New bike: 250, 500 or 883?

[newbieking]

Hello.

I will be buying my first bike soon. I would like any information you have regarding an H-D Sportster 883. Is that too much bike for a beginner? I found the 250's easy and fun to ride during the MSF course. My brother says the 883 is a great choice as a first bike, but the MSF instructor told me that he has seen a lot of guys get the 883 because of the low seat, but they get into trouble with the heavy weight (around 560 lbs or so). He said he would not recommend anything over 500cc for a beginner. So I reconsidered and came up with a Buell Blast. Is that a good choice? I heard they vibrate a lot and that the friction zone is hard to find. I also need to think about the torque. I've ridden a Piaggio MP3 500 with no problem, but I suppose that the mp3 has a different torque than a motorcycle. So should I stick with a 250cc (like a Yamaha V-Star Virago 250), or the Buell Blast or the Sportster 883? I have also thought of the Suzuki Boulevard S40. I am 5'6'' and 170 lbs. (muscle, not fat--I am a fitness fanatic). I would appreciate any thoughts you have. Thank you for your consideration.

[Hogrider]

The 883 Sporty is heavy and they do require a bit of clutch/throttle mastery at slow speed. I have however seen more that a few folks start out on a Sporty. Best idea, go rent on for a day. Yeah, the Blast vibrates a bit but hey, it's a thumper and fun to ride too. Have you looked at the GS500F or the Ninja 500R?

[Dodsfall]

Hogrider is correct about the 883 being heavy. The power is smooth and predictable, so no worrys there, but it will take a bit longer to learn the slow manuevering.

The Blast is built to be a learner bike. Light and easy to maneuver. The owner of the local Harley dealer here rides one as his daily commuter and loves it.

If I were just learning to ride, I would start on the Blast (preferrably used) for a season or so then trade up to a 1200 Sporty or Twin Cam.

[Hogrider]

Originally Posted by Dodsfall

Hogrider is correct about the 883 being heavy. The power is smooth and predictable, so no worrys there, but it will take a bit longer to learn the slow manuevering.

The Blast is built to be a learner bike. Light and easy to maneuver. The owner of the local Harley dealer here rides one as his daily commuter and loves it.

If I were just learning to ride, I would start on the Blast (preferrably used) for a season or so then trade up to a 1200 Sporty or Twin Cam.

Before I had actually been on a Blast I had gone to the Laughlin River Run and one of the guys I was with brought his wife who happened to be on one. Personlly I thought this lady was nuts as the trip to get there was 250 miles and we hadn't planned on stopping much. Well, we made it no problem and only stopped twice as scheduled. She had no problem staying with us and had a great time too. A few weeks later I rented one and had a ball. The bike is actually quite fun to ride although a bit cramped for my 6'2" frame.

[BLAZETIGER]

I found myself in the same situation as you, and narrowed down my choices to the Blast. Unfortunately though I have yet to get it much less sit on it. Having trouble finding one used on the west coast (So. Cal) as they seem to be more abundantly available on the east coast.

[Schneiderman]

I support the idea of getting a used blast or something like that to start on. I don't have much personal experience with harleys, I do know two women who started on sportys, one on a 883 and one on a 1200. They're doing fine but they do say they wish they had started on something else. Also the one with the 1200 claims that out of all the HD's she's ridden (quite a few now) the sporty is actually more difficult to ride than most others.

[Dodsfall]

Originally Posted by Schneiderman

Also the one with the 1200 claims that out of all the HD's she's ridden (quite a few now) the sporty is actually more difficult to ride than most others.

The Roadster is a bit top-heavy compared to the Twin-Cams. It's got a lot of engine packed into a small frame. Slow speed maneuvering is a bit tricky to learn as the clutch has to be feathered constantly in and out when moving below 20 MPH in first gear. The bike really doesn't like to go slow. On the highway it rides like a dream. Very solid and never floaty even at 100+ MPH speeds. In the city, you never get it out of 2nd-3rd gear, so there's not a lot of shifting to do going around town. I will say the bike is very agile and can be rolled right over to the pegs without a complaint at most any turning speed and handles the twisties effortlessly.

[Hawnted]

Originally Posted by newbieking

Hello.

I will be buying my first bike soon. I would like any information you have regarding an H-D Sportster 883. Is that too much bike for a beginner? I found the 250's easy and fun to ride during the MSF course. My brother says the 883 is a great choice as a first bike, but the MSF instructor told me that he has seen a lot of guys get the 883 because of the low seat, but they get into trouble with the heavy weight (around 560 lbs or so). He said he would not recommend anything over 500cc for a beginner. So I reconsidered and came up with a Buell Blast. Is that a good choice? I heard they vibrate a lot and that the friction zone is hard to find. I also need to think about the torque. I've ridden a Piaggio MP3 500 with no problem, but I suppose that the mp3 has a different torque than a motorcycle. So should I stick with a 250cc (like a Yamaha V-Star Virago 250), or the Buell Blast or the Sportster 883? I have also thought of the Suzuki Boulevard S40. I am 5'6'' and 170 lbs. (muscle, not fat--I am a fitness fanatic). I would appreciate any thoughts you have. Thank you for your consideration.

Suzuki C50 IMO.

[Hogrider]

Originally Posted by Dodsfall

The Roadster is a bit top-heavy compared to the Twin-Cams. It's got a lot of engine packed into a small frame. Slow speed maneuvering is a bit tricky to learn as the clutch has to be feathered constantly in and out when moving below 20 MPH in first gear. The bike really doesn't like to go slow. On the highway it rides like a dream. Very solid and never floaty even at 100+ MPH speeds. In the city, you never get it out of 2nd-3rd gear, so there's not a lot of shifting to do going around town. I will say the bike is very agile and can be rolled right over to the pegs without a complaint at most any turning speed and handles the twisties effortlessly.

What pegs? Mine has floor boards and they drag like crazy in a good turn. It also shakes a good deal more than a Softail but it has torque out the wazoo. Did you know the crank in that thing weighs 45 pounds? Now there's something to establish a center of gravity with....