Harley Iron 883

[Zippydapanhead]

I dunno, maybe the Bonnie.

[GotMojo?]

I'm about as far from being a Harley guy as you can get, but this is a hot looking bike....

[NJ-Brett]

Yes, most of the bikes look great.
Most do not ride as well as they look tho...

Originally Posted by GotMojo?

I'm about as far from being a Harley guy as you can get, but this is a hot looking bike....

[Zippydapanhead]

It is interesting that we talk about riding the bike and contrast it with how the bike looks. One assessment requires us to do what we should love... ride. The other is done when we aren't doing what we should love... standing on two feet looking at the bike. We make up 50% of the image that is visually presented when we ride the bike, but we asses the image of the bike without a rider. So, as an exercise I dug up...



...and...


The answer to the question above, was...

Summer... Donna.

[espacef1fan]

So the suspension is easily "fixed" as on most motorcycles.

i've sat on more than a few mid control Sportsters and I always end up wanting a slightly taller seat and pegs set back a little more.

I've searched and as best as I cant tell I would have two options
-Deal with it
-Get raped by Storz(for high quality products that cost alot likely due to low production volume..)

Is there a middle ground? I really want to add a Sportster to the list of bikes to replace one of the 3 sport bikes I own, but I just don't care for the "all of the weight on my spine" position it enforces.

I'm still going to take a test ride on one when I get home from Afghanistan.

[fastdadio]

Originally Posted by espacef1fan

So the suspension is easily "fixed" as on most motorcycles.

i've sat on more than a few mid control Sportsters and I always end up wanting a slightly taller seat and pegs set back a little more.

I've searched and as best as I cant tell I would have two options
-Deal with it
-Get raped by Storz(for high quality products that cost alot likely due to low production volume..)

Is there a middle ground? I really want to add a Sportster to the list of bikes to replace one of the 3 sport bikes I own, but I just don't care for the "all of the weight on my spine" position it enforces.

I'm still going to take a test ride on one when I get home from Afghanistan.

I had my local custom seat maker add 4 1/2 inches of medium density foam to my stock seat pan. It got me that much farther away from the pegs and, being a bench seat now, I can move around on it. It also dampened alot of felt vibration through the seat. It is one of the best mods I've done to the bike. The only problem now is I need a bum-stop to keep me from sliding back when I stretch the throttle cable!

[woodnbow]

Originally Posted by fastdadio

I had my local custom seat maker add 4 1/2 inches of medium density foam to my stock seat pan. It got me that much farther away from the pegs and, being a bench seat now, I can move around on it. It also dampened alot of felt vibration through the seat. It is one of the best mods I've done to the bike. The only problem now is I need a bum-stop to keep me from sliding back when I stretch the throttle cable!

Gotta see pics man...

[JerryH]

First of all, I have not ridden the Iron 883, but have quite a few miles on Sportsters. I would expect the Iron 883 to be the same. Minor details have changed over the years, but a Sportster is still a Sportster. I have also owned a 1966 Bonneville, and test ridden a new Bonneville. They are NOTHING alike. I have not ridden a Scrambler, but it has the same engine as the Bonneville. The new Bonneville is a transportation bike, not much personality at all. It could be fun if you are into traveling, and it does look nice. But both the Sportster and the Triumphs are completely different from what you have had before. I love the Sportster, but it would not be my choice for a trip, for the very reasons I love it so much. It has charisma. In spades. Especially if you put the Screamin Eagle pipes on it. The Sportster is rough. It vibrates like crazy. The '04 and up models are rubber mounted, but they are still big time shakers. And they make a beautiful sound. You can feel that engine hammering away underneath you. Definitely not another sewing machine bike. And perhaps for me, the best thing of all is that they use ancient technology that has been refined just enough to make it reliable. Riding a Harley is an experience in itself, you don't have to go anywhere or do anything, you could just ride it around in circles and have fun. But, there are many people who actually want their bike to be smooth and quiet, with the latest technology. If you are one of those, the Sportster is not for you. As was said, Harley dealers will let you take a test ride, and you should know immediately if the Sportster is for you. Also, be aware that neither Sportsters nor Triumphs hold their resale value very well, so it's better to get what you want and keep it. It also make the option of buying used a good deal.

