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1st bike

Don't know how the market is in the UK, but Hobbit' used HD idea is a very good idea for a couple reasons...1) 883 or 1200 or 1340 cubic inch displacement really does not make much difference nearly as much as the riding "style" you intend to pursue. 2) I bought an 04 for a number of reasons, opportunity, simple carburetion (vs. EFI), dual disk brakes (my metric experience and style of riding means "crisp cornering & braking with two fingers", rubber mounted engine (smoother long term) with light weight 600 lb cruiser, rather than 800 lbs bagger for relaxed ride solo & two-up riding. Only you can decide what you want for your 1st ride...happy hunting!
 
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thanks for refreshing this subject as it is now more relevant than ever given the fact that i passed my test yesterday morning. i do still love the iron but on the advice of you good people i have looked at a couple of older bikes too & heres the short list:

new 883 iron, 0 miles, £5600
dec 07 883, 6800 miles, £4000
dec 06 883, 1800 miles, £4000
april 06 883R, 8600 miles, £4400 (looks brand new)

none of the above have any extras.
the 888R is the only one with a dual seat & rear pegs.
the thing i liked most about the iron was the fact it was blacked out but the 883R above also has that look which i really do like.

(uk posters/uk market) do these prices seem about right of do you think i can better them if i keep looking?

thanks in advance for all your advice & opinions.
 
Hi mate,as most people use the 883 as their 1st Harley they keep them for a couple months then upgrade, therefore there are hundreds of good low mileage second hand 883's out there going for silly money, as for ideal 1st bike? its got plenty of power but wont make you jump, but it will go some if you want to wring its neck, good 1st bike in my opinion, enjoy
 
You won't go wrong with the sportster, you will love it. After riding nothing but metric bikes and not riding at all in the last 5 years, I went to the Harley dealer and rode off with a 1200 custom. It is a great bike and really enjoy it. Kick myself for not doing it sooner.
 
I bought a Suzuki Bandit 1255 today and rode it back from Oxford. It's a lovely smooth engine and goes like a rocket. Once I was home I jumped on my 883 Sporty which has been Stage 1ed. It's not as fast but it's a lot more fun to ride and it's just a beautiful Harley. The Screamin Eagle II pipes are great to listen to - throaty and gutsy and it's got plenty of poke. My advice is buy a Sporty 883 and have Stage 1 upgrade done to it as soon as you're comfortable with it. I love the Sporty and would recommend it to anyone.
 
west yorks uk said:
good evening forum members, im new to the forum, new to harley davidson & new to motorbikes in general. im posting this in hope of a bit of advice, im currently doing a block course to pass my motorbike test which i hope to have compleated in the not too distant future & when i pass my test im seriously considering buying a new 883 iron. i would like some opinions & advice on weather or not this is a good choice for a first bike or would i be better buying something a bit cheaper & bit older at first or even something thats not a HD with a smaller engine as im so inexperienced. i wouldnt use the bike every day it would be mainly used for weekend pleasure, any help would be greatly recieved.

thanks for your help in advance.
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yesterday i bought my first ever bike, i took the advice of a few people & got a used one. its a sept 08 883r with full stage 1 its got 3500 miles on it . in 5 minuts im going out on it for my first proper harley ride. thanks for the advice off of everyone especially hobbit who has answered all my tiresome newbie kind of questions via pm this week.
 
west yorks uk said:
yesterday i bought my first ever bike, i took the advice of a few people & got a used one. its a sept 08 883r with full stage 1 its got 3500 miles on it . in 5 minuts im going out on it for my first proper harley ride. thanks for the advice off of everyone especially hobbit who has answered all my tiresome newbie kind of questions via pm this week.
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Good man! Get out there and enjoy it and keep the rubber side down! The Sporty is a lovely nimble bike to ride - I've been working my way through all the test rides at my local HD dealer and they're all special in their own ways but when I jump back on my Sporty and take off - Yahooooooo. I'll get a bigger bike hopefully next year, but I'm keeping my Sporty - she's just a beaut.:D
 
good evening all, i passed my test in oct 08,nov 1st i picked up a 1200sportster custom 55 plate,iwas going to get a brand new 883,but when i sat down and did a bit of number crunching with the xtras i wanted on eg touring seat ,engine bars,screaming eagle pipes, back rack, sissy bar & stage 1 ,i decided to buy a used with all the bits i wanted plus it had been run in,the bike had 6000 on the clock after 3 years,i 've put 3000 on since nov,
 
west yorks uk said:
yesterday i bought my first ever bike, i took the advice of a few people & got a used one. its a sept 08 883r with full stage 1 its got 3500 miles on it . in 5 minuts im going out on it for my first proper harley ride. thanks for the advice off of everyone especially hobbit who has answered all my tiresome newbie kind of questions via pm this week.
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Congratulations on your find...enjoy the ride and we look forward to pix and posts as your treasure chest of experiences fills...as Cedarbrook said earlier...YAHOOOO! :D
 
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