Easy Rider and Chopperguy

A co-worker has been thinking of buying a motorcycle again. He used to have a crotch rocket but now wants something a little closer to a cruiser. At this point, he wants a Harley.

Him: What's up with the 2000 and newer Sportsters?
Me: What do you mean?
Him: I was looking through the paper. You can get a 1200 with 6,000 miles on it for less than $6,500. What's up with that?
Me: A lot of people buy them and then graduate up to a big twin.
Him: But a 1200 is a big bike.

It was an interesting conversation. As anyone who reads here regularly probably has figured out, I love Sportsters. Why would anyone want to get rid of their Sportster? Here are some common responses.

A) Big Twins look cooler.
B) My buddies made fun of me for having half a Harley.
C) The Sportster 'buzz' gets annoying.
D) I wanted to go on longer trips.

A & B are total bullshit answers but are the most common ones I've heard. No stock bike looks cool. Have I said that before? Have I said it over 100 times yet? Over 1,000? Just in case you missed that, NO stock bike looks cool. A chopped Honda looks cooler than any stock Harley. As for B, just blast those big twin boys off the line over and over again. Make them eat dust and crow in one meal.

C is legit. Sportsters generate a vibration that while tempered in the newer versions, is still noticeably there. That buzz can get to you. It can also get to the ladies. Curse and blessing.

D is quite often an extension of C. The buzz can make you numb after a couple hundred miles. Very temporary thing. A quick break and I always recover and am ready for more. And with a few modifications like forward controls and a larger tank you can tour on a Sportster.

I let him know my position on the Sportster. I let him know that I love the things and will come up with no end to the reasons why Sportsters are the best Harleys around. I also let him know that as a Sportster fanatic, I'm extremely biased. Honesty is an appreciated gesture when someone is talking about plunking down a chunk of their savings on a bike.