Motorcycle Question

CAJUNLAWYER

CAJUNLAWYER

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Saw a 2009 Harley Davidson 883 Sportster with the Black Denim package. Has 2,100 miles and the guy is asking $5,875. Is that a good price? Is this a good bike for a 56 year old's first motorcycle? Was thinking about offering him $5k to see what he does.
If I get it-do any of you have any thoughts on getting it past the wife when she gets home Tuesday from Atlanta :D
 
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the price sounds good, you can check craigslist to see what others of that ilk are going for.
i think you would tire of the limited power afforded by the 883 as opposed to the 1200.

depends a lot on how experienced you are and your physical size.
sportsters aren't for big folks.
the larger dynas put you into the "real" harley category and hold their value better than a "sporty" :)
 
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Can't offer any advice on the price Caj, but I'd be happy to let you keep it here in my garage to avoid any problem with Mrs. Caj. :D
 
Looking at cycletrader there are some from $4995 to $7395. Just looked at prices, not the details.

Tell her it's your way of saving on gas money.
 
CAJUNLAWYER said:
If I get it-do any of you have any thoughts on getting it past the wife when she gets home Tuesday from Atlanta :D
Click to expand...

If she's on Delta I can call some of my old buddies and see if I can get her flight cancelled. Give you an extra day to figure out a good excuse...or get farther from home, whichever will be best for your health. ;):D

CW
 
I think it's a good bike for your first.its not as much horsepower as a big twin but it's half the weight. It will still get up to speed real quick and the power and is perfect for around town. Ideally, your first bike should be a dirt bike that way when you fall it will not damage expensive paint or chrome. I am 6 feet 300 pounds and I rode a sportster for a long time before I bought a big twin, So don't think of a sportster being a girls bike it is still very powerful and quick and will serve you well. Sportsters will hold their value just like any other Harley I sold my 1976 sportster in 1992 for $1800 it sold new in 1976 for $2000 so the price difference was not very much. YMMV
 
Not a bad price and it would be a decent first scooter. If you get it, go take the MSF riding course BEFORE you ride it. Many of the Harley dealers are offering the MSF or a course based on the MSF guidelines. Good luck with the wife, your on your own with that one....
 
Price sounds good. The 883 is purely a city bike. Geared too low for real highway riding. Was looking at that as opposed to a 1200 for the wife. Ended up with the 1200 after a lot of research.
 
Cajun,

There is nothing "wrong" with a sportster, but there are things to be aware of.

1. Unless you are both small people, the wife will not be riding far on the back. Not much room even if she is a size 3.

2. If you are a big guy, the bike will be to small for you, or you will look ridiculous on it.

3. Peanut gas tank is good for about 80 miles. Not a big deal riding around town, but if you want to go spend the day riding you will be visiting the gas station multiple times during the ride.

4. The 1200 will have much better getup and go, but will not be a bigger bike.

5. The Dyna suggestion is probably the best. It will be a bit more money, but it will hold it's value better long term. It is a larger engine, better transmission, and a more comfortable ride. The Mrs will fit better as well.

6. Most guys who buy a sportster for their first bike will trade up very quickly if they enjoy riding and intend to continue riding.

Regardless of what you purchase, take the Motorcycle Safety Foundation riders course. You will be amazed at what you learn. I wouldn't let anyone I loved get on a bike without taking the course. If you have the time and energy I would follow up it with the advanced course as soon as you are comfortable.
 
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I don't think you should buy it...people fall off those all the time and get scrapes and scratches and other owie's. A man of your position should go out a get a nice Ferrari. JMHO :D

Pete
 
Cj I think you would be better served with a Lowrider or even a wide glide as a first Harley. Sportsters are thought as starter or women bikes but in reality they are somewhat hard to ride as well as being not as comfortable as a larger bike.
Just my opinion but I do have 35 years riding experience :)
As far as price HD are at an all time low due to financing used bikes.
Hopes this helps,
Mark
 
Caj....
I also recommend you go with a 1200. I'm 62 now and I bought a 1200 Sportster when I got back into riding about 6 years ago. The bike was fantastic......but the seat was terrible for long rides. My posterior got numb after around a hundred miles. I do think it's a great choice though for figuring out if a bike is for you and they do hold their value if you decide to sell.

I also highly recommend you take the Motorcycle Safety Foundation riders course. It's a great 2 day course and you use "their" bikes....so a minor spill while you learn some basic manuvers won't scratch your new chrome.

After a couple of years, I sold the Sportster and upgraded to a Softail....with a huge saddle seat. I've taken several long rides including an incredible trip from Houston to Vegas.
Good luck and be safe. Keep 2 wheels down!
Craig...
 
I purchased a 1200XL Custom new in 2004. It was the first motorcycle I had ridden in about 30 years. I enjoyed the bike but, The rear view mirrors vibrated so bad you almost couldn't use them, gas station to gas station intervals were short, at 5'11" and 240lbs I appeared to be too large for the bike.

I will say it had the best acceleration of any motor vehicle I have ever owned.

In 2006 I upgraded to a 2006 Softail Deluxe and love it. It also has all the horsepower I require and is a much more comfortable motorcycle to ride.

It took me almost a year and a half to sell the 1200 by the way.

LTC
 
45Wheelgun said:
Cajun,

There is nothing "wrong" with a sportster, but there are things to be aware of.

