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Harley-Davidson Iron 883

7K views 37 replies 30 participants last post by  Filly-fuzz 
#1 ·
Anybody on here have one of these? Just seems to call to me. I'm not a fan of chrome and this bike for a HD doesn't have much. The price is right being around $ 8 grand.

Any opinions out there?
 
#4 ·
I looked at one before I bought my STR. Ultimately the cons kept me away. Firstly for me its a HD too many people that have Harleys have this elitist attitude that HD's are the best bike ever made. The bike's weight at 550lbs where the triple is 400. I wanted something somewhat unique which HD's clearly aren't.
 
#8 ·
I'm not anti HD but ....3.3 gallon tank....553 lbs dry.....53 crank HP......1.6 inches of rear suspension travel..... it sure would be a much different experience than your Street Triple. Might be fun around town though :hmm:

.
Those specs were what turned me off, I felt like after a few months I would get bored with and want something else, which hasn't happened with the STR. I really like the look though.
 
#10 ·
I got to ride one a couple years ago - it felt like something you'd build in your barn out of WWII-era tractor parts. If you really sit and look at one, that assesment wouldn't be too far off, lol. It's a pretty gutless machine, if you go down this road at least get the 1200cc-class engine, whatever they call it.

I'm not a cruiser guy, but I also have rode a Victory Hammer - it was soooo much better built and finished then the H-D. The only H-D I would consider owning would be the XLR1200, with the race package installed. I will say that the simplicity of H-D machinery is somewhat appealing in the fact they are super simple to work on, and the parts/aftermarket support is phenominal.
 
#13 ·
Well a Sportster wasn't exactly aimed at bikes like a Street Triple.... The only thing sporty about a Sportster is the name . It's a small entry level cruiser .. They're decent . If I were to get a Sporty it would be a 1200. The 883 is just too much of a dog even for a cruiser . the 48 is pretty cool.
If I were to get a cruiser ( and not that I'm bias for Triumphs ) it would be a Bonneville America or Speedmaster . They have some grunt and they don't really try to be anything they're not except a cruiser with a Bonnie motor ...
 
#14 ·
I have a 1200 Sportie and the street triple. The triple is new to me so the novelty is still there. I freaking love that bike. However, I really can't compare the two. They aren't aimed at the same market. The power, handling, braking performance of the Street are miles above the HD. However there is something about sitting back and low cruising on secondary roads at 50-60mph. Hoped to take advantage of the great December VA weather on the Street, but the R/R had me putting miles on the Sportster. Winning either way :) (R/R to be replaced Tuesday)
 
#15 ·
I test drove a xr1200 before buying my striple and they are worlds apart. The HD was very imprecise on a twisty road that I knew well. I also have a 20 year old softail that is a family hand me down that I love as much as my striple. But for completely different reasons. Lets face it, my HD can't exactly get through a chicane very well.
 
#17 ·
Don't really care if it calls you, asked if anyone had one. Not really looking for something that will perform in the twisties. I have the Street for that. I am looking at the 883 as a cruiser. sometimes ya ask a simple question and get pointless comments in these forums. Thanks to anyone that addressed the original question.
 
#20 ·
It's a pretty pointed question if you ask me. Cruiser is the name, cruise is what it does. Pretty much the end of the road as far as sport oriented riders are concerned.

There are a thousand ways to customize them, so if you find it cramped or uncomfortable it can be changed. You want a bobber or hardtail out of it? You can order off the shelf parts. Tons of luggage and traveling options as well.

They are comfortable but I wouldn't want to go two up touring on one. Not enough "oomph" IMO.
 
#19 ·
Anybody on here have one of these? Just seems to call to me. I'm not a fan of chrome and this bike for a HD doesn't have much. The price is right being around $ 8 grand.

Any opinions out there?
Most people who frequent the Street triple forum have demonstrated, by their choice, that they have a taste for high performance middle weight fine handling machinery. From that point of view I think the 883 is outside my understanding. I've read that it is heavy slow and crude-the cheapest and oldest of HD's offerings. I can understand the alternative way of getting around having spent a day each on a modern Bonneville and a T bird storm. I'd recommend you try the Bonnie for your more easy going and relaxed riding, it looks like an ancient thing but is more up to date than it appears.
If you were to seek the opinions of sportster riders on the Striple I doubt you'd find much better focussed replies.
 
