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Should the new Sportster be a V-Rod?

Review: Harley-Davidson Sportster S

Harley-Davidson Sportster S

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.

Harley-Davidson Sportster S
Harley-Davidson Sportster S and old Sportser

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.

2016 Harley-Davidson V-Rod Muscle air-cooled
V-Rod Muscle

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.

Harley-Davidson Pan America Special
Harley-Davidson Pan America Special

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.Harley-Davidson Sportster S

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.Harley-Davidson Sportster S

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.

Corbin dual seat

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. Harley-Davidson Sportster S

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.Harley-Davidson Sportster S

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. Harley-Davidson Sportster S

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.Harley-Davidson Sportster S

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.Harley-Davidson Sportster S

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.Harley-Davidson Sportster S

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 RH1250SHarley-Davidson Sportster S

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