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Amanda Quick·
Motorcycle News
··2 min read

Custom Eye Candy: A Turbocharged Harley-Davidson Sportster 1200 for the Banks

Harley-Davidson Sportster 1200 - a 1994 piece of the past that previously only pooted out 50 horsepower and 55 lb-ft of torque

It’s no secret to you folks that we here at wBW are fans of quality, not quantity. 

Still, when an OG motorcycle model blows the pants off its newer counterpart, we like to grab a sleeve of popcorn and settle for the antics – and this recently surfaced build scratches that itch to a tee.

Everybody, meet the Harley-Davidson Sportster 1200 – a 1994 piece of the past that previously only pooted out 50 horsepower and 55 lb-ft of torque (a far cry from the present day model, which boasts 120 ponies and a claimed torque spec of 94 lb-ft).

Harley-Davidson Sportster 1200 - a 1994 piece of the past that previously only pooted out 50 horsepower and 55 lb-ft of torque

As RideApart states, “it was fine if you just wanted to ride around making potato-potato noises at fairly low speed, but if you wanted to really romp on it, you weren’t going anywhere particularly quickly.”

Thanks to Doctor Motorcycle, however, the 1200’s makeover included a draw-through turbocharger (and kickass hater pipe) in a seemingly simple swap that’s giving me unhealthy ideas about taking the plunge on my own Yammie beastie. 

Harley-Davidson Sportster 1200 - a 1994 piece of the past that previously only pooted out 50 horsepower and 55 lb-ft of torque

“The whole installation is a fabricated intake manifold and exhaust manifold, and the Turbo is hanging,” agrees the report. 

“From there it’s just a few minor taps to facilitate oiling, and an extra inlet for increased fueling under boost.”

Harley-Davidson Sportster 1200 - a 1994 piece of the past that previously only pooted out 50 horsepower and 55 lb-ft of torque

To be clear, this project is as much a restoration project as it is a custom job. There’s something so satisfying about the time-lapsed ASMR workshop video that shows off the scrub-dub conversion from old to new. 

Here’s the original donor bike, courtesy of Doctor Motorcycle’s Facebook page:

Harley-Davidson Sportster 1200 - a 1994 piece of the past that previously only pooted out 50 horsepower and 55 lb-ft of torque

“From ‘Crusier’ to ’Sporty’”:

See also

Harley-Davidson Sportster 1200 - a 1994 piece of the past that previously only pooted out 50 horsepower and 55 lb-ft of torque

The turbo fabrication process:

Harley-Davidson Sportster 1200 - a 1994 piece of the past that previously only pooted out 50 horsepower and 55 lb-ft of torque

With a generic turbo adding anything upwards of 60 horsepower to a bike build, we’re going to fill in and say that this particular 1994 Sportster 1200 doesn’t quite beat the current Revolution Max power of Harley’s present day lineup.

Does it beat the Sportster S on sheer style points? Oh, absolutely.

All the best on your spring cleaning projects, y’all – drop a comment below letting us know what you’re currently working on, we love hearing about your latest tinker toy. 

Be sure to also subscribe to our newsletter for other stories like this, and as ever – stay safe on the twisties. 

*Media sourced from Jalopnik, and Doctor Motorcycle’s Facebook page*