| Author | Message | ||
     Nevar |
How much difference is there between a pre-2004 Sportster, where the engines are NOT rubber mounted, and the 2004+ models that ARE rubber mounted? Is the vibration excessive? Is it worse for the 1200 or the 883? Tim | ||
| Bomber |
BIG difference, in vibes, looks and power delivery == vibes on the 1200 are a bit more, er, robust I think is the operative term ;-} as far as excessive, ride em and see -- this is a very subjective topic, and what might rattle your fillings is "character" to another | ||
| Rubberdown |
Completely different bikes. I had an 04' 1200R. Fantastic bike! Smooth, nice power delivery, and well engineered and finished. Highly recommended! | ||
| Fullpower |
the sportster USED to be light, agile, and quick. the new rubber mount sportster is an overweight pig. sorry, but 580 pounds is a bit excessive for a streetbike in my opinion. | ||
| Buelluk |
I agree with Dean , my 1974 XLCH comes out around 440 , although of course there is no electric foot on it ..580 is a bit excessive for an engine of such modest output | ||
| S3t_bueller |
Coming off an '03 XL1200C I can tell you they are a fun bike. But, the vibration above 60 mph was overwhelming to me and I couldn't take it anymore. It handled great and was lot of fun around town but didn't have the power the '04+ have. At this point if I were looking for a bike in the range of a Sportster I would move up to the Dyna series instead. | ||
| Chainsaw |
I love my 01 883C. 450lbs dry I believe. Vibrations are an undeserved reputation IMO. My XB has rattled more bolts off than my HD.  | ||
| Rubberdown |
"580 pounds is a bit excessive for a streetbike in my opinion." My BMW tops 750 lbs w/ just 60 hp and I use it to referee bicycle road races and criteriums on tight courses. It's fun as hell! Power is overrated IMho. | ||
| Sportyeric |
I can hardly stay out of this thread! Mine has a Fisher Harmonic Balancer, that cost $400 or so and may be a bunch of snake oil, but I changed heads and cams at the same time so I don't know which had the better effect. My only complaint about vibration is that I went through a lot of mirrors until I changed to Napoleon bar-ends. Normally, a Sportster will have rubber bushings in the handle bar mounts. Mine has (hard-mounted, of course) clip-ons. I do 500 mile days for my favorite route through the twisties, revving from 3500 to 5500, cruising the straights at 90mph. My buddy's Honda RC51 vibrates much more, or at least in a more annoying manner. Although the Sportster feels like a paint-shaker if I get off an IL4. That passes in five minutes. At 6'6", I'm more comfy on the Sporty than the S2. For shorter people, mine would have drag-bike ergos. Isn't as stable in corners as the Buell, but I prefer the Sporty just the same. The Buell's role will be sport-touring once the Sporty is revived from the dead. However, if you're looking for a cruiser, I think the Dyna would be a better bet than a new rubber mount Sporty. The new design minimizes the difference between them (weight, cornering clearance). If the question is: is the new one better than the old one, most Sportster owners would say no. | ||
| Ingemar |
I had a 2003 1200S before the buell. I test rode a 2004 model. Let me tell ya my 1200S would smoke an '04 ANY time. for the uneducated, the 1200S (sport model) has dual sparks per cylinder, hot cams and high compression ... I'm not sure about the exact numbers anymore, but I once did a comparison and it came down to 10% less power with 6% more weight (may be the other way around tho). And the '03 1200S had front preload and front+rear comp/rebound adjustment. Generally, the '04 lacked throttle response, felt noticably slower, had an almost scary feel on bumpy roads, didn't feel as 'agile' but yeah, it wasn't as shakey. The trade off for that isn't at all worth it if you ask me. If you really want a sportster, do yourself a big favor and get a 1200S. They are pretty fast ... for a harley |
