Hi /o/, I don't lurk this boatd very often so I'm not sure if there are many Harley guys here, but I'm looking at a few Sportsters on CL and was just wondering if there is anything I should be on the lookout for/avoid. All the ones I'm looking at are 1200s from the 2000s, mileages ranging from 3k to 19k. Harley thread as well. Post your hogs!
>>14983004
>anything I should be on the lookout for/avoid
Yeah, harley a shit.
You're welcome.
One has Vance & Hines exhaust, the rest have SE or stock. Which is considered the better kit? I've only owned jap bikes so I'm not too versed in Harley hardware.
>>14983012
Thanks. I'll keep that in mind.
>>14983004
Harley is shit. If you must get a cruiser bike, the best out there is the Indian Scout and the Victory Octane, which just happen to be sister bikes.
>>14983024
As a former Harley owner I can tell HD forums are suffering.
>>14983004
You're going to run into a lot of hate toward Harley's if the daily bike thread, /dbt/, sees this. There are a few of us Harley guys here though. I have a newer 883 Sportster and don't know much about the older ones. I do know that around 2004 they went from a solid engine mount to rubber engine mounts which realy reduced vibration and in 2006 they switched from carburetors to fuel injection. Generally anything '06 and newer is going to be pretty reliable and a slightly older model should be fine if you know a thing or two about carbs. The biggest thing is to try and avoid anything from the 90's which it sounds like you aren't looking at anyways. They had some serious bearing issues that often caused engine failures and rebuilds around the 30k mile mark. It's pretty much expected to go 100k miles on a newer Sportster without having to open it up for anything.
Vance & Hines pretty much THE big name in aftermarket exhausts, SE is just Harley's line of products that they jack the price up on even more.
>>14983035
Would be nice, but I only have about $6k to spend.
>>14983055
would've been nice to include that in the OP.
>>14983053
This is exactly the kind of advice I was looking for. Thank you, very much appreciated. That narrows it down for me, I'll stick with 06 and newer.
>>14983053
Is that yours in the pic?? It's nice as fuck.
>>14983055
Oh something else to consider is buying an 883 which is well within your price range, then getting an engine kit for it down the road. That is what I'm doing >>14983053
Full coverage insurance for me is only $42/mo but would have been a little over $100/mo if I had gotten a 1200. You can get a 1200 engine kit that comes with new cylinders and pistons for under $1,000 later which makes it just like a 1200 (only difference is that 883's have a lower belt sprocket ratio) and your insurance will never know the difference. If you're really feeling frisky, Hammer Performance makes a kit with everything you need to take the bike up to 100 hp for under $3k. A stock 1200 puts out about 60 hp.
>>14983063
Glad I could be of assistance
>>14983071
Yes it is, thank you senpai
>>14983075
That's definitely something to think about. I pay liability only on my GSXR but I think I want better coverage on a Harley.
>>14983075
>1200cc
>60hp
Fucking pathetic.
Japanese liter bikes are nearly 200hp
Hell 450s can get over 60hp
All while weighing less than a fucking metric ton like a harley
>>14983088
But anon, Harleys don't make you look like a huge faggot
>>14983088
Yes, and the Harley's V-twin redlines at 6k rpm while the sport bikes inline engines redline at 16-17k rpm. They're a completely different animal, you can't really compare them side by side.
>>14983088
>Japanese liter bikes are nearly 200hp
Not very many of them.
>>14983102
I'll assume you're saying the opposite of truth.
>>14983107
Compair to any Japanese cruisers.
They get destroyed.
>>14983088
Nobody buys a Harley for racing. Nobody is going to be doing shitty wheelies in front of their mom's house on a Harley. They're called cruisers for a reason, ya dingleberry.
>>14983125
Yeah it takes horse power to cruise
>>14983119
>Compair to any Japanese cruisers.They get destroyed.
Nah. The build quality and materials of an HD are far superior to Japanese cruisers. Nearly everything is made of metal and solid.
>>14983119
As if anybody wants to be caught dead riding a Japanese cruiser.
>>14983130
>HD build quality
Hahajahahahahahahahahshdjdjdbvskabvagah
Stay ignorant harley faggot
People who ride Japanese cruisers are the mall ninjas of motorcycling. Ever seen the type of guy who rides a Shadow? Total faggots.
>>14983131
Yeah no. Harley's are the epitomy of "cool"
>>14983136
WTF would know? You haven't owned either A Jap cruiser or a Harley. Pogue bastard.
>>14983145
I've owned both.
But sure.
>>14983149
Bullshit. Go pee sitting down.