#21 ·
the fastest i ever got one of those turds up to was 90 mph and that was wound out, downhill, etc...however. if youre looking for a high priced engine build to get up to 100+hp that motor will make more power than the bigtwins from hd. ok negatives out of the way...it looks cool, theres a ton of stuff you can do with it, and its a light(although almost rigid) harley.
 
#23 ·
Yes, everybody has an opinion, and being the refined gentlemen we are, we recommend Bonnies for cruisability, without sacrifying performance, which is the smart choice. But everyone is free to make dumb and costly choices, of course :biggrinjester:
 
#24 ·
i used to get the 883 sporty as a loan bike while my buells were in getting serviced, i took them for cruises down the coast road but found after an hour or so it hurts my tailbone, seating postition on a sport bike / upright sport bike has you sitting on your bum cheeks which i found more comfy than sitting on tailbone as the 883 does, i havnt owned one so maybe you could fit a more comfy seat & fix that problem if you had one in the shed
 
#25 ·
I used to own a Nightster and have been around Sportsters quite a bit. In fact the first bike I rode was a Sportster.

They are the only Harley I like. They are heavy and slow. They look awesome.

That said, The Iron 883 has a nice price, but you will want the 1200 eventually. It's not too expensive to convert (NRHS has nice kits) but makes a HUGE difference in the way it feel, mostly in the bottom end. The 1200 always some punch where the 883 seems a bit anemic in comparison.

It's NOT at all like a Street Triple, but I'm sure you know that. Turning is slow and imprecise, acceleration is exciting but not actually fast. It shakes like crazy. Despite all of this, they are still pretty charming. It's a great bike for just tooling around on and roasting back tires.
 
#28 ·
I own an Iron 883 along with my Street Triple. I love both bikes but they obviously weren't meant to compete with one another. They both have good qualities and I enjoy them equally. Trying to compare the two is pointless, its like saying I should sell my Jeep Wrangler because its not as fast or as sporty as a Porsche 911.
 
#29 ·
No one has mentioned the Thunderbird as a better option for a cruiser so I will, how about the Thunderbird.
Better power delivery, brakes, lighter weight, accessory options available, minimal chrome/blacked out in the Storm iteration.
Almost always wins in comparos with the other cruisers.
And you don't have to buy in to the "lifestyle" with matching underwear, etc...
 
#34 ·
I bought my 2007 1200 Sporty new and now have about 45K on it. I will most likely keep the bike but I can honestly say, I don't think I will buy another Harley again. The bike looks good, has plenty of pep off the line compared to the bigger Hawgs in HD's lineup but drives like a truck. It's easy for me to move around because it is fairly lite for a HD but handling can be stiff until you get use to it and cornering can get interesting with the pipes so close to the ground making aggressive curves next to impossible. The OEM seat does bite the big one hence my custom seat. Small fuel tank has always been an issue when riding on long trips with other larger bikes. Short fork travel and rear end shock travel has made for some ouch moments when hitting unexpected bumps at speed. Riding positions is good for me but I did have forward controls put on out of the dealer new since my long legs don't like being cramped for long periods of time. My real issues with the bike has been maintenance. Technically, I would have called it a lemon bike since it spent allot of time in the shop for a multitude of electrical problems as well as rocker box leaks and clutch problems. Motorcycles are not qualified for the Lemon Law here in Florida so I was pretty much scewed and had to deal with the HD warranty. All was fixed under warranty but definatly not what I was expecting from a brand new bike. Now that all the bugs are worked out and the bike is paid for, I will most likely keep it and find me a sport bike to play with as a second ride.

The up side of the bike is it does well on long rides, (up to Ohio and back to Florida last summer), short fueling about every 100 miles. The big boys, (hawgs) won't lose you in the first mile and has the power to pass effortlessly.

For the price, knowing what I know now... I would have went with another brand cruiser instead of HD. Still mulling over which sport bike I want but really like the Monster when I tried it out. It just fit me like a glove.

My 2 cents
 
#35 · (Edited)
...The OEM seat does bite the big one...
I always get a good laugh when a lady says something like this. Then again, working for Sargent you are spoiled. I have a Sargent on my Striple - best mod I've spent money on. :thumbup: I got in on the "pre-release" sale so I saved a little money on it.

...The up side of the bike is it does well on long rides, (up to Ohio and back to Florida last summer), short fueling about every 100 miles.
That's just abominable, especially for hwy cruising. If you liked the Monster, you will also like the Striple, they are somewhat similar in riding position. The Striple engine is nicer than the 696 or 796 engine, but I won't knock the Duc's they are nice bikes too.
 
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