Motorcycle.com

2 years, 21,000 miles and still going

Let's start off by saying that when I first saw the 2006 883R at an NHRA event in Madison, IL, I knew that was "my bike". I'd been looking for

something that captured my soul for more than 5 years when I saw this bike. The style, the tank scheme and the aggressive look of the bike drew me... in like no other bike has done. A month later, I walked out of Doc's Harley-Davidson in Kirkwood, MO, with a brand spanking new 2007 883R.

From day one I was enjoying this bike. Being my first streetable bike, I was cautious with it for several weeks after my break in period was done. My first real test of it came when a group of co-workers and I went riding though some of Missouri's back and country roads. This bike has some incredible cornering, easily wanting to overtake the Dyna I was riding behind *in* the turns... at 75-80 mph. That day made
me fall even more in love with this bike. Most of the people I ride with have cruiser/touring type bikes with far more power but not a single one of them can hang with the little 883R in the corners. Even the sportbikers I ride with have a lot of respect for the capabilities of this bike.

There are some minor issues I have with the bike. For starters, the stock seat is terrible (there's another word I'd like to use to describe because terrible is a bit on the light side to describe it) for anything over 50 miles. At 5'11" and a little over 200 lbs, the stock seat was not comfortable at all for long distance or all day riding. I replaced it a little over a year ago with a Corbin Gunfighter solo seat and haven't regretted it since. Combined with the H-D adjustable highway
pegs, it's no big deal to rack up 1,000 miles on a weekend trip to Chicago on the Sporty without being sore or beat up feeling.

The engine, for a race inspired bike, could use a little more umph than it has. I tell people the bike is quick but it isn't fast. I can accelerate very quickly first through third gear before having to give up in fourth and fifth when the larger displacement bikes pull away from me. My brother is on a 105th Anniversary Road King and he was shocked at how well the 883R hung with it until we hit fourth gear. While I am a drag racer at heart, the power in this bike is just enough to make
blasting through twists and turns in wine country and the foot hills and
total blast but leaves something to be desired when the road goes flat and straight.

The stock foot pegs were replaced rather quickly as they were not comfortable at all. Too small of a diameter for the vibrations that develop at over 70 mph and cause foot fatigue during a full day of riding. A flatter style foot peg like the H-D skull collection foot pegs are much better for any kind of riding. The hand grips are also not comfortable for trips over 100 miles but a simple replacement of a slightly larger diameter grip reduced the cramping in my right hand on the throttle. The handle bars, while nice and aggressive styled, aren't in the best position for my riding style and are soon to be replaced with either a low degree pullback drag bar or a broomstick style drag bar.

While I can and have dealt with the minor issues with the bike, they are
not enough to make want to get rid of the bike ever. I love the handling
on this bike. I love the looks I get when people realize that it's a
Harley doing things that most Harley's don't/can't. I love being parked next to any other Harley and having people checking out my bike instead
of the Road King or Heritage. I love not having a bike that "looks" like
a Harley (no windshield, no saddlebags) but is a Harley. This is a bike that I will have for a very, very, very long time. Read Full Review

A little small, but OK

Works well for around town use. A little light for the freeway around LA, since vibrations get bad above 75 MPH. Also, pretty much need a windscreen, which kind of changes the style. The tank isn't made to go much distance anyway, so it takes a gas stop just before getting into San Diego from LA.... The biggest problem is it gets a bit cramped in the legs, even though I'm just 5'11''. On the other hand, it is reliable and cheap to mantain. Read Full Review

I love this bike

I love the sportster because it's the lightest of all the Harley's and the 50th anniversary silver/black & nostalgic checkered peanut tank makes it a very attractive sporty bike. I am a female rider and all my experienced female riding friends who ride sportys have them all blinged out with sadd...lebags, windshields, hanging fringes, etc. I love the basic design of the bike. I also love the handling. Yes, I think the stock seat sucks and that was the first thing I replaced for a nice comfy badlander seat. The next modification I want to get is a sleek sissy bar and better fitting pegs. Even though I'm a woman, I'm tall (5'9) and am still debating whether to get forward controls or not. I fear getting them may diminish the sporty look of my bike. The engine doesn't do much above 4th gear on a straight road, but it turns corners on a dime and has very nibble handling. After getting my bars lowered and pulled closer to my grasp, it now has a very comfortable riding position. I will have this bike for many years. Read Full Review