My 2003 Harley-Davidson Sportster 1200 Sport. Born on September 09, 2002 #201 made that day. Delivered to me on January 25, 2003 at Patriot Harley-Davidson in Fairfax, Virginia.
Pictures of the Cycle Shack slip-on mufflers installed
Pictures of the 2003 883 Solo Seat installed
Pictures of the rear taillights relocated
More pictures when time, weather, and lighting allow. Here's a couple of quickies right after purchase:
The Story
Dad has had a motorcycle for as long as I've been alive. I've been riding motorcycles as a passenger with my father since around 1985. Dad and I have been to a majority of the continental U.S. on a motorcycle, traveling with friends and family. The only way to see the country is on a motorcycle.
Once I graduated from high school, though, I went to college and my motorcycling more-or-less ended. I didn't have a place to keep a bike of my own all through college so I couldn't ride. Got married, graduated from college, and bought a house, but still no bike. Oddly enough it was a friend of mine at work that got me back into riding. He bought a street bike and was going to take the MSF course (highly recommended!). I decided to take the class too, and after that weekend I knew I wanted to get back into riding.
At first I was considering either a new Harley Davidson Sportster 883 or a new Kawasaki 750 Vulcan. I looked at the 883s but they didn't really feel "right" and I decided to wait for Kawasaki to bring back one of their 0/0/0 finance plans to get a new 750. Then I started looking at the 1200 Sportsters, and I decided the bike I really wanted was a 1200 Sport.
The 1200S appeals to my technical side -- dual disc brakes, adjustable suspension, single-fire ignition, dual-plug heads, a factory tach, and more. For the price difference, I couldn't see buying an 883 or 1200 and trying to build a Sport. Besides, I've wanted a 2003 Harley ever since I was old enough to understand the significance, and I'm a bit leery about cutting up a brand-new bike.
I started conversations with Harley of Lexington about October. I was told to come by in January and they'd get me a bike. Having heard horror stories about long waiting lists, I asked if there would be a problem getting a 1200 Sport standard, any color. "No problem" he said. I had this same conversation on November and December as well. "Come by on January 6 or 7 and we'll get you a bike"
Stopped by at lunch on January 7, 2003 to order my bike. The salesman said, "I don't have any Sports, and I don't have any coming in. Could I get you into a Buell?" NO!
Called around to every dealer in Kentucky, most of Ohio, northern Tennessee, and western West Virginia. Even checked Cycle Trader for a 2003 Sport. No deal. Nobody had one. Harley of Louisville was rude enough to hang up on me: "Yes, I'm looking for a Sportster 1200 Sport." "Don't have one, none coming in." Click. I'll keep that in mind for future purchases, thank you.
I had all but given up buying a Sport, and was looking at a nice, used 750 Vulcan whose cost was about the same as my down payment for the Sportster. I grew up with Kaws and really like them, but I was disappointed that I couldn't get the Harley I wanted. I could buy a 750 Vulcan any time I wanted, but a new '03 Harley only comes around once.
A friend at work mentioned his brother knew a dealer in Fairfax, Virginia -- Patriot Harley -- that had a lot of Sportsters, and gave me their phone number. I called them and the salesman, Bobby Ross, said "I've got two -- a new black one, and a used one." I was so used to hearing "No" that I was actually speechless for a few seconds! He then told me that he was allowed to sell me the bike even though I'm out of area, and that he's an MSRP dealer.
I called Dad and told him I found a bike in Fairfax, Virginia, and asked him if I should buy one that far away. He told me he'd come with me to pick it up, so I FedEx'd a deposit check to the dealer. Dad borrowed a truck from my cousin Paul, and a trailer from a family friend. We left on Friday, January 24, and got to Fairfax that night. The trip was uneventful except for the massive amounts of salt on I-68; it was so bad that it looked like fog was settling in, though it was just salt dust from traffic.
We went to the dealer on Saturday, picked up my new motorcycle, and loaded it up on the trailer. The bank left off the change portion of the loan check -- 19 cents -- and I tried to get the salesman to chip that in; I wanted to get Something from him so I could say I bought it for under MSRP. He wouldn't do it. Dang. At least I can still say I've never bought a car for MSRP or over.
Dad and I drove home that night. We split the driving on the way there (550 miles one way) but I'm very happy Dad drove back -- I was too nervous about pulling a loaded trailer. That's not a slur against the truck or the trailer, just a statement about my inexperience in dragging a motorcycle across a mountain. Too bad it wasn't warmer -- we would have ridden Dad's FXR there, and rode them both home.
At this point I want to thank Dad, my cousin Paul and our friend James Pack for helping -- I wouldn't be degenerate scooter trash without them :)
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