Motorcycle Safety & Driveability: HD 883 Sportster, gear changes, plenty of power

Question
Hi William,

I'm a 23 year old rider from India. I'm presently holidaying in Australia, and am thinking of hiring a bike for a day. I have 5 years and 20,000 miles riding experience, with a 160cc (yeah, it's small!) Honda....

I was wondering if I'd be able to manage an 883 Sportster.....I'm 5'8", 62 kgs....the biggest bike I've ridden so far weighs 160 kgs.

If you think I can manage, what tips would you be able to offer?

That's it for now. Ride Safe
Anil


Answer
Anil,

You should be able to handle a Sportster. It's easy to ride, and not terribly powerful. You have enough experience to make the transition. Just take it VERY easy in the early going. The things you will notice most are the weight and power of the bike. It'll be a lot heavier than your Honda, but a Sportster has a low seat, so you should be able to manage it. Just use both feet when you come to a stop. As for power, you'll notice the engine a LOT of torque and is geared MUCH higher than your Honda, so go easy on the throttle and don't worry too much about gear changes- there's going to be plenty of power in every gear.

Best thing to do is relax while riding, don't try to play catch-up with faster riders, and enjoy the torque of the motor. It'll be a different experience, but you'll get used to it quickly. It'll be hard to go back to that Honda 160!

Have a great vacation,

Bill Roberson