1. Unless you are both small people, the wife will not be riding far on the back. Not much room even if she is a size 3.

2. If you are a big guy, the bike will be to small for you, or you will look ridiculous on it.

3. Peanut gas tank is good for about 80 miles. Not a big deal riding around town, but if you want to go spend the day riding you will be visiting the gas station multiple times during the ride.

4. The 1200 will have much better getup and go, but will not be a bigger bike.

5. The Dyna suggestion is probably the best. It will be a bit more money, but it will hold it's value better long term. It is a larger engine, better transmission, and a more comfortable ride. The Mrs will fit better as well.

6. Most guys who buy a sportster for their first bike will trade up very quickly if they enjoy riding and intend to continue riding.

Regardless of what you purchase, take the Motorcycle Safety Foundation riders course. You will be amazed at what you learn. I wouldn't let anyone I loved get on a bike without taking the course. If you have the time and energy I would follow up it with the advanced course as soon as you are comfortable.
Click to expand...

Cajun;

Having ridden a variety of Harley-Davidsons (including a 1977 & 1999 Sportster) over the past 35 years, I would agree with the gentleman from Ohio. The Sportster is a fun 'lil bike, but most find them lacking pretty quickly. And no . . . they are neither starter or girls bikes. With a higher center of gravity, they offer more challenges to a new rider.

I agree that for a first Harley, that something in the Dyna line-up will give you more enjoyment.

Ride safe and enjoy.

Here is an acronym that you may also want to consider: ATGATT

All The Gear, All The Time.
 
DO NOT BUY THE SPORTSTER! I've been there, and traded up to the big boy in under six months, which ended up costing me a bunch.
 
Sportser

The boy was looking for a Sportser for his wife,I found this one for him.
Year 2008.----883 ------1225 miles----$4000.00.The man I got it from
paid over $8000.00 for it,He didn`t like it after he bought it.I did put a lowering kit on it.($200.00 )
Dick

100_0333.jpg

100_0334.jpg
 
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Not trying to sound smart but the 883 was targeted at women and the younger rip around town crowd. I think you would be disappointed quickly.
 
I've owned an 883 and 1200 Sportster. I bought the 883 because I had never had a Harley and I wanted to try one, but didn't want to spend much. Within months, I had the Harley bug and upgraded to a 1200XL Custom. It was a 2002 model that vibrated a lot and the Custom has shortened suspension that was unbearable on the roads around here. I believe Harley rubber mounted the Sportster motor in 2005, so they don't vibrate like the older models. I think a newer Sportster that was not a Custom with lowered suspension would be a decent bike. The roads are just too rough around here for the shortened suspension. A buddy of mine had a newer 1200 and it was pretty nice.

I went from the Sportsters to a Deuce to two different Road Kings. For longer trips, the Road King is awesome. The Deuce was nice, but it had forward controls which I don't like for longer rides. With your feet forward, all of your weight ends up on your tailbone. The Road King has floorboards. When I got my first Harley, there was no way that I would have floorboards or a windshield. Now, I wouldn't do without either one of them.

If you think you might like to go on longer rides, I highly recommend the Road King, but it's a bigger bike and maybe not the best to learn on. It would also be better for passengers, but I wouldn't recommend having passengers until you're really comfortable with riding.

If you buy a used Sportster at a good price, I don't think you would get hurt much on dollars if you sell it later to get a bigger bike.
 
blackdeuce said:
I highly recommend the Road King
Click to expand...

Road Kings are amazing bikes. Unless you are looking for a full dresser, I think they are the best bike Harley makes.

I am bias of course, as I put over 80,000 miles on Road Kings between the first '94 that came to my town and my '96.

A picture of my '96 (I did a bit of custom work to her):

P4270001.jpg
 
CAJUNLAWYER said:
Saw a 2009 Harley Davidson 883 Sportster with the Black Denim package. Has 2,100 miles and the guy is asking $5,875. Is that a good price? Is this a good bike for a 56 year old's first motorcycle? Was thinking about offering him $5k to see what he does.
If I get it-do any of you have any thoughts on getting it past the wife when she gets home Tuesday from Atlanta :D
Click to expand...

Caj, I don't know motorcycles but as to the wife; it is usually easier to get forgiveness than permission, flowers and jewelry help.
 
I have a couple years on you, & had a bike since I was 16. I guarantee if you are over 160 lbs, An 883 Sporster is not for you.
I Can't tell you how many people that wanted to start, or return to riding, Bought a Sporster, & Traded up to a Road King, Fat Boy,etc.-- It will initially cost more, but well worth it.
 
I agree with those who say you will be quickly disappointed in a Sportster.

The UP side is if after a bit you deside that riding a motorcycle is not for you, you will have a bike that shouldn't be too hard to re-sell without taking it in the shorts.

The DOWN side is if after a bit you deside that riding a motorcyle is for you, you will be ready to upgrade to something else before the first riding season is over.

I have owned a number of bikes and I love my current Electra Glide Ultra Classic, but don't let the Harley crowd tell you there aren't some good metric bikes on the market as well. The Suzuki C50 and Kawasaki Vulcan 900 are a couple of great "first bikes" for the money that'll get you through several riding seasons before you'll want or need to upgrade.

Also, in this tough economy, it's a buyers market.
 
CAJUNLAWYER said:
If I get it-do any of you have any thoughts on getting it past the wife when she gets home Tuesday from Atlanta :D
Click to expand...
Sure-
Tell her a client left it to you as settlement for the bill when the Governor didn't come through for him. :eek:
:D


jus' kiddin' Caj. I'd want you for MY lawyer. ;)
 
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