Harley Davidson Sportster Motorcycles

All of the Harley Davidson Sportster motorcycles since 1957 have been given a Harley-Davidson product code that begins with "XL", and any Harley Davidson Motorcycle can trace its ancestry back along a successful line of motorcycles that have been produced by the Harley Davidson Motor Company since then.

A little over 20 years ago Harley Sportsters in my opinion were dogs. They were basic,crude unreliable and overpriced machines that always had the looks, but were unreliable and handled like pigs. The modern range of Harley sportster motorcycles have changed all this, while in looks they still retains all of the old Harley Sportster tradition, this Iconic retro-styled motorcycle has been transformed into a bargain, budget way, of actually owning a Harley Davidson. Thus giving anyone entry into a cult of motorcycling that can become a lifestyle.

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All of the Harley Davidson Sportster motorcycles can be great fun for work, town and urban riding, and are still powerful enough to entertain you out on the country roads. Sadly it is not a very practical motorcycle for the motorways and still less of a long distance tourer, as 1. it has a small fuel tank which has a range of barely 100 miles, 2.no weather protection, and 3. very in the way of load carrying capacity. It's always looks that have been important with a Harley Davidson, so with its "peanut" fuel tank, old fashion style spoked wheels and loads of chrome, Harley Davidson has always made sure their Sportster motorcycles are bikes that will always stand out from the crowd.

If you are used to riding the modern Japanese motorcycles for their speed, economy, practicality and handling then maybe a Harley Davidson Sportster might not be the bike for you. The Sportsters engines push out less power than your average 500cc Japanese offering, and here in the UK any model of Harley Davidson has sadly been a magnet for thieves and vandals. But if your like me, and look upon traveling on two-wheels as a weekend pursuit or summer-only treat, then any of the Harley sportster range would be an ideal hobby bike.

The whole range of Harley Davidson Sportsters also have a lot common with many of the larger, more expensive Harley's, and are available in various guises with each one denoted by a different letter. There is the flat-track race looking XLR, the low down XLL designed for the small rider and the XLC, which has the forward controls and pullback handlebars for that easy rider laid-back riding position

The Harley 883 Sportster is smallest of the Harley Davidson line-up, but this entry-level Sportster (which happens to be my favourite) has in my opinion loads going for it and it has the classic Harley looks and over 50 years of Harley Davidson motorcycle heritage.

Introduced by Harley Davidson way back in 1957, the sportsters were designed to meet the challenge of the British twins from Norton, BSA and Triumph. Back then, the Sportster was a pretty radical change for Harley - as it had overhead valves!

Having a low single seat (a dual seat is an option) meant that even the shortest of riders can get both feet flat on the ground when sat on the 883 Sportster. The xlh sportster 883 also has narrow handlebars and thankfully the foot rests are positioned for riding, not cruising. It also handles very well when you consider the old stylel rear shocks and front forks.

This Sportster can actually make a pretty good commuter as the small "peanut" tank only holds about 12.5-litres (2.75 gallons) of fuel and you're not going to get much more than 45mpg. So the Harley 883 was never meant to be a long-distance tourer.

Riding the Harley 883 you will find yourself sticking to a steady 60mph so as the vibes are within the comfort zone, and you can still hear the classic Harley "potato-potato" exhaust note. Trying to go any faster can become uncomfortable and you start to worry if it will all hold together as the engine vibrations start to move through the footrests and frame into your feet and bum. Having a single disc up front doesn't help either as you've got a 222kg lump of Hog to bring to a stop.

Power output is a claimed 49bhp at 6000rpm at the crankshaft, and a top speed nudging 100mph. Compare that to any Japanese twin of half the capacity and that's slow, but then who buys a Harley for speed.

But selling in the UK at less than five grand new, I think the harley 883 sportster can be a great value, fun motorcycle. And if you really do need a bit more grunt, there's always the 1200cc Sportster to consider

Since it was introduced in 1957 the Harley Davidson Sportster has become sort of an Icon on the open roads. But while the latest of the Harley 883 Sportsters had the image and good looks, the more serious motorcyclists felt they needed a bit more power.

So Harley came up with the new rubber-mounted 1200cc Evolution engine, a much better frame that is claimed to be a hell of a lot stiffer than any previous Harley Sportster frame, and a lower seat by 25mm or one inch. At last, with the 1200 Sportster Harley have made a motorcycle that could live up to the Sportster name.

The Evolution V-Twin engine that had powered all Harley Sportster motorcycles for the last 15 years has been completely redesigned. Although it still retains its traditional 45-degree cylinders and the bore and stroke of the two engine sizes is unchanged at 3.0 inches x 3.8 inches for the both the XL Evolution 883, and 3.5 inches x 3.8 inches for the XL Evolution 1200.

To give better engine cooling, the cylinders and heads have larger fins, with the addition of new oil jets directed at the bottom of the pistons. The piston rings have an improved high-speed design to help prolong their life. Using lighter pistons and con rods the Harley 1200 sportsters red-line has been pushed up from 5500 rpm to 6000 rpm, and many engine covers and gaskets have been modified to stop any oil leaks. Also a new timing system and high performance cams have been fitted.

The engine in the new 1200 sportster now pumps out a claimed 70bhp at 6000 rpm and 93 NM of torque at 3300 rpm, an increase of more than 15 percent over the previous1200 engine.

Other upgrades are that Evolution engines are fitted to the new frame with rubber engine mountings, these rubber mounts help to isolate the rider from the engine vibration at speed, and a larger fuel tank both improve the Harley 1200 sportsters comfort and long distance cruising capabilities. The new twin-cradle, frame and swing-arm have been designed to improve the handling, and all models now have a 150mm rear wheel with a wider rear mudguard, and a new air-filter cover. Twin front disc brakes and tachometer now also come as standard.

Finally all the Harley Davidson Sportster Motorcycles are now covered by a two-year warranty and most of the service schedules have been extended from 2500 miles to 5000 miles.