Total Motorcycle Community Forums

I bought a Volusia in 2002 and will soon move on to a Harley this comming spring. The Volusia is a fantastic bike that I have customized quite extensivly. Custom paint, forward controls, cruzer exhaust, lowered 2.5 inches, Corbin seat, risers, Hyper Charger and a re-jet. You name it I've done it. I would like to hear pros and cons on the Sportster 1200C and the Super Glide. Any advice from owners of either of these bikes would be appreciated.

Dennis, I've driven both the 883 and the big 1200 Sportsters and have owned my '03 Dyna since new. I'll say they're both good machines but it really depends on how you ride. If, for you, it's all about the chrome, forward controls and loud exhaust, you can dress up both machines to do that just fine, but the Sporty and Dyna are really lean, curve-carving machines at heart rather than dripping-with-chrome cruisers.

If you're commuting, the Sporty is lighter and narrower.

I like the twisties. I like to push my bike to her limits in the hairpins. The Sporty has more of a lean angle (minus the forward controls, have to have mid controls) but to me it wallows, it's top-heavy and hard to bend into the curves. My Dyna is a bigger bike but I can lean her hard and confidently.

Imagining your Volusia, it actually sounds like a Softail Standard is what you wanted all along. If you lowered a bike and put on forward controls, you probably don't like to push it very hard. Can't beat a Softail for having lots of parts out there to customize it. Also, the Softails are counterbalanced and will be smoother at idle and slow speeds. The Dyna and Sporty both will vibrate up through 2nd gear.
Whatever you do, don't buy a pre-2004 Sporty. You want the one that's rubber-mounted.
There aren't many aftermarket goodies for the Dyna, either.
Let us know what you got!

Personally, I would rent one of each for a day.

Then I'd find a nice used Dyna and buy it.

Dennis wrote:I bought a Volusia in 2002 and will soon move on to a Harley this comming spring. The Volusia is a fantastic bike that I have customized quite extensivly. Custom paint, forward controls, cruzer exhaust, lowered 2.5 inches, Corbin seat, risers, Hyper Charger and a re-jet. You name it I've done it. I would like to hear pros and cons on the Sportster 1200C and the Super Glide. Any advice from owners of either of these bikes would be appreciated.

I used to own a boulevard (pretty much the same bike as your volusia).
You may find the sporty a rougher ride than you're used to. Comparing my personal experience with both, the 1200 sportster was not something I could have ridden comfortably after having owned the boulevard. BUT, the 1200 I rode was bone stock and it sounds like you might be in favor of changing a lot of things on the sporty that may make it more comfortable to you anyway.

Demo the sporty if you've never ridden one. You may find the Harley Softails may be more in tune with your likes if you've enjoyed your volusia. The only problem with the softails is they're a lot more $$$ than the sportsters.

I only know what I've read, the Sporty was voted as having the worst seat in the industry by Rider Mag, and with the tank size they have you get the opportunity to meet a lot of different people at gas stations quite often.

Dennis,

I've had a sporty and it was great for just me. While the 4 cams are adequate power and torque for 2 up the big twins deliver the power for 2 up better and you will notice the difference. Your sporty can be setup to be very comfortable for the long haul. Are you very tall?

I think gliderider said it best. There is a nite and day difference between a sporty and a big twin. There a re differences between cruisers and tourers too.

Ultimately I would suggest you think about and decide where you are at with regards to style of motorcycles. When I bought the sportster I was 20, single and ripping it up. The sportster rocked! When I moved up (26-27 yo) to a big twin I had a steady GF/Wife(not both she eventually became my wife). And now that I am old puck I have a bagger/garbage barg that I swore I'd never have but man I looooooooooooove it! So its a matter of what you like and where your heads at.

Thanks to each one you. Very helpful information. I am now thinking more along the lines of a Dyna Glide. The cost is not that much more than a Sportster but a significant step up in size and power.