harleys can last up to 100,000 miles before a rebuid and they hold their value like nothing other my dad just bought a 92 heritage softail w/ a n 80 in motor she has 30,000 on her and never skips a beat and looks the same she did off the show room floorcept now she got more chrome if you can get a good used one up here a sportster is kinda only a half a harley unless its an old shovel head or somthin old school like that but yeah if you can get a good used one for under 10-13k go for it you'll never ride another street bike again, loudest pipes hmmm i would say some drag pipes they are loud make sure you take the baffles out for the loud though and then you will be setting off car alarms