Is a Harley 883 sportster a chick bike? | Page 4 | GTAMotorcycle.com

Is a Harley 883 sportster a chick bike?

It depends on the crowd you hang with. If you ride with other 80CI Harley owners, than most consider it a "chick" bike because it is one of the smallest HD bikes. If you ride with the non HD crowd, than no.
<<<< THIS.

It's only a chick bike as a derogatory tease by big HD riders. Nobody else gives a $#it. The 883 weighs 570 lb. weight. Hardly what you'd call chicks only territory. Plenty of hairy men have ridden ratty Sportsters hard across North America for decades because they think the rest of the lineup are overweight pigs too.

Same as a Honda CRV is a chick truck according to some people who are proud of their big trucks.
People pick up these terms and run with it because it gets some laughs, not having a clue to their origin .
 
I see peole with big cars and big bikes as someone who are trying to compensate something. Especially the ones that love to pose.
Just one man"s view with a small bike.

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Get the bike if you like it. Your time, your money, your choice. Nothing else, nor no one else's opinion matters when it comes to your choice of ride. Ride, enjoy and don't waste time posing at Timmy's.
 
If you can fit the 883 in your garage with your VW Beetle Cabriolet I'd say go ahead and get it.:lmao:
 
If you can fit the 883 in your garage with your VW Beetle Cabriolet I'd say go ahead and get it.:lmao:

I was going to say Miata but you beat me to it....

If you are 5'6" then it's suited to your height. If you like it, buy it.

or buy a 990 adventure and ask random people to give you a boost when you want to get on. You're on your own at traffic lights.
 
Ill google dyna. Vrod looks good too but well over budget. The stock sportster looks plain IMO so I know is have to mod it anyways.

On sale at kijiji. This would be my target look minus the yoshi pipe
esa4y6aj.jpg

Put some rearsets on that and you have a nice looking ride.


Nope never rode one just sat on a friends. Please tell me it's not more uncomfortable than a SS.

Numerous screws and rods holding my back together. Been riding SS bikes for several yrs. Rode a friends 883 from Milton to Kitchener (she was afraid of hwy riding). 80mph was top speed (US bike) and that was a downhill section of the 401 and I had it rung out for 10 minutes. By the time I got to Kitchener, I was ready for the ambulance. That bike screamed "PAIN" for such a short ride. Then, after a quick fix, I had the displeasure of riding it back. I would have rather slammed a fork in my eye than do that again. Give me my SS bikes, and I'll persevere even at 90 yrs old.

Most people that find SS uncomfortable don't know how to ride them. Their arms are locked and all the weight is on their wrists. I can ride one for 12 hour days, day after day. A typical cruiser I last 20 minutes before my back and butt are in agony.

<<<< THIS.

It's only a chick bike as a derogatory tease by big HD riders. Nobody else gives a $#it. The 883 weighs 570 lb. weight. Hardly what you'd call chicks only territory. Plenty of hairy men have ridden ratty Sportsters hard across North America for decades because they think the rest of the lineup are overweight pigs too.

Same as a Honda CRV is a chick truck according to some people who are proud of their big trucks.
People pick up these terms and run with it because it gets some laughs, not having a clue to their origin .

And this is the best answer, IMO. People put down whatever it is they aren't riding. If all you're interested in is what your friends will think, then ask them and get the bike they tell you to get.

Otherwise, develop some ego and get what YOU want.
 
Just get a Virago and pocket the extra $5000 you would have spent on any Sportster to put into your track bike.
(Says the guy with 2 Virago 1100s) Paid $2500 for this one with 60,000 kms on it.

99-virago.jpg
 
Make sure you ride it first, you may be shocked at how slow it is--specially coming from a 600SS. I think you will get grief from the Harley crowd, to the rest of us it is just another Harley. Maybe also try the bigger sportster and some of the metrics people have suggested before pulling the trigger.
 
No, Sportsters are not chick bikes. Bikes don't have gender (well, maybe scooters are a tad effeminate, but this is GTAM, not GTAS). The bike is only a reflection of the rider's skills and enjoyment, not genitalia. I've ridden a few Sportsters over the years and for the most part, quite liked them. They are a pretty basic bike; not a lot of gewgaws or farkles but also a great blank canvas for you to customize. More options available than any other brand, both H-D and aftermarket. You can turn it into a bobber, a café racer, a chopper, or a touring bike; lots of versatility. Not the most comfortable machine in stock form but every rider is different and no one bike fits everybody. As for the idea that you'll get grief from Big Twin riders for being on a Sportster, nonsense. Anybody who has a clue knows Sporties are great bikes. One of the guys in my club rides one and he's a pretty big lad. Another friend of mine down in Florida put over 200,000 miles touring on hers; she runs a magazine and website in FL and is highly respected. The only people who mouth off are ones not worth listening to in the first place.
 
Yes, sportstsers are chick bikes.


Waitasecond....

:/
 
Thinking of trading my cbr 600 for a Harley 883 sportster but my boss said that its a girls bike. Mind you he's like 6'3 and I'm 5'6. I'm looking and all other Harley look too big or too expensive for me.

Main reason I want to sell my cbr is I'm trying to pick up a cheap track bike and have the Harley as a street bike to keep me out of trouble.

Here's some sample pictures
9e5uqute.jpg
azagusus.jpg


And before this becomes a "who cares what other people think" thread. Simple answer is I care. My ego can't take it

Ill google dyna. Vrod looks good too but well over budget. The stock sportster looks plain IMO so I know is have to mod it anyways.

On sale at kijiji. This would be my target look minus the yoshi pipe
esa4y6aj.jpg

Just get a Virago and pocket the extra $5000 you would have spent on any Sportster to put into your track bike.
(Says the guy with 2 Virago 1100s) Paid $2500 for this one with 60,000 kms on it.

99-virago.jpg



In terms of aesthetics, totally worth $5K to get the Sporty IMO ... That Yamaha link posted above shows a nice copy though.
 
Sportsters are not chick bikes, nor are they entry level. They are the longest running model in history. Sunny Barger, leader of the Hells Angels rode a Sportster and I dare you to tell him it's a chicks bike. Harley advertised the **** out of the Sportster for the longest time as a gateway bike for women. It's Harley's own fault it has the rep it does. But if you look at who Harley advertises the bike to now is the younger male crowd like yourself.

So **** what people think because most don't know **** and just regurgitate what others say. Make your own call on what's good for you and **** everyone else.
 
Saw a sweet Black on Chrome one today at the local Timmies, and yup, it was being ridden by a chick ;)
 
This should have included a poll ;)
 
I've seen more women on Baggers than Sportys. Only one guy at a Harley meet said my Sporty was a girls bike, and he reeked of small-man-syndrome, South Park-Harley-Fag-Riderness...

I love my Sporty.
 
No they are not chick bikes. I know this for a fact because my wife test rode one, then she bought a 250 ninja! She said she needed something with more power, more fun! Seriously, stop looking at pictures and go test ride. I rode an 883 once, that's enough for me. I had more fun on my old Honda xl250 enduro. It doesn't matter what you buy, someone will laugh at you. You really have to ride what YOU like. Personally, I ride a bandit 1200s and I love it, even though my buddies on ss think it's a pig and my buddies on cruisers think it's stupid to ride a supersport!
Bottom line, you bought a ss for a reason, you may find the 883 a tad slow.
 

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