2007 Harley-Davidson Sportster 1200 Low Motorcycle reviews

This is my third Sportster. In the past I've owned a 1991, 1980, and 1977 (Cafe Racer I believe). And this XL1200-L is the best so far. All of the older ones were powerful, but they felt like they were strangling for air. This new 2007 1200-L most feels like the 2000 Dyna I used to own. In comparison to the Dyna, the acceleration of the Sportster is greater, and I think it is more comfortable to ride because it is narrower, and you can get more of your feet on the ground. The Dyna has the better transmission and feels smoother as it accelerates. The Dyna has a fairly loud and more pleasing lower exhaust sound with Screamin' Eagle pipes. While the Sportster with Cycle Shack mufflers has a loud, piercing, higher pitched bark. The Sportster at a hundred pounds less is a pleasure to push into the garage while the Dyna always felt like it was going to slip out of my hands and cost me hundreds in bent steel. The fuel injection in the Sportster is a joy! The bike always starts right up, and the throttle response is terrific. There is one caution though, and that is at low speeds, the throttle is so sensitive that if you lug the engine, the throttle can get jerked. A couple of times when this happened and I was thinking of other things, the grips nearly pulled themselves out of my hands. I would have felt really foolish doing a backward sommersault off the back of my bike! Comparing this new Sportster to the earlier Sportster is easy. The new one is much better in every way but one. I loved the little peanut tank on the early 1980's Sporsters, and I think they were more pleasing to look at than the 2007 model. But the 2007 model is no slouch in looks. I hope this helps you future Sportster buyers. Show less

After doing a lot of research I settled up on the 1200 L. I didn't want or need something capable of hauling the garage with me. I have ridden several different brands, all 1000cc or larger over the years. This Sporty is comfortable and really feels like it will haul, when properly broke in of course. As the weather has been poor recently, I don't have the miles on it yet I would like. The new fuel injection is great, fires up and runs smoothly from the get go. No shaking or excessive vibration anywhere. My two top rides from the past were a KZ1000 Kawasaki, and a BMW R100RT. Both were great for their designed purpose. The mechanical quality and finish on this unit is excellent. After reading many of the other reviews, I would suspect many of the problems folks are having, not just on the HD's but others as well, comes down to dealer set up at the time of sale. There is no excuse for any vehicle to head home with a new owner with low tires, loose anything, or low oil levels. I am pretty picky with what I have my backside on but if you have an interest in a 2007 take a ride, I don't think you will be disappointed. Show less