First 1000 miles on the Sportster

[Buffalo Bill]

I'm holding out for a five litre VTwin with a lawn seed roller sized rear tire, a 56" inch high-wheeler bicycle rim up front and two skateboards mounted to the bottom of the frame to support your butt cheeks. It's gotta have ape hangers of course and a parascope built into the tank to see where you're going.

Oh for sure, me too!!!

[GS1150Pilot]

I think most of us tend to find a certain type of motorcycle and then stick with it for most of our lives. I did that with Japanese fours, but it has been a genuine pleasure to step out of that bubble with this bike.

[Rob S.]

I think most of us tend to find a certain type of motorcycle and then stick with it for most of our lives. I did that with Japanese fours, but it has been a genuine pleasure to step out of that bubble with this bike.

Me too!

It typically happens when you're young (counting the days till you're legally licensed!) For me, there were basically two types of Harley's - Electraglide and Sportster. I couldn't take my eyes off of Sportsters; I was mesmerized.

And then the Honda 750/4 came out and several factors came into play. First was the bike itself - it was a marvel! It blew the doors off most any thing. Then there was the sound. If you put a 4-into-1 on it, up that by a factor of ten. And the shear number of them. And when Kawasaki stepped in, the in-line four Jap wars started and never stopped.

So now I'm living my late teens early twenties fantasy and have both. And I couldn't be happier about that.

[GS1150Pilot]

Exactly, Rob. I still have the 900f, and I plan to do a total restoration of it. By today's standards, even that bike is SLOW and cumbersome, but it goes, stops and handles very well in the real world of things. And with the Sportster, when I get on it, it changes the way I ride in a fun fashion. I'm glad I got one.

[GS1150Pilot]

The Sportster makes me want to ride every day. That is the best testimonial to this machine.

[GS1150Pilot]

Love this machine. The blue one is its older, bigger sister.

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[blowerbike]

i inherited this one...354 miles but i'm not sure what to do with it...i want to sell it but people keep trying to book price me and that ain't happening for a semi rare better than new bike...

[GS1150Pilot]

That's a sweet bike.

[Rob S.]

i inherited this one...354 miles but i'm not sure what to do with it...i want to sell it but people keep trying to book price me and that ain't happening for a semi rare better than new bike...

Is that an XR-1200? What year? Stock?

I saw that model bike in the Harley parking lot, except it was...raped. That's how I described it to my brother. Decals on every available inch of the frame and body work. A windshield. A raccoon's tail hanging from...somewhere. Tassels. Leather saddlebags and front fork bag. Forward foot controls.

I mean, if this was any motorcycle, I would have described it as raped, but I was trying to impress upon my brother the historical importance of this model, going back to the XR-750. The owner showed up and I held my tongue. "Nice bike," I said.

As we walked away, I told my brother that man should be behind bars.

[GS1150Pilot]

It's an XL883R.

[Rob S.]

It's an XL883R.

It's still beautiful. Evokes the (non street legal) 1972 XR-750. I can see Evil Knievel pulling sky-high wheelies on it before doing something that will break most of his bones.

And to plagiarize the Grateful Dead, I'm assuming (hoping) that beauty never spends a night out in the "Cold Rain and Snow."

[GS1150Pilot]

Oh, absolutely. I love the 883 displacement's history.