Did you tell him it was a girl's bike?
And on that thought, I found this over at XLforum.net:
Seriously though, the Sportster has a fairly loyal following. And even though amongst the RUBs it is considered a girl's bike, the Sportster has a long and rich heritage. Have him check out XLforum.net to see how fanatical some of the owners can be.
Since he's interested in a Sportster, I'd suggest the Bonneville if he likes the upright riding position. It's also about 100 lbs lighter than a rubber mounted 1200.
