(NGC) H-D Custom 1200 Sportster

[Jerryd]

at one time or another I've probably owned just about every brand of motorcycle including numerous MG's since I started riding. But never a Harley. I thought it was about time I try to be little bit more open minded and give one a try. I've got my eye on a 2018 1200 Custom Sportster. Maybe is just the look, but what the heck, Any experience with the newer Sportster? Not interested in any other models.

Thanks
Jerry

[Kev m]

Yup, LOTS of sportster experience what do you want to know?

And when you say not interested in other models, do you mean other Sportster models (like the CX Roadster)?

[Jerryd]

Yup, LOTS of sportster experience what do you want to know?

And when you say not interested in other models, do you mean other Sportster models (like the CX Roadster)?

Hey Kev,

I knew you would be the first to reply I appreciate it. What I meant by other models, was those other then Sportster. I just like the look of the 2018 Custom. Just looking for impresssions of the bike in general

https://cdn.dealerspike.com/imglib/products/harley-showroom/models/1200-custom/black-tempest-fs8.png

[Kev m]

Well, here are some thoughts, take as you will.

The rubbermount 1200 Sportys remind me a lot of my old Jackal (Tonti Cali). They are similar in size/weight/power. Subtle differences include more torque at lower rpm, which is important since they don't wind out as far so they have to be shifted sooner. The Sporty is less nimble and takes a little bit more effort to steer, but that can change with seat and bars and tire choices to some extent, still it will never be quite as nimble as a Cali. Similarly it won't lean quite as far as a Tonti, though the Roadster models get close. The current 1200C has shorter rear shocks which limits lean angle (and comfort) somewhat, though they are easily changed for something better (and taller if desired).

The 1200C has the 4.5g tank which is good for a safe 150-170 miles depending on your mileage. Mine illuminates the low fuel light at about 3.6g and I usually get low 40's, though some claim to get up to 50+ mpg.

Starting in 2014 they upgraded the brakes so the single front doesn't feel bad (honestly it feels close to my earlier/smaller duals), but it's hard to beat the duals and USD forks on the Roadster. Of course the Roadster has the smaller tank.

Fueling is fine stock, maintenance is simple and easy. I continue to enjoy ours which is now the bike I've owned the longest in my lifetime recently surpassing my Jackal for that title.

Don't hesitate to ask if you have any other questions.

[kingoffleece]

What he said.  I'm a big Sportster fan.

[Jerryd]

Well, here are some thoughts, take as you will.

The rubbermount 1200 Sportys remind me a lot of my old Jackal (Tonti Cali). They are similar in size/weight/power. Subtle differences include more torque at lower rpm, which is important since they don't wind out as far so they have to be shifted sooner. The Sporty is less nimble and takes a little bit more effort to steer, but that can change with seat and bars and tire choices to some extent, still it will never be quite as nimble as a Cali. Similarly it won't lean quite as far as a Tonti, though the Roadster models get close. The current 1200C has shorter rear shocks which limits lean angle (and comfort) somewhat, though they are easily changed for something better (and taller if desired).

The 1200C has the 4.5g tank which is good for a safe 150-170 miles depending on your mileage. Mine illuminates the low fuel light at about 3.6g and I usually get low 40's, though some claim to get up to 50+ mpg.

Starting in 2014 they upgraded the brakes so the single front doesn't feel bad (honestly it feels close to my earlier/smaller duals), but it's hard to beat the duals and USD forks on the Roadster. Of course the Roadster has the smaller tank.

Fueling is fine stock, maintenance is simple and easy. I continue to enjoy ours which is now the bike I've owned the longest in my lifetime recently surpassing my Jackal for that title.

Don't hesitate to ask if you have any other questions.

Thanks Kev! Lots of good information! Also, seems like I read somewhere they are using fatter tires on the newer Sportster? Not sure where I read that. Had something to do with better ride and maybe handling?

[Kev m]

Thanks Kev! Lots of good information! Also, seems like I read somewhere they are using fatter tires on the newer Sportster? Not sure where I read that. Had something to do with better ride and maybe handling?

Depends on both your model and definition of newer.

Solidmounts (through 2003) used a 130 rear / 100 front

Rubbermounts (2004+) MOSTLY use a 150 rear / and the front could be 90, 100, 120, 130 depending on the model. The current 1200C in particular runs a 130 front.

To put these in perspective the original RK used a 130 front and rear - but these days is up to a 180 rear.

Anyway, PERSONALLY I find the larger bias-ply tires tend to slow lean/steering down a bit.

