Does it Makes Sense to Ride a Sportster?!

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Riders either love or hate Sportsters. Here is why I love mine!
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★Haven't seen the earlier videos in the Route 66 on a Harley Iron 883? Watch the entire series here: • 28 Days - Route 66 on ...
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Ride safe, seek adventure, and keep your wheels rolling in the right direction! right direction!

[@danielbaes1375]

The sportster is the most under rated bike of all time.

[@Michael-st1hl]

Joe, as you have already proved in your previous videos, touring with your sportster across many parts of America and owning and riding a Sportster is not only fun but can be toured as you have clearly demonstrated. I have bigger bikes in my stable BUT… they are not as fun as my two vintage Sportsters which I have built my channel around. You should see the attention I get with these two vintage Sportsters. But that’s not why I ride them, they are simply in my riding history and I missed them so I got them back! Fact is, I subscribed to your channel because of those Sportster videos you put out and watching you pack them up and tour them is something that hit me personally…You have that spirit of adventure and grit which was demonstrated on that cross country Sportster trip. Awhile back you encouraged me to get a channel started now I’m about 9 months in. So thank you Joe, and I hope you keep that EVO Sportster in your stable for future videos. Take care!

[@GreatEgret]

So much fun to travel on the Sportster! Glad you got that channel started! It’s a lot of work, but so much fun.

[@GreatEgret]

Also, I just subscribed!

[@Michael-st1hl]

@@GreatEgret Thank you so much Joe, I really appreciate you subscribing and having your support. It’s a honor!

[@geraldscott4302]

Those are a couple of sweet looking Ironheads. Lots of chrome and unpainted aluminum. I love the look of an Ironhead, and have thought about getting one for a long time. But at 65, and being partially disabled, I want a bike I can just get on and ride, without it breaking down a lot. But it still has to be carbureted so I can tinker with it when I feel like it.

[@Michael-st1hl]

@@geraldscott4302 Thank you, I really enjoy these two vintage Sportster iron heads.. the 68 XLCH magneto and kick start only and the longer 70 XLH electric start when I don’t feel like kicking. I loved building the 70 XLH into my own vision. The 1968 is an all original 12k mile bike I took out of a 34 year storage hibernation. I definitely understand you wanting a modern motorcycle to just jump on and enjoy your retirement years. I am retired as well, but still love wrenching and restoring these old vintage classics. Thanks for watching!

[@Nezo5000]

I’m a follower from Libya, a year back I was fascinated by your route 66 trip Vlog with Rocinante, now some Weeks ago I got myself a scooter as a first step of learning how to ride these two wheel machines but I’m certain that my first real bike will be sportster Ride safe and good luck 👍

[@GreatEgret]

Thanks for following and watching that series! It changed my life! You won’t be disappointed with a Sporty when you get one.

[@markurbancowboy]

The Evo Sportster is the most true to form bike in HD's lineup for sure.

[@katharris3807]

Now you've inspired me to get back to the twisties in my backyard! And recording just for the helluvit (ancient GoPro...). Thanks Joe, always a good watch.

[@GreatEgret]

That’s the best place to ride! I bet you can record a bunch of good rides on your Sporty. Even with an ancient GoPro!

[@bernardlesperance742]

Thanks for this. Agree with all, especially re modifications. There's virtually no limit . . . until you snap a bolt in the rocker box . . . right at the interface between the lower rocker box and the cylinder head. Clean break, flat to the surface. That'll stop you dead in your modification/maintenance tracks ! Won't bore you with what followed, suffice it to say I'll never look at a bolt the same way again ! And handle with care !

[@GreatEgret]

Oh, man! My stomach churned reading this! I can only imagine how you felt when it happened!

[@bernardlesperance742]

@@GreatEgret I literally felt my heart sink into my stomach !

[@NCStoney]

I’ve owned three Sportsters, and currently have a 2020 Iron 883 in the garage. I’ve also owned Electra Glides, Softails and Dynas, but I truly think the Evo Sportster is the best bike Harley ever built. I ride my Sportster more than my other motorcycle, a Triumph Tiger 900 GT Pro. The simplicity, ease of maintenance and reliability can’t be beat. Plus, they’re just fun to ride.

[@guymiller2842]

Sold my 48. That bike was like riding on the back of a winged demon! Raw in every way!! I think of her from time to time but I do not regret my decision to replace her with a fxlrs. Everyone has a love and I’m glad I’ve found mine. FTW👍🏻

[@GreatEgret]

I’ve owned both a Sporty and a Low Rider S, so I know the love you feel!

[@Sfcjames333]

I have a 2013 1200C Sportster and a 2019 Street Glide. I love both bikes but at the end of the day when I need a little throttle therapy, I take out the sporty. It is just a blast to ride.

