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Gummiente wrote:

ZooTech wrote:All other Harley owners look down on the Sportster and most call it a "Chick's Harley".

I like Sportsters and I am not the only one. And it is not a "chick's bike", nor is it "thrown together" and the service does not cost near as much as what you think. What DOES drain the wallet are the overpriced accessories but, like you said, some people just don't know.

Well, I don't want to hijack this thread and turn it into another one of those, so all I'm gonna say (and then I'll drop it) is that Harley has yet to justify the cost of their bikes to me. My co-worker has a VERY NICE Fatboy that he rides to work (occasionally) but he paid more than double what I paid for my Mean Streak. Now, again, it's VERY NICE so that's not where I'm goin' with this...BUT...it's not THAT nice! And by no means whatsoever did he end up with twice the bike I did! I can outrun him, out corner him, out brake him, and draw just as much attention at a show as him so...I guess I don't know, nor will I ever know. If I had $20,000+ to blow on a bike I'd be riding a GoldWing.

For the sake of being bored, I'll post some comparable specs to compare ...
( left the Aero out, since Ranger obviously didn't like it)

H-D Sportster 1200C $8,495 ($8,795 for color other than black)

Fuel Capacity 4.6 gal
Dry Weight 557.0 lbs..
Displacement 73.20 in.³ Air cooled (1200cc)
70 hp, 79 ft-lbs
Belt drive, 5-speed, carburettor

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VTX 1300 $8,999

fuel 4.8 Gal.
Engine 1312cc liquid-cooled 52-degree V-twin
Valve Train SOHC; three valves per cylinder
76hp, 77 ft-lb
Shaft Drive, 5-speed, carburettor
Dry Weight 641.0 pounds

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Kawasaki Vulcan 1500 $9599

fuel 4.2 gal
Engine: 1,470cc liquid cooled, 50-degree V-Twin, SOHC, 8 valves
(??? hp) 83 ft-lb
Shaft Drive 5- speed, EFI
dry weight 659lbs

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Yamaha V-Star 1100 $8,499

fuel 4.5 gals
1063cc, 65-cubic-inch, air-cooled, SOHC, 75° V-twin
51.7rwhp 55ft-lb rwtq
Shaft drive, 5-spd, twin carbs
dry weight 571lbs

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Suzuki s83 $8,399

fuel 3.4 gal
83ci (1350cc), four-stroke, air/oil cooled, 45 degree V-twin, SOHC, 6-valves
shaft drive, twin carbs, 5 speed
(POWER????)
dry weight 535lbs

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From that brief comparo, the Sportster is not only competitive, it's really the only way to go if you don't want a shaft drive. And on a personal rant note WTF is up with manufacturers not advertising power outputs for these bikes!!!???!!! I can't find the power for the s83 anywhere (granted after only about 5 mins of looking) but really, what gives!?!?!?

What about the Triumph Rocket III, 2300ccs. I rode one this past weekend and it was a pretty nice cruiser. It's worth checking out.

ZooTech wrote: is that Harley has yet to justify the cost of their bikes to me.

Yes, that's a point that I agree with, but the issue here was your comments about the Sportster.

keysman wrote:What about the Triumph Rocket III, 2300ccs. I rode one this past weekend and it was a pretty nice cruiser. It's worth checking out.

The guy is trying to decide between a 750cc or an 883cc cruiser and you wanna toss a 2300cc guided missile into his path??!!

Gummiente wrote:The guy is trying to decide between a 750cc or an 883cc cruiser and you wanna toss a 2300cc guided missile into his path??!!

Um *Tech rereads the first thread* well dang an 883 huh !? That sorta renders my post irrelevant!!!

(I still think the sporty's the only 750-1000cc cruiser w/ a belt drive... but I could be wrong ... and I ain't sorting thru all those bikes again to find out!!)

Gummiente wrote:

ZooTech wrote: is that Harley has yet to justify the cost of their bikes to me.

Yes, that's a point that I agree with, but the issue here was your comments about the Sportster.

A) It's a "Chick's Harley"

B) It's cheap for the sake of selling for <$10,000

Where did I go astray?

Why do you think a Sporster is a girl bike?

I've seen lots of guys riding them. Not my cup of tea, but a cool looking bike none the less.

Do they come in pink?

If a Sportster is a chick's bike I better get down to the beauty shop because I'd love to have one

You know what...maybe it's a regional thing. I live in Central Ohio, and this isn't the first time our way of looking at something has differed greatly from the rest of the forum. Here the rage is liter bikes and big V-twins, but the overwhelming majority of members here at TMW seem to have a fetish with 650's and other small to midsize rides. One of my co-workers has a Shadow Ace 750, which he bought from a friend's wife, and all he can talk about is buying something >1100cc as soon as fiscally possible. We razz him all the time saying, "Hey, Mike, when you gonna bring in the other half of your bike?!" My buddy with the Sportster 883 is dying to convert it to a 1200 or trade up for a Night-Train. 'Bout the only cruiser <1000cc that gets any respect is the Suzuki C50, but that's because the chassis is misleading due to its size. I have confused the C50 for the C90 on many occasions. Hell, even the women ride big bikes. This cute little blonde in my old neighborhood (about 5'6", 130lbs) rode a nice Honda Magna, and Loonette (one of the moderators here) rides a 1600cc Mean Streak.

The Sportster 883 will get you around just fine, but around here nobody gives them the time of day. It's the nose-bleed seat at a Harley Davidson concert.