I've been riding for 50 years and usually put between 15-20,000 miles a yearon my Honda Valkyrie and a BMW R1200R. I haven't owned a Harley since 1962.
My Harley-riding buddies were always ripping me (good-natured) for not riding a Hog so when I saw a cheap 2011 SuperLow with no miles I grabbed it. For the record, I'm 5 feet 10 inches with a 30-inch inseam. I put regular shocks on it, dropped the bars 2 inches, moved the signals, added a H-D accessory speedometer with a fuel gauge and tachometer, and polished and powder coated some stuff.

It's a fun bike, but I wouldn't want to ride coast to coast on it. The stock seat is fine for around town and the brakes are adequate (I put EBC HH pads on it though), and at 3,200 rpm under light throttle it's as smooth as my Beemer. (But only at that RPM.) It doesn't handle like a sportbike (but doesn't pretend to be a sportbike) and is a little top-heavy.

My machine of choice for a smaller new rider is a metric cruiser in the 700cc range, but if a person can deal with the weight, the Sporty will do.

Harry Costello
Beachwood, NJ
Friday, December 21, 2018

I bought this bike for my wife, used with just 300 miles on it. I was very happy for the price point, but that's about the end of my happiness.

1. This is not a "touring" bike. They can put a "T" in the name all they want.
a. Seat is not built for any length of ride.
b. No forward controls? On a touring bike?
c. Handlebars (as others have said) are not quite right.
d. Vibration, no question. It's got those rubber mounts.
2. Mirrors. Can't see squat. I had to add mirror extensions just to get around looking at my shoulders. (I'm 5 feet 8 inches, my wife is maybe 5 feet 6 inches.)
3. Brakes. I can deal with no ABS, but the rear brakes on these are just lousy.
4. Saddlebags. That locking mechanism sucks, but it doesn't matter because we tore them up! (And have since replaced them.)
5. Top heavy? Poor handling? All true. I ride a 2016 Heritage, and even though that bike is far bigger, I can make an easy u-turn on it. It's way easier than on the 1200T.

We bought this when my wife was ready for her own bike. She struggled in the training class we took together. She just needed more course time. Since I know riding was guaranteed, we just went ahead and bought this bike for her to practice with on weekends, etc. in large warehouse parking lots. She struggled with it, and to be honest when demonstrating this or that technique, I struggled too. And I actually took to bike riding very well, very fast. This damn bike is just hard to ride! I bought my 900 pound bike and rode it home and I hadn't ridden in 20 years (and did this, dumbly, before I even took the class). It was still easier than riding that SuperLow.

Like many other commenters, I wouldn't suggest this bike for a beginner. Maybe for an experienced rider, and definitely only for in-town riding. If you're going to put miles on it (and we certainly have), I'd recommend getting yourself a Softail, if you want to keep the budget down. (The Heritage is a Softail and costs twice as much as the SuperLow.)

If you are going to buy this bike, I would recommend finding a used one, because if you pay full H-D new price, you're going to be disappointed, I think.

Will B.
Carrollton, TX
Thursday, July 19, 2018

Very down-to-earth conversation, similar to a friend discussing something. I wish the article was longer.

Michael
Cottage Grove, OR
Monday, September 19, 2016

I've got a 2013 custom Sportster. Loved the bike from the moment I sat on it. I'm 5 feet 3 inches with a 31 inch inseam. I would agree the bike is a bit top heavy, but the setup was perfect for me. My first bike was a Yamaha Virago 250, so this was quite a step up. I bought a quick-release windshield. There are two different height windshields, so getting the right one for the primary rider is key. My husband likes the bike, and often takes it out for a spin just for fun. When we travel together I have no problem keeping up with him on his 1100cc Yamaha Silverado Classic. I haven't noticed extreme vibration, but haven't done more than about four hour stretches riding with a food break.

Carolyn Hale
Tennessee Ridge, TN
Wednesday, February 17, 2016