[TheStig]

What I like:

1) The looks. Especially the Amber Whiskey shade. Turns heads at every turn!
2) The sound and feel of the bike.
3) Responsive engine mated to a good gearbox
4) Respectable fuel economy
5) Stability at high speeds
6) Grippy Michelin tyres.

What I don’t like:

1) The ride. This bike hates uneven and rough roads. Best way to get through them is slowly and steadily, unless you have bones made of Adamantium.
2) Clutch is a bit on the heavier side. Bit of a pain in traffic. I’m told all Harley clutch’s are this way.
3) Braking seems a bit inadequate, considering the amount of power the bike has. No day dreaming while riding this machine. Full attention and awareness of surroundings is required.
4) Exorbitantly priced accessories and merchandise.
5) People gesturing/jumping in front of you/shouting to let me know the headlamp is on.
6) A cat in my basement. It has made a habit of sitting on the saddle. I regularly find paw prints and fur on the seat.


I booked the bike on January 25th 2014. Delivery was on June 4th 2014. Surprisingly I was quite calm during this 5 month period. Also my bike is apparently the last Amber Whiskey Iron to be delivered at the Cochin dealer. Harley India has discontinued the color until further notice. Sand Camo Denim is the replacement color.

Ex-Showroom Cochin: Rs. 6,75,805
Registration: Rs. 59,182,
Insurance: Rs. 16,164
L & F (Idontknowwhatthisis): Rs. 6,400

Hence OTR price: Rs. 7,57,551


Delivery day:

So finally the day was here. I literally did not sleep the previous night. I remember rolling around in bed and waking up randomly. I usually sleep very soundly. Weird.

Left early morning from Trivandrum to Cochin with 2 of my friends. Reached the showroom by around 11.15 pm. As I walked to the showroom, there was no AW Iron in sight. Two Street 750s with temporary registrations where lined up for delivery. The sales guy greeted me and informed me the bike was inside the workshop (out of bounds for anyone other than staff) and they were just fixing the crash guard.

So sat down and finished all the paperwork. I had ordered a Harley jacket a few months earlier, which was handed over to me. And finally they brought her out. It was a very sunny day, and the Amber Whiskey shade shined in all its glory. Key handover ceremony done, basic functions and other details explained, sweets distributed, a few snaps taken and I was on my way.





The ride back to Trivandrum (around 200 Km from Cochin) was awesome! It was my first time riding such a distance. Rode on the NH 47 and M.C Road, which had just been given their pre monsoon repair work.


Accessories:

Decided not to go overboard with accessories for now. Hence bought myself just 2 very essential items:

1) Mustache Engine guard in black - Rs. 18,154
2) Lockable Fuel cap – Rs. 3,850


Riding gear:

1) Harley Davidson Excam Warrior Mesh jacket – Rs. 12,570







A gem of a jacket. Perfect fit and highly functional. Has numerous pockets to keep your stuff and a dedicated pocket for your music player and provisions for the headphones.
Has armor pockets at the elbows, shoulders, and back.
Highly breathable, the perfect jacket for hot weather riding. Protects you from the sun and keeps you cool at the same time.
I totally recommend this to anyone planning to get a reasonably priced (comparatively) Harley riding jacket. Also purchased two pair of elbow and shoulder protectors for 2,570.

2) LS2 FF386 Modular Helmet – Rs. 5,500





3) Spartan riding gloves - Rs. 2500.



Kinda made a mistake buying these without proper research. Found Alpinestars gloves for Rs. 3,750 in planetDSG.com after I bought the Spartans. Will upgrade later.

4) Alpinestars Fastlane riding shoes – Rs. 11,000





Super comfortable and looks great too. Good protection around the ankle and heel. I can walk around in these all day and my feet don’t hurt.


Living with it:

I’ve ridden around 800kms so far. The onset of monsoon in Kerala has had a negative effect on my riding.
It takes a while to get used to the attention this bike attracts. Thankfully everyone’s been very polite and asks my permission to take pics or sit on it. One time I was riding and a group of youths in a Swift starting following me and began to drive quite dangerously to take pics. So in the interest of safety I stopped and let them have their pics.
As I mentioned earlier, on uneven roads the bike can get a bit uncomfortable. The rear suspension can be adjusted and I intend to do so when I take her for the first service. But on a smooth highway its pure bliss. I love the look on car drivers’ faces as I overtake them. Low end torque is phenomenal with a strong midrange. Thankfully in Kerala most of the big roads are in very good condition.

The Transmission is very precise. No slipping of gears whatsoever. The 2014 Iron has a gearshift + RPM indicator function in the MID. It’s a boon for noob riders like me. Every shift has a very audible clunk to it (which may startle onlookers), gives a very mechanical feel to it.

I ride as much as I can in between work. Got in touch with the Trivandrum chapter of HOG and will be meeting them soon for a ride

[Technocrat]

Note from Mod : Thread moved from Assembly Line to Motorbikes section. Thanks for sharing.

[miharbe]

Congratulations Sir!

I don't post a lot but somehow whenever there is a Harley thread I can't resist!

The colour is extremely rare and I must say its brilliant. It's a pity that Harley has decided to discontinue it.

I am a fan of the way the Superlow looks but this shade looks just so unique and mind blowing. I don't blame people trying to get pics of this rare shade. Excellent Choice!

Have Fun and ride safe!

[Scorcher]

Finally!

Nice write-up, Stiggy.

I was expecting some pics from the maiden ride and the waxing as well

Anyway, congrats once again on a formal level and wish you a million happy miles on the bike

[TheStig]

Originally Posted by miharbe

Congratulations Sir!

I don't post a lot but somehow whenever there is a Harley thread I can't resist!