I went DOWN to a 140 rear to gain a little quicker break-over, but I went up to a 110 front for the meat/look and that probably increased steering effort and slowed it down slightly.

I don't know that any of the larger tires ever really helped handling though in some cases they probably helped tire life.

On the flip side a few of the models (SuperLow and the Roadster CX) use radials with shorter tire life, but even more stick.

[yogidozer]

Sportsters are a Lot of fun, especially on backroads. You don't need to wind them up to get on the power and, they handle pretty darn well also. 

[mjptexas]

at one time or another I've probably owned just about every brand of motorcycle including numerous MG's since I started riding. But never a Harley. I thought it was about time I try to be little bit more open minded and give one a try. I've got my eye on a 2018 1200 Custom Sportster. Maybe is just the look, but what the heck, Any experience with the newer Sportster? Not interested in any other models.

Thanks
Jerry

I had a 2014 Custom Sportster.  Fat 16 inch tires were stock, 4.5 gallon tank.  Required replacement of the stock shocks and fork springs to make it rideable.  After those changes, and the addition of a Harley Sundowner seat, the Custom was an 'all-day' ride.  I didn't like the forward foot controls, but beyond that it was an enjoyable bike to ride:  adequate handling, acceleration, braking and fuel economy.

I traded the Custom for a 2016 CX Roadster.  Totally different ride.  Great suspension, dual front disks.  Riding position is more aggressive than the Custom, but works well for me.  Shortcoming  is the smaller tank, which limits the range to 120-130 miles between fill-ups.

I'm not a big Harley fan, but I do like Sportsters.  The Rubbermounts display little or no vibration once they are moving.  I find them comfortable to ride up to 80 mph.  I don't feel stock Sportys have much oomph above that.  A Sportster remains on my 'short list' of potential lightweight touring bikes, once I can't push the 700lb Cali Custom around. (Just wish Sportys were a little lighter).

[Jerryd]

Thanks for all the good info guys!I had thought about another Griso, but I think I'll give this Sportster a try!

[yogidozer]

Jerry, check this site out. http://xlforum.net/forums/index.php

[Jerryd]

Thanks!

[cliffrod]

Newer rubber mount Sportsters feel and ride very different than older iron and earlier Evo versions.  Soon after we built his XR1000 (which was payment for us building another friend's 72 alloy XR750) my best friend replaced his low mile VRod with a nearly new XR1200.   We were anxious to compare it to everything else Sportster and XR that we had owned and/or ridden because, in our opinion, that is the only true HD performance engine platform.

Neither of us enjoyed it at all- tall by comparison and completely unsportster-like with the engine movement doing its own thing separate from the frame & rider.   Very disconnected vs the close direct feel of earlier bikes.  He soon moved through it into a V7 Classic.  By comparison, the V7 Classic felt like a closer relative to my V7 Sport than the rubber mounted sportster was to a solid mounted Sportster.

Part of the problem with Sportsters, especially used ones, is that they are typically cheap so they are usually carelessly flogged and/or neglected as many (often new) riders move through them into a "real" HD.  Get one that is new or hasn't been beaten to death and it's a great machine.  After numerous other sportster projects, I bought my 84 XLX 1000 with 2200 original miles about 10 yrs ago. With a brand new S&S carb, drag pipes and a solo seat, it's just plain fun and exactly what riding a motorcycle like that is supposed to be. To me, riding a new rubber mount just isn't a Sportster but it is a lot more compatible with many modern riders.

Whatever the model, a sportster is best employed as a sportster.  They're a hot rod with a finite range and relevance of use.  Stay within that relevance and all is good.  Once you add a big tank and change things up, the fun is gone. Tour or ride two-up on a big bike.   

Get a Sportster and have some fun.

[Kev m]

Newer rubber mount Sportsters feel and ride very different than older iron and earlier Evo versions.  Soon after we built his XR1000 (which was payment for us building another friend's 72 alloy XR750) my best friend replaced his low mile VRod with a nearly new XR1200.   We were anxious to compare it to everything else Sportster and XR that we had owned and/or ridden because, in our opinion, that is the only true HD performance engine platform.

Neither of us enjoyed it at all- tall by comparison and completely unsportster-like with the engine movement doing its own thing separate from the frame & rider.   Very disconnected vs the close direct feel of earlier bikes.  He soon moved through it into a V7 Classic.  By comparison, the V7 Classic felt like a closer relative to my V7 Sport than the rubber mounted sportster was to a solid mounted Sportster.

