Help! Help! The darkness! It has me!

[Sprockette]

So, I'm going to treat myself to a new bike next year. Been looking at all the bikes I could and many different ones have grabbed my attention, not many of them quite so "off-road friendly". I've tried to test ride as many as I can to see which ones fit and haven't yet tried them all.

But now I have a tickley little whisper in my ear, one that has growing swoon-factor for me *prepares herself for onslaught of jeering*

A Harley Davidson Iron 883:



Look at it! It's so beautiful! *strokes screen admiringly* And it makes a lovely sound too:

[video][/video]

Although admittedly, those are Vance & Hines shouty bits, but still...

I am seriously tempted, off to nearest Harley Dealer this week to see about a test ride.

Clint Eastwood rides a Harley off road in "The Guantlet" two-up with Sondra Locke, seems to cope fine. :whistle:

[Selous]

my mate has 5 Flying Pigs, HOG's I did think about it for a while, but got told that the vibrations on the Sportster 883 will rattle your fillings out, may be just what a young lady wants? :whistle:

Sprockette IMHO, you really need to test ride as many bikes and then decide what you really want, as buying a bike is an expensive mistake, unless you have won the lottery.

what I would say about the HOG they are a lot of £££ for not that modern i.e. cable throttle, & clutch, also it seems compulsorily to get any power out of a 'Pig' you have to have Stage 1 or 2 done & all the Screaming Eagle Bling you can afford, of course if you buy New you get your first years Free membership of HOG aka Self internal advertising Mag, for all the RUBS, & dont for get you will not see many Pigs about in Autumn or winter, because they don't like the cold wet or being ridden too far.

If you can't resist a Posing Cruiser have a look at the Triumphs in stead.

I wished I had the ££ for all the bikes I want
Touring Bike my Bandit 1250 2010,
Posing Bike hand made Chop with S & S Lump.
Classic Bike Triumph T120 or 140
ABR, Green Lanes BMW F650 GS, or Dakar
Winter Hack MT350
quick flit to shops BSA Bantum

[Sprockette]

Sprockette IMHO, you really need to test ride as many bikes and then decide what you really want, as buying a bike is an expensive mistake, unless you have won the lottery.

*snip*

If you can't resist a Posing Cruiser have a look at the Triumphs in stead.

Great advice Selous, I've been test riding bikes as much as possible this year (and having a whale of a time!) :woohoo:

I don't know, a bike's a bike in my book. Any bike will do most things you want.

[Tyrant68]

My ex has one on matt black as his first bike.
I hate to admit it but its actually a nice looking bike.

[Mr Dean]

Sprockette IMHO, you really need to test ride as many bikes and then decide what you really want, as buying a bike is an expensive mistake, unless you have won the lottery.

*snip*

If you can't resist a Posing Cruiser have a look at the Triumphs in stead.

Great advice Selous, I've been test riding bikes as much as possible this year (and having a whale of a time!) :woohoo:

I don't know, a bike's a bike in my book. Any bike will do most things you want and anything it won't do you just work out something different to get around it. I'm just happy to have any bike really, there's far more important things going on in the world to take up my thoughts and energy. If I'm honest about it, I don't really mind if it vibrates, if its like gliding on silk, costs more than its apparent worth, is over or under powered, what people imagine my motivations for owning one is, if breaks down all the time, or is so reliable and over-engineered its as dull as ditch-water. I'm buying with my heart in the future, not my head.

I tried that "buying with forethought" thing before *shudder*, it has never really worked out for me :laugh: :laugh: Three apparently "very reliable" bikes all died a very early mechanical or electrical death and my 19 year old 98cc road-bike-turned-trailie keeps on ticking! :blink:

I'll buy the bike that "sings" to me the clearest and that I get the most out of riding. Pose factor is not really an issue for me, I go for grin factor. My favourite places to ride are the places where there are no other people rather than busy cafes or meets. Whatever bike I get it will be ridden in the winter and it will bloody-well like it! :laugh: I have a hose pipe and I'm ACF-50's biggest fan Anyway, a bike can just be for Christmas, not always for life. If I can't get on with it, I'll release it into the wild (or, at the very least, Bike Trader/The Bay of E!).

Edit: Hope this doesn't sound aggressive, not meant to be.

No it does not sound aggressive it makes a lot of sence. Reading your post sounds just like what my wife would say to some of your points If she was into bike but she's not (but thats another story )
Your perfectly right as in "Any bike will do most things you want and anything it won't do you just work out something different to get around it" (might use that as a signiture quote one day if you do not mind)

I had 3 in site after my test a couple you have listed,(new bikes) triumph scrambler, Honda trans alp, And the one I got was the BMW F650 GS twin.... wanted the one with a bit more (maybe its a man thing) another gear, more BHP but i think the clincher was its backing and due to the 800gs the huge amount of farkles and add ons................ never had a test ride at purchase i couldnt as i had not passed my test , has to watch-follow a friend riding back to mine. then through more than 3.5K at it personalising it (dont tell swmbo) :laugh: im happy and its a keeper.

mind if I won the big one ide have a KTM 990 R fully loaded additional tanks the works, an original africa twin, and a big harley probably a Road King. keep my F650gs of course and my wife 25 years this year and shes a keeper also.


What ever you decide keep us up to date and enjoy. B) :laugh:

[stanbloke]

Tink really carefully about what you want to do with the new bike Sprokette.

Touring / trailriding or commuting / road stuff ?.

A wrong choice of bike can really limit you to what you do with it but, the right choice can open up new horizons

Harleys are pants (just my opinion) overpriced and unreliable :pinch: , something like a transalp 700 will take you and your kit anywhere you want to go ....and back again !!.

But if you are 6 ft tall with long legs....get a 990S ...you'll love it.

Your choice , your money...Good luck. .

[Warthog]

If you like that, then have a look at this:



Personally, although not a custom fan, I like the Guzzi Bellagio. I sat on it. Like a sofa. A 95BHP sofa. Real world, I'd say a more practical choice than the HD. I say that with the expertise of some one who has only ever ridden one Guzzi and one Hog. Neither being those in question here!

Still with Guzzi, the V11 drives me wild (That is the one I test rode once).


Unfaired is pretty nice.


As is the V7:



Annoying when someone sticks another 3 bikes onto an already arm long list though, eh?
:whistle:

[Lee]

I'll be interested to hear what you think of the W800 – that bike really appeals (more so than a Bonnie)

[Lancastermick]

Go for it Sprockette! Live your life, ride the bikes that give you a shiver. If they turn out shit, sell them and get something else. You walk away satisfied and enriched by the experience.

Too many beautiful bikes out there, ride as many as you can! Wooohooo! :woohoo: :cheer:

[PaulinBont]

The 883 is a very underrated bike and mistakenly scorned by those on what they consider bigger "real" Harleys.
If you read "Good Vibrations-Coast to Coast by Harley" by Tom Cunliffe, whilst he did the trip on a 1200 Sportster, his wife Roz rode the 883 Sportster across America and back-much humble pie was eaten by those who said it couldn't be done.

In your mix you also mentioned the TTR250. I was looking for a lighter bike than my F800 for playing about in the mud and considered the TTR, the Serow, XR250 and the DRZ400 before going for a Husqvarna TE250. At just over 100Kg it is easy to pick up when dropped in the muddy, boggy, peaty stuff-and Touratech have a catalogue brimming with enough 'farkles' to turn it into a serious adventure bike. It is 'only' a 250 but after all, but the Serow got Lois Pryce from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego and through Africa, so another one to consider maybe?