Ever been to Harley Davidson Mzansi in Fourways?
No? Well you should really make the effort and go and have a look, it’s an amazing store. They lent us the very latest Sportster to recce the route for the Gyppo Work Tuesday ride… Ever ridden a new 1250 Sportster S with that EVO motor? No? Well you really should make the effort to get to Mzansi and ride theirs. It’s a seriously cool machine to ride.
We took the long road from the Dealership in Fourways out to The Cradle and then for a nibble at the All Fresh Bakery in Broederstroom… They do make some pretty spectacular meals and are just cool people. It’s convenient because there is a garage there so you can refuel your body and bike. From there we took a ride out along the Satellite road to Hekpoort Junction – that’s always cool – fresh air, blue skies and a powerful V-Twin Harley under your backside…
The Sportster is one of Harley-Davidson’s biggest success stories and is one of the longest continually produced motorcycles in history. More than 50,000 models were shipped a year from 2012–2017… But as sales dwindled, HD had to do something.
Introduced in 2021, the Sportster S reaffirmed Harley-Davidson’s commitment to a fully modern lineup. If you read stuff, you’ll know that Harley-Davidson invested a lot in their Revolution Max engine. The old air cooled engine was fun – but very dated. Did they get it right?
Abso…bloody….lutely!
Just Like other manufacturers do, HD tweaks the Rev Max and uses it across their different models. This version of Harley’s liquid-cooled 60-degree V-twin uses smaller valves and ports and a different combustion chamber shape than a bike like the Pan America 1250. It’s got more torque at low and mid RPM. We’ll tell you for free – it’s a lot of fun!
The engine has a few jobs: It acts as a part of the chassis, removing the need for a traditional frame. There’s a front frame, mid frame, and a swingarm that mounts directly to the engine. The benefits to this design is reduced weight and a relatively stiff setup for sporty riding (get it?).
Keeping the wheels rolling:
HD did not cut corners. They fitted top drawer Brembo brakes and Showa suspension. The bike rides on fully adjustable 43mm inverted cartridge forks and a fully adjustable piggyback reservoir shock with hydraulic preload adjustment. You’ll find a single front brake disc up front paired to a Monoblock caliper.
The rear suspension only has just 2 inches of travel, which gives the bike that lekker low slung look.
The TFT screen and electronics package is pretty simple and is clearly legible.
Electronics:
Harleys Cornering Rider Safety Enhancements (RDRS) rider-aid suite gives just that little bit more confidence. The bike comes standard with tech like lean-sensitive traction control with Rain, Road, and Sport settings. All of these systems are managed through a very cool 4-inch-diameter TFT screen and a pretty intuitive switchgear.
You can connect to your Bluetooth device and headset, which allows you to listen to music, take calls, or navigate through GP roads when using the Harley-Davidson App. Three preprogrammed ride modes (Sport, Road, and Rain) are available alongside two Custom modes that you can personalise to what you like, with options for engine map, engine-braking, throttle response, and traction control. So – this is no 80’s sportster like the one your pops had, this is a thoroughly modern piece of performance machinery.
The ride:
Comfort: If you ever rode a previous gen Sporty you’ll know that they were not built for comfort. We went back to an old story that we wrote about one of those, and that was a bug bear, we were actually grateful for every stop. This one is better…. Much Better!
The rider triangle allows you to sit back in a relaxed position, or in a more upright position, or you can lean over the tank and open wide. You’re not stuck in one spot that makes that long ride a chore. This bike had forward controls that we thought would get uncomfy, but both of our riders were pleasantly surprised.
Ok, we’ll ‘fess up. The joy of riding a bike like this is the sheer attitude that it brings to the whole experience. The latest Sportster is a head turner that evokes a “Wild Hogs” vibe as you roar your way out through suburbia into the countryside. Roar is the right word, the signature HD rumble is right there…
That motor is the belle of the ball, smooth and controllable off idle but open up and as the digital rev counter zips past 4,000 rpm she becomes a beasty. The free-revving powerplant is so cool with a great spread of power and torque so that you are not always shifting gears. We thought that the engine would give off a lot of heat. It didn’t. The clutch feels soft and smooth.
The very cool display has non-reflective glass and is easy to read in any lighting. The control layout that Harley-Davidson uses makes it really easy to navigate through the rider-aid options. We played with the rider modes, but – as usual, we ended up leaving it in the somewhat quicker Sports mode. It’s a sportster after all! The slower modes are not nearly as much fun, but in heavy traffic, or in the rain – of course they do make a lot of sense to have.
She rolls beautifully on those big tyres (The front is a 160/70-17 by the way) and handled everything we rode really well through sweeping corners and long straights. The rear shock did not like the short section of road works that we hit, so those were negotiated quite slowly. The shorter travel means that you do have a stiffer ride out back, like a bobber.
Our regular guest rider Garth Taylor shares his thoughts.
Harley has nailed it! This bike absolutely appeals to me and I’m pretty sure that it must appeal to the younger generation.
The colours and styling designs are top shelf.
I love the engine. Man it’s a gem! It’s frighteningly powerful, quick and so exciting…
Every bike I have ever ridden with forward swept pegs has been uncomfortable. On this Sporty, that is not the case. I was pleasantly surprised. No cramping, it actually feels really good over distance.
The bike inspires confidence and I had no complaints about the handling, even with that big front tyre.
Sure I didn’t scrape pegs, but I was always perfectly in control.
I’m a bit of a tech fan and I love the way the display works and the self-diagnostic function is such a cool feature. If you get a trouble code, you know what needs to be done.
All in. What a bike! Loved every second.
