Should the new Sportster be a V-Rod?

There is no doubt the handsome new liquid-cooled Harley-Davidson Sportster S is a revolutionary model for the traditional heavy motorcycle company.

But it’s a Sportster in name only.

Harley had registered the name Bronx which was suspected to be the new family name, but they obviously want to keep the venerable 65-year-old Sportster moniker alive.

Sorry, but no Sportster fan will be fooled.

Where is the twin shock, iconic oval air-cooler and fore and aft header pipes of the old Evolution motor?

If anything they should have called it a V-Rod with its fat-tyred, low-slung look and water-cooled engine.

The new Revolution engine first appeared in the also revolutionary Pan America 1250 Special adventure bike, albeit downtuned from 112kW at 750 revs to just 90kW at 7500rpm.

At least that shows the engine is capable of being tuned up for drag work just like the V-Rod has been for years.

But the V-Rod, built in 1999 in collaboration with Porsche, was not a great success except in Australia where it had an enviable reputation on the drag strip.

Sportster has long been the entry model for Harley but this new model is their most expensive Sportster yet at $A26,495 ($NZ28,750) ride away. 

There has never been a Sportster that cost more than $20,000.

The new Sportster S is an interesting styling exercise in keeping the bike low and mean with fat front and rear tyres highlighted by short fenders, low and flat bars with bar-end mirrors and a narrow horizontal headlight so it doesn’t show up above the bars when riding.

From the cockpit it almost feels like you are flying.

The bronze details and brown/black “Chocolate Satin” paintwork are very 1970s. It also comes in Stone Washed White Pearl and Midnight Crimson.

While styling is subjective, I reckon this bike will appeal to younger riders than the traditional over-50s Harley fans and to them the Sportster name probably means little.

One point of styling that may be polarising is the remote mudguard with rego plate, stop light and indicators.

Already American aftermarket company Corbin has released a $US455 tail tidy which relocates all this to the short rear fender.

It should be easy to replace as Harley has anchored this section with just three bolts, although there is a fair bit of wiring relocation to be done.

Before going ahead with this modification you should check with your transport department about whether this contravenes vehicle standards. 

Corbin has also released a $US653 Gambler Smuggler dual-seat option to replace the solo seat. Harley also has an accessory passenger seat and backrest and a comfort rider seat although I found the standard seat surprisingly comfortable.

Queenslanders may prefer to retain the solo seat which attracts 50% registration fees.

The seat height is a low 752mm and the hand levers are adjustable, so it should suit shorter riders even with its slightly forward foot controls. However, a mid-mount conversion kit is also available.

Another divisive styling issue is the massive, high-mount, almost scrambler-esque dual muffler.

We suspect aftermarket pipes are also in the pipeline, if you’ll excuse the pun.

Other styling issues are more about the detail such as the abundance of matte back plastic and the radiator which seems to sit out far too wide.

The modern, digital single-dial 4.0-inch-diameter TFT instrument screen looks like it has been adapted from the electric Livewire.

It has comprehensive information, but the screen has bad glare in sunlight.

The instruments are compatible with smartphones so you can operate your phone navigation, music and calls from the switch block or via voice activation switch.

The Sportster S also features a handy cruise control, traction control, three engine modes plus two rider-customised modes, LED headlight, two power points for heated riding gear, a proximity-based security system and a USB-C port for charging a phone or other device as standard.

It also comes pre-wired for accessory heated hand grips.

Sportster S is powered by the same engine as in the Pan America 1250 Special which has 127Nm and 150hp/112kW at 8750.

It has the same torque output but less power at 121hp/90kW at 7500 revs, so it is more in tune with cruising.

Sportster fans will find it totally non-traditional in feel as it’s smoother, revs more and sounds more “brittle”, almost tinny.

While the engine generates the same amount of heat as the Pan America, the riding position means your legs are above the engine, so the only hot spot is on the back of your legs when riding in slow-moving summer traffic.

As you slip through the traffic snarl, you may find the bar-end mirrors a little too wide to fit between lanes of traffic.