[@GreatEgret]

I also have owned and currently own bigger bikes. The Sporty is my goto if I’m ripping in the twisties.

[@ryno9677]

I’ve got a 48 special and it’s perfect for me. It’s light, has a 1200cc motor, and easy to modify. I love everything about it. I might buy a Low Rider at some point in the future for longer rides and rides with a passenger, but if it’s just me I’m jumping on my sporty.

[@Toxic2T]

These Harleys are getting frequent to see here in Argentina. We aren't used to Harleys. They aren't that big and sound really good!

[@cmbiker]

I miss my Sporty. I got rid of it because I daily commute on NYC highways in the Bronx and Queens which are horrendous when it comes to potholes and road imperfections. Going just 60mph on the Sporty and hitting a really bad pothole would send my a$$ up and off the seat which was scary AF! Who knows, maybe someday I'll pick up another one and put some money into taller rear shocks to allow for more travel. I really miss it at slower speeds on windy roads or even on decently paved highways cruising at around 70mph.

[@WalterB_883]

I have a 2000 Sportster. It was my first bike (but now not my only bike). It is the bike I ride the most because it is a lot of fun on the backroads. What I wish the bike had the most is a 6th gear. Being a 2000, it is pre-rubber engine mounts, and a 6th gear would be helpful in reducing vibration on the highway.

[@waynehager4228]

Here in NC we have the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Dragon, and numerous other routes that the Sportster rules and the Road King looses it's crown.

[@brentharrington9235]

It's tough to justify when there are so many other options in the segment. Glad you enjoy it!

[@GreatEgret]

I like it, but I also love a ton of other bikes. What options in this segment do you prefer?

[@brentharrington9235]

@@GreatEgret If you are making as apples to apples comparison as possible, it's tough to beat a Moto Guzzi V7. The New Enfield 650 is hard to beat for the price, but not nearly as quality as the HD or MG. There's also The Triumph, but they have substantially gone up in $$$. The Indian Scout is an obvious competitor, but I would also say for the $$$ its hard to justify.

[@BarghestMoto]

The Sportster is fine for cruising on the highway, especially if you do a stage 1. This video makes me miss my old Iron 883 even though it was not at all set up for distance riding. My old sporty had Clubman style bars, a cafe racer style seat, 2-1 exhaust, and a quarter turn throttle... That thing was a blast to ride.

[@GreatEgret]

Exactly right about the stage 1 and highway. I love how modifiable the Sporty is we had the same bike, but both very different riding experiences after modifications. What are you riding now?

[@BarghestMoto]

@@GreatEgret right now I have a 2015 dyna wide glide and a 2023 FTR Sport.

[@GreatEgret]

@@BarghestMoto those two bikes couldn’t be more different. I love it!

[@BulldogBadger]

My lowered shocks had like 3mm of travel😂😂😂

[@GreatEgret]

That’s about 1/10 of an inch! My ass and back hurt just thinking about that!

[@BulldogBadger]

@@GreatEgret I just sent you a photo of it on insta

[@guzziman]

The unique "VISCERAL" feeling of riding a motorcycle...

[@simob7862]

The iron is one of Harley best bikes mainly because of its size it’s compact fits into my basement carport and is just easy to move around. The other is it’s a true town bike that can go on trips well if you’re not too busy and can take the time to actually ride normally not race around. I own a 2017 Iron and it’s pretty good

[@GreatEgret]

What color is your 2017?

[@simob7862]

@@GreatEgret Black Denim looks great cleaning is a pain as you have special spray works amazing but expensive. I have V&H also very loud I had to get an insert for the pipes to take it down a bit 😂

[@grimeyhonkyracing3938]

I had an 883 low with a hammer kit and now ride a roadster 1200 Sportster FTW!

[@ZazrianZinZee]

I miss my sporty 72. Lots of great memories. But I love my low rider s. This bisch is a badmammajamma.

[@GreatEgret]

The Low Rider S is definitely a badmsmmajamma!

[@shano81]

I had a sportster48. Loved it except the riding position folded me in half like a taco / fuel tank was either just returned from the gas station or low, and the shocks were unforgiving.

[@GreatEgret]

The forwards on a 48 would fold me like a taco too. That’s why I love the mids on an 883 and i swapped the handlebars for a more upright position. I have bikes with larger capacity fuel tanks. I’m finding myself stop just as often as I did on the Sportster. That probably says more about me than the bike.

[@shano81]

@@GreatEgret 883 is a more practical decision. It was hard to keep my eyes off the 48 seeing it for the first time though :) We suffer for beauty; beauty is pain.

