I didn't see this thread until somebody just revived it. CC, I am SO glad you decided not to start on a Sportster. I did, and it was an enormous mistake.

If you've managed to get 5-10K miles and the ERC under your belt this summer, you can probably handle a Sporty if you still want one. But you probably don't want one any more now that you've been riding a real motorcycle, do you?

The myth of HD reliability is just that, a myth. Now, I never had an pre-evo bike, so for all I know they did improve. But if you get a HD, be prepared for constant, expensive and time-consuming repairs. Not just my experience - I was just talking to a guy last night with a brand new Road King, for example.

Plus, I see the Sportster still has a totally inadequate single front disc. Conversions are available, but very expensive. You really don't want a 583-lb motorcycle that doesn't stop when you apply the brakes, trust me. (Good grief, I just looked that up, it's nearly 100 lbs heavier than my '91. Why in the world would they make that thing heavier? Except, the conspiracy theorist in me says, to make sure they no longer perform better than the Big Twins.)

And they handle like a mattress that you've left out on the curb because it was too sacked out to sleep on, but it's still two more months until large item pickup day. Again, you can upgrade the suspension for under $1000 if you do the labor yourself, but why not just buy a real bike to begin with?

And +1 on getting the best gear you can find. Not just a helmet, but good gloves, boots with shin and malleolus protection, good-fitting jacket and pants with CE armor, and a CE-II back protector, and WEAR THEM... what we call ATGATT (all the gear, all the time).

I'd recommend a brand-name helmet also (Shoei, Arai or Suomy), but you can get a Snell, CE or British-rated helmet for $200 or less, and the rest of what you're paying for is comfort and convenience (light weight, quiet, balance, ventilation, washable and custom fittable liners, etc.). It's worth the extra money hands down, but it's not necessary for safety (unless a helmet is so uncomfortable that you don't wear it). Also be sure to price a base solid color helmet (black or white). Snazzy solid colors are usually $50 above base, graphics another $50 above that, and racer replica helmets can be $200 or more over the base MSRP.

But anyway... sweet Bonnie, maillotpois! That's a nice standard. More and more standards are becoming available: Suzuki SV650N; Kawasaki 650R (despite their including it in the Ninja family, it's a standard, not a sportbike). And the new bikes that everyone's coming out with in Supermoto trim look really cool, and they're supposed to be a lot of fun.