Looking at the used market. I see sportsters going for as low as $2500-$3500 for what looks to be a clean bike. I’m not dumping $6-$7K on a first bike. I like the look of the Sportsters. But what do I look for as far as mechanicles go? Assuming it’s clean, runs well and rides well, are there any stand-out things on the 883 Sportsters that I need to be aware of? I am mechanically inclined and work in the auto repair industry (collision shop), just never on bikes.

Why not get the 1200 if you want a sportster?

No real reason other than I don’t need it for my first street bike. If I find one and the price is right then I won’t pass it up just because.

The sportster engine is reliable, maintenance is easy. They're heavy and underpowered compared to other bikes in similar classes, but if you're on one to just cruise and put around on. Go for it.

Dont confuse the engine displacement on an XL with metric bikes.
Get a 1200 unless you plan on doing the 1200 conversion on the 883.

Also if you want a starter bike and it diesnt have to be a harley look at the metric cruisers. You might find a cheaper bike.

I never hear anything good about the 883.

The 883 should run fine, but they're underpowered and usually not that much cheaper than the 1200. You may find that you outgrow the 883 quickly, abs then you're looking to upgrade.

At one time HD had a deal on the 883s where if you bought one new you could ride it for a year, then trade in on a bigger bike and they would give you the original purchase price of the 883 towards the new bike. I'm sure the math worked out in HD favor but it was good marketing.

For the OP if you want a Sportster I'd skip the 883 and go to the 1200 from the start. It seems that most entry level riders that start with the 883 are soon shopping for 1200 conversion kits.

Most new riders always regret buying to small of a bike at first.  Forget the 883, I know many gals that started with 1200's only to trade them in for the bigger bikes a year or to later.

The whole "dont start small" advice has its merit. If this is your first bike you WILL move up eventually (if you keep riding) so keep that in mind. I started out on a 500 but wound up on an 1100 and rode that for years. My first harley was a 1200custom and less than a year traded up to a dyna.


That said, the sportster is a solid engine. Its based on the evolution motor with a unitized transmission. The evo use to be the powerplant for their bigger bikes till the twin cam came online. Its the motor that critics say saved harley.

When shopping be careful with what custom work people have done to their bikes.

I would stay away from HD’s for a first bike.  I would recommend going with a bike that has better lean angles.  Newbies do dumb stuff, having a bike that is a little more forgiving is always good.  I like bikes that you can lean into a corner without leaving metal on the asphalt.  Being able to lean can save your ass when you go too hot into a corner.

I got back into biking after 30 years, Bought an old Sportster and took the MSF course.  A year later Sold the 883, and bought a Used, hopped up, well maintained Road King, the Swiss Army knife of Harley touring bikes.   Love the power, the bags for trips or groceries.  Install a windshield and tour pack, go on a trip in comfort.  Pop off the tour pack and windshield, cruise around town in style.  I love my Road King, putting about 7500 miles a year on it now, ride everyday it’s warm enough and not raining.

I weigh 230, and a 883 had its tongue hanging out on the interstate.  Road King has tons of power left at any speed I want to go.  For me the sportier was a good step to get my road legs under me, heavy enough to prepare me for a Touring bike, but not enough power for traveling.

If I was starting cold, I’d buy a KLR, ride dirt and trails, learn how to ride, then hit the highway with a touring bike.   Looking for a KLR right now to ride with my buddy, who isn’t ready for the road yet, and to take short trips to save the road ling from excess wear and tear.  

Have fun, do stupid stuff on the soft dirt, ride cautious with your head on a swivel on the road...lots of distracted cagers out there staring at their cell phones.  Bikes are like guns, can’t have just one.

Displacement is almost a useless metric unless you are comparing bikes that are at least a similar class. There is so much variety in engine types and power levels now you just have look at actual tested power levels.

I’m a small guy at 5’8” and 135 soaking wet. I don’t need a ton of power. I just want to ride my short 13 mile commute and tool around on the weekend. I have no desire to ride long trips and don’t want the bags and windshield and stuff. I ride dirt bikes a little years ago but never anything on the street so it will definitely be a new experience.

What a lot of us are saying is that the 883 is anemic and even though you are light the 1200 is a better option 99% of the time. The 1200 harley motor is closer to where something like a Honda 750 would be.

Gotcha

There's a lot more options to the beginner/small cruiser crowd than sportsters. Unless you're just wanting the name look into Honda Kawasaki and Suzuki cruisers. Many of them make a bike close to a sportster but more refined and with different features you may be interested in. Metric companies also make lots of cruisers bigger than sportsters, but smaller than a road glide or "bigger" Harley. Metric cruisers are almost always cheaper and more reliable than a comparable Harley.

