I've had 7 Harley's and only one was a Sportster. Sporty's are OK for short rides around town, but for serious riding they'll wear you out quickly. I'm sure you'll get lots of opinions on this, Sportsters have some die-hard fans, but the fact remains that most Sporty buyers will trade up quickly to a Big Twin. And Jim is right about the rigid, or "hard tail" frames, they'll beat you to death.

But, it's all about what you want and can tolerate. There's damn sure been a lot of fun had on hard-tail Sportsters over the years. As far as building one ground-up, go for it if you have the place to do it! It's a lot of fun and very satisfying/frustrating. You want some REAL fun? Get an early 60's Sporty with a magneto and a kickstarter!

Just remember that the resale on Sportsters sucks, most people don't want them, but that doesn't mean they're impossible to sell either.