Finally got a Big Twin

[G-Mac]

In 1988, I bought a brand new Harley Davidson Sportster. Thirty-five years later, I still have it. I charged the battery up and rode it just the other day. It has been a great bike, but I've been wanting something bigger....something that would easily ride two up so I could take my wife for an occasional ride. I found this 2013 Dyna Super Glide Custom with only 3,200 miles and had to have it. Purchased from a private owner. It looks like brand new. 96 cubic inches. Six speed. Fuel injection. What a ride! I love it! Didn't know what I was missing.

 

[alwslate]

Nice bike. I've owned a few Sportsters. The older ones really vibrate. They are also a bit compact for two up riding. Enjoy your new ride!

 

[IAM Rand]

Must not love your wife if you plan on having her ride on the back of that. Looks like it would be fun for 1. Personally I am into something a little more on the refined side. I am currently riding a K1600GT. I hate that it is a BMW but, damn it is fun to ride. Only problem is sometimes I need to pay closer attention to the speedometer.

 

[Rustyt1953]

Congratulations on obtaining something that brings you much pleasure.

Beautiful color scheme.

 

[G-Mac]

Must not love your wife if you plan on having her ride on the back of that.

I love her very much, thank you. It's a full size Harley. Not some girly Euro bike. Lol!

 

[Puller]

I love her very much, thank you. It's a full size Harley. Not some girly Euro bike. Lol!

I'm betting his point was that rear seat is not passenger friendly. Not a problem if'n you don't plan on carrying a passenger.

 

[lihpster]

Nice looking scooter! Those pillion pads are fairly comfortable, from what I'm told, but if you want her to love it, look into a Mustang seat. Cost the same as a quality revolver and worth every penny. I ordered mine with a removable driver's backrest. Made 700 mile days possible, if not fun. For normal distances, they are even more effective.

 

[Mainsail]

Sweet!

This is my girly euro-bike, and I wouldn't trade it for a harley even under torture.

 

[dodgecharger]

I've never ridden a moto guzzi always wanted to try one out though. They made some nice looking bikes.

 

[CH4]

I love her very much, thank you. It's a full size Harley. Not some girly Euro bike. Lol!

… or a girly Sportster, the Porsche Boxter of the Harley family

Congrats on the Dyna, my ex rides a Dyna Low Rider and really likes it.

Just back from Home Depot on my Wide Glide; will ride the Road King tomorrow.

Be safe out there.

 

[tomhenry]

Kongrats on the harley. My bike: Triumph Tiger Explorer XC. 6 speed. 1250 CC, 140 hp. It is long legged.

 

[wood714]

Congrats on the Dyna, my ex rides a Dyna Low Rider and really likes it.

Just back from Home Depot on my Wide Glide; will ride the Road King tomorrow.

Be safe out there.

My Wide Glide was possibly my all time favorite Harley. Sold it for a bagger after making a few multi state rides.

 

[G-Mac]

… or a girly Sportster, the Porsche Boxter of the Harley family.

If you know the history of the Sportster, when it was first introduced, it was one of the highest performance motorcycles available. I prefer to think of Sportsters as being the Corvette of the Harley family.

 

[G-Mac]

Nice looking scooter! Those pillion pads are fairly comfortable, from what I'm told, but if you want her to love it, look into a Mustang seat. Cost the same as a quality revolver and worth every penny. I ordered mine with a removable driver's backrest. Made 700 mile days possible, if not fun. For normal distances, they are even more effective.

The seller threw in a removable padded sissy bar/luggage rack combo. I left it off for the picture. With that installed, she will be fine. We're not going cross country. Maybe a one hour ride to go get lunch somewhere.

 

[G-Mac]

Sweet!

This is my girly euro-bike, and I wouldn't trade it for a harley even under torture. ;

Nice Moto Guzzi! A friend of mine used to be a Moto Guzzi dealer. I have owned many motorcycles over the past 35 years in addition to the Sportster, many of them European and Japanese. My modern dirt bike is a 2022 Beta 300. (Italian). Picture is my buddies Moto Guzzi. Taken last Sunday on a ride I went on with the Sportster.

 

[margethatcher]

Bought my Ultra glide last year after many Japanese (mostly Kawasaki) and a R100 Beemer. I catch abuse for it from my Honda riding brother, but I love it. I look a bit strange as I'm uninked and wear a full face helmet, but it truly is the best ride I ever had.

 

[Narragansett]

Nice Bike Gordy.

I had a 1999 Dyna Wideglide. First year for the twin cam 88. Black and all chromed out, with a 5 star thunder mag on the front, and a fat boy slotted chrome rim on the rear. Did stage 1 exhaust an intake to it, and moved the front directionals onto the tree.

 

[ladder13]

My first bike Gordy. Rode it home from the dealer, long tubes, straight pipes, tore the engine apart, chromed everything and put it back together. Ran better that what AMF could do.



Sold the bike in 6 months and bought a Geezer glide @25 yo.



Then, my last one.



Back surgery ended all that.

 

[Bald1]

Wait did someone say a Sportser was girly?????? Better not tell Evel Knievel that. He was the original American bad ***.

 

[kev74]

Why settle for a twin if you can have a 4-banger??

