Weekday Wheelhouse is a news and opinion series for topics that I, well, come up with during the week.
In case you’re not tuned in to the motorcycle media ticker, Harley Davidson officially revealed their new Sportster S today, a not-quite replacement for the venerable Sportster platform that will no longer be available for sale for the first time since 1957.
The Sportster S appears to be a mostly note-for-note rendition of the Harley Davidson High Performance Custom Model Concept (say that five times fast) that’s been kicking around the motorcycle news circuit since 2018 or so. Featuring the MoCo’s new liquid-cooled, double overhead cam, 60 degree Revolution Max V-twin engine, the Sportster S boasts 50 extra cc’s and around double the horsepower over the outgoing Sportster 1200, the last gasp of the Evolution motor that saved H-D’s bacon in the ’80s and ’90s. The aging Evo platform failed to meet 2020 Euro 5 emissions standards across the pond, sealing it’s fate with continental types. However, it did come as quite the shock when Harley Davidson made the same decision stateside on it’s home soil for the 2021 model year. No real media release, fanfare, or celebration of a 64-year life well lived, but rather a quiet disappearance from the website, much akin to the ghosting of the misunderstood 500 and 750 Street platform a year ago.
The new Sportster S shares very little with it’s more traditional ancestor besides a name and a manufacturer. It’s more the product of crossing the unfairly maligned V-Rod platform with the new Pan America adventure bike. High technology, high horsepower and of modern construction, the Sportster S is a far cry from the stalwart outgoing Sportster. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, as the new Sportster S is about twice the bike at 1.5 times the price of the old XL chassis. The 120hp 1250cc Revolution Max is more than competitive with the likes of Indian’s Scout and FTR, BMW’s RnineT, and blows comparable Japanese sport cruiser offerings out of the water. It’s another step Harley Davidson is taking to remain relevant in the 21st century. And personally; I think that step is in the right direction.
What leaves me ponderously intrigued, however, is the giant gap that is now present in Harley-Davidson’s lineup. All of the platforms marketed as “beginner” bikes on the MoCo’s sales floor have disappeared. The 500cc and 750cc liquid cooled Street series never caught on, as dealers typically pushed new buyers towards the “real Harley” Sportster 883s and 1200s. Ultimately the Street met its demise in 2020 due to nonexistent sales. As far as I know, H-D is still utilizing older Street 500s in its training classes for new riders. It’s still a good bike for that, if maybe a little too porky to pickup easily in the parking lot. The idea was a sound one–make new riders associate motorcycling with Harley Davidson, and those same riders come back to the dealership with their shiny new motorcycle endorsements to buy a new Street 750 or Sportster. Boom, you’ve created a new Harley rider that will probably be back some day to upgrade to a “big block” bike.
Instead, the new “Sportster” is a 120 horsepower, $15,000 rocket ship–decidedly not a good first motorcycle for someone who has only ever ridden in a parking lot, much less cracked 20mph on two wheels. The 883 and 1200 Sportsters, while a bit heavy for the novice rider, carried their weight low and had a manageable 40-60 horsepower. Street 500s and 750s output slightly less, but were smaller, lighter bikes.
What we have now in the Sportster S sits somewhere between the V-Rod and XR1200–models both famous for selling incredibly poorly despite being exceptional motorcycles. The Sportster S scares off H-D purists with liquid cooling and a 60 degree V, while also alienating new riders who need a more manageable ride. While I’d love to be proven wrong, I feel most seasoned Harley riders who are attached to the idea of cubic inches will ultimately scoff at trading in their 107+ cubic inch Milwaukee 8 Softails for a “measly” 1250 cubic centimeters. I also don’t believe there’s enough of a market for the Sportster S’s apparent competitors (namely the Indian Scout, FTR, and Honda Rebel 1100) to make a splash on Harley-Davidson’s bottom line by tapping into that stream.
That all being said, I hope this is a sign of things to come for Harley Davidson. Perhaps a downsized Sportster S around 60 horsepower will bring back the first-bike market. Maybe with enough sales success we’ll see a resurgence of the street-fighter Bronx concept. It could be that this opens up a new consumer base for the Motor Company altogether. While I may not be in the target demographic for a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, I will continue to root for the prolonged success of a uniquely American institution that still shines a light into the world motorcycle market.
And at least this Harley has mid-controls.
Burnt Clutches 