Part of the problem with Sportsters, especially used ones, is that they are typically cheap so they are usually carelessly flogged and/or neglected as many (often new) riders move through them into a "real" HD.  Get one that is new or hasn't been beaten to death and it's a great machine.  After numerous other sportster projects, I bought my 84 XLX 1000 with 2200 original miles about 10 yrs ago. With a brand new S&S carb, drag pipes and a solo seat, it's just plain fun and exactly what riding a motorcycle like that is supposed to be. To me, riding a new rubber mount just isn't a Sportster but it is a lot more compatible with many modern riders.

Whatever the model, a sportster is best employed as a sportster.  They're a hot rod with a finite range and relevance of use.  Stay within that relevance and all is good.  Once you add a big tank and change things up, the fun is gone. Tour or ride two-up on a big bike.   

Get a Sportster and have some fun.

There's just about nothing I agree with on this post.

A Sportster hasn't been an actual hot rod or sport bike for about 30-40 years.

The solidmounts could be horrible as actual motorcycles except for limited uses.

The rubbermounts changed it enough to make it a decent jack-of-all trades. It retains enough of the feeling of the original to be fun, but is tamed enough to be useful.

You can ride it reasonably aggressively, you can tour on it, you can commute on it.

You can make it whatever you want.

I don't get the disconnected comment at all, there's nothing the felt disconnected about any of the ones I've owned or ridden, unless you mean that the engine vibration is not an issue anymore.

But then again maybe I ride a rubbermount and a V7 Stone instead of an Ironhead and a V7 Sport for a reason. Maybe I don't want the complete experience/feel of those antiques anyway.

[bodine99]

where you at in Fl.?? Palm-Bay HD wheels and deals and has lots of XL's

[cliffrod]

There's just about nothing I agree with on this post.

A Sportster hasn't been an actual hot rod or sport bike for about 30-40 years.

The solidmounts could be horrible as actual motorcycles except for limited uses.

The rubbermounts changed it enough to make it a decent jack-of-all trades. It retains enough of the feeling of the original to be fun, but is tamed enough to be useful.

You can ride it reasonably aggressively, you can tour on it, you can commute on it.

You can make it whatever you want.

I don't get the disconnected comment at all, there's nothing the felt disconnected about any of the ones I've owned or ridden, unless you mean that the engine vibration is not an issue anymore.

But then again maybe I ride a rubbermount and a V7 Stone instead of an Ironhead and a V7 Sport for a reason. Maybe I don't want the complete experience/feel of those antiques anyway.

From personal experience, I can say that riding that XR1200 exactly as hard or harder down the same roads as my plain XLX, an well sorted XLCR and a retired full race engined XR1000 is a much different experience.  The rubber mounted engine made it a much more neutral experience- probably safer and better handling, but taller, more isolated and less visceral than any of the others.  It was more flawless on the rubber mounted bike, which appeals differently to different people.  That's the way it felt to me.

Sounds like each of us knows what we like and what we don't.  That's why almost all my bikes (except my 90 Evo Classic bagger) are 30-40 or more yrs old and yours aren't. 

[Kev m]

From personal experience, I can say that riding that XR1200 exactly as hard or harder down the same roads as my plain XLX, an well sorted XLCR and a retired full race engined XR1000 is a much different experience.  The rubber mounted engine made it a much more neutral experience- probably safer and better handling, but taller, more isolated and less visceral than any of the others.  It was more flawless on the rubber mounted bike, which appeals differently to different people.  That's the way it felt to me.

Sounds like each of us knows what we like and what we don't.  That's why almost all my bikes (except my 90 Evo Classic bagger) are 30-40 or more yrs old and yours aren't.

True dat and fair enough.

I do get tempted by antique bikes again and again, then I remember what they are like and why I don't have any.

[adaven]

I put a bunch of years on an EL and a FLH, solid mounted.
Absolutely love them. they have a feel that is unobtainable otherwise IMO.
I suppose that a person "gets it" or they don't.
I haven't been on a rubber mounted HD and can't imagine that you'd get the same feeling. Just a little too sanitary.
Though I am open to the possibility that I am wrong about that.
It's like Oreo vs Hydrox.

[Kev m]

I think there's an obnoxious quality to the "gets it" term. By definition it suggests ignorance not preference.

I put 40k miles on a solidmount Harley in 2 years. I "got it" enough to hate it.

Without rubbermounts or a counterbalancer it's genuinely faulted for no good reason.