If good = fast, then you’re right. The 883s are bulletproof and a good blank canvas for someone wanting to customize a bike. I’d get the 1200 because an 883 is a bit of a dog, or do as others have stated and get the 1200 kit.

Unless you are really hung up on cruisers and the HD brand, there are a lot better bikes out there to do what you are talking about.  I would definitely suggest a standard bike with an upright seating position.  It is a lot more natural to balance the bike at a light if you are upright already.  Then you also have a better platform for when you go and hit the mountains.  A current gen SV650, CB500x or a MT-07/XSR700 would be a good bike for a starter.

A small Shadow is a much better bike and can be found cheaper.

And yeah, an upright standard really is the way to go.

I'll buck the trend.  I'd NEVER buy a 1200.  I'd rather get the 883 for cheaper, and swap in an aftermarket 1275 kit and go hog wild pushing 100HP on it.  In fact that's what I did, but with a 1250 kit.  The sweet spot for the Sportsters, IMHO is the 00-03 bikes.  Best brakes and handling of the entire lineup.  The rubber mounts and EFI bikes seriously porked up in weight and their handling went to shit.  Yeah they vibrate slightly less, but in comparison to what you give up you'd honestly be better off getting a Dyna.  

That said....the bolt is a superior bike in stock vs stock form.  They both have shit suspensions and shit seats, but the Yamaha bolt was just better executed as a platform

Stop worrying about the look of a bike and just get something reliable, comfortable, and cheap to get you on the road asap.

Set a max price that you're willing to spend and search all the local bikes on facebook/cycletrader.

In that price range and local, I'd be looking at a VStar, Rebel, Boulevard S40/S50, or a Shadow.

Years ago when I got back into riding, I looked at several different bikes. The top two were the 883 and Suzuki S40 (650cc single). For a first bike, I went with the S40. They are really close in performance when you look at power to weight ratios. The main difference was top end speed. But a new rider shouldn't worry about that. I also has a Suzuki S50 and that thing was quick for it's size and handled great. I also had a Yamaha V-Star 1100 classic which was really close to the HD Heritage Soft tail. I also had a HD Street Glide and Ultra Limited Low before getting the HD Tri Glide. I have owned pretty much every brand over the years, they all have their good and bad.

If you are set on getting a Sportster, then go with the 1200 like others have said. I would definitely look at other brands too. The Honda cruisers and V-Star cruisers are pretty bullet proof.

I have a large sport touring bike (ST1300) for commuting and have very little interest in owning a Sportster, but the Bolt has been on my radar since it was released. It just looks like a good all-around "beater" bike that could be used as a commuter, yet is still capable of being entertaining on the weekends...and it doesn't come with any of HD-owner, pirate wannabe image.

The 07 883 was the first year of fuel injection. In 08 went to 25 point injectors.

The 07 to 09 have an interesting issue. Water can get behind the fuse/relay box and short out the system relay. I carried a spare when I had my 08 883. Issue was fixed in 10 with a new relay style.

Stock rear shocks blow. Put on a pair of progressive 412s and the bike handles better especially at highway speed.

The other two things that help. Braided steel brake line on the front improves braking performance. Change out the stock seat stock gives poor support.

Bought a new 08 and sold it in 2016 with 33k miles.

My first bike was a sportster 1200. I outgrew it quickly. I recommend either a cheap 1200 to learn on for 6 months or so, then get a streetbob 103, minimum

Or jump straight to a bob

Another cheapish option is a victory octane. They are insanely smooth riding with great power stock. I had a friend with one and we swapped rides pretty often. I loved the octane

The woman in the first video is 4ft-something & she has little trouble with tossing a big bike around. ‘Motorman’ Jerry Paladino’s wife is a little over 5ft tall, yet she throws big Harley touring bikes around like they owe her money. They all say the same thing, though; ‘Size doesn’t matter once the wheels start to turn’.

My concern is that you would get bored of the Sportster shortly, and then you would probably take a beating when you sell it or trade it in for something bigger.

I bought a Sportster just after the new year. A 2013 1200 Seventy Two.

I love it. Get what you want.

I really don't see a used price difference between the 883 and 1200.

Avoid bubba'ed out meth head hack jobs and ride safe.

Avoid the hack jobs no matter what bike you decide on.  Especially avoid any bike that has had the baffles and/or mufflers removed and ran that way for any amount of time.

I miss my 883 low. It’s only drawback was passenger comfort.

