Hey guys, probably a silly question but i am 43 yrs old and have wanted a harley since i were a teenager. I have been riding a postie bike for work for the last 20 years and had limited experience with dirt bikes as a teenager, but it is only now that i am financially able to buy a bike. So my question is i have been looking at a new sportster 1200c or a new dyna custom, would either of these bikes be a problem for me as it would be my first "real" road bike, confidence and taking it easy at first isnt an issue, just after peoples honest opinions, thanks.

I would say either of those would be fine. They aren't 400 horsepower rocketships and they only go as fast as you make them. My only advice would be to become accustomed to the weight. I rose sports bikes for years and bugged out the first few times on my Streetbob.

Mate, get onto it!

Go for it mate, make the dream come alive! I got my first ever bike last june and its a harley. I pretty much had no experience at all. It comes down to how well you listen, learn and confidence. Position yourself "wisely" on the road and you will be fine. Read as much as you can about riding and take it on board, the moment you ignore other people advise/experience you put yourself in danger.

I recommend you have a few test rides on some of these bikes as you may not like the way they are setup in regards to suspension and seating position. From my experience i really should have stretched my finances and went with a dyna street bob, as it has taken me almost a year to get my front suspension to where im happy with it.....do as many road tests as you can.

T1

If you go sportster be prepared to be told you're riding a girls bike. It doesn't matter if it isn't true - wankers like to feel better about themselves by putting people down. If you can afford it, aren't totally new to riding, I'd go with something bigger - Streetbobs and Fatbobs were my main choice, but go with what you love.

Hey Mickey I'm cracking 43 myself, bought my first HD last year after 25 odd years on sports bikes. Just do it mate, you only live once & not gettin any younger. Ride both bikes & go with yer gut.

Slap.

Rode sports bikes for years.... @ 38 purchased my first Harley, a sporty of course only a 1991 model.. wont go back.

 

Micky, if ya rode a postie bike fer 20 years mate ya got the best experience under ya belt alredy,,, dealin and anticipatin what the general public drive like and are capable of doin.

And lets hope that 20 years of workin fer that mob has left ya with the readys to buy somethin nice.

For a desision like this ya gotta go out and take each consideration for a long and meaningful test ride mate,,, and if ya still can't decide, buy them both.

It's not like gettin a divorce if ya want ta git rid of one, ya actually get the money back instead of loosin it all !!! 

The only issues I can think of are the weight, what will seem to you to be heavy steering and that Sportsters have the turning circle of a bus if you do U-turns or need to wiggle it into a tight spot in the garage. The power is very controllable and shouldn't be a problem at all. HDs do have a lot of rolling mass and the front brake needs a bit of force, so keep a good distance from cars in front until you get the feel.

good thing is after riding a postie bike for 20 years, you're already used to no suspension!! jk. A sporty is about 250kg, a dyna about 306, but you only feel that if you get the bike unbalanced. They sit low, unlike a sportsbike. If you want to tear up the highways, geta dyna. If you want to explore the local backroads at a spirited rate, maybe the sporty would be better. And that doesn't mean you cant use a sporty on the highway, or a dyna in the twisties. Clear as mud? Either or, you'll have a blast. Go test ride them until the sales guy knows your name on sight, and tries to hide the trade plate when u walk in. You''l soon find the one you gravitate towards. it could even be that secondhand softail in the corner.....

Other than for novice motorcyclists (which you most certainly are not!), the idea that ANY bike is "too much" is true only for those who a) don't know their limits and/or b) are unable to stay within their limits.

Otherwise, if you're sensible, you can ride any bike you want. The only question is "how fast/hard" not "can you".

I got my full licence when I was 18, having ridden only my dad's 80cc automatic Honda scooter. Counting time on my Ls, I had about 18 months on it all up. Then I left home, and I didn't get a motorcycle of my own until I was 26. I had not ridden at all in the interim, so I got the bike shop to deliver it to my home (so I wouldn't look stupid riding it away from the shop!), and spent a few days just riding very slowly and carefully around my immediate neighbourhood until I fully had the hang of the gears, and then started venturing further afield. The bike was only a GPX250 (the other part of knowing your limits and being sensible!), but even so, I had no troubles.

A few years later (after the GPX had been stolen, and then replaced with a CBR600 and then a V-Star 1300), I was on an R1, one of the most potent sports bikes that is still street legal. I bought it over eBay and had to travel to Sydney to collect it, and the first time I rode it was to bring it home. Was it a problem? No, not even close. I knew my limits, I knew what the bike was capable off, and I took it nice and easy. Sure, it'd be pretty easy to kill yourself if you cracked open the throttle without thinking and getting caught unawares, but again, that's where the whole being sensible and taking it easy part comes in. The V-Star was poles apart in terms of power, but also in terms of weight - probably a good two times the weight of the R1, and more than that re the GPX. Again, not a problem, because I took that into account in the way that I rode it.

And now I'm on the Iron, and guess what I'm doing when I ride it? Yep, nice and easy and sensible, and staying within the limits of myself and the bike. That really is the only thing you need to worry about, and since you're clearly doing that already anyway, you are totally sorted. You'll soon work out if you're going too easy, and can push it that bit more, until eventually you determine where your true comfort zone actually sits. Just know your limits, and stay within them, and there isn't a street legal bike on the planet that will give you any genuine grief.

So with that in mind, just make your selection, hand over the money, and get on with enjoying your new lifestyle!

If your 6ft + then get the dyna. You will more than likely upgrade to one later anyway. Good luck with it.

hey micky

im 47 years young and bought my first harley last year after years of brit and wog bikes

when i was looking i could'nt decide on a sporty or a dyna so i test rode both and found the 48

fitted like a glove plus ive always had soft spot for the sporty,so id say go with what fits and what ya heart says

and ya wont be sorry    .go for it

cheers punchy

Its all good i am 49 and 5 feet six tall, rode my last road bike 14 years ago and picked up my spanking new sportster 883 exactly 1 month ago. Best thing I have done so ignore the sports bike fraternity that like to put anyone who can't break the speed of sound within 3.5 seconds down and enjoy it !!!

Mickey,
I'm with these guys. You have the best experience possible for a Harley. A lot of low speed maneuvering, and avoiding things coming out of driveways in front of you.

Weight with be...different, but not impossible.
Speed and power are all up to you.
My first bike was a spritely Honda VTR 250, light as a fart, now I have an 883n. 260 kg's. Took a little getting used to at low speed, but very fast to get used to.

I'm really happy for you mate..go and do it! all the best to you