Harley Davidson XL 1200S Sportster

The Sportster series of bikes has been with us now since 1957 At that time riders were getting a brand new machine and not just another revamp of a previous model. Here was a machine that extracted sheer excitement from every inch of the way; a whole new reason for riding was born. More than four decades later the name is still kicking hard.

After some time in the doldrums Harley-Davidson started to build sales and improve its product line, offering the public machines that could be identified with quality build and typical Harley-Davidson charisma. In 1998 came the announcement that, on January 6 of that year, Harley-Davidson, Inc. celebrated the first motorcycles off the production line at its newest plant, just completed in Kansas City, Mo.

 This set the stage for the 13th consecutive year since the company went public in 1986 that the number of motorcycle deliveries to customers had increased. The company told us that the Kansas City facility would manufacture the Sportster line, including the Sportster 1200, Sportster 1200 Sport, Sportster 1200 Custom, Sportster 883 and Sportster 883 Hugger, ranging in price $5,245 - $8,670. The company's York, Pa. facility, which then manufactured the line, would incrementally transfer Sportster production to Kansas City by mid-summer and increase production of Harley-Davidson's Big Twin product lines.

The Sportster range is therefore comprehensive and the 1200cc (73.22ci) model comes in several different styles. When Harley-Davidson announced the intention to present uprated and updated machines for 1998 people couldn't wait to see what was in store. When the machines arrived they were not sure if all the hoopla had been a worth the wait. Many said that Harley had hampered the possible technical advantages of the new machines for the sake of keeping them within the mandated Harley look. The real enthusiast, though, was able to boost power on the Sportster Sport, for example, by fitting a new pipe, airbox, jet kit and ignition module. The 1998 Sportster Sport has been endowed with chrome, high polish and silver paint, which makes the bike look quite stunning.

While much of Harley's range is based around the 1340cc (81.74ci) so-called Big Twin Evolution engine unit, the company has produced a unit for the Sportster range based around a unit construction engine. There are two displacements available, 883cc and 1200cc (53.86ci and 73.20ci). The 1200 engine is a four-stroke V-twin and handles a top speed of 110mph (176kph). The unit is fed by a 40 CV carburetor which in turn is supplied by a 3.3 gallon (12.5 litre) slim tank, of which one gallon of this is a reserve.

There was some criticism of the brakes, which seem to work well but only when applied at full force, in which case the machine stops in good time and without too much trouble.

 The brakes are discs all round and are supported by full floating callipers.