My Choice of 2009 Models

What qualifies me to recommend any Harley? I have a 2002 883 Sportster I bought second-hand from Harley Davidson Gateway in April, 2005 with 1100 km's on the odometer. It now is a 1200cc with 52000 km's done all over South Africa. Trips to Montagu, Colesburg, Richards Bay,St. Lucia, Natal Midlands and the Wild Coast have been major contributors to the distance covered. I have also had the pleasure of riding a 2008 Dyna Street Bob for 3 days, a 2007 Dyna Super Glide Custom, a 2008 Fat Bob for 2 days, a 2008 Fat Boy for 3 days, a 2008 Nightster on a breakfast run and for a day, a quick ride on the exciting Softail Rocker, and the 2009 Sportster 1200L. No Tourers or V-rods.

My comments:

2008 Nightster - Very easy to ride, very progressive power characteristics, nothing scary. Looks small for a Harley, handles well. Standard seat quickly becomes hard. Wouldn't like to ride to Montagu on this seat. (My bike has a well padded, widish seat that is comfortable for rider and pillion over long distances). Has plenty speed, but the small Sportster tank can bring the "reserve" light on after 140 km's when used freely. Has interesting novelty features (brake lights incorporated in indicators, black front forks with rubber gaitors that don't show rusting easily). Will appeal to Harley wannabees who don't want to ride long distances, but look good on a weekly breakfast run.

2002 Sportster 883 XL (My bike). - Has good ground clearance, handles great (for a Harley), comfortable with R5000.00 add on Harley Sportster seat, change to 1200cc pistons and barrels with carburettor kit after 35000km's made it feel like a whole new bike. Still has 883 gearing (changing would make the speedo and odometer inaccurate), so it accelarates really strongly. Broke the drive belt recently (only the third one ever seen broken by the HD Durban workshop). Still has standard footpeg positions (as opposed to traditional Harley feet forward), which makes for a strange, bent leg feeling when 

changing from one of the Dyna's to this. The other big change from standard is the Screaming Eagle exhausts, which make a huge difference to riding the bike. This bike still has the motor which isn't rubber mounted and no fuel injection. Lots of vibration. Not a grannies bike. Love it to bits, but want to trade up.

2007 Dyna Super Glide Custom - This bike had forward foot pegs, 1450cc motor, loud pipes. Forward controls make for a more open comfortable ride when on the move, but initially one finds oneself searching with the left foot for the peg when pulling away from the robot. More pressure on the brake pedal needed, but is quickly adjusted to. Power and sound are addictive. Wonderful music for the ears. Nice bike, looked very good. The Super Glide Custom is the Dyna with all the Chrome Bling on.

2008 Fat Boy - This bike has "floor boards" as opposed to footpegs, a nice wide comfortable seat, the latest 1575cc motor (awesome), wide front wheel. Like sitting in your lounge chair. Corners just about the same. (I have a couple of friends with Fat Boys - won't be popular). I feel this bike bridges the gap between Street Bob and Tourer nicely. A good tourer, but grounds on the corners at any decent speed. I managed to ground the boards within 10 minutes of getting on the bike. Speed and comfort are the strong points of this bike. My friends have also done really nice paint jobs on theirs, making them serious eye-catchers.

2008 Fat Bob - This interesting bike arrived in the country with a lot of hype on looks and handling. Quickly identified by its double headlights, lowish handlebars and fat front tyre. Also the latest 1575cc motor (still awesome), so lots of power, but feels very comfortable while accellarating. Doesn't feel faster than my 1200 Sporty up to 140km's, but then you can just change up into sixth on the Fat Bob and keep on accelarating. Feels a lot safer than the Sporty at high speed. Not so comfy at low speed at the traffic lights. When going between cars and pavement up to the robot, that fat front tyre wants to follow the grooves in the road, and lots of concentration and holding the handlegrips is required to keep it straight. A very nice ride.

2008 Dyna Street Bob - The basic stripped down Dyna with Satin (matt) paint job, high handlebars (ape-hangers) and "get out of my way or else" looks. Had the pleasure of using this bike for doing a 70's theme show with the dolphins at the Ushaka Marine World. This bike has the latest1575cc motor (yes, awesome), low single seat (good padding), but needs the key turned in the ignition on the frame on the right below the tank before starting. The other Dyna's have an ignition on the tank which is far more practical. (Yes, the key fell out of the ignition onto the ground at a key moment at the Dolphin Show - almost missed the timed entry while scrabbling for the key on the ground in the dark backstage). This bike doesn't have the bling of the Dyna Super Glide Custom, but liked it more and more as I rode it. Handles easily, and the high handlebars aren't as strange feeling as one might think. The 2009 model also has, in my opinion, a nicer look to the back with a shortened mudguard and little retro brake-light.

2009 Softail Rocker - This bike is a demo model at the Gateway dealership and has a set of Vance & Hines loud pipes fitted. It also comes standard with forward foot controls (bit of a bug-bear with me). This is the first Harley I've ridden with forward foot controls that felt safe and comfortable, even after stopping at the robot. No hunting with the left foot for the foot peg. It is placed right where it should be. Standard 1575cc motor (yes, I love it), and a FAT back wheel ala chopper style. Seat is short on padding, but not as bad as some, and riding position is low (like a deep bass). On the road, the motor feels a bit lethargic (it needs a bit of mileage and a tune up) until you look at the speedo. Goes just fine - 6 speed box has ratios pretty sorted. I was expecting to ground the pegs on the corners (like the Fat Boy), and cornered through the sweeps on that fat grippy back tyre waiting for the the grinding sparks - nothing! I'm sure it can be done if I really try, but it will not be a worry in every day riding. And talking of that fat back tyre, it didn't detract from the cornering experience at all. Just grips like crazy, and looks awesome. The handlebars on this Rocker are a matt grey and a very unusual shape, but in a nice arty way, and are comfortable as well. Negatives? Hmmm.. wait a bit......oh yes, fuel guage on tank takes a while to move to its accurate position, so you might think you're low on fuel when you're not. This model (not the Custom) is also all matt (satin in Harley speak) finish, so no BLING, and I'm a BLING kinda guy. Guess I really like it! Just can't afford it, but would get the Custom with the chrome bits instead.

2009 Sportster 1200 L. I got on this bike when the motor had only 307km's done. It had a set of the Vance & Hines pipes fitted (loud enough to scare your grannies teeth out of her mouth). It also has the new bigger tank (you can do well over 200 km's on a tank now), and lotsa chrome. Power was disappointing, but the motor was very stiff. The seat is very low (in position and on filling). Low position - good, low on filling - bad for butt. The handlebars on this bike are also strange, quite high, with the grips turned in a lot, so your elbows end up in towards your rib cage. The bike was still good enough to have you getting off it with a broad grin on your face, and the noise and chrome make it draw a lot of appreciative looks. More than my own bike. Change the bars and seat, run it in and I would swop this for mine. (Unlike the Nightster). Price is R134 000.00 - close to Dyna price range. A bit extra for a Dyna gets a 1575cc motor!! Nuff said.

Conclusion - Yes, the Dyna Street Bob is great, but the Dyna Super Glide Custom has many more extras and chrome that you will end up fitting on the Street Bob anyway. The Rocker is a great ride, but not for riding all the way to the Cape. Save in the long run and buy that Super Glide Custom out the box. Price used to be R151 000.00 but the exchange rate makes it R191 000.00 in November, 2008.