What I love about the rubbermounts is they make and deliver power the same way, they still feel solid and planted like a freight train, but they literally don't do things like shake off bolts, crack oil tanks and licence plate frames, or shake light bulbs to premature deaths.

Maybe they were fine when running half dirt roads and half the speeds of modern highways or raced in limited venues.

Now that said, if you dig it still, cool, go for it. Some people actually LIKE running marathons or riding iron butts. That's not my gig... And I'm cool with that.

[adaven]

What you think about "getting it" is not really important.
The first time I got on my panhead, it had a feeling that was unique and I knew it was for me.
I don't expect that everyone gets that same feeling.

I was away from the forum for over a year I expect. Now I remember why. Thanks Kev.

[Kev m]

What you think about "getting it" is not really important.
The first time I got on my panhead, it had a feeling that was unique and I knew it was for me.
I don't expect that everyone gets that same feeling.

I was away from the forum for over a year I expect. Now I remember why. Thanks Kev.

Cool, glad to help. Don't let the door hit you...




... No seriously, I have no problem with YOU liking something different. I do have a problem with terminology that suggests superiority based on preferences. I don't even assume you meant it that way and as such I meant you and mean you no animosity if you didn't.

Seriously like what you like... No problem.

Ride safe and all that too.

[rudyr]

I got a new 2018 Harley Heritage this year and look like the big brother to that sporter.  I like it.  It’s like a new gril friend you just want to ride it all the time.  But the forward controls do drag a lot.Rudyr

[yogidozer]

I got a new 2018 Harley Heritage this year and look like the big brother to that sporter.  I like it.  It�s like a new gril friend you just want to ride it all the time.  But the forward controls do drag a lot.Rudyr

So, the bike has the forward controls? Or is the girlfriend in drag? 
Coffee, more coffee 

[Rough Edge racing]

 I thought about a later model Sportster for a "sport touring" bike ....I sat on a friend's Sportster...I didn't really like the feel or the look of the bike and the rubber mounted engine sensation reminded me of why I sold the 97 Buell...A different seat, different shocks ,different fuel tank,a proper tuned two into one exhaust could make noticeable differences...for a not so small pile of money...I did like the fact they are  reliable and just need oil changes...And no matter where you ride in the USA, if something breaks, help is just a few miles away...And with so many of them for sale, prices are reasonable..

[Adk.IBO]

...good discussion in this one... yep, same for me, lots of bikes, Euros and Asians. Lots of happy miles. Figured I should own one Harley so second season with mostly local miles on my �17 Roadster, 14,000ish miles. Had to change the shocks (126lbs could not get preload low enough), raise the bars, change the seat, amongst other things but I�m as happy as can be expected. Other changes may continue, the availability of accessories home grown and aftermarket is amazing. Always over 50mpg, couple tanks over 60mpg. I carry 1/4 gallon of extra fuel so I�m not afraid to push the limit to over 160miles per fill, light on 120ish. Planned trip to Colorado next summer, should be fun, no hesitation with this bike.

[twowheeladdict]

If you are looking at new bikes, you owe it to yourself to test ride a few different model bikes before making your decision. 

Pick out a bike from the new softail lineup, and if you are strong enough to handle the Road King, take a new one for a ride as well. 

Considering the bike you are interested in, the Low Rider or the Street Bob might be a good choice to check out for a test ride.

Then you will have an informed decision if the Sportster is the bike for you. 

I personally like the look of the 48 special and need forward controls on all cruisers because of the low seat height and rider triangle, but what kept me from buying it at the time was the range with the peanut tank.  I might pick up a used one to have and for my niece to ride when she visits.  The V7 has her on tip toes.

[kingoffleece]

Change "gets it" to "preference" perhaps?

[Kev m]

Change "gets it" to "preference" perhaps?

Sure, no problems then.

And again, if there's no real mal-intent it's not a big deal either way. One just can't tell.

[oilhed]

Yup, LOTS of sportster experience what do you want to know?

And when you say not interested in other models, do you mean other Sportster models (like the CX Roadster)?

While you're at it.  What year & models had rubber motor mounts, mag wheels, dual discs up front and non-low, standard appearance with mid-controls?

[mjptexas]

While you're at it.  What year & models had rubber motor mounts, mag wheels, dual discs up front and non-low, standard appearance with mid-controls?

4 come to mind:

- 2004 to 2008? XL1200R Roadster
- 2008-2012 XR1200
- 2016-current XL1200CX Roadster

- 2005-2007 XL883R Sportster