Is a Harley 883 sportster a chick bike? | Page 5 | GTAMotorcycle.com

Is a Harley 883 sportster a chick bike?

Have you ridden one yet? I did a Harley demo day and rode a Sportster 48 1200, it was the worst ride ever. Every little bump felt like it was going to break my spine.

It's a chick bike in the sense that a chick would think nothing of wearing uncomfortable shoes all day if they made her look good. But realistically, it's not a chick bike. It's just a mechanical device with a bit of flair. Heck, I bet gay guys would ride it. So, no worries. Buy it and enjoy.
 
If you're 5' 6", a Sportster would fit you like a glove. Fun bike, great feel, handles reasonably well. My first bike was a 91 Sportster, 883 converted to 1200. It was too small for me (I'm 5' 11"), otherwise I would have kept it. The Harley scene is retarded, but you know that already.
 
Hey OP, if you're looking into getting the street bob scene have you considered the star bolt?

I test drove both the 883 and bolt. I felt the Bolt a better bike then the 883. Had bit more punch.

I was going to suggest the Judge from Victory. Yes I test rode that too and I loved it. They built that bike for sport riders who want to transition to cruisers. It's a badass bike and will purchase one as a second bike.

As stated in some posts; just test drive. Pretty sure HD will let you demo it if you make an appointment. I know the victory dealer in Burlington will let you test drive some of their models as they have demo models available.
 
If you rode any type of late model Japanese bike .You will feel frustrated on a sportster .
 
There is a different 'scene' in the city. If you hang out with old men on electra glides, then yes, the 883 chicky - but their chicks have more saggy tats and chest hair than I do.

However, there is a new generation of HD riders who would otherwise be riding classic Triumphs, except brit-anything to them is pretentious. My sense is that the big iron stuff is for long straight highways. The 883 is more for bobbing and weaving around town. HD has a lot of upside if they get some younger designers in there and pick up on the bobber trend. They have their core, but they should go do pop-up shops that are aimed at the 22-34 crowd, and the 883 does that.

HD is going to have to change and the bobber/nightster thing is a sign. So much of their market has been boomers clinging to 1960s and 70s nostalgia, but there is a difference between being classic and hanging on to something after it's passed. It's not so much that the 883 is a chick bike, it's a boys bike, maybe a dude's bike. It is not for a man over 40.
 
Two wheeling can be so confusing. Thanks for explaining that part.
 
there is a new generation of HD riders who would otherwise be riding classic Triumphs, except brit-anything to them is pretentious.

Have you considered going vintage? I personally think vintage bikes are COOL and likely a better investment than a new sportster -- insurance might be cheaper too?
 
Just keep your eyes open and you should find a nice 883 already with the 1200/1250 kit installed, high flow a/c and some slip ons. If it's fi, make sur it's mapped for the mods and you're good to go.

I wouldn't want to cruise any more than an hour or two at a buck twenty. Steer clear of the low clip on bars. Find a nice low mileage with drag bars or buck horns, mid or forward controls. Ask if they have any extras. Most will have a seat or two and maybe a tomb stone clip on windshield kicking around the garage.

Don't shy away from the carb models. They tend to be a bit cold blooded but, they start and run just as good as the fi.


The stock 1200 has a better final drive for highway cruising. But, once you bring the needle past 120, you're just burning up the limited range of the peanut tank. It's 12.5 litres. You can find others with the bigger tank but, they don't look right.

I could get 200 kms until reserve with a mix of city and highway and I don't baby it. Hit the reserve and it's 10 litres to fill.


The only folks that call it a girls bike or a skirster are ignorant. The sporty is HD's longest running model since 57. Most women that ride a Harley prefer a Delux or Fatboy. Just a better ride. The Sporty isn't the most friendly to new riders.


Look state side and you'll be able to pick up something a little bigger in the same price range. Just need a little more patience. See Sporty's going for 3k to 5k. If you check out a Dyna Super Glide, you might find one in the 6k to $7500 range depending the area.

A lot are just garage queens that don't get used much. If you get something 10 years or older, look for rocker gasket leaks or oil out the a/c. It's common for some folks to over fill the oil and puke it out.


Good luck.
 
Upon hearing supertwat the wonder doosh neighbour go on about it last night and now install a set of pipes that make it sound even worse, yep it's a chick bike. :mad:
 
There is a different 'scene' in the city. If you hang out with old men on electra glides, then yes, the 883 chicky - but their chicks have more saggy tats and chest hair than I do.

However, there is a new generation of HD riders who would otherwise be riding classic Triumphs, except brit-anything to them is pretentious. My sense is that the big iron stuff is for long straight highways. The 883 is more for bobbing and weaving around town. HD has a lot of upside if they get some younger designers in there and pick up on the bobber trend. They have their core, but they should go do pop-up shops that are aimed at the 22-34 crowd, and the 883 does that.

HD is going to have to change and the bobber/nightster thing is a sign. So much of their market has been boomers clinging to 1960s and 70s nostalgia, but there is a difference between being classic and hanging on to something after it's passed. It's not so much that the 883 is a chick bike, it's a boys bike, maybe a dude's bike. It is not for a man over 40.



The entry level machines beyond the Sportster gets spendy pretty quick and other brands both foreign and domestic are some nice machines priced very nicely. Victory and Star seem to hit the mark for the demo over 40, street bob look and feel but, can toss on some bags and head out to the cabot trail too.

Love the new Break Out from HD. Just two far up the price range for me.......
 
Sportster's lineage is that they were Harley's perfomance bike when they were introduced. Small, fast, agile. Not a chick's bike back then. And not now either. As they are small and agile and fast, *for a Harley*, and have a "line up" they appeal to several "types" of riders for several reasons, having an accesible purchase price not the least of them. I'd say they are bikes that appeal to "young people" and those young at heart. There are several models, some more performance oriented, some more custom oriented. They too like their Big Twin cousins inspire clones, like the Yamaha Bolt, which means they are desirable. As far as the "chick" thing goes, even though they can be low to the ground, low power cruisers, they still sound and look bad ***. Just because a chick can throw her leg over any bike, doesn't mean they can "ride" them. So, if you're not making a fashion statement, and if you can ride the wheels off it, it's not a chick's bike.
 
Last edited:

Back
Top Bottom