[SteveZ]

Oh...the question of life...how big a bike???

I guess I'm an old-school type. I go by the philosophy "never get a bike bigger than you can lift." Eventually, the day will come when the bike is laying on its side and you have to raise it. This is not to say that you dumped the bike, because it has been known that scurrious folk will knock it over when you are not to be seen.

I've got a 2005 XL1200R Sporty and wouldn't trade it for the most expensive hog on the road. The bike and I have seen Interstate time in several states (including FL), and it has proven to be as responsive on the Interstate as it is on the back roads. It sits "wet" at around 575 pounds, and non-muscular me is able to raise it without help. I ride it everywhere, from local spins to Rolling Thunder, with no complaint. There are some who want more "mileage" out of a tank of gas (I get about 125 tops), but then again, after 90 minutes I'm more than ready to give the rear end (mine, not the bike's) a break anyway.


While I love my Harley, if I ever was to go after a monster-bike, the Yamaha Star line to me has the best bang for the buck. Had a Yamaha 650 roadster and it was fabulous. But, the odds of a change are very slim, mainly because the Sporty does everything I want - decent on long trips and fabulous on shorter ones.

The price of the bike should not be the issue - it's what do you REALLY feel comfortable handling?

All that aside, if you get the Sporty, suggest you consider a windscreen (love bugs don't taste good!), engine guard (it pays for itself 10X if the bike is knocked over), and the replacement seat (the stock seat is lousy, but the big cushion seat is great).