A slick transmission makes gear changes easy and neutral easier to find than usual for a Harley, but the clutch pull is heavy and slow traffic could be tiresome.

Out on the highway, the Sportster S is a fine machine, rumbling along at a leisurely pace with plenty of grunt for overtaking without having to downshift.

But this is no tourer as it comes with a 12-litre fuel tank that is only good for about 160km before the reserve light comes on with about 60-70km of range left.

There is also nowhere to attach panniers or even tie down a rear bag and Harley only offers a small “mailbag” accessory option.

Harley also offers a detachable windscreen, but this hardly makes it a tourer.

It’s not a canyon carver, either.

Despite the fully adjustable Showa 43mm upside-down forks and Showa Piggyback reservoir rear shock with hydraulic hand-adjustable pre-load, it has short and unforgiving suspension and a lean angle of 34 degrees.

It doesn’t handle bumps well at all on back roads and will scrape the footpegs soon and suddenly on most corners.

But the biggest handling issue comes from the choice of Dunlop/Harley-Davidson GT503 tyres, 160mm up front and 180mm at the back.

The wide tyres make cornering difficult, requiring plenty of deliberate counter steering effort and handlebar force to the keep the bike turned.

As soon as you wind on throttle it wants to stand up and run straight.

It’s not so much the tyre width that is the problem, though.

The high 70% tyre profile cases the bike to bounce over high-frequency bumps which makes braking difficult as the wheels are skipping over the ground. It also makes the stand the bike up in corners when it hits a bump.

It could have been so much better with lower-profile skinnier tyres, but then the cornering clearance issue would also have been worse.

Stopping power is surprisingly good considering the 228kg bike has only one front disc.

But it’s a big 320mm disc with Brembo mono block four-piston calipers while the low ride and long wheelbase means the rear wheel stays on the ground under heavy braking and adds to the stopping power.

So it’s not great in traffic, as a tourer or a canyon career.

Perhaps its main claim is on the urban cafe route. Which means it may have been better named the Bronx, after all.

