only had 4,000 miles on it. Carb was gummed up, tires rotten, tank with a dent in each side of it, no mirrors, no front fender, no signals, and chips in the rear fender paint. But, I got it for $2,500



.

But when I dropped it, and I did drop it, it didn't hurt. I'm a cheap bastard and by the time I was done with it, it had paint, had mirrors, had signals, had a wider rear tire, new tires, powder coated wheels, a new front fender, and a 1200 with 1200S heads and about 10.6:1 compression. Grand total for the bike with modifications was about $5,500.







For me, cost (didn't know how well I'd like it. Since August 2009 I have just over 50,000 miles under my belt. I kind of like it I think) and having something to learn on both riding and wrenching. Thus the 1999 was a good starter bike for me and the price was right. In the end, the bike I wound up with was all me and highly personalized. I love my Sportie and am working on putting her back together since the accident. My girl at the time didn't mind riding on the back of it and after I got the RK shocks on it the ride was about the same as my Dyna is now (but the Dyna has stock shocks).

So it's time to write your story and it's going to come down to what are your needs, what are your wants, and what are your goals. You have a lot of information here to help you decide, but other unless you come up with specific questions that you come up with as you ponder what your needs are there isn't much more to gain from us...it's in your hands now.

 

I've been thinking about this all night and obviously the rest of the day and I'm just kind of stuck.

It will ultimately come down to a test drive, but here are my thoughts thus far:

I'd like an '07 or newer - EFI in the mountains will be huge. But it's going to be difficult to find an '07 or newer Dyna for less than $11,000, which is well out of my price range. Between the 883 and 1200 - I'd want to change a lot aesthetically on the 1200 (flat black everywhere I could put it), but wouldn't need to do anything to the motor except maybe pipes. With the 883, I face wanting to upgrade to a 1250cc engine and put new shocks on, but I wouldn't have to change anything aesthetically. I think the cheaper route in the long run might be the 883 - lower monthly payments, lower insurance, less cost in the long run to make it into something I'd be super happy with. I'm also thinking about the type of riding I would do 2-up - most of it would be canyons/mountain roads and around town. Relatively low speeds unless commuting to said canyons. So, the 883 is likely the way I'd go between those two.

So now it's between the 883 and the Street Bob. Ultimately, I'd love to grab a Street Bob because it seems to be more in line with the type of riding I want to do, and they are close to what I'd like aesthetically, but it's just too far out of my price range.

I'll go test ride a few either today or tomorrow, and see what the verdict is. If my wife is alright with sitting on the back of the 883, and it has enough power to make me happy, I might grab that. If she doesn't like the back of the 883, she won't like the back of the 1200 and I might just need to save my pennies for a Street Bob.

Damn. This is tough.

 

One thing you'll find is that the Dyna hold its value a lot better than the Sportster. This makes them quite a bit more expensive in the used market.

You should go ride them.. an 883, a 1200 (nightster will be black) and a Street Bob. The 883 will surprise you... and the Street Bob will feel heavy.

I purchased a Fat Bob this weekend and comparing it to my 1200C, the sporty sure feels like it handles the twisties better. It's a rattle box on the highway, but around town... it's still Sportster for me.

 

The discontinued 1200 Roadster has more ground clearance ('08 was the last year), blacked engine (like the Street Bob), and with an upgrade seat (such as the Sundowner) is fine for 2-up. It had the tallest stock seat (29.5") until the XRs came out in '09. I've got one, but have done suspension upgrades (Ohlins rear, Rachtech fork spring kit) and mine is a keeper. Plus it's about 100 lbs lighter than a Dyna. Lighter bikes: more nimble, more fun. Of course with your dirt bike experience, you are aware of that. Plus it has the 4.5 gal tank, which offers a lot of peace of mind when heading up into the mtns.

 

I dont understand your logic. If you were solo you would run a gsxr. Why on earth would you buy a 883???. Spend a little more money and get yourself a 1200 so you wont regret later on. IMO I would buy a street bob in your situation for 2 up. If you go sportster 1200 is not a question.