Ditto. I was a teen(ager) back then! I got it from a local BBS, but couldn’t play it. My next door neighbor could on his 386 DX machine, but he had to study for finals so he only played a few levels. Haha. Years later, I made two DOOM 2 mod(ification)s: http://zimage.com/~ant/antfarm/files/doom2/j2doom/j2doom.html … I still have my external USR Sportster 33.6 dial-up modem. I think I played DOOM at 9600 speeds with my next door neighbor (we both had 14.4k modems! ).

Does anyone remember what time DOOM 1 shareware was released to the public? I couldn't find that answer.

Yeah. The sad part is that even with 56k dial-up modems, my neighbors and I cannot never go higher than 31200 (very rare) and 3 kB/sec (assuming data is already compressed and no line noises). It has been like this since the 1990s/90s and still is like that today (still have my external serial USR Sportster 33.6k dial-up modem as a back up when my cable goes down!). I can't even get DSL (20K ft. to CO!). Crappy phone line systems here in this old city.

Try to start an old Sportster that way and it will break your leg. Hold the kickstarter all the way down until the motor either starts, or stops turning over.

Great sons, indeed!

Tags for this video have been changed from 'stephanie, lazy town, sportster, meme, vinylshakerz' to 'stephanie, lazy town, sportster, meme, vinylshakerz, weeabo' - edited by JTZ

I'll do my best to put my loathing of Harley's aside for a moment.

1) Sportster 883 means 883 ccs. I understand guys usually get a bike for the power, but I got my first dirt bike at 11 and my motorcycle license at 16. I still haven't ridden anything over 600 ccs. Anyone who tells you 883 ccs isn't powerful is lying to your face. You won't find a single bike out there over 1200 ccs (with the possible exception of a new BMW, but I can't find information on that anywhere online at the moment). If you take an ABATE training course, the motorcycles they use are around 200ccs. If you get something that big for your first bike, you're asking for disaster. [Maybe I'm blind, but I don't see anything about hp under specs on their website. I don't imagine an engine that size is going to be very wimpy, though.]

2) If it's the Harley image you're trying to achieve by buying one, the 883 Sportster doesn't cut it. It's the most "girly" of the Harley line.

3) You're not small. That bike probably won't be very comfortable for you. It really does have a small frame. 27.5" seat height (their estimate for a 180 lb. rider) is tiny. I'm 5'4" and I could put both feet flat on the ground at 27.5". You're 10" taller than me. That's not going to be comfortable at all. My dad is 5'10". He was storing a Harley for a friend in our garage for a while. [The 1200 version of the 883 Sportster.] He said it was ungodly uncomfortable to ride, even at his height, because the riding position forces your knees to splay outward.

Basically, a new bike is a bad idea. That model at that price isn't that good of a deal. [It's only about $150 under MSRP.] Wait 'til you get back. Take an ABATE (or similar) course. Then you can take anything you want for a test ride.

Well Raven its nice to see your back. Been to busy for the sift huh? Well the bike is going to be MY (just me) primary mode of transportation, I'll still have my Grand Prix. As far as all the safety is concerned I have this to say: On post or off, on duty or off, the military requires you to wear pants, long sleeve shirts/jackets, eye protection, gloves, helmet and boots at all time when operating a motorcycle. If you don't and you crash, your on your own as far as covering the costs of medical care. Plus, I'm just not that stupid to not wear it. The Sportster 883 is actually not a powerful bike, which is why i was wanting to start with it, but after talking with some guys at work who's lives revolve around bikes, they have convinced me that the sportster is just to small for me. And i think i agree. It is a small framed bike. I still have some thinking to do about it, though im pretty sure I will be getting a bike, it just wont be a sportster.
Oh - and the motorcycle training and safety course is almost required as well, though i look at it as something to help me, and lower my insurance rates.

My father (the old soldier- what is it with vets and motorcycles?), who has ridden motorcycles for over 40 years and currently owns a Harley has always had the following things to say about owning one (as I have asked and so has my brother):

1. Don't get a Harley for your very first motorcyle. Get a smaller, lighter, not so high powered, and less expensive bike. Yeah, it might not be as macho, but you need to get used to operating one and controlling it (yes, this does take some training- and its apparently best to work yourself up to a bigger, higher powered bike like a Harley Sportster. He, for instance, rode Kawasakis and Hondas all during his military service- only got the Harley in the 80s). Also, gods forbid you crash the damn thing, you won't be destroying something beautiful (his words, he loves Harleys), or costing yourself a fortune getting it fixed or replaced (he did this once, nearly totaled his Hog when I was a little kid, had it rebuilt completely which I am sure cost $$$)

2. Never have your motorcyle be your primary mode of transportation, it is far to limiting in what you can do with it (ie. haul stuff unexpectedly, or give people rides), and it also exposes you to all sorts of other misfortunes on a daily basis, ie: inclement weather (he actually knew a guy who died of pneumonia from getting caught on his bike), or motorcycle theft (bikes are way easier to steal than cars apparently), and there is often the problem of finding a secure place to park one for several hours at a time.

3. Please, for the love of your wife and kid, take a motorcycle training and safety course and learn the proper ways to handle a bike and the laws of ownership and operation. These should be offered through your state highway patrol and I am not sure about Texas, but likely you have to take one of these courses to become a certified operator of a motorcycle.

Also, whatever bike you buy, wear a helmet... although my father is a member of ABATE and has worked to change legislation to allow riders to choose whether or not to wear a helmet, he would tell you flat out that despite his arguments for personal choice and freedoms, only an idiot would not wear appropriate head protection, and probably rattle off to you how statistically better off you are wearing the proper protection.

That's all I can think of at the moment... if anything, I would be less concerned about the service regimen than the other things, one can learn the rudiments of motorcycle maintenance fairly easily, but riding skills take time to develop, and you are far more likely to kill yourself from inexperience than a past due oil change.