A grunty V-twin motor, fat tyres and feet-forward pegs. It could only be a Harley. Matt Hull does some serious rumbling on the Sportster, here’s Matt’s musings…
Life is now about what you look like. What social media will judge you on. How ‘friends’ you’ve never met see your position in society. To hell with reality, comfort, practicality or happiness – making a statement is the new way to earn a place in this vain world. Attitude and money. The Sportster S fits this bill well.
The fat-tyred, 1252cc, 120bhp V-twin, with its twin high-up pipes and ‘in control’ riding position is well suited to give you a look of knowing what you want. You are in control. For years, Harleys have been modified by their owners for that 30s Harley-Davidson 45 look that servicemen had, and Hollywood craved. But now you can have it straight from the showroom without getting your fingers dirty, for £13,887 or £160 per month.
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Riding the Sportster S has really surprised me, and in a good way. That ridiculous, 160-section front tyre handles a lot better than you would imagine. The geometry has been set up to accommodate it, and even the steering lock is superbly tight – real world practicality I hear? It’s a little firm, but the temperature on this autumn day was low and the adjustable suspension could make up a little for that, giving feedback and the ability to tailor it. Hell, older Harley owners would have loved front forks with damping…
Riding the bends feels different to your normal, 120/70 17in front tyre, but not unnervingly so. A weight of 225kg is not too heavy to adjust in corners and that ‘commanding riding position’ puts you in, well, command. Pushing and pulling the ’bars and weighting the forward footrests has you aiming accurately, allied by a superb – for a cruiser – ground clearance. You really would have to be burying the front on the brakes into a roundabout to ground out, in which case you bought the wrong bike.
But it’s not all looks, as the riding ‘triangle’ of hands, bum and feet really seems to be thought out. Your back is forward enough to minimise hefty suspension jolts from the rear; the ’bars keep your arms wide yet comfy; and the seat is – get this – quite sumptuous! The irony is the three-gallon tank will mean you get to stretch more than regularly. But it was a pleasure to be riding the Sportster S while watching Ross trying to clamber up atop the Pan America like a scaffolder mounting an unbroken horse. And I looked much, much more cool.
The V-twin engine is a stormer. It has modern manners; it responds really well to the three nicely set up rider modes of Sport, Road and Rain, giving a worthy difference to suit riders or weather. The Road mode has a nice, smooth initial throttle response until it gains more revs, but by that time the 120bhp engine has got you moving rapidly. Rain is as you expect, soft as hell, but I was looking forward to Sport. My better half owns a 2009 XR1200, an olde-skool Evo Harley that may only have a mere 90bhp, but you get it all when you ask, thanks to an old-fashioned method of what we called ‘throttle cables’. This instant thrust is addictive, so I was looking forward to 30bhp more. But though twisting the throttle gives speed, that ‘crack’ of power is missing, replaced by a more sensible and perfect power delivery. This bike shouldn’t do sensible.
Crucially, the Sportster S doesn’t back up its pace with a quality soundtrack. Original exhaust, yes, but hit the start and the engine first sounds like the oil pressure is low, then just sounds like an engine. Where’s the ‘potato, potato, potato’? As the revs rise there is no improvement, it just sounds, well, like an engine.
The hardman image becomes more of a thin veneer, being let down by such middleclass addictions as ‘electronic aids’, ‘phone connectivity’ and ‘infotainment’. The dash is so full of info and symbols on it as to be indecipherable when riding, and there are more buttons on the handlebars than an F1 steering wheel. No, I don’t want my heated grips on. Thought out and designed by marketing people that don’t ride.
The Sportster S doesn’t feel or sound like an olde-skool Harley. But they held on as long as they could and had to move on some time. For me, leave the electrogadgets so you can enjoy that fantastic blend of attitude; the handling that has no right to be as good as it is; same as the comfort; and that powerful, well-sorted engine. £14k is a lot of money, and you are getting a lot of bike.
Tech spec
Harley-Davidson Sportster S
Price: From £14,805
Engine: 1252cc, 60° V-twin, water-cooled, DOHC, variable valve timing
Power: 121bhp (90kW) @ 7500rpm
Torque: 92lb-ft (125Nm) @ 6000rpm
Frame: Steel tubular
Wheelbase: 1520mm
Brakes: (F) 320mm disc, radially mounted, monoblock, 4-piston Brembo caliper (R) 260mm disc, floating single piston caliper
Transmission: 6 speed, belt final drive
Suspension: (F) 43mm inverted fork with compression, rebound & spring preload adjustability, 92mm travel (R) Piggyback monoshock with compression, rebound & hydraulic spring preload adjustability, 37mm travel
Wheels/Tyres: (F) cast aluminium wheel, Dunlop 160/70R17 73V tyre (R) cast aluminium wheel, Dunlop 180/70R16 77V tyre
Seat height: 765mm
Fuel capacity: 11.8 litres
MPG: 49mpg
Weight: 225kg (wet)
Warranty: 2 years
Service intervals: 5000 miles
Contact: www.harley-davidson.com
