Sportster: Caroline Rides Again

But No Go

May arrived and so did the bike. Being a little nervous about riding for the first time in many years, Caroline asked me to bring her new baby home. With a heavy sarcastic sigh, I agreed. I had never ridden a Sportster before, so I was as excited as she was about riding it. It would be very interesting to see how the bike would perform considering all the negative commentary I had read or heard about the

Summer 2002: windshield and bags originally on my old Virago.

Sportsters, and the 883 in particular. But even with this in mind, I was taken aback by what I experienced. Perhaps it was unfair to make such harsh judgments about the 883, especially after riding my high performance T-Sport. But that first ride home was an eye opener.

The first thing I noticed was how little the bike felt. Granted a five hundred pound bike cannot be considered small, but compared to my old geezer glide or even the much lighter T-Sport, it felt like a mini-bike. The illusion was further enhanced by the narrow handlebars and the small gas tank. On the road, the bike felt insubstantial. It didn't feel solidly planted to the ground and gave me the impression that even a light breeze could throw it around. Today's pocket rockets are at least a hundred pounds lighter than the Sportster, so I knew that it was me that had some adapting to do.

What I wasn't prepared for was the performance of the engine. I did not expect a powerhouse by any means, but I also did not expect an engine that was wheezing and gasping as I tried to accelerate from a stop. There was plenty of torque right off the line alright, but it vanished very quickly once underway. It also farted regularly through the carb. Bringing the rpm's up found no extra power and short shifting was the best way to maximize forward motion. For a machine displacing nearly 900cc's, the performance could be charitably called pathetic. By then I had ridden about 25 kilometers and knew that paying "the tax" was no longer just an option, it was absolutely essential. Without it, the 883 was a dog! At least it was a handsome dog.