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Ok Sportster guys, stand up...

66481 Views 250 Replies 144 Participants Last post by  Spade115
Ok so I've been going to rallies all my life. It started in the early 70's for me and the difference between a rally today and a rally in the days of yore are profound. And one of the biggest differences that bugs me the most is the way the Sportster gets treated at runs/rallies now.

They get tagged as a "bitch-bike" or a "little" bike, and in terms of status, well let's just say I have to look up a lot of noses before I can look a fellow rider in the eyes....

The way I have always seen it is quite different. The Sportster is the Hot Rod of the brand. It is smaller, lighter, and tighter - it always reminds me of a little Duece roadster, cut-down and purpose built for racing. It is the best performer out of the box and it is built to handle and perform quite well thank you very much. In fact back when my dad was young he told me that the Sporty was the bike to have. It was the bike of choice for most younger guys and the larger bikes were left for the old men. When his friends and he were out chopping & stretching a bike it was usually a Sporty. And the whole time I was growing up my father always had a hopped Sportster around. Maybe that's why I love them.

When the time came for me to get a bike of my own there was no question - it had to be a Sporty. I could have bought a Super Glide or a Softtail. Cost was never the issue. I actually WANTED a Sportster!!

So why should I feel like I am getting sand kicked in my face at a rally? The answer is - I shouldn't. When we get rolliing on the road and the big bike riders get throttle happy or start fooling around, I can take solice in the knowledge that my "little" bike will stomp a big fucking mud-hole in their ass at the drop of a hat.......

So they might have a more flashy or a prettier bike than I do, so what. I put all my dough into the "GO".....Chrome can't bring it home as they say.


So there it is. Anyone else feel the way I do? Post up some pics of your "little" bike and tell me how you feel. This is our place, and we should stand up and be counted, together.....that plus I want to know how many other guys dig Sporties. :)
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Yeah, I don't know how someone could look at this and think it's cool. Geez, what a gay bike. :rolleyes:

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jaker said:
thanks- I thought it was going to be a bitch to ride, but it was no big deal

any plans for your sporty after lowering it?
I'd like to get some Z bars, do some engine mods, and lose the nice, but stock, paint job. I'm thinking shiny black with either gold or red metalflake flames with white pinstriping. Spoke rear wheel and some sort of solo seat. I haven't decided if I'll do a bolt on rigid or not.
Tony, that is so gay...

I ought to mug you for that Mustang tank.

Tony Bones said:
Yeah, I don't know how someone could look at this and think it's cool. Geez, what a gay bike. :rolleyes:
I have always thought that sportsters made great looking choppers. I don't know why someone would think otherwise. And they are plenty cheap to boot.
Just take a look at those bikes that Bill Mize built. Enough said.
1Shot-Scot said:
I have always thought that sportsters made great looking choppers. I don't know why someone would think otherwise. And they are plenty cheap to boot.
Just take a look at those bikes that Bill Mize built. Enough said.
Like this?

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the front forks are wide glide- they were on the bike before we chopped it

6 over 39mm tubes w/wide glide trees

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Man, nice looking stuff on this thread...

I'm a Sportster guy, much to the chagrin of my dad. He told me I would be unsatisfied with it being a smaller and more high winding bike as opposed to the Big Twins. Man, you shoulda heard him when I told him it was pre-'74 with the goofy foot shift! So far, I've only worked on it so I can't whine too much, and the other one I had, I rode a few times and went back to cars and skateboards (how can you bea rebellious kid on a Harley if your dad owns a Harley shop?!) A lot of the choppers/bobbers I've seen that I like have been Sportys, but I like the big ones, too. Fricken' Fly-Rites are excellent.

I'm just in it for the enjoyment, I don't care what anyone thinks. Remember, I've owned three four-door cars without shame, so I can take the heat!
i wish i could have kept mine, i loved riding that baby like riding a bmx bike.

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rode a friend's newer sportster last winter and had to build one. cool, zippy little bikes
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fatass said:
Man, nice looking stuff on this thread...

I'm a Sportster guy, much to the chagrin of my dad. He told me I would be unsatisfied with it being a smaller and more high winding bike as opposed to the Big Twins. Man, you shoulda heard him when I told him it was pre-'74 with the goofy foot shift! So far, I've only worked on it so I can't whine too much, and the other one I had, I rode a few times and went back to cars and skateboards (how can you bea rebellious kid on a Harley if your dad owns a Harley shop?!) A lot of the choppers/bobbers I've seen that I like have been Sportys, but I like the big ones, too. Fricken' Fly-Rites are excellent.