Harley-Davidson Sportster S RH1250S

Price	$A26,495 ($NZ28,750) ride away	Notes
Dimensions
Length	89.2 in. (2,265 mm)
Overall Width	33.2 in. (843 mm)
Overall Height	42.9 in. (1,089 mm)
Seat Height, Laden	28.9 in. (734 mm)	2
Seat Height, Unladen	29.6 in. (753 mm)
Static Ground Clearance	3.66 in. (93 mm)
Rake (steering head) (deg)	30
Fork Angle (deg)	28
Trail	5.8 in. (148 mm)
Wheelbase	59.8 in. (1,518 mm)
Tires, Type	Dunlop® Harley-Davidson Series, radial
Tires, Front Model	GT503
Tires, Front Specification	160/70TR17 73V
Tires, Rear Model	GT503
Tires, Rear Specification	180/70R16 77V
Fuel Capacity	3.1 gal. (11.8 l)
Reserve Fuel Capacity, Fuel Injection (warning light)	0.8 gal. (3 l)
Oil Capacity (w/filter)	4.75 qt. (4.5 l)
Transmission Capacity	N/A
Primary Chain Case Capacity	N/A
Coolant Capacity	2.32 qt. (2.2 l)
Weight, As Shipped	486 lb. (220 kg)
Weight, In Running Order	502 lb. (228 kg)
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating	922 lb. (418 kg)
Gross Axle Weight Rating, Front	359 lb. (163 kg)
Gross Axle Weight Rating, Rear	595 lb. (270 kg)
Luggage Capacity -Volume	N/A
Engine
Engine	Revolution® Max 1250T
Valves	Chain-driven, DOHC, hydraulic self-adjusting lifters, intake & exhaust VVT; four valves per cylinder
Bore	4.13 in. (105 mm)
Stroke	2.85 in. (72.3 mm)
Displacement	76.4 cu in (1,252 cc)
Compression Ratio	12.0:1
Fuel System	Electronic Sequential Port Fuel Injection (ESPFI)	3
Air Cleaner	Downdraft intake, tuned velocity stacks, washable filter media
Exhaust	2-into-1-into-2; catalyst in muffler
Lubrication System	Semi-Dry Sump
Drivetrain
Primary Drive	Gear, 49/89 ratio
Final Drive	Belt, 80/34 ratio
Clutch	Mechanical, 8 plate wet, assist & slip, 1090N
Transmission	6-speed
Gear Ratios	12.21
Gear Ratios	9.022
Gear Ratios	6.994
Gear Ratios	5.641
Gear Ratios	4.731
Gear Ratios	4.131
Chassis
Frame	Stressed-member, high strength low alloy steel trellis frame; stamped, cast, and forged junctions; MIG welded; aluminum forged mid-structure
Swingarm	High strength low alloy steel, tubular sections, stamped x-member, forged axle junctions; MIG welded
Front Fork	43 mm inverted fork with compression, rebound and spring preload adjustability.  Aluminum fork triple clamps.
Rear Shocks	Linkage-mounted, piggyback monoshock with compression, rebound and hydraulic spring preload adjustability
Wheels, Optional Style Type	N/A	4
Wheels, Front Type	Aluminum cast, satin black	4
Wheels, Front Width	4.5 in. (114 mm)
Wheels, Front Height	17 in. (432 mm)
Wheels, Rear Type	Aluminum cast, satin black	4
Wheels, Rear Width	5 in. (127 mm)
Wheels, Rear Height	16 in. (406 mm)
Brakes, Caliper Type	Front: radially mounted, monoblock, 4-piston caliper Rear: floating, single piston caliper
Brakes, Rotor Type	Front: single rotor, floating, tower- mounted Rear: solid uniform expansion rotor
Brakes, Front Diameter	12.6 in. (320 mm)
Brakes, Front Thickness	0.2 in. (6 mm)
Brakes, Front is dual	No
Brakes, Rear Diameter	10.2 in. (260 mm)
Brakes, Rear Thickness	0.2 in. (5 mm)
Front brake lever free travel	N/A
Rear brake pedal free travel	N/A
Brakes, Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS)	Standard
Suspension Travel, Front	3.6 in. (92 mm)
Suspension Travel, Rear	2 in. (51 mm)
Performance
Engine Torque Testing Method	J1349
Engine Torque	94 ft-lb (127 Nm)	5
Engine Torque	6,000
Power	121 HP / 90 kW @ 7500 rpm
Lean Angle Testing Method	J1168
Lean Angle, Right (deg.)	34
Lean Angle, Left (deg.)	34
Maximum hill-starting ability	N/A
Fuel Economy Testing Method	Estimated City/Hwy
Fuel Economy	49 mpg (4.8 l/100 km)	6
CO2 Emissions Testing Method	N/A
CO2 Emissions	N/A
Electric
Battery	Sealed, maintenance-free, absorbed glass mat (AGM) battery, 12V, 12Ah, 225 CCA at 0°F
Charging	Three-phase, 45 Amp system (300 Watts @13 Volts, 1200 rpm, 585 Watts max power @ 13 Volts, 2250 rpm)
Starting	0.9 kW electric with direct drive starter motor engagement
Lights (as per country regulation), Headlamp	All LED headlamp, low and high beam with signature position lighting
Lights (as per country regulation), Tail/Stop	All LED Tail/Stop lamp with signature tail lighting
Lights (as per country regulation), Front Signal Lights	LED Bullet Turn Signals
Lights, Rear Turn Signals	LED Bullet Turn Signals
Gauges	4 inch viewable area TFT display with speedometer, gear, odometer, fuel level, clock, trip, ambient temp, low temp alert, side stand down alert, TIP over alert, cruise, range and tachometer indication BT capable – phone pairing to access phone calls, music, navigation (H-D App ONLY)
Auxiliary Lamps	N/A
Electric Power Outlet	USB C-Type , Output 5V at 2.4 Amp
GPS System	N/A
Reverse Gear	N/A
Warranty And Service
Warranty	24 months (unlimited mileage)	7
Service Interval	First 1,000 miles (1,600 km), every 5,000 miles (8,000 km) thereafter