New H-D Sportster Forty Eight Observations

[ChipBeck_imp]

Your last Sportster was a 1980 Shovelhead?

John,

Motorheads are sticklers for details. When I bought my 1980 Sportster I had never heard the term "Ironhead" used to describe a Sportster engine. They were all just Sportsters. Perhaps it had been used but I never heard it. The early flatheads were refered to as such and big twins were Knuckle, Pan, Shovel, and Block heads. It wasn't until the aluminum Evolution Sportsters were built in the 1980's (Blockheads or ???) that I ever heard a slang term used to describe a Sportster engine and Arizona Harley Davidson dealer/racer and Datona winner Buddy Stubbs called the old iron motors shovel heads. But whatever, they are all unofficial slang terms like GT40. So Ironhead or Shovelhead, I was referring to a pre Evolution iron motor Sportster. I guess I'm not up to speed on old Harley terms. Cheers.

Chip

[Guth_imp]

Thanks for the report Chip, nice to get your perspective. Any bike that brings you joy on the level that your vintage Husqvarna does has to have something special going for it.

While I've never pictured myself as an HD owner, I'll admit that I'm kind of fond of the XR750 vibe...



If HD had come had bit closer to the the proportions of the XR750 when they created the XR1200R, then who knows?

[Firstfour_imp]

Thanks for the refreshingly frank report, Chip. I've never owned a Harley, and have no desire to do so. I rode a friend's Sportster once back in the 90's, and it just didn't suit me at all. And obviously, with something like 360,000 buyers this year feeling otherwise, your not alone in finding something special about one.

My nostalgic yearning is for Yamaha to bring back the XS650, so I could buy a new one like I had in 1980. I called it my poor man's Triumph, and just loved the thing. And I bet if they did, the riding experience would not be nearly as great as I remember it, nor anywhere close to what the CB1100 delivers. But I sure would enjoy looking at it...

[Huladog_imp]

Chip, I'll admit that I too like Sportsters even though I considered the ride of my '09 Nightster just plain brutal even after doing a bit of suspension work. Switched the rear shocks to take-off Road King air shocks with a lowering block to bring the height back down a bit, had tried Progressive 412's but they didn't help much.

In front added Ricor Intiminators with 5W fork oil, but the front was still jarring. Plus the Ricor Vibrantors in the bars to try and kill the high speed buzz.

The first time I sat on the bike and started it I had to laugh because it shook so much at idle that my vision blurred! I thought it was my glasses moving around, but it literally shook my head.

Yeah, the rubber mount touring frame models DO smooth out above idle and are surprisingly sweet ride handling much better than it should.

The old school Sportster is a lot like our CB's with a lot of steel, heavy double down tube frames, steel swing arms, in fact they weigh about the same. Makes for a solid bike.

Why do I still like them? Well that gearbox shifts nicely (in comparison to the Big Twins), brakes don't look that great but they do stop pretty good, the motor just SOUNDS RIGHT, tons and tons of parts available online at reasonable prices to personalize.

Check the ADV and XL Forum for a great reference material, guys have lifted their low Sportsters. That's what's so neat about them, you can fit suspension parts from other models to come up with just the right ride.

Doesn't the "48" have the mid-glide forks to fit the fat front tire? At least that's a nice upgrade from the skinny narrow-glide forks.

You can probably swap the '16 suspension upgrades into your bike, some guy online is surely going to rip that factory stuff off his "customized" bike and you can get it for a song online.

Aloha,
Huladog

[quietguy_imp]

Nostalgia was the first motivating factor in me purchasing the CB1100... So I certainly understand some of the emotions involved.