FUN Ride
Written: Jul 25 '02 (Updated May 30 '03)
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Pros: Fun! Style! Easy to ride. Harley Davidson! Made in USA.
Cons: Could use some modernization. Tachometer should be standard equipment.
The Bottom Line: Buy it and enjoy. It is cheap for a Harley and you can pump up the horsepower if you want to go fast. A big bore kit is available.
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| eddiey18's Full Review: 2002 Harley Davidson XL 883R Sportster |
Rider
Age 51
Height 5' 11”
Weight 175lbs
I rode when I was in my early twenties but had not ridden for almost 30 years until my secretary enrolled us in a Basic Rider Course. I guessed I have talked about going back on a motorcycle long enough. The BIG question was what kind of motorcycle I would get.
I stumbled on the XL 883R when I was surfing on Harley Davidson’s web site checking out the V-Rod. I like the new V-Rod and it looks racy but it is too much a bike for this novice rider to handle. I started to do some research on the Sportster. From what I read, the 883 Sportster is a good bike to start on. So I sent out an email to about 10 local Harley Davidson dealers inquiring the availability of this model. Some dealers replied. A few still have the 2002 model available, some offered to order the 2003 100th Anniversary model for me. I contacted the first dealer that sent me a reply. I figured if the dealer responses to my email promptly, he wants my business. To make a long story short, I purchased a 2002 XL 883R $500.00 under list and got a 20% discount on the accessories.
Quick Impression
The handle bar could be narrower. It looked nice but at speed it makes me feel like a human sail. I ordered the Quarter Fairing I hope this would help. The riding position is fine for my 5'11” height. The seat feels quite good for short distance, as I have not done any long distance ridding on the bike yet. The gearbox works fine, I did not encounter any miss-shifts. It shifted positively. I like the left and right turn signal switches on the handle bar. It is much easier then operating a single toggle switch on the left. The 2 in 1 pipe sounds just loud enough for people to notice you without being offensive. The bike feels narrow but the air cleaner on the right does protrude too much. I’ll replace it with a lower profile one later on.
Starting Ritual
I almost forgot that there is such a thing called 'choke'. In today’s age, most new cars are fuel injected and Harley still uses carburetor on this model. It sputters and coughs if it is not probably warmed up. So I use the warm up time to put on my ridding gear, I only wish that the warm up period could be shortened.
Breaking In
Harley advises owner not to exceed 2,500 rpm and maintain the top speed below 50 MPH for the first 50 miles. The next 450 miles is not much better. Harley advises not to exceed 3,000 rpm and 55 MPH for the first 500 miles. It is almost impossible to ride in normal traffic for the first 50 miles. I have the tachometer installed and this help but I need to shift gears at about 10 MPH increment to keep the RPM below 2,500. Harley 883 without a tech will have difficulty holding RPM below 2,500 for the first 2 gears. For Harley 883 without a tech, use 10 MPH as maximum for 1st gear, 20 MPH for 2nd gear, 30 MPH for 3rd gear and 40 MPH for 4th gear. These speeds correspond to about 2,500 engine RPM. Installing a tachometer is worthwhile. For the time being, riding on the Freeway is out of the question here in Southern California until I get pass the first 500 miles.
Riding
The only reason that people cannot see my ear-to-ear grin when I ride is because I wear a full-face helmet. Having a wide handle bar discourages me from going between the cars especially we have so many big SUVs with their side mirrors sticking out so far. One of these days, I might want to switch to a narrower handle bar.
The 883R vibrates but not excessively. My mirrors stay clear and vibration free all the way up to 55 MPH. May be the short stem mirrors help. I live in California so this is a California specification bike. I did not encounter any backfire or hesitant throttle response. Other than having to shift excessively during the breaking in period to keep up with the traffic, everything seems to be fine. I am still in the process of breaking in the bike and did not do any heavy duty stopping. The front breaks feels good and powerful and the rear break is quite effective. The ride is fine so far but I am planning to get a set of adjustable rear suspension from a XL 1200S.
Since it is so new, I have not and do not plan to do something stupid. I have not drag any kickstand nor pipe yet. I’ll do an up date after I put more miles on the bike.
The Price I paid includes a little backrest(side plates/sissy bar), a quarter fairing (with attach hardware) and a tachometer with labor.
Update
The bike felt even better after its 1000 miles service. I replaced the shifter peg with a longer Kuryakyn Longhorn™ ISOŽ-Shift Peg and matching 8002 Large Peg. The original shifter peg is not too short but the gear box is too wide and caused my left foot pointed in. I also scuffed up the right rear side of my left boot as I shift.
The service guy sold me on replacing the stock air cleaner with one from Screaming Eagle. He replaced the slow jet with a #45 also. According to some articles this upgrade is worth about 6 hp. Next upgrade would be a Screaming Eagle exhaust, another 5 hp increase.
The quarter fairing is great, not only it improves the appearance, it works. The fairing while small keeps most of the wind off my torso and allows me to ride in comfort at speed. Anyone that needs to ride on Freeway would benefit with this addition.
I replaced the rear shocks with adjustable ones, the same ones used on XL 1200 Sport. It did improve the ride.
Here is the bottom line. While this bike is far from perfect, it can be upgraded with ease (money). There are lots bike out there that can outperform the Harley at less cost but they are not Harleys. Riding a Harley on sunny days never stops putting a smile on my face. Isn’t that is all that is all about?
Last Update (03/17/03)
This is going to be the last update (I hope). After 2,000 miles of riding I replaced a Screaming Eagle Exhaust and a set of Kuryakyn 1022 Trigger Lever. The trigger levers reduce the reach of my fingers. My hands are now less tied after a long ride. The Screaming Eagle Exhaust is much louder than the stock one. It roars when I open up the throttle. It is loud but not really offensive, it sounds like a Harley and makes its presence known. Advantage is that other drivers will hear you even if they do not see you.
Some of my friends are suggesting that I bore out to 1200cc and get me more power. I might just as well go and get me a V-rod if I keep putting money on this bike. My bike is running very well with the Screaming Eagle parts on it and I should stop “improving” again and again. However, that Corbin Gambler seat sure looks nice and I bet it is more comfortable than the stock one.
http://mysite.verizon.net/res0t218/Drive/BK6.JPG
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 8425.00 otd
Condition: New
Model Year: 2002
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Epinions.com ID:
eddiey18
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Member: Edward Yee
Location: Southern California
Reviews written: 20
Trusted by: 1 member
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