First Ride on Sportster

[chappy]

I bought a 2006 Harley-Davidson Sportster Roadster in January. I've said in past posts that I would never ride again due to an accident hitting a deer years ago. I've reconsidered. I went out this morning, and regained the feeling to move across the open road. What a feeling of freedom. I now understand what other members can appreciate about enjoying the open road and landscape on a bike. I hope everyone has a great day.
Rich Chapman:moped:

[86fxst]

Your hooked! (AGAIN). I've been riding for 42 years. I'm on my second HD which I bought new twenty years ago!:D

[mrfixxall]

I too was out yesterday and it felt good,,,,now if only the crap in the water would clear up and float down river ide feel even better riding to my place and hopping in the ole donzi...

[chappy]

Me too, my lake is so high that trees and logs are floating all over. The lake I live on is used for hydroelectric power that is sold to other states. That 1/2inch of wood on the surface could be a 2 foot log under the surface that can rip the drive off the Donzi. A 3k bump I don't want to hit. Hoping for windy nights.
Rich:shocking:

[Formula Jr]

I've been riding bikes for 37 years now. It is hard to get back to that sense of faith and peace after a bad accident. Riding a bike assumes a great deal about what is ahead. It makes us better riders in the end. As a young'en I know I was riding blind most of the time and entirely on faith. Now, I think more about what I'm doing and know the line between relatively safe fun and recklessness.

I have MORE fun now on a bike. Its not about speed or pushing the line. Motorcycles involve you with the road you are on. A perfect day, is the perfect ride. The shifts were all perfect, the bike sang, you never corrected on a curve, you found the perfect pace of the road and finding that fit, established the speed.

Welcome back.

[billy22zx]

Anyone interested in a 2000 sporster 1200...screamin eagle package...new tires...8600 mi. $7000 o/b/ ne ohio

[joel3078]

Put that sporty on www.cycletrader.com it should sell quickly. The smaller bikes are being snapped up by first time riders getting sick of gas prices. The older import bikes from the 70-80's are selling very fast as they are in the $1k-3K dollar range. I ride a Harley ultra classic. Gets 45mpg and makes the ride to and from work waaay better. Till that white manure starts flying again next November.

[chappy]

Formula Jr.,
I've always respected and been impressed with your posts and positions, thanks for the input and kind words.
Rich

[Kikwear]

My 77 XLH is basically my car. I would never give it up. I usually ride March-November. Nothing is like riding a bike...well...maybe a Donzi. :biggrin:

[DonziJon]

Harley Responses: What is it with "V" engines?? Harleys, Donzis, Ducatis, Moto Guzzis. It must be the sound. That's what ropes me in.

I've pretty much given up on bikes since a friend of mine and his wife..both over fifty years old got pretty beat up last summer after rear ending an SUV with their big touring bike. They recovered, but now they have a new "awareness". Me to. Their bike was totaled.

All my bikes have been "V" Twins or "V" 4s". The one exception being a "Square 4". I spent two days last week polishing it up to take it over to "Razees" (Since 1947) for the "Spring Weekend". Now it's so pretty, I don't want to ride it because it will get dirty. :banghead: The weather sucked anyway, so I didn't take it over.

The only engine BETTER than a "V" engine is a "ROUND" Engine. These are found in OLD...Probably Military aircraft. Try out the sound of a 2800 HP Two Row "Radial" engine such as found in a WW-II P-47 Thunderbolt fighter. Once youve heard one, you will NEVER forget it. John

[ChromeGorilla]

Q. Why do Hardly's errrr Harleys have so much chrome?
A. So you can find the pieces when they fall off.

Q. Whats the difference between a Harley and a Hoover?
A. The Harley has room for 2 dirtbags and still sucks.

Q. Why do Harleys have tassels on their handle bars?
A. So they can tell when their moving.

Q. How is a Harley like a dog?
A. Leave either alone long enough they will both mark their spots.

[chappy]

I'm lost.

Rich

[Ed Donnelly]

Chromey; You missed the most important one.
How do you get a Harley to run better?
Put a Jap carb(Mikuni) on it...

