moveover the gas thing ... Newbie Questions
Well I can't really speak for the Sportsters, but I can speak for Harleys in general.
I ride 95 miles a day, round trip to work here in Northern Virginia and I try to ride year round. Obviously it is not possible every day, but I succeed on most days and I've put over 12k miles on my new 2006 FLHX since last September. Daily, my costs are between $6 and $8 in gas depending on fuel costs and traffic congestion. I typically use 2.1 to 2.4 gals round trip. These totals were also true of my previous bike, a 1988 FXRS.
I have found that on the newer Harleys, using the synthetic oils you can change all of your fluids at the 5k mark, and if you do it yourself it will cost you less than $100. Now, you definitely need a manual and you have to be honest with yourself if you are not comfortable doing your own maintenance. The manual actually recommends changing the primary and tranny fluids at 10k and the engine oil at 5k, but I do them all at once since I spend a lot of time in stop and go traffic, building up heat.
I have not yet replaced my tires, but my rear tire looks like it could survive at least another 5-7k, which is fairly typical of a motorcycle tire.
As far as riding apparel goes. I know several people that ride Harleys and several that ride rice burners. Typically the Harley riders go for the black leather and the rice guys go for synthetics with armor. To each their own. I own several pieces of riding apparel and wear each based on conditions. I own a set of "traditional" Black leather (Jacket and Chaps) that I wear on dry days from about 60 deg to 40 deg. I own a set of Aerostitch Darien riding gear (with armor) that I wear below 40 deg and on wet days below 60 deg. For wet days above 60 deg, I use a First Gear rain suit and on dry days above 60 deg I use a Lightweight Nylon/Cordura jacket from Harley with a removeable liner and airflow vents. I don't really rely much on the armor to save my butt. I've been down and had some surgery done, but if I hadn't made a bad decision I wouldn't have gone down in the first place. Never, ever, ever ride tired (over 24 hours without sleep) or otherwise impaired. Your decision making process just isn't up to snuff.
I hope this helps you make up your mind, and feel free to ask more questions!
Well I can't really speak for the Sportsters, but I can speak for Harleys in general.
I ride 95 miles a day, round trip to work here in Northern Virginia and I try to ride year round. Obviously it is not possible every day, but I succeed on most days and I've put over 12k miles on my new 2006 FLHX since last September. Daily, my costs are between $6 and $8 in gas depending on fuel costs and traffic congestion. I typically use 2.1 to 2.4 gals round trip. These totals were also true of my previous bike, a 1988 FXRS.
I have found that on the newer Harleys, using the synthetic oils you can change all of your fluids at the 5k mark, and if you do it yourself it will cost you less than $100. Now, you definitely need a manual and you have to be honest with yourself if you are not comfortable doing your own maintenance. The manual actually recommends changing the primary and tranny fluids at 10k and the engine oil at 5k, but I do them all at once since I spend a lot of time in stop and go traffic, building up heat.
I have not yet replaced my tires, but my rear tire looks like it could survive at least another 5-7k, which is fairly typical of a motorcycle tire.
As far as riding apparel goes. I know several people that ride Harleys and several that ride rice burners. Typically the Harley riders go for the black leather and the rice guys go for synthetics with armor. To each their own. I own several pieces of riding apparel and wear each based on conditions. I own a set of "traditional" Black leather (Jacket and Chaps) that I wear on dry days from about 60 deg to 40 deg. I own a set of Aerostitch Darien riding gear (with armor) that I wear below 40 deg and on wet days below 60 deg. For wet days above 60 deg, I use a First Gear rain suit and on dry days above 60 deg I use a Lightweight Nylon/Cordura jacket from Harley with a removeable liner and airflow vents. I don't really rely much on the armor to save my butt. I've been down and had some surgery done, but if I hadn't made a bad decision I wouldn't have gone down in the first place. Never, ever, ever ride tired (over 24 hours without sleep) or otherwise impaired. Your decision making process just isn't up to snuff.
I hope this helps you make up your mind, and feel free to ask more questions!