[@IdeaStudioBKK]

100% right, if its fun, you should ride it. I always get a kick out of people who say "that bike is too small for that type of riding" as someone who has done long distance trips on a Honda Grom, I am a firm believer there is no such thing as too small. I have been seeing a lot more sportsters around Bangkok the last year or so, I think HD assembles some of them in Thailand now. When I was at the Bangkok Custom Hot Rod show a few weeks back there were a ton of Sportsters built as scramblers wich I loved. That scenery you had during your ride makes me wish I was riding when I went to grad school in WI. There really was some beautiful scenery out there. Long winters tho.... ugh.

[@GreatEgret]

This is exactly right! No bike is too small, but a bike can definitely be too big. The Driftless Region of Wisconsin is my favorite place to ride! So beautiful. My girlfriend lives in the heart of it, so I’ve been spending a lot more time riding in it. If you’re ever back in Wisconsin, I’d love to show you around the Driftless. I’d even have a bike for you to ride.

[@IdeaStudioBKK]

@@GreatEgret I may very well take you up on that someday. If I ever make it back to the states Wisconsin is one place I want to get back to. The same offer goes for Thailand. I'd love to show you around. I even have a bike for you to ride as well.

[@user-ck5sn5hd9o]

I bought a new Sportster in 2007, worst ergonomics of any bike I have owned since 1971. Very uncomfortable. At least it didn't vibrate like my old 1973 Ironhead Sporty, gladly traded my Sportster for a Buell when Harley had the fire sale in 2009.

[@BossMan302]

My 113hp hammer 1275 powered sportster always pisses people off when I race them and smoke them. I always tell them it’s a stock 883 lol and they get so mad being beaten by a girls bike.

[@GreatEgret]

I need to do this to my Sporty!

[@BossMan302]

@@GreatEgret my gas mileage went way up too….if I ride normally that is. I tell everyone to at least do the basic 1275 kit. Took me 2 days of taking my time and completely changed the bike in every way.

[@arkive9039]

I need to do this too

[@GreatEgret]

I’ve been meaning to do this for years. My girlfriend is on the Sportster now and it’s her first riding season. Maybe I’ll convince her to get another bike 😎

[@markurbancowboy]

What got me is my 48 is the first Sportster I have owned and it feels quicker and torqueier down low than the bigger CI HD's I have owned. I recently had a Road Glide ST with the 117 and the 48 feels about the same if not more. Must be the weight differences and I do have a stage-1 on the Sportster. In reality, the Sportsters are just engine and tires.

[@BulldogBadger]

I miss my sporty, maybe next year il get myself a fatbob

[@GreatEgret]

I love the Fatbob! It it weren’t for that weird headlight, I’d consider one.

[@BulldogBadger]

@@GreatEgretsince when did you let a headlight stop you, just rip it off and put something cooler on it😂🕺🏻

[@GreatEgret]

@BulldogBadger I was thinking that as I was typing 😂

[@Wecanhelp]

10000 miles i put on my first bike it was a sporster took me all year

[@Rob-lj1jl]

My sporty could not do long distance. Its a 96 completely modded so it does not even look like one. Even with a mustang seat 30 mins is about it. I have a 1200 model with a stage 4 screaming eagle kit and a bolt on 10 over chopper front end. More stable on the highway because of the extended wheelbase but still. Its windy all spring and fall where I live on Vancouver Island so I mostly ride my Honda Valkyrie Interstate full dresser. The sporty is a breeze to lane filter at stop lights. I do it also on my Interstate but with a bunch more care because its so wide. Sportys are exactly what the name says.

[@chevyboyforlife4234]

I love my sportster....tho I did slap a 117 twin cam on it lol

[@GreatEgret]

That has to be a ton of fun to twist the throttle on!

[@ryanm.9197]

Nothing wrong with sportsters provided you ride them within their abilities. They just don’t have the power at higher speeds that the bigger twins do, but for country lane cruising they are great. The only issue I had with my Iron 1200 was fuel tank capacity and that just wasn’t much of an issue. Mechanically the bike performed well.

[@GreatEgret]

Sportster are bulletproof.

[@earl6969]

08 nightster Vance hines pipes And map tuner R/S air box Forward controls Taylor ignition Lith battery She barks like a pissed off pogo stick. Love/hate❤

[@GreatEgret]

I love your description that she barks like a pissed off pogo stick the most! Pretty sweet mods, bro!

[@greenrush4313]

I dont regret watching egret

[@GreatEgret]

Thanks, dude!

[@MinisodaMotoventures]

the 1200 was a pretty fun bike i regret trading it a bit

[@GreatEgret]

I regretted selling mine so much I bought nearly the exact same bike a few years later.