I bought this one almost 30 years ago and can't bring myself to upgrade.

 

[Bald1]

Nice Moto Guzzi! A friend of mine used to be a Moto Guzzi dealer. I have owned many motorcycles over the past 35 years in addition to the Sportster, many of them European and Japanese. My modern dirt bike is a 2022 Beta 300. (Italian). Picture is my buddies Moto Guzzi. Taken last Sunday on a ride I went on with the Sportster.

Your buddies Guzzi is pretty awesome. I've never seen one. Reminds me of a couple Kawasaki GPZ 550 I used to have. 81&82. One with dual rear shocks one with uni trac single.

 

[CH4]

If you know the history of the Sportster, when it was first introduced, it was one of the highest performance motorcycles available. I prefer to think of Sportsters as being the Corvette of the Harley family.

Very true. The unitized engine/tranny is much stronger than the set up on the big twin. Used in the Buell and Harley racing bikes, choppers, etc. I think the "girlie" thing is because the Sporster is smaller than it's Harley siblings.

As far as my Wide Glide, it's a 1998, the last year of the EVO engine. It'll be the last bike I sell. To my mind it's the quintessential Harley; a perfect balance of old and new school.

 

[tinkerer]

Definitely don't want her to slide off the rear of that bike - OUCH!!!!

 

[G-Mac]

Why settle for a twin if you can have a 4-banger??

I bought this one almost 30 years ago and can't bring myself to upgrade.

Classic Honda CB-750! They really raised the bar when they introduced those in 1969. Love it!

 

[G-Mac]

Definitely don't want her to slide off the rear of that bike - OUCH!!!!

tinkerer, I agree! The seller threw in a removable padded sissy bar. I just left it off for the picture.

 

[zeke]

In 1988, I bought a brand new Harley Davidson Sportster. Thirty-five years later, I still have it. I charged the battery up and rode it just the other day. It has been a great bike, but I've been wanting something bigger....something that would easily ride two up so I could take my wife for an occasional ride. I found this 2013 Dyna Super Glide Custom with only 3,200 miles and had to have it. Purchased from a private owner. It looks like brand new. 96 cubic inches. Six speed. Fuel injection. What a ride! I love it! Didn't know what I was missing.

Bout a month ago decided to get something bigger than my sporty just for going longer than 100 miles in more comfort. Would have got a 2007 or newer superglide if could have found one for the right price reasonably close by. Instead jumped on deal for 2006 fatboy right up the road with less than 10,000 miles for $6250. Real good shape, but riding it uncovered the tires age by slipping around. Tires looked good, but it has the original front and 2009 rear. Will be back on the road by end of month with new tires hopefully. While still enjoy the sporty on the county hwys up here, want to go a little longer in more comfort. Pic is from the sellers ad, some slight mods being done.

Learned on 73 XLCH, and excessive vibration would be a polite description.

 

[G-Mac]

I think the "girlie" thing is because the Sportster is smaller than it's Harley siblings.

That definitely has something to do with it. What I find amusing is that I never heard anyone refer to a Sportster as a girl's bike until they introduced the Evolution Sportster 883cc engine in 1986. This replaced the 1,000cc Ironhead Sportster engine that ended in 1985. Ironically, the original 1957 Ironhead Sportster, which they called a 900, was actually 883cc. They just didn't call them that, what they actually were, until 1986. An 883 and 1200 Sportster is exactly the same engine, other than the size of the bore and diameter of the intake/exhaust valves. An 883 Sportster weighs more than a 1200 due to the greater amount of iron in the cylinder liner with the smaller piston. For this reason, making an 883 into a 1200 is relatively simple. Bore it out and put bigger pistons in. Done.

 

[soFlaNative]

Congrats on the bike, may it serve you well.
I'll leave the opinions to the elitists.

 

[G-Mac]

Bout a month ago decided to get something bigger than my sporty just for going longer than 100 miles in more comfort. Would have got a 2007 or newer superglide if could have found one for the right price reasonably close by. Instead jumped on deal for 2006 fatboy right up the road with less than 10,000 miles for $6250. Real good shape, but riding it uncovered the tires age by slipping around. Tires looked good, but it has the original front and 2009 rear. Will be back on the road by end of month with new tires hopefully. While still enjoy the sporty on the county hwys up here, want to go a little longer in more comfort. Pic is from the sellers ad, some slight mods being done.

Learned on 73 XLCH, and excessive vibration would be a polite description.

zeke, congratulations on the new Fat Boy! I see that it has spoked wheels, like my Super Glide. You probably know this...most Fat Boys have the solid disc mag wheels. I've heard that the wind will actually blow the bike around with the solid wheels. Probably good that your bike didn't come with them.

 

[zeke]

zeke, congratulations on the new Fat Boy! I see that it has spoked wheels, like my Super Glide. You probably know this...most Fat Boys have the solid disc mag wheels. I've heard that the wind will actually blow the bike around with the solid wheels. Probably good that your bike didn't come with them.

Believe the original owner got them as oem options (profile laced wheels), as the rest of the add ons all appear to be HD. Had resisted the floor board models for years, as am a short enhanced model. Kept the sportster, as it handles quite well and is set up for torque. Am liking wider front tires