18 Reasons Why You Should Buy A Used Sportster

This blog started out as a snarky collaboration between dos Joes (Gresh and me) as a followup to the recent blog on 9 reasons why you should ride a Chinese motorcycle.  One of the reasons we always hear about why you shouldn’t ride a Chinese motorcycle is that you can buy a used Sportster for what a new China bike costs, as if somewhere there is actually someone trying to make that decision.  You know, a troubled soul asking himself: Should I buy a used Sportster, or a new Chinese motorcycle?  We’ve got a bunch of witty one liners (at least we think they are witty) and I’ll get to them in a second. But before I do (and before all you macho Milwaukee muchachos get your chonies in a knot), you should know that I actually would like to have a used Sportster.  Three, in fact.

The first is a 1977 or 1978 Harley Cafe Racer, one of the most beautiful motorcycles ever made.  When these were first offered by Harley they retailed for about $3K.  I was a young engineer at General Dynamics in Fort Worth, Texas, and I wanted one.  But I couldn’t justify spending $3k on a motorcycle.  I was single; I don’t know who I think I needed to justify it to. I should have bought one.

The next is the 1983 Harley XR1000, which we did a Dream Bikes piece on a couple of years ago.  Man, I’d like to have one of those.  The XR1000 was a stunning motorcycle.  I’d call it visually arresting.

And the last one is a mid-60’s XLCH, preferably in blue or maybe red, like you see in the big photo up top of a restored bike.  These sold for something like $1700 when they were new; I could have bought the one you see above for around $4,600 maybe three years ago.  On the other hand, I saw a fully restored blue ’65 Sportster at the Long Beach International Motorcycle Show just before the pandemic hit and that one had a $20K price tag.

The used Sportsters listed above are the rock stars.  There are also the not-so-exotic/not-so-collectable Sportsters.   These are the ones that cost less than most new bikes but more than most used bikes. It’s a sweet spot, and to hear the folks who hate China bikes tell it, any used Sportster is a hell of deal.  All righty, then…in keeping with the tongue-in-cheek nature of everything we write, here are our reasons why you should buy a used Sportster.

    1. When you buy a used Sportster, you’ll spend less than you would on some new Chinese bikes (which, after all, is what started this blog).
    2. When you buy a used Sportster, you’ll be helping the guy selling it get a Big Twin or a new Sportster.
    3. When you buy a used Sportster, a lot of people on Facebook will think you’re smarter than the guys on ExNotes who keep bragging about Chinese motorcycles.
    4. When you buy a used Sportster, you can hang out at Harley dealerships (the ones that are still open, that is).
    5. When you buy a used Sportster, you won’t have to buy a vibrating chair (you’ll already have one).
    6. When you buy a used Sportster, folks who don’t know anything about motorcycles will think you’re cool because you ride a Harley.
    7. When you buy a used Sportster, you can gain weight big time and your Harley friends won’t call you fat because you’ll still be thinner than they are.
    8. When you buy a used Sportster, you won’t have to ever shift into 6th gear.
    9. When you buy a used Sportster, you won’t ever have to worry about not being able to find your 10mm socket.
    10. When you buy a used Sportster, you won’t have to oil your chain (if you have a newer used one).
    11. When you buy a used Sportster, it’s not likely you’ll ever get a speeding ticket.
    12. When you buy a used Sportster, if you ride in flip flops and shorts no one will ever lecture you about ATGATT.  In fact, they probably don’t even know what ATGATT means.
    13. When you buy a used Sportster, you can wear Harley T-shirts.  For a T-shirt company, Harley makes a nice motorcycle.
    14. When you buy a used Sportster, you can watch Then Came Bronson reruns and not feel silly.
    15. When you buy a used Sportster, if you just don’t feel like riding everyone will understand.
    16. When you buy a used Sportster, you will help cut down the used Sportster inventory. The scarcity helps Janus sell more of their motorcycles because the 1200cc Sportster and the 250cc Janus are almost the same motorcycle performance wise.
    17. When you buy a used Sportster, it allows you to say “I paid less than that for my used Sportster” when the cashier at McDonalds rings up your Happy Meal.
    18. When you buy a used Sportster, if it’s old enough it will have a kick start.  Kick starters are cool.  Or, you could get a kick starter on a brand new TT 250, but hey, this is all about why you should buy a used Sportster.

So there you have it:  18 reasons why you should buy a used Sportster.  If you have more reasons, we’d love to hear from you.  Leave your comments here on the blog.  We know a guy named Richard who always leaves his comments on Facebook, but don’t you do that (in other words, don’t be a Dick).  Leave your comments here on ExNotes, like the cool kids do.

