What harley sportster to get?

whats up everybody Im gonna be getting my first bike a harley sporster i dont want a ninja or any of that crap i want a nice cruiser and ive chose a harley sporster but my question is which one i was thinking the 883 lowrider since i like the low look of it and since im just starting out but then i was thinking maybe a 1200 but whats the difference in power and torque cause i dont want to get a bike that has too much power until i get some experience down so can anyone tell me what the difference is and what kind of sportster i should get i also like the nightster that just came out Im 5' 9 about 165 athletic build what do you guys and girls think any answer is appricated thank you for your time!

As usual useless effin' information. What the hell is a chick bike anyway? Post your question at www.hdforums.com so you can get advice from people that aren't mildly retarded. If you plan to buy a Harley it will be a useful forum for you anyway in the future. You really won't get a lot of useful info here.

starting out, get the 883!

Get the Street Glide or the Road King!

I'm gonna say good on you mate. Actually an 883 Sporty of ANY kind is a good choice. You ride the 883, and when the power no longer gives you a thrill, a date with the service department (and some CASH!!) will get you a 1200. Find the model you like and get it. Unlike those coal driven LOCOMOTIVES most HD loyalists ride, I actually LIKE Sportsters. Short of a VRod, a Sporty is where you're going to find the performance. Then comes the VRod. You're going to have to slam a Twincam in the luggage rack with a 75MPH semi to get on the same PLANET acceleration wise.

I think you should start with the bigger bike. You are getting a cruiser, so don't worry about the power & torque. It will have plenty of power, but a cruiser is designed to be just that. It will not react like a sport bike in any way. Go sit on that 1200, if it feels comfortable, get that one. I have only been riding for just over a year now.....my first bike was a Honda VTX1300....I got on it for the first time, rode it round the block, and said...."I should have gotten the 1800"...... you will be able to handle the 1200...Trust me.

BTW....three months into owning the Honda I traded it in for what I have now.......A 2008 Road King !! Love it !!!!

Don't listen to Stephen G up there (probably rides a scooter...), Sportsters are good bikes (not great, good) but pay special attention to the Nightster...

What a bitchin' bike.

You're new, so you should go with the 883, but when you feel comfortable with Sporty's go get that Nightster.

While I am not a fan of Harleys, I am a fan of riding motorcycles. Go with the 1200. The famous low end torque from the Milwaukee V-Twin makes the bike fairly easy to ride. The little extra power always come in handy.
BTW, are you aware the Sportser requires premium gas? That info is straight from the Harley-Davidson website. While Harleys are noted for good gas mileage, it will cost you on average 20 cents per gallon extra to fill up.
Good Luck

Here's the scoop from someone that is neither retarded nor lacking knowledge on bikes. (This is aimed at Kato). The last 1200 I rode basically had no torque issue while it was still stock. We gave it some 'nads by changing the pipes and rejetting, but it was still a Sportster- meaning I wanted to ride it on it's back tire. Sportsters are definitely NOT cruisers- they are built like big dirt bikes. And they ride like big dirt bikes. You try to put a couple of hundred miles on one in one day and you'll know exactly what I'm talking about.

Most folks that buy their first Harley (if they are novices), buy a sportster- then trade the sucker in within a year or two. The dealerships will likely tell you this.

No matter what bike you buy, you will have a learning curve. My husband's first bike was (and still is) a Wideglide. He is 5'10" but outweighed you by 30 pounds. When he bought it, it was stock- and perfect for learning. Stock pipes generally aren't really aggressive. There was little pull when shifting gears (torque). After he had about 1000 miles under his belt, I tossed him the keys to my Superglide- definitely NOT stock, but the same size engine. When he felt the difference (that bike snarled!), he came in saying, "What do we have to make mine do that?" Making that change was not cheap, but it was a lot cheaper than the loss of value you'll have by trading up in a couple of years. Three years later, he still has that bike, too. Though it's a 1340, it's been given enough guts that he gives my bike a run for the money, and my new bike is a 1580.

Whatever bike you buy, get engine guards on it. If (when) you drop the bike, it's a lot cheaper to replace the chrome than it is to replace paint- or legs.

Disclaimer- I'm writing this with the assumption that you are a grown-up. This has nothing to do with age, but with maturity. If you are the type that will get a big bike and try to be a bad boy, don't get a Harley. They are way too expensive for a bike that is going to be trashed.

In response to hdqt95........Obviously you shouldn;t be answering like you have experience and good info for the guy. You say that you can;t ride a Sportster comfortably for more than a couple hundred miles? Maybe you should stay on your vespa then. I can easily go 700 miles in a day on the Sporty. Yahoo Answers is by far the worst place to get any kin of Harley info or help. Like stated above, go to www.hdforums.com . They will actually offer useful, truthful advice to you.

Sportster's a chick bike ............................

Any other Harley but that ..........................

Get the one thats not gay.... oh wait, its a Harley.... I guess you don't have a choice. Well then, make sure and dress up in Harley leather with frills and chaps - that way nobody will think your gay.