Well this picture has been making the rounds, and we can only hope that Harley puts it into production. What a sweet looking bike. This is the bike that a lot of people have been waiting for- a cross between a Harley and a Buell. No doubt, Buell is responsible for a lot of the “sporting” features like the inverted Showa forks and the Nissin brakes. The engine tweaks also look like they come courtesy of Buell. So let’s hope- It would be the perfect bike for a lot of people. Cycle World has the details–
Real Harley he-men ride Big Twins, right? Okay, maybe a V-Rod if you’re a modern-thinking, metrosexual, man-purse kind of dude. But a Sportster? Never! A chick’s bike. A beginner bike. A dirtbike. Let’s move on.
Not so fast, Mr. Macho Man. Harley-Davidson has just pulled wraps off a “prototype” (wink-wink, nudge-nudge) Sportster that promises to rip the conchos right off your Village People chaps as it buzzes past and peels into the next corner. Using tricks learned in Buell’s upgrading of the Sportster motor, the XR1200 is shooting for 85-90 horsepower at the crank, about 10 hp more than the current Twin Cam 96 makes. Factor in at least 100 pounds less weight, modern suspension (43mm inverted Showa) and brakes (four-piston Nissin) and sticky rubber (120/70-18 front, 180/55-17 rear), and you’ve got the makings of the latter-day Sporty street-tracker that many of us have been asking for. For years.
0 Comments