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21 thoughts on “18 Reasons Why You Should Buy A Used Sportster”

  1. Back in 2015 we were shopping for an American V-Twin. I had no experience with Harley or Harley culture at the time. We found a fairly nice Sportster (1200) so I called my big brother’s grizzled friend back in Michigan who wheeled and dealed in Harleys to ask what to look for.

    The first thing he asked was, “So you gettin’ that for the wife are ya?”

    The Harley culture guys consider Sportsters “Girl’s bikes”.

    We ended up with an ’01 Gilroy Scout.

    I suppose this could be considered the #1 reason not to buy a used Sportster.

  2. When you buy a used Sportster you know it wasn’t made by a Communist country that knowingly released the Wuhan Virus upon the world that killed millions of people.

  3. Can I can this and chuck it at anyone on the Janus Facebook page? Our pat (maybe too nice) response to the “you can get a used sportster for less” is “that’s great if you want a used sportser!”

    Some even said verbatim… “You can buy a brand new used Sportster for this $” the other day. Maybe that’s a née tactic HD is using to reach this giant untapped market.

  4. I’m thinking the list of reasons NOT to buy a used Sportster might be a lot longer than 18. I do remember a stock Yoo-Hoo brown color on one at the HD shop back in the 70s though…..

  5. Reason #9 is so true. Somewhere there is a pile of single socks and 10mm sockets.

    I want a Sportster Sport. Solid or rubber mount. Many examples end up tarted up with fwd controls and high bars.

    Thank you

  6. Reason #15 has me laughing every time I read it. Brilliant. A friend had me ride his Sportster to evaluate it against my much more powerful Japanese naked bikes. I am thankful for my full face helmet for more reasons than crashing. Nobody but Joe and me ever knew.

  7. When I was a kid we used to line up on our stingray bicycles and watch this guy try to kickstart his Harley at the local shopping center it was a real episode finally he would get it going and takeoff on it not to mention he was ready for a bath
    The kick starter was on the left-hand side

  8. I’ve owned a few Harley’s over the years, two of them were Sporty’s. A 1972 that didn’t like me much & a 1985 that taught me that they are NOT touring bikes. I agree that the XLCR Cafe bike was probably the sexiest of the HD Dirt Bikes but I’m too old to beat the feathers out of my self by owning another XL of any flavor.

  9. I’d love to have that XR1000. It’s a Sportster taken to extremes. Probably still the fastest Sportster-engined model.

  10. Sportster owner here! Okay, I bought a used Sportster when I moved to Florida in 2008. I was down sizing at the time and left a GPZ 75 Kaw, a Ural Sidecar and a Yellow 1200 Triumph Daytona in the windy city when I moved…sniff…
    After being without a bike for a couple weeks I looked for what would fit in the garage and be shall we say, inexpensive. A guy not far for the house had Buell 1200 that was cool, but had rusty chrome. so no dice. and looked at another Ural…to big for new garage with all the wife’s stuff in there. Then I found a 2005 HD Sporty 883, Black with 20,000 miles on it… fairly high miles for 3 year old bike, but the owner was riding for Lakeland Florida to Tampa to work everyday. The Bike was clean, isolated frame (no shaking!) and only $3,500, so I bought it. Over the years I added a two into one BUB exhaust and a windshield. I have bought gas, changed the oil, bought a battery every year or two, and washed it a couple of times. The bike is trouble free, gets 46 mpg and quick enough to destroy any Prius on the road! I have ridden with many HOG groups over the years and have no trouble staying up with this group or any others I have ridden with on group rides. I do ALWAYS fill up every time we stop in a group ride. The Sporty has a range a little over 110 miles so filling up when you stop is must. As you know, most group rides rarely got over a couple of hours so this is only an issue to be known and not a deal breaker. Among “Biker Types” I have been asked if that is my wife’s bike. At that question I usually just nod and smile and then I ask how many AMA land speed records do they hold? They usually move along after that.
    So cheap to buy at $3,500 or so…I could probably ask the same for it today and take a little less. Able to take trips, good around town and quick enough. I wonder if I could trade for CSC that 400 looks like nice bike?

  12. The funny thing is I was 10 in 1969 and loved Then Came Bronson. I always keep a Sporty in the garage.
    The present one is a 97 883 with low miles.
    I put tall suspension, mild knobbies and moto bars on it and ride it around town.
    Not my main bike, but will always keep one.

  13. The best reason to buy a used Sportster? Paying $1300 for a 2003 with 7400 miles, cleaning it a little, recovering the seat and selling it for $2900.

  14. Honest question: What’s the trick to kicking a TT250? I have no experience with kick starters and I cannot get the thing to fire. It starts OK on the electric starter.

    1. I don’t really recall that there was a trick. Don’t flood it, use an appropriate amount of choke (generally none if it’s warm outside), and kick. Mine always started on the first or second kick.

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