I was at an event recently where Harley had a booth setup and I got to sit on a new Nightster.  This bike just looked mean.  Since then, I've become somewhat obsessed with it.  I haven't gone in for a test ride yet because I have a feeling I'll leave much poorer if I do.  Has anyone ridden either a Nightster or Sportster 1200 that can compare it to our bike? I know they're pretty different bikes and the Sporty is obviously much heavier but I can't stop thinking about it.  Thanks!  

Man that's a crazy story.  Glad he's OK.  I'm a bit surprised the little thumper was able to keep up with the HD but that's pretty cool.  I'm still curious if anyone's ridden both that can compare them.  I guess I just need to muster up some self control and go for a test ride.  Thanks!

I have an 02 Savage that I have put 34,000+ miles on  and an 08 Sportster 1200L that I have put a little over 2,000 miles on. The Sportster is now up for sale on CL.  Enough said.

HAHA!  I wrote out d-a-m-n and the forum changed it to darn.  Never seen that before.  I guess we have an instant TV-movie-edition censor built in!

the nightster has a vicious ride, not much travel and the engine shakes you through and through, the Iron 883 is much better, smaller engine, less shakin'  and seemed to have better road manners than the nightster, both handle good though.  the Savage is a much better value though. I love how the nightster looks, then I test rode one at a Harley Demo Days event (look for them in your area, harley has them all over where they bring a truck with their line up and you can test ride pretty much all you want all day and no real pressure to buy, unlike dealership test rides)  The ride on the nightster ruined the bike for me, just vicious, that seat is a pan, no real padding there and with the shaking from the engine, kinda made it worse. The sportster 1200 is better though, the seat has a bit more cushion to it so helps absorb the shaking a bit.  There's no huge benefit from going from a Suzuki Savage/S-40 to a sportster (any of them) though. only real benefit is no valve check.  The highway won't be very comfortable on either the sportsters or the savage, if you are used to the savage just keep it, mod it and make it rule!  and just fyi, a triumph bonneville is about the same cost as an 883 and has more horsepower than a 1200 better ride and handling too, if you can get past the sit on top not in feel of it.  

there are lots of options for bikes like the sportster 1200, I'd check them all out, suzuki has a few options that I think are pretty close to the sportster/nightster in looks and style, check out the intruders/s-50 and s-83 (vs800 and vs1400).  Honda Shadow RS is cool too.  

main drawback to the nightster besides the harsh ridin is lack of passenger stuff and where do you put bags?? and stuff like that, it's good for a single barhopper in town riding maybe even commuting if you don't have too much highway but wont' be good for long road trips if you're into that kinda thing or going in that direction

danthewrenchingman wrote on 07/26/11 at 10:04:38:


I don't really see the point.  I bet there aren't a ton of Savage fans other than those that own them, right?

Had a '01 LS650 that had a loud muffler and was re-jetted (see my avatar).  It was fun.   I woke up many a Harley pulling out and being right there with them.   People would come up a look at what was making all that noise.  (compression braking was a growling rumble...   ).  My son and I loved going on rides together.

Unfortunately, he grew and since I'm 5'11", we ran out of room on the bike.   (I really wish the LS650 was about 6 inches longer....   )

  So I picked up a fixer-upper Sportster on eBay.  Turns out it's a rare model  (1986 XLH 1100 , 1st year for the EVO engine and they were pushing the 883's not the large displacement bikes) . It has special heads made only in '86 and early '87 (sand-cast, large valves, with a shaped combustion chamber, they're referred to as "bathtub heads" because of the chamber shape).    Rare, powerful ...but..... no one looks at it.   I just blend into the crowd.          

  I do miss the Savage......