[@geraldscott4302]

I am not a fan of the Iron 883. But it has nothing to do with the engine size, performance, handling, or comfort of it. Those are all fine. It's ugly. And that is an unpardonable sin for a motorcycle. I also ride a Sportster, though mine is a 1200. But the big difference between mine and the Iron 883 is not the displacement. Mine is beautiful. It has beautiful shiny blue paint, silver wheels, a chrome engine, and chrome all over it. Some of which I added. Sportsters have been good looking bikes since the very first one in 1957. Up until they started dipping them in whatever flat black substance they dip them in. Yes, they did make the 883/1200 SuperLow right up close to the end. And it looked infinitely better than the Iron, despite its huge and very un Sportster like 4.5 gallon tank.

[@dkelli6020]

Great bikes for urban use.

[@GreatEgret]

Too true!

[@PotatoeJoe69]

Sportsters are NOT girl bikes. They have a higher seat height than most Harleys, they have a high center of gravity which actually makes them FEEL heavier than even a Softail "go sit on them back to back, you will see", they vibrate, their suspension is absolutely BRUTAL, and, the 1200 Sporties are actually FASTER than big twins.

[@GreatEgret]

I don’t disagree with anything you say here.

[@vincenttarquini4235]

Joe, calling any motorcycle a girls or boys bike is stupid. The only reason I don't ride a Sportster is my size. At 6"4" and 280lbs with a 33inch inseam it just doesn't fit right. However, I have friends of both sexes who do fit them that love them and rightly so. I used to ride a Victory Vision, a great highway bike but cumbersome in town and 2 lane twisties. I also have to ride dirt to get to my farmer friends, ergo I sold the Vic and purchased a BMW R1200 GSA. It fits better, is faster, handles both Highway and 2 lanes with ease and I can flat foot it at a stop. It is good off pavement as long as you don't climb boulders with it. It is my Swiss Army knife. I only have room for one motorcycle, so this is a good alternative. You buy the motorcycle that scratches the itch you need scratched.

[@GreatEgret]

Definitely agree that calling any motorcycle a girls or boys bike is stupid. When I first started my channel on a Sporty, it was one of the most common comments on here by those that didn’t like it. That GSA is a great bike. I had the chance to ride one in Phoenix last December. So fun!

[@BulldogBadger]

First🎉

[@GreatEgret]

Good to see you here, buddy!

[@BulldogBadger]

@@GreatEgret I always like to watch your new uploads👍🏻

[@GreatEgret]

@@BulldogBadger thanks, dude!

[@fifthgearfoodie5272]

Unless you're a little guy a Sportster is too small. I had a Honda Shadow Phantom 750 and that bike felt much bigger than a Sportster. I rode a Sportster once and it felt like I was on a tricycle. Not saying at all that it's a girl's bike. I just wouldn't have one.

[@GreatEgret]

Yeah, not for everyone. I feel a few thoughtful modifications to riding position can make a sportster comfortable.

[@BossMan302]

I’m 6ft and my sportster is just fine. No difference than my streetbob other than gas tank size.

[@fifthgearfoodie5272]

@@BossMan302 yeah I'm 5'8" and even at my height there is a distinct difference between a Streetbob and an 883 Sportster. I've also ridden a Streetbob. They both have horrible foot peg positioning but the Streetbob is a little more comfortable than an 883. If you're 6' tall there ain't no way in hell riding an 883 is comfortable unless you changed up the seat, added ape hangers and a better rear suspension.

[@BossMan302]

@@fifthgearfoodie5272 I own a 2020 iron 883 (1275 kit , saddlemen step up and ultimate comfort seats, 6.5” pullback risers, thrashin mid bend bars, 13” progressive 444 shocks) I also own a 2022 streetbob (8” pullback risers, thrashin mid bend bars, legend suspension, saddlemen step up seat) they are literally the same feeling bike other than tank size and obviously the softail handles differently.

[@fifthgearfoodie5272]

@@BossMan302 thank you for proving my point.

[@GiancarloBenzina]

37yot? Really? Not older? What’s the current Suzuki Hayabusa? 30? What’s the current R1250GS? It carries architecture with it from the 30s of last century, the R1300 partly, too. What’s the Ducati holding? Yep, to a fraction it keeps on holding to race technology of the 20s. More videos to come? Of “does it make sense to fart on bikes”? Sure it does, best way to vent them while riding. And on a sportster it may even help on performance.

[@GreatEgret]

I can attest that farting on a Sportster increases performance. What I actually said was “37 year-old technology wrapped in 67 year-old style.” 37 years since the Evolution engine was first put in a Sportster (this 2016 Sportster has the Evo in it and the 2022 Sportster still had the Evo in it when Harley rolled the last one off the assembly line. 67 years since the Sportster was first built. Why 37? And 62? Because parts of this video were shot in September 2023.