Harley-Davidson Sportster 883 Custom reviews

I bought my first Sportster in 1971, it was a '70 XLH. It was balanced, blue printed and other engine mods and could eat up Honda 750's all day long. This '05 is a blast. The 1200 motor delivers great power. The smaller bike makes it easier to handle also. But it will take a few changes if I want it to be a road bike. (the seat especially) I have had it a month and am getting a great ride every time. I love it! Show less

This Harley has all you need to handle. I added some 8" Ape hangers, black diamond cables and numerous Willie "G" accesories. I put on a set of Harley-Davidson magnesium and black 5-spoke wheels, a wide Harley seat for added comfort and chrome accessories. Show less

It's a very comfortable ride. I can go eight to nine hours easily. The high end torque is acceptable for passing. I can cruise at 75 mph. with no vibration. I get approximately 46 to 50 mpg. I live near mountains and it performs surprisingly well, although I don't challenge the mountain curves. My only complaint is I wish the rear fender didn't flair straight out but rather curved down over 1/3 of the rear tire. By the way, that fat rear tire really helps with the comfort level touring down the interstate. Show less

I have been riding motorcycles since 1967. I own five street bikes at the moment. I bought this bike because I have always liked the looks of the Sportsters and no longer have the need to ride 170 mph. I have an aversion to vibration so I didn't give serious thought to a Sportster until they mounted the engine in rubber. In 2007, they gave it fuel injection. That is just icing on the cake. This is a great bike. It runs down the road 60-75 mph. all day long. It starts instantly and has great low-end and mid-range power. I just changed the oil and filter at a cost of $12. If you do your own maintenance, this is a very easy bike to work on. I have owned some very nice bikes (around 100 all together) and have always done the maintenance as much a matter of convenience as well as cost saving. This is a bike that has a solid feel, great build quality, good looks and unfortunately a reputation as a starter bike. It is way more than that. I must admit that I haven't had mine much over 100 mph., but then again I don't have a need to go there. In the real world, the speeds that I ride on the back roads and expressways at 55-75 mph., the performance is very pleasing. It pulls like a John Deere from the bottom. It isn't a GSXR or an FZR. It is a Harley and it behaves like one. If you want a race bike buy something else. If you want something to ride back and forth to work or perhaps to the west coast and back, you could do far worse. This is one very satisfying motorcycle. Show less

Here's a little about me. I've been riding since the late sixties. I started out with a '69 Sportster. I loved it and put many miles on it. Over the years I've owned various big twins and metrics and a few Sportsters mixed in. I've always come back to the Sportsters. After riding Sportsters with no battery, only magneto, shaking like a paint mixer, missing or marginal front brakes - I'm spoiled now. I like fuel injection, decent brakes, no puddles of oil on my garage floor. I'm enjoying my 2011 SuperLow. I turn the key and go. It has good low end torque. The motor runs out of steam early enough so you don't need a tach to know when it's time to shift. Handling is great for every-day normal riding. Things start scraping if you get wild, but you can keep this to a minimum once you get to know the bike's limits. The 4.5 gallon tank is a welcome relief on a highway ride. I look forward to many enjoyable miles on this bike. Show less

I looked at Harley and Victory, liked several, but didn't fall in love until I rode the Super Glide. I cannot get enough of this bike. This is my 14th bike and the best yet. Take the price out and it is still the best. I was going to spend a lot more for less. What a wonderful surprise. Be surprised, ride a Super Glide before you buy. Show less

The bike is big but not overly so. There is enough weight that it will soak up the road yet is fairly nimble enough to take mountain roads with confidence. Not aggressively, mind you, but you won't need to use a turn out to let traffic pass. Harley's are well known for their torque and you will not be disappointed and you'll welcome it when crusing at highway speed in "6th" gear. All the controls are easy to use. The seats for both the rider & passenger are very comfortable especially on those long rides. The forward controls help the riding position as well but may be a stretch for someone under say 5'10". I don't have anything really negative to say about the bike except maybe they could find a better way to protect the front fork lowers. The clear coat gets pitted and then starts to oxidize and looks terrible after a while. Other than that the real shocker was the cost of accessories and what the dealer wanted for servicing. Show less

I really do enjoy this bike. It was a great bike to get back into riding with. I was a little concerned about the size since I am a big guy, but this bike has more than enough to haul me around. On the highway I can reach around 90 mph. and there is still a little left. I don't know how comfortable I would be with doubleup riding for long rides but it still handles well. I'm very pleased with this bike. I'll upgrade eventually, but for now I'm more than happy. Show less

Being a new rider, some friends said I should buy a smaller bike first before buying a Road King. I bought this bike off E-Bay back in February, 2011 with only 5,600 miles on it. I have put over 1,800 miles on it in three months. It has run great, no issues here at all. The bike had custom Pearl Blue paint. The previous owner added a lot of accessories. I got this bike for a steal at $5,000! The bike looks brand new and was garage kept. It runs great, has plenty of torgue. I love this bike and hopefully later this year I will buy a Road King if Harley comes out with some decent colors for 2012. P.S. I will keep this bike besides getting a Road King. Show less

I bought a new 883 in 2008 and have not had the first regret. I rode a 1986 Honda Gold Wing 1200 for 17 years. I was at the age that I felt that I needed something a little lighter and more nimble. Besides, I wore the wing out and sold it for salvage. In three seasons, I have put 34,000 miles on it, and it is still a joy to ride. I really enjoy jumping on it and riding on three or four day trips. I am 75 years old and this should be my last motorcycle unless I wear it out too soon. Show less