Do I want a 2010 HD Sporty 1200?

[YY1]

I've been riding my 125 cc Yamaha scooter back and forth the .5 mile from home to shop, and all over the place on parts runs, dollar store, visiting friends, etc.

I'm loving the 75 MPG and "wind in my hair", etc.

...and I'm starting to get the itch for a real motorcycle again.

I haven't had one since about 2010. It was a Suzuki 1400, and I got tired of rebuilding the carb and cleaning the spokes.

I told my self my next bike would not have either.

I've owned one of just about everything except a Harley or Honda.

I'm kind of in that "just to say I've owned one" mentality on a HD.

There have been several 08-13 Sporty's near me in the $3K range.

This seems like a pretty good deal, and I don't know how much lower they could go.

Anyone got one?

The current one I'm interested in has 6K miles and is asking $2800.

Has custom bars and seat and forward controls.

 

[super-bee_ski]

NOPE
In my opinion: No
I rode Harleys in the early 70s
An old timer HD Dealer, Ali Quatrochi, heavy Italian immigrant, owned is dealership in Rhode Island and who was the winner of the 1947 Laconia Nationals, NH told me:
Don't buy the sportster, but the BIG machine
He was talking about the FLH style which is now the Road Glides etc.
So;
If your gonna get one, get the bike you can drive to Alaska with...the big one
PS: Look at Indian!
You might like it better!

 

[plymouthman72]

I had a Honda shadow 750 several years ago. They are comfortable, pretty inexpensive, looks very nice in my opinion, and go lots of worry free miles. If I were to get back into riding, I would definitely get another. They are also water cooled which is a plus in my opinion.

 

[69 GTX]

I like HDs but not sportys. You'll get the girls bike remark, plus they aren't very comfortable. By a big one or go Honda. My girlfriend had the sporty and I had the low rider. I liked my ZX11 Kawisaki Ninja the best of all the street bikes I had.

 

[the mississippi madman]

I've been riding my 125 cc Yamaha scooter back and forth the .5 mile from home to shop, and all over the place on parts runs, dollar store, visiting friends, etc.

I'm loving the 75 MPG and "wind in my hair", etc.

...and I'm starting to get the itch for a real motorcycle again.

I haven't had one since about 2010. It was a Suzuki 1400, and I got tired of rebuilding the carb and cleaning the spokes.

I told my self my next bike would not have either.

I've owned one of just about everything except a Harley or Honda.

I'm kind of in that "just to say I've owned one" mentality on a HD.

There have been several 08-13 Sporty's near me in the $3K range.

This seems like a pretty good deal, and I don't know how much lower they could go.

Anyone got one?

The current one I'm interested in has 6K miles and is asking $2800.

Has custom bars and seat and forward controls.

Sportster hands down is the best bike harley makes. They are stupid easy to work on and maintenance, very durable and reliable evo motor, with just a few bolt on mods you can totally change the bike from a standard to a cruiser, tracker, cafe, scrambler, bagger, bobber, etc,.... one of the longest running motorcycle models in history, so plenty of parts all over the place and dictionary size book worth of aftermarket products

 

[YY1]

I'm not spending 10+K on a used HD.

1200 cc EVO is not big enough? Is this not the same engine as other HD bikes?

The modern HD EVO is NOT the oil leaking HD of yesterday.

I don't care about the anti- sporty comments I hear a lot of HD or wanna be HD guys spewing.

Here are two of the ones I'm interested in-
(yes I know one has spokes)

 

[plymouthman72]

I'm not spending 10+K on a used HD.

1200 cc EVO is not big enough? Is this not the same engine as other HD bikes?

The modern HD EVO is NOT the oil leaking HD of yesterday.

I don't care about the anti- sporty comments I hear a lot of HD or wanna be HD guys spewing.

Here are two of the ones I'm interested in-
(yes I know one has spokes)

View attachment 526616 View attachment 526617

I really like the classic look of the one with spokes!

 

[69 GTX]

You can pick up evo big bikes all day for 5-6K Sportys are 883 & 1200cc, big bikes 1340 I think.

 

[the mississippi madman]

You can get newer sportsters for around 3k on Craigslist all day long

 

[YY1]

IDK about "all day".

Best I've seen is 7.5K for pre- EFI models.

The 3K EFI sportys I'm tracking usually sell in a about week.

There are some 4K and 5K sportsters that have been on for a couple months, but even some of the 5K ones sell.

I did look at acouple of 6-6.5K Dyna models, but I really don't want to pay that much.

 

[YY1]

Newest one in my area was a '14 nightster for 3200.

Cheapest was a '10 Iron for 2550.

 

[the mississippi madman]

Most fun Harley I have ever owned

 

[YY1]

I really like the classic look of the one with spokes!

Me too, that's why it made the list.

These "new look" sporties are very attractive to me and I can see how they might fool a non-HD purist that it was a "regular" model.

 

[YY1]

IIRC "back in the day" a "1340 kit" was the thing to do.

Maybe our 408/416 and 451/470/512 "kits" are old news.

 

[superfragl]

I used to own a Sportster. Now I have a 1800 CC Honda. I like it better. Water cooled, FI, very smooth running engine.

 

[Slap Stick]

The big twins have been around 1500 cc for a while. And you can order an even bigger top end.

The answer is NO. You will need to buy a truck and trailer and then the "uniform". Then the tatts. And ya gotta grow a beard.

 

[Mike67]

I've been riding my 125 cc Yamaha scooter back and forth the .5 mile from home to shop, and all over the place on parts runs, dollar store, visiting friends, etc.

I'm loving the 75 MPG and "wind in my hair", etc.

...and I'm starting to get the itch for a real motorcycle again.

I haven't had one since about 2010. It was a Suzuki 1400, and I got tired of rebuilding the carb and cleaning the spokes.

I told my self my next bike would not have either.

I've owned one of just about everything except a Harley or Honda.

I'm kind of in that "just to say I've owned one" mentality on a HD.

There have been several 08-13 Sporty's near me in the $3K range.

This seems like a pretty good deal, and I don't know how much lower they could go.

Anyone got one?

The current one I'm interested in has 6K miles and is asking $2800.

Has custom bars and seat and forward controls.

If your interested my mom's boyfriend passed away a few months ago and left his 07 50th anniversary limited edition to my sister. Its a 1200 FI #51 of 2000. It's been in the garage untouched for about 4 yrs.
I have it at the shop now and was going to replace the battery and fluids to get it running.

 

[YY1]

Like I said, I've had about every "UJM" except a Honda.
Virago, Intruder, LTD, etc...

I've never had a Harley, and kind of want one to cross that off the bucket list.

I came dang close to buying a corvette at the bottom of the market for the same reason, but the HD will be a lot cheaper investment.

I'm looking for input from anyone who's actually owned one and any real world issues and comparisons between a sporty and a dyna or next model up.

I've heard all the anti-sporty rhetoric for the past 40 years, and it doesn't mean beans to me, so that's not what I'm looking for.

I'm also not looking to get into a 30K plus dresser or the spend 10K per year on chrome and accessories crowd. That's just not me.

 

[YY1]

Nice.

Hugger orange?

I looked at a 50th anv the same color as my truck (metalic orange/bronze), but they would not come off the 5500 price at all. That was in Feb, and I think it's still for sale.

 

[Mike67]

I guess you would call it Harley orange...pretty close though. I thought about buying it just to tootle around here , go to the shop on the weekends but wife threw an absolute hissy...she still thinks I'm worth more alive than the amount of ins she'd get lol!
She's open to fair offers.