I'm just in it for the enjoyment, I don't care what anyone thinks. Remember, I've owned three four-door cars without shame, so I can take the heat!
When i was looking for my first harley to build, I chose the sporty for all the reasons mentioned. The other reason that i chose the sporty was the fact that you didn't get any respect or love from other riders and being a big guy really throws them off when you tell them. Until recently with the pro stock harleys and the always fun top fuel monsters all the racing was done on sportys. I look for flat track racing parts at the swap meet and have always loved watching them fly around the track wide open. I'm looking to start my next bike and it to will be a sporty, based around the five spoke invaders from my first bike. My brother-in-law is going the Buell route and bought a wrecked one for a good deal, stripped it down and e-bayed the rest. I think it's worth looking into because there is some really good speed parts available and you can keep the cost down. Just not sure i like the looks of the newer motor. Maybe that's a good topic for another thread. Sean.

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fatass said:
I'm just in it for the enjoyment, I don't care what anyone thinks. Remember, I've owned three four-door cars without shame, so I can take the heat!
Amen. I read in The Horse (a rip-off of El Caballo) some article talking about Sportys, ragging the Customs because they felt a Sporty should not have forward controls. WTF? I shouldn't be comfortable just so I can have style points with you? Fuuuuuuuck you.
El Caballo said:
Amen. I read in The Horse (a rip-off of El Caballo) some article talking about Sportys, ragging the Customs because they felt a Sporty should not have forward controls. WTF? I shouldn't be comfortable just so I can have style points with you? Fuuuuuuuck you.
El Caballo, I see you moved to Texas from Wa. I lived in Spokane for eleven years and then moved to Kennedale Tx. for fourteen months. I sold my bike there so we could move to Phoenix. How do you like it so far? Now it's easier to get to the roundup and the HAMB drags.
mightyherc said:
El Caballo, I see you moved to Texas from Wa. I lived in Spokane for eleven years and then moved to Kennedale Tx. for fourteen months. I sold my bike there so we could move to Phoenix. How do you like it so far? Now it's easier to get to the roundup and the HAMB drags.
Actually, I'll be in Borger in two weeks, just was in my profile and said WTF, I'll change it now. I'm sure it will be fine.

My wife wanted me to sell my scoot, I even made some half-hearted attempts, to her chagrin I still have it. My daughter burst into tears when I put a for sale sign on it at a local parking lot here. (Yes, you can still do that in some parts of America and not worry.)
When i had my sporty i use to get the same treatment.
I work at a service station, and a lot of guy's come in on scoot's. I got to know a lot of them personally, we'd B/S about car's and bike's...
When i finally got mine on the road and took it to work i'd get the same guy's bustin my balls about owning a "chick bike"..
Funny thing was i didn't care, i really liked it, and when i was looking for a bike i wanted a sportster.

They alway's reminded me of the early bike's from the 50's, and thats what i was after, not the bragging right's of saying i had a Haritage, or whatever..
I was proud of mine and never gave much thought to what anyone else said.

Too bad it's gone now...
I need to scan some of my old pics of it so i can post a few..

I've even gone a looked at a few in the past year because i was considering getting another...
El Caballo said:
Actually, I'll be in Borger in two weeks, just was in my profile and said WTF, I'll change it now. I'm sure it will be fine.

My wife wanted me to sell my scoot, I even made some half-hearted attempts, to her chagrin I still have it. My daughter burst into tears when I put a for sale sign on it at a local parking lot here. (Yes, you can still do that in some parts of America and not worry.)
I was never a big fan of the Tri cities anyways. I would come down for the boat races and other than that it was just passin thru on my way somewhere fun.
Boat Races, geez, what a drunk time that is. Actually, there are some pretty nice places to go just around here, parks, wineries, straight farm roads with nobody on them when you are going 100+mph... I actually like it here, too bad I'm leaving. But hey, onward and upward.

mightyherc said:
I was never a big fan of the Tri cities anyways. I would come down for the boat races and other than that it was just passin thru on my way somewhere fun.
El Caballo said:
Boat Races, geez, what a drunk time that is. Actually, there are some pretty nice places to go just around here, parks, wineries, straight farm roads with nobody on them when you are going 100+mph... I actually like it here, too bad I'm leaving. But hey, onward and upward.
I liked being in the trees instead of the wheat fields and i love the huckelberry wine. Now i live in the desert and have rock for landscaping. No lawn mowers for me, just a broom. I think we hijacked this thread, sorry! Back to the sporty's
Nothin wrong with Sportsters


I did this one for a fifty-year-old woman. Her first bike.
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Good thing those front fenders come right off....

earl schieb said:
Nothin wrong with Sportsters


I did this one for a fifty-year-old woman. Her first bike.
El Caballo said:
Good thing those front fenders come right off....
Yeah, no shit...
fwiw, that WAS a Fatboy fender. I cut it to her husband's specs. Damn shame...front and rear both have "OCC points"... bleh.
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