>>14983141
You're right, Boulevard/Vulcan owners are totally less obnoxious when they rev the fuck out of their engines constantly to impress normies who can't tell the difference between their jap shit and a real Harley.
>>14983145
Fuck off pedo
>>14983119
Shadow 750, 48 ft/lb, 46 hp
Yamaha 650, 37 ft/lb, 40 hp
Kawasaki 800, 47 ft/lb, 54 hp
Harley 883, 48 ft/lb, 45 hp
Harley 1200, 65 ft/lb, 61 hp
Are the Japanese cruisers 'better'? Sure, but I'm not sure I would call that 'destroying' the Harley's.
>>14983161
Nah my dick is big enough to hold while I stand up. Because I don't ride a Harley.
>>14983172
They also weigh less. Get better mpg and last longer.
>>14983149
Just because you owned a beat up pos shovelhead from the 70s your meth-head uncle gave you doesn't mean all Harleys are crap.
>>14983180
Had an 883 nigga
Biggest pile of shit on earth.
Zero power. All noise
Turning circle of a aircraft carrier.
If you had a passenger you would die.
1gal gas tank. Wtf
Sold that shit quick
>>14983179
>and last longer
Nah. They're like the disposable lighter of motorcycles.
>>14983179
They last longer because their owners stop riding them out of sheer embarrassment after they get cucked by Harley riders.
>>14983180
Basically this. So many people are still completely stuck on the idea that Harleys aren't reliable today because the ones of yesteryear weren't reliable. That's simply not the case. Build quality and reliability has improved tremendously over the past couple of decades.
>>14983193
Underrated analogy
>>14983193
>many people still riding jap bikes from the 60s, 70s, 80s, etc
They last MUCH longer
>>14983191
>1gal gas tank. Wtf
2/10 Because you didn't know when to stop.
>>14983191
Wtf kind of 883 did you have? Mine does the msf figure 8 box like a champ with 14" apes and has the smaller tank available at 3.3 gallons.
>>14983191
Funny I have an 883 and I take myself and my fatass gf all over town with no problems. Sounds like you suck at riding, goober.
>>14983197
Not according to local Harley techs.
>same bike in for repair over and over in a short time frame
>brand new bikes come in with less than 500 miles broken.
Shit can't even make it through a break in.
>inb4 you blame the rider
It's not the rider. The bikes are shit
>>14983202
>>14983207
1gal tank
>>14983214
Sure ya do bud.
>>14983172
Vtx1800, 101hp
Vulcan 2000, 116hp
Lol
>>14983219
I found your problem, it's a fucking 85. Everything from the 80s sucked dude. My 86 Z28 is a pile of shit.
>>14983215
I beat the shit out of mine banging through gears and redlining it all the time. I bought mine new and now have 16k miles on it. The only thing that's happened is a broken exhaust heat shield clamp.
>>14983201
No, those are the ones that got stored and forgotten in garages and on back porches.
>>14983207
>"14 inch apes"
> on an 883
Could you be any more of a faggot
>>14983219
kek, a fucking '85
Yeah, my grandfather told me stories about his first bike
Serious question: if Harleys are as shit as everyone here says, why is the resale so high?
>>14983219
I just google imaged your pic. How does that make you feel. Embarrassed?
>>14983236
My 79 CB650 had some pretty damn high mileage.
Ran like a champ and never let me down.
>>14983222
We can ignore the fact that the engines you just posted have twice as much displacement if that would make you feel better.
>>14983249
B T F O
T
F
O
>>14983249
It's not my bike moron. It's an 883 with a 1gal tank
>>14983247
Because Harley has a long history that gives them, and others on the used market, to overcharge because of the Harley badge. Like BMW does with all their cars.
The only name more prominent and more storied than Harley Davidson in the Motorcycle world is Indian who were Harley's direct rivals for the longest time.
>>14983256
>has to dig up a pic of a 30yo bike to support his argument
Kek
>>14983261
>didn't know a 1gal tank existed till I dug up a pic of a 30 year old bike to prove my point.
>>14983247
Same reason boomers sell rusted out 6 cyl 4 door novas for 40k
>>14983259
>Because Harley has a long history that gives them, and others on the used market, to overcharge because of the Harley badge. Like BMW does with all their cars.
lol you like fruit loops for breakfast in your spiderman briefs?
>>14983264
Seems pretty fucking irrelevant since op is asking about 2000 and newer you nigger.
>>14983270
>>14983252
>compares a 650 against a 1200
>"b-b-but displacement" in response to getting btfo
33 year old 71hp japanese bike reporting in : )
>>14983271
I get your point, 1 gallon tanks existed at one time. Doesn't affect anybody buying a newer bike. You were generalizing.
