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Triumph twin vs Harley 883

6.9K views 32 replies 30 participants last post by  richm  
#1 ·
Hi, I may be downsizing ie800lb bike. I like the HD883 rubber engine mounted and the T100 Bonneville. When I was a kid these two bikes were rivals, and according to some specs, they may be rivals today. My current ride is FLH about 275lbs that I'd like to shed. I can speculate there are Boomers like me (61) that may know where I may be coming from on this topic. The rubber Sporties are intriguing, so give me some input on the new T100's vs the 883 HD's.
 
#3 ·
I had a Sportster Nightster that I traded in for a Street Triple. I found the Sportster neither one thing or another i.e not a sports bike or a cruiser. The Harley looks pretty and sounds nice with V&H pipes and if that's enough to float your boat then go for that, but it didn't scratch my itch. I'm now very seriously thinking of trading in my Street for a Bonneville. Not sure whether to go for the T100 or Thruxton, but I don't think the Harley quite cuts it.
 
#8 ·
When I was looking for a bike last spring, I drove them both. The Bonnie was a better bike in every respect (IMO) except for the HD mystique, which I've never cared about. The rubber mounted engine on the Sportster vibrated nearly as much as the old one, really annoying on the highway. Seems like a bike that's still trying to be relevant.
 
#10 ·
I'll tell you up front I have not ridden a "modern" Sportster. But I was looking real hard at Harley for awhile, and every "Harley" guy/gal I knew said if you're an experienced rider-skip it and get up into the Dynas. I'm not in a position to argue either way, but everyone said if you buy a Sportster you'll be trading up in 6 months.

Funny, since I bought my Bonneville two months ago I haven't regretted it ONCE. I confess to the juvenile-like response prior to that of turning my head at every Harley that went by-that's how infatuated I was. I LOVE the "look" of them and have a strong connection to the whole "mystique" due to some let's just say family "heritage"... But, and it's a very big BUT, like I said the Bonneville just solved the whole thing for me.

Also, and I know in a "mature" riders forum like this it doesn't really apply, but just in case somehow it did...you know at some base level... The Triumph has a mojo and mystique that goes even deeper than the Harley I think. Coupled with the fact that we are a smaller group makes riding the Triumph a much "cooler" thing... (lol)

Just settle it and get the Bonneville. The best riding weather is just around the corner and you have no time to waste...
 
#12 ·
It's real easy, up right both and let them bounce between your legs; the answer will become clear.

Ok, let's say for some reason the super light feeling of the Bonnie doesn't win you on a jiggle test, then go ride it around on the back roads and swing her through some corners. Repeat with the 60lb heavier sporty.

If you go Sporty, go 1200. Used ones are cheap.

If you want one of the best handling Bonnies, you opt for the mag wheel.

If you enjoy talking with strangers about your bike, you go Bonnie.

If you enjoy being told you ride a b*tches bike, you go Sporty.

If you want to come back and think to yourself, just how much fun you had on a motorcycle, you go Bonnie...

I let an ex-Sporty rider take my bike for a spin, he couldn't believe how much fun he had on her, how light it was, and how easy it was to upright. Of course, he now owns an FJR1300, but paid many complements to how great my SE was after riding it.
 
#13 ·
"The Sportster, on the other hand, is not a modern recreation of a discontinued classic motorcycle. It is a classic; the longest continuously produced motorcycle model in the world. The Sportster has never lost touch with its roots. It looked right in 1958, and it still looks right today."


Doesn't the claim of longest running motorcycle production model in the world rightly belong to the Royal Enfield Bullet?


Yup, found on the Royal Enfield web site...

The Bullet 500 is the culmination of over 8 decades of legacy, of the longest running model in continuous production. Since 1932 the Bullet has mesmerized thousands all over the world with its unique styling and one of its kind feel of ride feel.
 
#14 ·
Ride both. I'll bet you end up with the Bonnie. I went from a tricked up FXD to a Thruxton and never looked back. At the end of the day, the FXD (with Ohlins suspension, emulators, etc) was no fun in the corners.
 
#15 ·
I have driven an 883 and a 1200 Sportster. Do not waste your money on an 883.

883 Pros: Dirt cheap used. Tons of parts and support available. Very low seat height

883 Cons: Lousy resale...I have seen several clean bike under 2500 in Florida. Lousy acceleration. Typical Harley Problems.

1200 Pros: Excellent low end power. Clean one are plentiful for under $4000. Tons of parts and support available

Bonneville: Even 790s will out perform an 883, not a 1200. Parts availbility can be spotty depending on where your are. Bike is bullet proof. Bike hold it resale value well...I rarely see any year for less then $4,000.
 
#16 ·
I have worked on and ridden a few Sportsters that belonged to friends. One I rendered back into something ride-able as the previous owner seemed fond of massive explosions and belching flames.

The poor Sporty...gets no respect from the Harley faithful, even if its general purpose is to bring people into the Motor Company fold.

Naturally, I find the Bonnie superior (because, well, it is. :D)

Always had a soft spot for the Dyna, would not be upset to find an XR1200 in the garage, and, you know, if an XLCR 1000 came along on the cheap...:cool:
 
#17 ·
Depends on what you want...

I rode a couple of Sportsters a few months before I bought my T100.

Comments on the Harley.

1) Forget the 883 if you are going to ride in the country. you really need the extra horsepower. Around town it is tolerable.

2) If you are 5'10" or taller you'll need to look at the front mount foot controls. The mid mount foot controls are very cramped.

3) The Sportster is about 100lb heavier than the T100, so if you goal is shedding weight...

