I'm brand new here. I'm taking a riding class in early September at a Harley dealership. My goal is to get comfortable enough to ride a 1200 sportster by the end of that 3 day class.

I have ridden dirt bikes in the past but it was a while ago.... I'm not brand new to riding but I am brand new to Harley.

Here is the rub: I really like the 1200 Custom and the Forty-Eight?

Has anyone owned both? Do they ride similarly?

Any help would be appreciated. And yes, I'll probably test drive both, but I'd like someone with experience to point out the subtleties of both.

Thank you

 

Let's see.....2 up verses solo.....plan on having any candy riding behind you?
4.5 compared to 2.1 gallon tank.....plan on riding or bar hopping?
Tubeless tires for the Custom.....tubed tires for the 48.
Granted the 48 has the best looks....the Custom is a better commuter/ long distance bike.
Recently had to choose between the two....Custom won because I didn't want to fill up every trip and a half to work (42 miles RT).
http://www.harley-davidson.com/conte...pare-bike.html

 

The truth is, Get what you want. No matter what you buy you are going to have a little fear for a few days or until you get used to it.. Both bikes are nice. But I do have a soft spot for the looks of the 48.. It's a sharp looking bike.. And no matter what you get you will grow into a comfort zone with it. The best thing you can do is sit on it and see how it feels. You might love the 48 but when you sit on the 1200c it just feels right..

 

I loved the looks of the 48 and still do. It is a great looking bike. That being said, I went with the Custom because I like the mag wheel look and having over 2x's the fuel capacity since I "ride" my bike and do not use it as a means to go 1 town over to watch a sporting event at a local bar.

On a bad day my Custom will get 37 mpg and a great day 51. You are looking at walking to a gas station after only 75 miles on a day with a strong head wind. That means that you need to start looking for gas stations at 60 miles at times and if you are on stretches of road with few stations you may end up needing to fill up every 50 miles and even on a good day in an area with few gas stations you may need to fill up every 65-80 miles and hope you don't hit a 25 mile stretch without fuel stops like is just south of my town on an interstate highway.

First, decide what type of riding you may do in the future and let that help decide what you want to do. There is a reason that only 2 Harley's have small gas tanks. Even the small 3.3 gallon older Sportsters left a little room for error since they could go over 100 miles on a day with a decent head wind.

 

Like the previous poster said, evaluate your usage for the bike. Also if it's strictly in-town cruising you might also want to look at Seventy-Two which is another very unique looking bike IMO.

I am not going to tell which bike is better as my opinion will be biased towards Custom (I own one). But I did test-ride both Seventy-Two and 48 and I thought 72 was cooler than 48. I personally dig mini-apes and a bigger chrome spoke wheel which gives the bike a really nice old-school look.

 

Both are great bikes and you're wise to test ride both. Riding positions will be slightly different with more forward lean on the 48. The riding class bikes will likely have mid foot controls, so the forward controls on the XL1200 may feel different at first, but you could always change them on either bike. I did that on my Custom and put highway pegs where the forwards controls go for a change in leg position on the longer trips.

Choose what sings to you. I chose my Custom soon after I took the riding class as it rides twice as far as the 48 between fill ups, and I like a little more bling than slam.

 

I too ride a 1200-C and have since 2007, I debated between a 2008 1200-R in black and orange and this two tone green 2007. My wife made that descision quickly for me. I looked at those "little" bikes and they did not look comfortable. I use mine for 300+ mile trips and it is fine for that. 50+ mpg is the norm on a trip.

 

Both bikes are good bikes, it comes down to you and which one you prefer, there are many modifications/parts for the sportster and anything can be changed.

One of the other posters pointed out the small gas tank 2.1 on the Forty Eight I found that to be a pain so I swapped it out for a 3.2 King Tank now I can ride 120 miles before empty and typically after 100 miles I'm ready to stop and stretch the legs anyways. I chose the 3.2 but I could have went with 4 or 5 gallon tank it just comes down to personal choice.

A Gas tank, seat, pegs, shocks, handlebars, etc. etc. etc. should not be the reason you don't get the bike you want because everything can be changed to suit you and your riding style, Get the one you want then make the bike your own.

 

For me it was the cost of converting a factory motorcycle(the 48) to something more usable to my needs (the Custom) that helped make my decision. It's easier and cheaper to remove parts then it is to buy and add parts.
This coming from someone who has enough parts for another bike to swap out complete tins and other parts just sitting in the garage.

 

I own a 2013 Forty-Eight and love it. Like most of the guys mentioned the 2.1 gallon tank is a pain. Short or long ride you will be stopping at a gas station often. Other than that the bike is great once you customize it to your liking.