I'm on my 5th season with my 883. It's had very few problems and still runs like a top at 30k.
The engine and carb are dead simple to work on.
The 883 is geared lower than the 1200 so keep that in mind. It will run 70 all day but a passenger will tax it.
I've had mine to 100mph but it ain't fun. 4th at 60 and 5th at 70 is the sweet spot.
With American Elite tires it corners great. I'm still working on the last 1/4" of the chicken strips on the rear tire.
The forks could use a brace if you are going to be doing hard cornering.
The brakes could use some work (braided lines as mentioned above).
The Sportster is a smaller framed bike so you may feel cramped on it.
The 2003 is 50# lighter than later model rubber mounted engine.
If you like to modify, there are 87 billion parts available for the HDs.

I just installed a Hammer 1250 kit in mine and am currently breaking it in.
There is very little wear on the original jugs and pistons however the valve guides were leaking. (It did a lot of sitting before I got it)

A Harley is a Harley but there are better products out there (depends on what you are looking for).
Get what blows your skirt up.

ETA: There's about a $1000 difference between the 883 and 1200.
Also keep in mind the 1 liter premium on insurance.

Take a motorcycle safety course and get your skills back on one of their bikes. Then take your newly minted license and go to dealers and try out a few bikes - new and used.  You might find yourself liking something completely different than you thought you would based on specs and visual appearance alone.  Compare and ride.  I ended up in a completely different direction than intended when I bought my first bike.

I sent a set of heads to Dan and maxed out what you can do on a set of non XB heads. The bike SCREAMS now.

I forgot about the gearing. I've done so much to my bike that I forget what stock was like. Forgot the fork springs suck, replaced them with progressive units.  Forgot the rear shocks are trash (they all are in this price range) as I replaced them with road king air shocks (huge improvement....but you gotta weight closer to 200# to justify this.  Op would do better with progressives that drop the ass some)

In complete honesty OP....I'd not buy a Sportster knowing what I know now. Fun little hot rod bike for ripping around on short commutes but beyond that they kinda blow. Mine is setup like a cafe had an affair with a street fighter to take full advantage of the limits of this bike.

I have four bikes and I still want a Sportster for under 3K. I say set your price point, say $2500. Get your Sportster and resell it for the same price or a few bucks cheaper. If you buy right, it becomes a cheap temp..
Get a nice, tight helmet.

As others have said get the 1200. Weight is the same,the added torque will make it much easier to ride.

I'm 5'8" and a bit heavier, and still consider myself a 'new rider'.  

My first bike, if you can call it that, was a Yamaha XT350 the USAF Combat Controllers leaned against a dumpster (they couldn't DRMO it because they had no paperwork for it).  I learned on it a little for about four months until the magneto went out, then I sold it to someone that could fix it.

Twenty years later I found another XT350 and re-learned a little more.  I had that bike for about a year before my work told me they were going to PCS me away from where I was, so I sold it.

About eight years after that I decided I wanted a real bike to learn real riding.  I picked up a Honda NC700 for a song, and it was a great learner.  Very low center of gravity and short wheel-base made it easy to ride, even though at 5'8" I could only get the balls of my feet on the ground.  I sold the bike this year.

All that to say- I still consider myself an inexperienced rider.

I would not dream of learning on any heavy HD, the only good thing is you can probably get both feet flat on the ground, which is helpful when you're in line at the base gate and the traffic isn't moving fast enough to ride, so you duck-walk it.

Lots of good advice in here already, especially the part about wanting more power in the future.  But take it with a grain of salt!  If your learning experience is sucky because the bike is a heavy pig, you may end up getting out of it altogether.  If you wreck the bike because it isn't learner friendly, you may be out by direction (wife) or by default (you get maimed or dead).  So yes, you may want a bigger bike later, but get the bigger bike later.  Learn on something you can learn on.

EDIT to add:  Think of it this way; If I want to train someone new to shooting handguns how to shoot a handgun, I'm not going with a .357 magnum, even if I believe that's the caliber they'll eventually want.  I'll start them with a .22 to learn safety, form, and function.

Look at a Yamaha Bolt if your not ready to maintain an air cooled engine.

Take a peek and see if you can find a Royal Enfield used. This one new is 5K. It is a cool bike.

https://www.royalenfield.com/us/en/motorcycles/bullet-500/#gallery

If I could only have one bike and the price had to be sub 5K, I would get the Ninja 400 used.

https://www.kawasaki.com/products/2020-Ninja-400-ABS?cm_re=MPP-_-PRODUCTTRIMLIST-_-VEHICLEDETAILS

650cc minimum!

The Bolt is air cooled.

ok.. got me.

compared to the Harley the Bolt is the most reliable.