Put a Mikuni on my 2000 soft tail..What a difference.......Ed

[Craig S]

DonziJon, straight sixes are pretty good, too. Way different, yet very smooth. And with a 6 into 1... A real "gearhead" engine.[/B]

[DonziJon]

DonziJon, straight sixes are pretty good, too. Way different, yet very smooth. And with a 6 into 1... A real "gearhead" engine.[/B]

Craig: If you're talking about motorcycles, you must be talking about the Honda CBX 1000. (1978) Not too many of those around. There was an EyeTalian company named Benelli made one to, but I've never seen one. It was a 750 street bike (1974) with 6 into 6. John

[Cuda]

I'm fifty years old, and I just started riding about a year and a half ago. I was telling an old biker at the shop that, he looked straight at me and said, "I envy you. Your about to have an experience that you only get once in life ".

I still don't ride a helluva lot, but we live in a great place for it. I'm a very careful rider, but I'm that way no matter what I'm driving, truck, boat, or bike.

I sold my Softail Custom, because I found I rode my Jap bike more anyway, but there are times I do miss it. There is just something about a Harley, kind of like the soul of a Donzi.

[Bad-Tat]

You will find that all Harleys with carbs, have them imported from Japan.
Welcome back to the MC world. Have been riding for 46 years and still have fun on them. Course you must have more than one for different moods!!!!

[CHACHI]

You will find that all Harleys with carbs, have them imported from Japan.
Welcome back to the MC world. Have been riding for 46 years and still have fun on them. Course you must have more than one for different moods!!!!You wouldn't want to know how many different componets are "imported" on a Harley. But they do make the ride more dependable. Ken

[RedDog]

I rode for about 25 years but sold my last bike in about 1993 - Norton 850 Commando. I have had about 30 bikes - all types of dirt bikes, Brit bikes, and crotch rockets. But I've never had a Harley.

I almost bought a new Sportster the other day but backed down - partially because I was wondering if the bigger (FXD or FLH?) bikes would be better for me. A base Sportster Custom vs a lower end big twin was at least $6000 new.

What are the differences in ride, handling, performance, etc?

[Kikwear]

MINXGUY...trust me, I know. When I work on my AMF 77, I use more metrics than I do standards. :biggrin:

RedDog...the easiest way to describe a big twin over a sportster size wise is like riding in a C-16 and then going to a C-22. My Sportster is nice but I'd give it up for a big twin any day of the week. I'm really big into cruising and this old four-speed small frame doesn't fit the bill too well.

[CHACHI]

Craig: If you're talking about motorcycles, you must be talking about the Honda CBX 1000. (1978) Not too many of those around. There was an EyeTalian company named Benelli made one to, but I've never seen one. It was a 750 street bike (1974) with 6 into 6. JohnJohn, let us not forget the "other" 6 cylinder Honda ..............No not the Goldwing. The 6 cylinder 250cc Grand Prix bike of the sixties. If you have never heard one they sounded sweet ..............6 megaphone pipes no baffles. Ken

[Craig S]

Craig: If you're talking about motorcycles, you must be talking about the Honda CBX 1000. (1978) Not too many of those around. There was an EyeTalian company named Benelli made one to, but I've never seen one. It was a 750 street bike (1974) with 6 into 6. John

Yep. They made them for four years. Mine is an '81 that has been "cafe'd." Quiite different from my 'Guzzi. I was riding the "X" last night.

The Benellis had a much longer run in 750 and 900 guise. It is said that they were copied off the early Honda 750.

[DonziJon]

Hi Craig: First off..I want to apologize to Chappy for my deviating from his original Sportster thread. BUT: I wanted to keep the interest going for a bit....not that this would be required with this Donzi group.

The original retail price for a CBX was about $5200. During this time, a 1000 cc bike could be had for $2000 cheaper so sales for the CBX was slow.

A few yeras ago, my local dealer (Razee M/C...N. Kingstown, RI, Since 1947) had a few Honda CBX motorcycles for sale. Actually 5. Honda had discontinued this model by that time and were interested in selling the leftovers.. Actually there were two different versions. One was "Plain" and the other had a "Sporty" Fairing.

Anywho: The five that Razee had were "New: In The Crates" and you had to assemble them yourself. If memory serves me they were $2800. Dam: I had just bought a VF-750 Sabre...with the same fairing the CBX faired model had, and I couldn't go another motorcycle. I think the year was 1982. I think it it had been a couple of years since the CBX was on the market. . :cool:

John