[NateLePain]

I saw this good looking Iron, at the International Motorcycle Show, in Dallas, last month.

nlp

[Bueller]

Originally Posted by JerryH

First of all, I have not ridden the Iron 883, but have quite a few miles on Sportsters. I would expect the Iron 883 to be the same. Minor details have changed over the years, but a Sportster is still a Sportster. I have also owned a 1966 Bonneville, and test ridden a new Bonneville. They are NOTHING alike. I have not ridden a Scrambler, but it has the same engine as the Bonneville. The new Bonneville is a transportation bike, not much personality at all. It could be fun if you are into traveling, and it does look nice. But both the Sportster and the Triumphs are completely different from what you have had before. I love the Sportster, but it would not be my choice for a trip, for the very reasons I love it so much. It has charisma. In spades. Especially if you put the Screamin Eagle pipes on it. The Sportster is rough. It vibrates like crazy. The '04 and up models are rubber mounted, but they are still big time shakers. And they make a beautiful sound. You can feel that engine hammering away underneath you. Definitely not another sewing machine bike. And perhaps for me, the best thing of all is that they use ancient technology that has been refined just enough to make it reliable. Riding a Harley is an experience in itself, you don't have to go anywhere or do anything, you could just ride it around in circles and have fun. But, there are many people who actually want their bike to be smooth and quiet, with the latest technology. If you are one of those, the Sportster is not for you. As was said, Harley dealers will let you take a test ride, and you should know immediately if the Sportster is for you. Also, be aware that neither Sportsters nor Triumphs hold their resale value very well, so it's better to get what you want and keep it. It also make the option of buying used a good deal.

There are so many levels of dumb in this post I don't even know where to begin.

[windmill]

Originally Posted by espacef1fan

So the suspension is easily "fixed" as on most motorcycles.

i've sat on more than a few mid control Sportsters and I always end up wanting a slightly taller seat and pegs set back a little more.

I've searched and as best as I cant tell I would have two options
-Deal with it
-Get raped by Storz(for high quality products that cost alot likely due to low production volume..)

Is there a middle ground? I really want to add a Sportster to the list of bikes to replace one of the 3 sport bikes I own, but I just don't care for the "all of the weight on my spine" position it enforces.

I'm still going to take a test ride on one when I get home from Afghanistan.

Speaking from experience,

A Sportster is one of the all time great motorcycles that consistantly gets ruined by the moco's styling and marketing departments. All the damage can be fixed but ends up costing so much it just doesn't make sense.

The best option is probably to test ride one, and decide to take it or leave it as is, just don't have high expectations.
It obviously can be a fun bike within it's limitations or they wouldn't have sold as many as they have over the past 60 years.

[JerryH]

A Sportster, like most Harleys, is designed to be a blank canvas. If I managed to acquire a new one, I would replace the solo seat with a full length seat, put a sissy bar on it (not for a passenger, but as a place to carry stuff) Screamin Eagle exhaust (to make it sound like a Harley should), highway pegs and a riders backrest (for comfort) Depending on the riding position at that point, I might also go with higher bars or bars that came back farther, so I wouldn't have to lean forward. I seriously doubt I would add any "bling" as I'm just not into that kind of thing, and a part of the Sportsters appeal is it's clean uncluttered look.

[Ginger Beard]

Originally Posted by windmill

Speaking from experience,

A Sportster is one of the all time great motorcycles that consistantly gets ruined by the moco's styling and marketing departments. All the damage can be fixed but ends up costing so much it just doesn't make sense.

I agree 100% that the current crop of Sportsters suffer from what the design guys have done to them but the fix isn't expensive unless you want it to be. A few hundred bucks will fix the suspension and seating woes.


PS: JerryH....For the love of everything that is intelligible and succinct please ,please stop typing.

[kirb]

Let's throw a curve ball....how about the Guzzi V7 line? You could get quite a bit of both worlds.

[windmill]

Originally Posted by Ginger Beard

I agree 100% that the current crop of Sportsters suffer from what the design guys have done to them but the fix isn't expensive unless you want it to be. A few hundred bucks will fix the suspension and seating woes.


PS: JerryH....For the love of everything that is intelligible and succinct please ,please stop typing.

Every time I see a "48", oh man, it just looks so good, one of the best looking bikes available today...............

Then reality sinks in,

I'm one of the few folks who found the performance of the 883 more than adequate for my modest needs and desires which nullifies the bulk of the typical "harley tax". But at close to $12 k out the door, then by the time the suspension, seat, bars, foot controls, and range issues are addressed, your looking at $14k +.

Then I start considering what else I could get for that or significantly less money. Of course there would be significant savings starting with a used one, but then that gets back to the issue of what you could get for the same money............frustrating.

Maybe someday the moco will realize the Sportster could be a benchmark rather than a footnote for serious riders.



PPS. +1