Addition to the fleet: '95 XLH1200

[gtem]

Have thought about getting a sportster for a few years now ever since I had a taste of Harley v-win in the form of a 1980 Low Rider. The Shovelhead was cool but I hated having $8k tied up in a bike. This Sportster comes to me with 11k miles and $1500 worth of recent dealer service (new tires, tune up, etc) and I scooped it up for $2000. A turn key bike for once. A few small odds and ends to address at some point (missing front heat shield, burned out neutral light) but she's ready to ride as she sits. I'm planning on switching it back to mid controls but other than that I'm just planning to ride it to work and for day trips.

[Radioguylogs]

Congratulations gtem!

That's quite an attractive price for a nice Harley. You can't go wrong.

[LAB3]

That's quite an attractive price for a nice Harley. You can't go wrong.

Yeah, almost TOO good. With just having $1500 worth of service done I'd get a few hundred miles on it before ringing the victory bell.

[cajun31]

Have thought about getting a sportster for a few years now ever since I had a taste of Harley v-win in the form of a 1980 Low Rider. The Shovelhead was cool but I hated having $8k tied up in a bike. This Sportster comes to me with 11k miles and $1500 worth of recent dealer service (new tires, tune up, etc) and I scooped it up for $2000. A turn key bike for once. A few small odds and ends to address at some point (missing front heat shield, burned out neutral light) but she's ready to ride as she sits. I'm planning on switching it back to mid controls but other than that I'm just planning to ride it to work and for day trips.

Very nice-looking bike for 95. Hopefully, at that price, you don't have any major issues to resolve.

[Supersport396]

I Had a 78 Lowrider when they came out. Prior to that I had a Sportster. I restored this 67 Sporty a few years ago. It was a very original bike.

[cajun31]

I loved the look of the low riders back then. The only problem at the time was AMF owned Harley and they had severe quality control issues. We used to call them bowling balls. Was really the reason I started purchasing Yamaha's back then. My first purchase was the 1978 Yamaha 650 Special and then I traded that in on my 1980 Yamaha XS1100 Midnight Special which I still own to this day. When I bought the 1100 I seem to remember that the low rider was selling for a little over 6 thousand and the 1100 was 4200 and like I said Harley was owned by AMF.

[Supersport396]

My Low Rider was a 78 1/2...they came out mid year and my recollection was it was $3850. Yes quality really was an issue. I sold it 3 years later with a flat front tire and a broken starter for $3800 LOL. I then bought my 81 XS1100 special new but can't recall what it was.....somewhere around over 4k. Loved it and wanted one back and just picked up one last month with 6k miles on it. very nice bike.

By the way nice score on the Sportster!

[gtem]

This was my '80 Low Rider that I had bought down in Knoxville back in the spring of 2023. Paid $6k for it, spent a bit of time and money going through it undoing some aftermarket stuff. Heads had been modified for dual plugs, S&S knock-off carb. Really neat bike to ride, I quite liked it. But I just didn't trust it to not blow up on me (fear of the unknown, my first Harley of any kind). Sold it, broke even on it. This Evo sportster I think is a much better fit for me money wise and not having to sweat things.

[Supersport396]

Very nice.....Mine was grey with red tank lettering but had the straight bars and recall it did not handle well. Disc brakes were marginal at best too. But I did love the big twin feel!

[LAB3]

Bought an 83 Low Rider brand new right off the showroom floor, kept it until 1990 when bike culture started to shift toward the yuppie "identity" version. Been on rice ever since!

[gtem]

Bought an 83 Low Rider brand new right off the showroom floor, kept it until 1990 when bike culture started to shift toward the yuppie "identity" version. Been on rice ever since!

The Harley "cultural baggage" thing is very real unfortunately. The newer bikes I really don't "get" either ($30k Roadglides with TFT screens for dashes etc). But boy the single crank pin "potato potato" sound and feel is something I admit to enjoying greatly. That Shovelhead looked and felt like a piece of steam-era industrial equipment and I geek out over that aspect. To have that era of Harley sitting side by side with a '78 XS1100 in the garage is kind of stupefying to consider how far apart they are, doubly so when you consider their MSRPs when new where so far apart (Yamaha being half the cost of the Harley). The Evo isn't *quite* as cool, but at a third of the price it still makes the right sounds, and being solid mounted, feels similar enough to that Low Rider.

My neighbor has an 09 Road King and told me that at the local HOG chapter meet ups he's generally on the oldest bike there. Most people in this local chapter atleast prefer to own something under warranty and few if any seem to know how/care to turn a wrench on their own bikes.

[Supersport396]

I brought that 67 Sportster to a local bike night. It's magneto, no battery kick start only. When I went to start it, all the "bikers" crowded around because it's not a one kick wonder so it took a few minutes and I'll bet many of them never saw an old Ironhead started that way. And yes that potato 1300 rpm big low end torque is a really cool feeling. I may sell it this spring because it's so primitive LOL.

[Timbox]

Good for you and congrads on the bike. It is a really clean bike for an HD for $2k. I have tried dipping my toe into the HD bikes, but after my 02 Softail and I didn't have the same riding style, I had to let her go. I would grind parts of the bike so bad that even jumped the rear tire off the ground twice. The second time I had to let her go. I am now looking for a better lean angle HD, I think they make two of the bikes that have maybe a 37-degree lean angle.

I would also have to wrap my head around the engineering of the bikes, that and three oil change. Engine, primary and trans all have separate oil. I would love to see the new style Pan American motor in something the HD puts out that is not an adventure bike. Still hoping.