So I am trying to fulfill a fantasy of having a sports bike as a second bike.
Looking for something fast and sporty. The problem is that I am used to my comfy ultra.
I finally norrowed it down to a Vrod, but today as I was leaving the house I realized, no
matter how much fun the Vrod is, I am going to ride in a more uncomfortable
position and get all that wind.

My point is, I have a strong desire to have a sports bike as a second bike but
I am so used to the comfort of my big ultra that I am having a hard time making the move.
What the hell is wrong with me?

 

Simple solution. Take a Street Glide and add a 145 S&S and upgrade the suspension to make a board dragger out of it.

 

Get a Ducati Multistrada 1200S.

 

I had both for a while (Harley and a Honda 959)... After about 800 miles on the sport bike, I sold it and will never go back.

 

Take a look at the Yamaha FZ1. Pretty comfy riding position with an R1 motor (slightly de-tuned). I had one in 2001, and I can tell you they are extremely fast bikes. You can find them in good condition with fairly low miles pretty cheap.

 

I had a 600 Ninja a few years back, I wouldn't have bought one on my own but it belonged to a buddy of mine and he had done some really great mod's to it and needed to sell it quick. It just didn't have personality though. I sold it after a few years. For me the greatest sportbikes ever were the steel tubed Buells, they have the same heart and soul as Harleys but they are true sportbikes in every sense of the word. I was really disappointed when they went to the aluminum frames, they lost that Harley look and feel (at least, in my opinion). Anyway, if you want the Harley feel in a sport bike package, I would definitely recommend checking out used Buells, you can get some screaming deals on them.

 

You know you want to get a Harley sports bike, but.....das alot of money just to have sit around most of the time.
Get some cheap used metric crotch rocket and you'll have your eye opener when you want it. You'll appreciate your Harley more. And you won't feel so bad neglecting it ( cause they really arn't motorcycles ). It's kinda like having a Wife that you love and enjoy being with, and also having a Mistress to slam some kielbasa to without being attached with and really don't want anybody to know you have. (still probably get bugs in yer teeth too !)
P.S. Or send me the money and have me suffer with the problem ?

 

well you're gonna get a TON of feedback on this one...
guys that say NO....guys that say V-ROD !!!..and of corse guys that will demounce you for even thinking about it..
first ..the term "SPORT BIKE" is very subjective.... i mean of you're talking about a pure sport bike (Yamaha R1, etc.) i'de say, well if thats what you really want..but i wouldn't do it.. i'd say thats WAY too far from what you're used to. Fast, oh yeah they're fast, faster then you could probaboy truely ever put to use... But if you are just looking for something different, sportier, something you can push hard and get the adrenaline flowing..then you have alot of options that are going to be more pleasureable and a bit more forgiving then the full on cutting edge super bikes.
Budget is a question too...if your trying to keep it resonable and don't mind used..Honda has made a VFR 750 for a long time...fast, but a bit more roomy upright seating position...they made a VFR1000 for a while which was a V-Twin, had a really cool sound..i think they are actually about to release a new VFR1200...Suzuki used to make a Katana 750..my brother had one..plenty fast, roomy, and resonably comfortable....
If you are against the Japs...which i'm really not but i still don't think i'd buy one (although i'd rather be seen on a Jap sport bike then a Jap cruiser Harley knock-off)... you could look at BMW or DUCATI..they both make bikes that are plenty fast/sporty, with more upright easy to live with riding positions.
As for the V-Rod... i don't know ..i'm not a fan.. I guess if you are die hard, Harley ony,that is your most likely option...though i think that high performance sportster model they recently came out with is probably more of a true sport bike...
Hope this helps...Good luck.....

 

I bought my crotch rocket new in 1997 and still have it. I have been ridding my Harley most of the time lately so the rocket sits alot. This past weekend I decided to take the rocket out. There is no comparison!! That thing handles 50 times better than any Harley and is fast as ****. You don't realize how well they are designed until you come off of riding a Harley for some time and jump on a sportbike. I still love both bikes and love that, depending on my mood, I can choose what to ride on a given day.

 

I bought my 1st sport bike new in 2004 after 9years of riding Harleys. I jumped into the sport bike world head first and bought a 04 Aprilia RSV (1000cc V-Twin). I spent a ton of money on mods. It was fun but I had to sell it before it killed me. It is way too easy to cruise along at 100+. If I were to do it again I would buy an Aprilia Tuono more of an upright seating position w/ all the power of the RSV.