I bought an '04 Sportster (the new design) and spent the next year fixing it up, etc. (it also ran like crap out of the box, Harley guys all know it, you're expected to pay the 'Harley tax' - take the bike back and pay the dealer to set it up right because of the evil 'polution laws') I never could get around the fact it was no fun to drive on the open road - seems top heavy. After about an hour you're just used up. Went to several H-D dealers to trade up and no one would give me more than salvage value for it on trade. When I found out Triumph was back in business I bought a new Speedmaster for far less than I would have paid for trading the Sporty in. Now I use the Sporty for around town crap and the Speedmaster for when I really want to ride. All the stuff said above is true. The only real reason to buy the H-D is to live the H-D mystique, but you won't get it on a Sporty. The 72 month loan guys (I like that) look down on you and consider the Sporty a chick-bike (but with the top heaviness of it, a chick would have to be crazy to drive one, you really need a bit of upper body strength). I get more respect from the Harley guys driving the Triumph than I do the Sporty. On the road I think they see a Fat Boy (the big headlight and forks ya' know). Up close (I took it to a Harley event last week at my local H-D dealership) they sort of just look on speechless. They really have no idea that you spent half what they did!!!
