Quote:
Originally Posted by Animal
As a former motorcycle instructor please do not get a Sportster for a beginning rider. My personal opinion, and I've ridden most of the H.D. models is the Sportster is a top heavy, poorly balanced pig of a bike. I find you need a lot of upper body strength to ride them and I've fought the idea that they are a ladies bike for years. Please check out the Softail Deluxe, it is a very user friendly machine with a low centre of gravity, low seat height, narrower seat, and wide handle bars. Easiest bike to ride I've ever got on. I would be riding one but I'm addicted to the cruise and tunes on my Ultra. The Softail Deluxe is being ridden by more women every year and I ask everyone I can how they like it, all of them love it and most are ex-sporster riders.
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As the old saying goes, opinions are like coffee cups, everyone's got one....
I have seen women start on Sportster and have never wanted to ride anything else. I have seen women start on X brand 250's, move on to a Sporty, then to a Road King.
I have seen women start on Road King, or a BMW and go to a Sporty..
Not that a Sporty is the best or the worst, is just a choice. And that choice has to be made by the person riding the bike.
I'm sure their are people on this forum that will disagree with your statement..
Quote:
Originally Posted by Animal
the Sportster is a top heavy, poorly balanced pig of a bike. I find you need a lot of upper body strength to ride them and I've fought the idea that they are a ladies bike for years.
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I don't think they are a pig. I don't think they require a lot of upper body strength to ride. My 18 y/o grand daughter who is 4'11' and weighs 100 lbs has no problem riding one. She has even used her Sporty for a couple of track day outings. Riding a Sporty requires more technique than upper body strength. I've ridden a few and I did initially find the higher center of gravity different at first. But the feeling disappeared after the first couple of tight turns. You just need to sort out what the bike is doing vs your riding style. And adjust the suspension as needed. I find I can hustle a Sporty thru tight corners faster than my Road King, Dyna or my FXE.
As for them being a ladies bike, I don't think they are. But some people have the mind set that guys should be riding a big twin.
Either way, it needs to be a personal choice. No more, no less.