>>14983264
HD never made a 1 gallon tank. Also, THAT tank isn't 1 gallon.
>>14983273
Sweet bike. How many times do you have to fill up on your way to the highway rest stop where you run your glory hole?
>>14983273
I put the 883 on the list because it was comparable and added the 1200 because it was the bike I had originally mentioned. All of them listed had the displacement right there for simple comparison, it's not like I was trying to pull a fast one on you. You just tossed out two very high displacement bikes that are in the next league.
>>14983280
Jesus fuck. Yes they did. And yes it is.
What motorcycles do Australia make? Oh that's right they don't!
>>14983289
Sorry dude nope
>>14983308
Nice evidence.
>>14983285
I don't have to fill up at all because I'm not pouring all my gas out the exhaust instead of the cylinder like a certain make of bike
>>14983286
>implying I'm that guy
>implying I'll ever ride or care about anything bigger than 1000cc
>>14983055
Get a BMW R-Series you buttclown, it does everything except better and also cheaper, ironically.
>>14983313
Sorry, I'm having trouble finding a source saying 1gal tanks don't exist. Perhaps you can find a source saying they do, cause I sure as fuck can't.
>>14983318
Ugliest cruisers ever produced.
>>14983318
>google bmw r-series
Oh for fuck sake, >>14983330 is right.
>>14983330
You won't her anyone in Paris agree with that statement
>>14983334
Did you look at 50 year old ones or modern ones?
>>14983316
>650
No thanks.
>>14983343
Triggered?
>>14983342
how about a 400 then? 40hp seems to be your kind of thing
>>14983343
post tits then faggo
>>14983313
You've been responding within a couple of minutes, now nothing at all. That's what I thought, goober.
>>14983055
dont spend any more than 4k on a sporty, especially not a 883. always get a 1200 build instead of a factory 1200 since the 883 has better gears, thus getting you a slightly quicker kick. your going to get a lot of hate from /o/ and dbt about harley but fuck them.
>>14983357
Nah, not my style. I only ride streetbikes. Why do you have 2?
>>14983367
How much can I expect to pay to get an 883 converted to 1200?
>>14983369
I don't. Was riding the 400, got the 650 for a sweet deal and sold the 400. Currently saving up for an R6
As much as I love bullying harleyfags you guys really gotta loosen up
>>14983373
for an 06-09,around 4500-5500 for a bike. the kit isnt that bad though. something like 1500 range.
>>14983389
did some digging. '11 883s go for about 5-6k here.
>>14983404
Seems similar to here (sf bay). I'll keep my eye open for 883s, I'm reading some other forums where it seems like conversion is the way to go.
>>14983053
Got more pics?
harley a fucking shit
>>14983139
I ride a shadow cause it's cheap and I'm in college. Fight me
>>14983004
Harley a shit anon
Consumer reports reliability study: % of failures in a four year span
>Yamaha/Star 11%
>Suzuki 12%
>Honda 12%
>Kawasaki 15%
>Victory 17%
>Harley-Davidson 26%
v star is best star
>>14983004
Owned and commuted on a 1991 883 for almost 2 years. 70 miles a day, 16k each year. Biggest POS ever. 1gal gas tank, I weigh 150, ridiculously soft front suspension, uncomfortably hard rear suspension, dangerous wooden brakes. Crazy unreliable drivetrain, leaked and burnt oil like nobody's business.
I commuted 4 more years on a Buell Blast, Ducati Monster and a CB550. NIGHT AND DAY difference. Even when comparing the Buell.
>>14988436
Source ? Cauz I've heard the exact contrary
>>14983247
>boomers
Get a Suzuki. They're fun as hell and you still get compliments from normies. Plus with the Cobra pipes they sound badass.
>>14983004
>Cruiser
Just get a busa
>comfy
>easy to ride
>speeeeed
>can still handle the twisties pretty well
>Plenty of storage options
>smooth i4
>early ones are pretty cheap
>pretty good aftermarket
>Suzuki invincibility
The only reason you would buy a harley is for the image. They're unreliable, have shit power to weight, the throttle lugs, and you can't filter with them.
>>14990726
>hurr dem jap crotch rockets fall apart
>muh harley dont break its just in the shop for a tune up
stop listening to your dads friend that overcompensates with his bike
>>14983130
Even the founder of Hell's Angels laments not riding jap bikes.
>>14991924
Funny you project so much when I just asked you for source
>>14983012
>>14992545
im not that guy but the source was in the original comment. go look up consumer reports instead of sitting with your thumb up your rear begging for a spoon
>harley
lol what a megacuck
and stay the fuck away from /dbt/ punk