Having said all that, I really liked the 1200 Custom. Very comfortable, big fuel tank (given the better mileage a Harley gets you should be able to do 200 miles on a tank). Had I bought the 1200 Custom, I suspect I would have been perfectly happy with the bike.

In the end I bought the T100 because:

1) 100lbs lighter

2) $1,400 cheaper list price (and the Triumph dealer will negotiate. Harley dealers still live in a different universe).

3) Handling on the back roads.

In my opinion, you couldn't go wrong with either bike. Depends on how you want to ride.
 
#19 ·
Nobody goes from a Harley to a Bonneville. That would mean leaving behind both the Harley "lifestyle" and a heavy pig of a motorcycle that has marginal handling at best.

We have a road nearby, NM 28, that runs up New Mexico's Mesilla Valley. It has some wide sweeping turns that are easily taken at speed. Harley riders, though, have no cornering clearence to speak of. When faced with these curves, they have only two choices: slow down, or run off of the road. This is really fun to watch in the rear view mirrors. A hog rider who was hugging your rear fender is suddenly hundreds of yards behind, or gone all together.

Keep in mind now that this is a site devoted to Triumph twins. Remember also that Steve McQueen, Marlon Brando, and Clint Eastwood did not ride Harleys. They rode Triumphs.
 
#21 · (Edited)
I gotta say, I really expected this thread to quickly go south with Harley bashing (they can be easy targets), but I am pleasantly surprised. I have to concur with the try them both method. If the dealers let you, anyway. We don't have thay option in the city. Harleys are handsome, absolutely, but i love the form AND function my Bonnie provides.
 
#23 ·
Red1959,

Watch for the "short" suspension on most of the Sportster models. It is harsh and in my opinion the main reason to not want a Sportster. The 883 in stock form is about as fast as a 70's Triumph 750 twin.

I ride a 2001 XLH 883 and love it but I know I'm the exception.

You can find a like new Sportster for five grand or less all day long. If you don't like it you can sell it and not take a beating doing so.

Harley dealers rent Sportsters and for a couple hundred dollars you can ride one enough to answer your questions about the bike.

I never rode a Hinkley twin.

Joe
 
#24 · (Edited)
For what it's worth, I just traded a DR-Z 400 for a Sportster 1200. I hadn't had a Harley since the early 60's and that one was a '55 ridgid frame. Back then, the Sportster was considered pretty hot and a lot of people liked them. I guess I really never liked the heavy weight bikes and much preferred the lighter BSAs and Triumphs. The new Sportster confirmed everything I don't like about cruisers. It wasn't very fast, it didn't handle very well, and the brakes were marginal. Plus, I couldn't get past the noise and vibration. I really think the DR-Z was faster up to about 60 mph and it handled a lot better. I couldn't wait to get the thing home, detail it some, and put it up for sale. It was gone a week later. My Bonneville and Scrambler are much more comfortable and work a lot better for my kind of riding which entails "spirited" riding on mountain roads, 300-400 mile day trips, and, for the Scrambler, some excursions on Forest Service roads. A lot of people refer to Sportsters as "girl bikes" but Sonny Barger and some other HA members may disagree. It all boils down to what you want to do. Nothing wrong with cruisers or sSportsters if that's your thing. There's plenty of room for all of us out there.
 
#25 ·
In April 2010, I rode a rental 1200 Sporty around the grand canyon, putting on about 800 miles over a 3 day period. The motor was actually the best part of that bike, with some pretty accessible grunt off the line and decent power up to about 3500 rpms...vibrations got a bit much after that point.

The brakes were wooden and the mid-mount pegs kept you on your tailbone. I rode all of the highway miles with my feet on the passenger pegs and my elbows bent wide to allow me to keep my torso canted into the wind. To ride with your feet on the driver pegs left you hanging on fighting the wind blast at anything over about 60 mph. The proper bars would help here, but pegs are frankly mounted too far forward.

Cornering clearances were inadequate and the suspension entirely too stiff since for some reason a bike named 'Sportster' - with sport being implied - has to have a 26" saddle height that doesn't allow for any suspension travel. I ground footpeg mounts in tighter curves on both sides without even trying...the first time happened so violently that I ran wide & nearly ended up in the weeds.

Overall, the bike is overweight, has poor suspension, awful brakes, a tortuous riding position, and a motor with decent grunt. The 883 is just like that - only without the grunt in the motor.

Enjoy whichever bike you end up owning...

Cheers,

--Rich
 
#26 ·
BCThumper's comments bring me back to the early 1970s, when I had the chance to buy a nice looking 1969 BSA 650 Thunderbolt. I had a couple of friends with 60s Sportsters, and we used to drag race the bikes on some open roads. The BSA had a single carb and was underpowered by comparison, but I always beat them off the line; they could walk away after about 1/2 mile or so. Although the Sporties were nice, rugged looking bikes, nothing was quite as pretty as a chrome tank BSA!
 
#28 ·
I had a black xl1200c 2006. $10.000.00 +stage 1 to get her over 100 mph. my first bike back after 15 years off to be a dad. It lasted me 8 mos. I traded up because that bike beat me up.175 mi was the longest day I could do.
 
#29 ·
I owned a used '04 1200R for about 4 months while at the same time having an '01 Bonnie - the Sportster was not impressive at all. Controls were wooden & heavy, handling was mediocre, brakes were so-so and acceleration was thuddingly uninspiring. I sold the Sportster quickly and a few years later sold my '01 Bonnie, I currently have an '08 T100 which is everything that the Sportster isn't.
Good luck on your decision.
Tom