The colour is extremely rare and I must say its brilliant. It's a pity that Harley has decided to discontinue it.

I am a fan of the way the Superlow looks but this shade looks just so unique and mind blowing. I don't blame people trying to get pics of this rare shade. Excellent Choice!

Have Fun and ride safe!

Thank you, miharbe

Originally Posted by Scorcher

Finally!

Nice write-up, Stiggy.

I was expecting some pics from the maiden ride and the waxing as well

Anyway, congrats once again on a formal level and wish you a million happy miles on the bike

Thanks Scorcher, will be posting the other pics soon

[dkaile]

Congrats TheStig and welcome to the Harley fold. That's a nice choice of bike and gear you have made. Very balanced and without going overboard. Do upgrade to the Screamin Eagles or Vance & Hines BUT after the run-in period is complete (at least after 1k kms).

Regarding your misgivings, yes, the ride on the Iron is harsh. But its still better than the 48's. You will gradually learn to live with it. Try putting the rear shocks to the stiffest setting for a few days. They come by default on the softest settings from the factory. You will be surprised by the change. It's a simple do-at-home mod for which you just require a big 'kaua' plas and some soft cloth in between so you do not put any scratches. Also I found the brakes to be excellent. Give them some time to fully bed in. Should improve after 1k mark. The clutch, slightly heavier, but you will get used to it in no time. Once you learn to tame the 260kg beast, over a period of 1-2 months, you will just love to ride it. Also the engine smoothens out quite a bit post 3~4k mark.

Congrats once again and ride on, safely...

[ecosportster]

Hey stig, let me congratulate you officialy on team bhp, since I have already done it in person. And thanks for letting me ride this wonderful machine. Good write up. The cat sitting on the saddle was funny. Dont forget the photoshoot that you have promised. All the best.

[TheStig]

Originally Posted by dkaile

Congrats TheStig and welcome to the Harley fold. That's a nice choice of bike and gear you have made. Very balanced and without going overboard. Do upgrade to the Screamin Eagles or Vance & Hines BUT after the run-in period is complete (at least after 1k kms).

Regarding your misgivings, yes, the ride on the Iron is harsh. But its still better than the 48's. You will gradually learn to live with it. Try putting the rear shocks to the stiffest setting for a few days. They come by default on the softest settings from the factory. You will be surprised by the change. It's a simple do-at-home mod for which you just require a big 'kaua' plas and some soft cloth in between so you do not put any scratches. Also I found the brakes to be excellent. Give them some time to fully bed in. Should improve after 1k mark. The clutch, slightly heavier, but you will get used to it in no time. Once you learn to tame the 260kg beast, over a period of 1-2 months, you will just love to ride it. Also the engine smoothens out quite a bit post 3~4k mark.

Congrats once again and ride on, safely...

Thanks dkaile!

Screamin Eagles are definitely on the cards. Will be getting them in a few months time.

Since the bike will be due for 1st service next month, I was planning to get the suspension adjusted to a more comfortable setting. Which setting would you advise?

I'm getting adjusted to the clutch, or rather my left upper limb is.

[the VTEC guy]

Congratulations Stig!. Very good color you got there for the bike. Also the riding gear selection is great! @Mods - This thread deserves to be moved in "Superbikes and Imports" section.

[hifisharu]

Great ride, especially in that colour. Congratulations!!! Keep the rubber side down, and enjoy munching the miles.

Btw, can you please share the details of where you bought the Astar shoes? I was looking for something similar

O.T, does this happen to you? [14x07] “Some say that he has to take his shoes off with an allen key, and that his new year’s resolution is to eat fewer mice. All we know is he’s called the Stig.”

[GTO]

Wow! The Iron looks delicious, especially in that colour. Good choice!

Lovely summary of likes & dislikes. Thanks for the absolutely neutral review

Originally Posted by TheStig

A cat in my basement. It has made a habit of sitting on the saddle. I regularly find paw prints and fur on the seat.

Get a body cover? Cats can damage your upholstery with their sharp nails. I had the same problem when parking my Jeep outside. Cats would ruin the seats.

Ride safe buddy!

[ram_hyundai]

So we would see the Amber Whiskey in TVM.Great color and nice choice of accessories.
So shall we call for a meet?

[mobike008]

Congratulations on the Iron 883. This was on top of my list when I was considering upgrading to a bigger bike and if I had bought this bike, it would have been this very color

This bike screams for attention and iam sure you must be enjoying the wild eyed stares and scampering on roads to come close or touch it reactions

Like GTO mentioned, your summarization of the likes and dislikes is spot-on and I whole agree with your observations.

Lastly, wonderful choice of gear and good to see your equipped right from the day your bike is on road which is a fabulous thing

Enjoy your ride and keep sharing stories related to it with us here !!!

P.S: Witty thread title too...Love it !!

[yaniv14]

Nice choice of colour. A well put report on your ride.

Have you done any long rides on the 883? How comfortable is it over long distance?

Cheers,
Vinay.

[Scorcher]

Originally Posted by GTO

Get a body cover? Cats can damage your upholstery with their sharp nails. I had the same problem when parking my Jeep outside. Cats would ruin the seats.

If I may answer that for him, Stig already uses a body cover, Rush. But there is a small window (maybe an hour or so) between him riding it in and covering it up, for letting the bike cool down, which the cat utilizes for his antics. Also, I suspect the cat's nails are sharp enough to go through the cover easily and reach the seat.

A proper solution for this is yet to be found

Originally Posted by ram_hyundai

So shall we call for a meet?

We already kinda did. Posted in the thread a few weeks before, but no one replied. So we got it touch with a few offline and met up at CCD, Kowdiar