I love my 900 Custom, and I think it's pretty close to the Sporty in terms of utility. Meaning, that although you can throw bags on it and do some light touring or what have you, I don't think it's best suited for that. It's really an around town bike at heart. If commuting is high on your priority list, why not look at something that comes with bags from the factory like the 900LT or Nomad?
Anyway with respect to performance, I think you'll be pleased. The Custom handles pretty well, the tranny is great and it has plenty of power on tap at legal speeds (although maybe a little less than your Sporty). As for scraping the pegs, the Custom has good clearance for a cruiser, so it's not something I do regularly although I want to get comfortable enough to do it at will
Anyway with respect to performance, I think you'll be pleased. The Custom handles pretty well, the tranny is great and it has plenty of power on tap at legal speeds (although maybe a little less than your Sporty). As for scraping the pegs, the Custom has good clearance for a cruiser, so it's not something I do regularly although I want to get comfortable enough to do it at will