G'day All. 

New Melbourne member here, first post. I'll do a proper self introduction on the forum when I get the bike, but I'm looking seriously at getting a Sportster 883 in the next six months and am doing a bit of research, so I thought I'd post some questions, beginning with these two:

1) Sportster longevity: Up until now I've only owned old bullet-proof Japanese bikes and am not very familiar with H-D rebuild scheduals and longevity.  I do a lot of riding and would want the bike (if new) to give me at least 150,000km (assuming pedantic servicing and no thrashing).   With the bikes I know that would include at least one top-end rebuild and no bottom-end issues.  Can I expect the same from a Sportster as a general rule?

2) Given the price of used Sportsters, I'll probably buy new.  That's often recommended due to the rubber-mounted engine, however if I found a used mid-90's bargain I'd seriously consider it.  My current passion is my '78 Yamaha SR500 (500cc road-going single), so I'm used to and like feeling engine vibes - are the older bikes so bad given that I'm not looking for anything too smooth (indeed I'm buying a H-D because I love bikes through which you can experience the engine pulses, though at the same time I intend to do some long highway riding). 

Thanks in advance,

Matt

mattb,

1) I can't speak from personal experience as mine is an '07 but I do see many 15 to 20 year old Sporty's still on the road and going strong, so I don't think there's any issues with the wear and tear longevity of the bike. I found I out-grew the horsepower of the 883 pretty quickly though and that was coming from a 250. Good thing is that the 883 Sporty is a "blank canvas" bike that you can do many low cost performance and suitability upgrades to, so you can tweak it as you go. I upgraded my motor to an 883/1200 for $2,000 and now am pretty happy with it all round.

2) Again I've never owned a pre-rubber mount Sporty but have done a lot of reading about them and they do say the vibes are pretty bad especially at highway speeds, however the guys that own them don't seem to mind, so I'd say if you're used to a bit of vibe you will probably be ok with a rigid mount.

 

 

Matt, i sold a 94 XLH 1200  last year that was my pride and joy, but only to get a newer Dyna Glide. It was a beaut bike and completely reliable. Nimble enough for city traffic & parking, but still unmistakeably a Harley Davidson, with the cool factor! Like any motor vehicle, the way you look after it has a lot to do with longevity. I changed the oil & had it serviced regularly. The vibes are very real though, if you are used to Jap bikes with more balance in the motor, the Harley shakes can take a while to get used to! Expect pins and needles in your hands & feet after a long trip at highway speeds, esp if the bike has wide bars.

The newer rubber mounted motors certainly lessen the vibes, but as per previous posts, they don't make em like the used to - it depends on what you want. Fuel injection and better brakes on the late model Sportys are great additions. One big thing to remember too is the resale value, you won't get that on most other brands. After clocking about 15K, I sold my 94 for only $500 less than I paid four years before. The new owner loves it and says it is exactly the vintage he wanted. 

Personal opinion - go for a 1200 cc, the extra $$ is worth the extra oomph..esp if you have a passenger  

just do it...you know you want to!!

Hey Matt, you need a bike like sime69 sold! The vibes are not all that bad, your yammy would be a lot worse. Ive had a great run from a 93xlh, spares are no problem and maintenance is easy. Go for a well loved 1200.

Thanks for the replies All, those were the sort of informed opinions I was looking for...and you've swayed me!  I was considering going all out and buying new (which would involve a loan and a good few years of hassle), but looks like I'll stick with the tried and tested wisdom of buying used.  Though as an owner and fan of 70's Jap bikes, an early to mid-nineties Sportster's still pretty young to me!  Over the last year I've increasingly been 'noticing' Sportsters when they've come up for sale used, and the good thing is that, while many are priced high, if you bide your time it seems that you can pick up a bargain.  A shame about that 'built-in obselescence' - as with the SR, a true motorcycle must (for me) have character in two senses of the word: it must be a character, ie the thumps and sounds and beauty; and it must have character, ie reliability, simplicity, quality.  Sounds like a Sportster is definitely the go, but an older one.

 

Heres one for you Matt ,, Micks a great guy tell him that I sent you,,,,,,

Type Road Make HARLEY-DAVIDSON Model XLH1200 Series XL1200 SPORTSTER Year 1993 Colour BLACK Capacity (cc) 1200 kms 26,884 Price $7,990 Reference Code DPLBi86064 Stock Number U06643 Registration No. VU474
	Dealer Details Name Peter Stevens Motor Cycles (Geelong) Homepage Click here LMCT 2515 Address 21 Mercer Street Suburb Geelong State Victoria Post Code 3220 Trading Hours Mon-Fri 8.30AM-5.30PM, Sat 9.00AM-2.00PM Contact Mick Lanyon Phone (BH) 0352210400 Fax 0352223166

Hi guys, my name is Anthony and I've been lurking for some time now. Matt I just wanted to say that right now in Peter Stevens Geelong they have a really nice black 1995 1200 sporty with 103km on the clock for $9400 ride away. My jaw hit the ground when I saw it because that's what I want but unfortunately can't free up the funds till around feb/march....damnit lol.

Thanks again for the responses. Walka, I think I've seen that bike around; if I had the cash sitting here.... Good point rodders, and good reason for me to be happy with what was the first choice - basic 883. That engine is a lot in my books anyway - I'm quite satisfied with the power of my 34hp 500cc single, except that 4300rpm on the highway really annoys me; I'm sure a step up to 883 would be heaps. Mind you, in buying used I always take each bike on its individual merits, so I guess a basic 883 or 1200 is in the sights. Andoni, yours is the situation I'm in. I'm still months away froom having the cash. The reason I posted up here was so I could get some further confirmation of my idea that a Sportster would be worth working towards (saving, selling me bike etc), so that I could decide whether to embark on working towards it financially or not. What I've seen just confirms the thought that it's a good idea. Now I'm itching! Beautiful bike!

 

 

check this out - k's are a bit on the high side, but for $7 large (and a leather jacket thrown in) - bargain!

AND - its in 'that' colour (they say blaack is the new chrome!)

http://www.bikepoint.com.au/DesktopDefault.aspx?UsedBikeID=2996058&TabID=3424

 

PS - I can sell you a leftover SE cover for the air cleaner as well !

Apart from my balls getting vibrated to much, i gotta say that the shakes and all are what makes it feel like a real bike

I like pulling up next to Hootin at lights and he sits there idling away with no movement whatsoever, while my bars and cowbell horn shake it like an angry v8. Just a different character in each and every Harley!

The pins and needly hands n feet would be easily enough overcome by upgrading the stock grips n pegs - ie. kuraykyn iso or genuine HD with a lot of rubber (especially on the rubber mounts).