Any thoughts on how long the "Low" trend will last? As it stands even the tallest suspended Sporty is pretty darn low and limited because of it.
Personally, I have no use for an uber low bike, except as a 3rd or 4th or somewhere down the line type of ride. This is what keeps me from even considering a new Sportster; thier great for profiling (I'll admit to enjoying it on occasion) but pretty much suck for day-to-day riding because of the lack of travel and, the real deal killer for me, the lack of cornering clearance. It's somewhat frustrating to me that there is no "normal sized" Sportster even available. Granted, I know full well the aftermarket can solve all of those woes but who wants to spend "new bike" money on a new Sporty only to have to wrap up another chunk of change to get it to a state where its useable. I'd love to see a "Superlow" with 12.5-13" shocks, a slightly taller seat and a little less pullback to the bars; you know, set up for a normal sized human being. With the great wheel/tire combo that bike has it ought to be a hoot with another inch of travel and a big jump in cornering clearance.
I dunno, I guess I'm just longing for a new XL883/1200 (standard model) or better yet, a new "Roadster". I mean, "low" should always be an option for those who want it, I just wish it wasn't the only option.
Surely I'm not the only one thinking this....

 

I completely agree. Check out my sig pic - I got a Custom (which comes with full length forks and low shocks) and swapped in 13" shocks so it's "standard height" now. I'm 5'6" 155lbs and have no issue with the seat height.

There is no new Sportster right now that I would buy. If they would bring an "S" or Roadster back I would probably look into trading up.

Unfortunately I think Harley Davidson has decided that they are mostly a fashion company and most of their customers are buying solely for looks, not for actual riding.

 

Nope, you're not the only one, I don't get the point of dragging parts around every corner either. Fortunately, there's a wide range of aftermarket parts that can help.

 

That's the reason I only wanted to buy a Roadster...last traditional looking Sporty with taller suspension and cornering ability. I have no plans of ever getting rid of my Roadster unless Harley comes out with another one.

 

How's that Patriot Defender do in the twisties? I've been looking at the dyno results and the pipe shows really well, but it looks like it would be a real "drag" on a right hand hairpin.

 

Yep. It is the reason I did the hurry up 13" shock install. It's still the first part to drag on the right side, and is extremely loud. I run the butterfly half closed so I lose a lot of the dyno awesomeness. I wouldn't really recommend this pipe for anything other than street cruisers or drag racers.

At some point I'll swap in something longer that doesn't end right by my ear and something that doesn't touch down before the footpeg.

 

Yea, it's a real shame that Patriot didn't give the pipe a ~15* kick up at the collector to keep the thing from being so low. It's one hell of a great performing pipe, as long as you're only running in a straight line.

 

Just how far are you willing to push a "cruiser" into a corner? I ride a lowered Iron and I have absolutely no issues burning the entire radius of my rear tire. The only scraping I have is with the jiffy stand, which I plan on relocated to the rear at some point.

 

You know, it seems that riding in a spirited or sporty manner is coming back into style, with more people learning about proper riding techniques and all. At the same time the retro "standard" bike seems to be getting it's second time around. It seems that other companies are honing in on this and manufacturing sport-riding standard "throw-back" bikes. Basically, these companies are getting back to their sporty roots.

Honda CB1100




Triumph Bonneville




Ducati GT1000








... and then there's Harley, with the one motorcycle with "Sport" in it's name.

 

Until all of us short people quit buying Harleys!