Going, going, going, and gone

The Harley-Davidson Sportster has been with us since Elvis existed only in black and white, and it’s been part of our culture through evolutions and revolutions and in dozens of model iterations. But nothing lasts forever, and the Sportster platform as we knew it came to the end of its road in 2022. Ultimately, one of the Sportster’s strengths – its honest and lovable air-cooled engine – became its fatal weakness, as its inability to meet Euro 5 noise and pollution regulations put an end to the venerable X engine.

However, H-D has reinvented the platform and has two new Sportsters in its lineup, both powered by Revolution Max engines that were first seen in the Pan America adventure bike. The Sportster S uses the liquid-cooled 1,250cc motor, while the Nightster is powered by a 975cc version.

Harley-Davidson Sportster Hits

• 1957-70: Iron engine, for its purity and purpose.
• 1973: XR750 flat-tracker – because it did it so well, for so long.
• 1976-78: XLCR, as a styling exercise.
• 1986-2021: The “Evo” engine, for all it did and does.
• 1991-on: Five-speed transmissions for adding versatility and 30 years of life.
• 1995-2010: Buells with X-engines for a performance renaissance.
• 2000-on: Disc front brake, for coming to a halt with certainty.
• 2004-on: Rubber-mounted engine for teaching an old dog a new trick.
• 2007-on: Low maintenance trifecta – EFI, hydraulic lifters, belt drive.
• 2008-10: XR1200, for proving a performance point to the rest of the world.
• Sportsterpedia.com: For all they offer and all you need to know

 

Sportsters are ghey

 

Not as gay as a fagrarri.

Sportster is perfect if you want to rip downtown 15 miles for a burger,fries and a beer and don't want your old lady tagging along

Last thing I want is my old lady on the back of my bike

And then afterwards you check the oil level

 

You’ll never make it 15 miles to downtown…

















There are far too many bars on that route that you’ll “break down” at.

 

Shite! I’m old enough to remember when they were the coolest bike to own. Nothing cooler than a ‘66 XLCH Sportster with aluminum rims and a cool ass magneto.

 

1972 they were the fastest bike around (at least I thought so at the time). So fast I crashed a fraternity brothers sportster. . Had to get a job delivering pizzas to pay to fix his bike. Kinda wished I hadn't as a left turning old guy killed him a year later on Atherton avenue in State College.

 

I feel bad for the bike manifacturers.

Kids nowadays don't even want to learn to drive, or own a car. They'd rather stare at a phone.

The market for new bike sales is going to be a smaller percentage of population each year.

Add on top of that everyone's driving around smoking dope or staring at their phone......same reason I don't have a street bike anymore. ....I'd rather cycle on a trail with headphones in and stay in shape,

 

You can still buy a new Sportster:

https://thekneeslider.com/shineray-swm-stormbreaker-1200-an-air-cooled-sportster-replica-from-china/

 

I liked mine an awful lot:

 

The fuel feed on the orange one is different.

 

XR1000

 

Did you actually throw your leg over those pod filters?

 

They made putting a foot down at a stop on the right side a bit awkward (Not important), but as long as my feet were on the pegs, there was NO leg contact at all.

A guy on a Gold Wing once ask me if those pipes burnt my legs when I ride wearing shorts - I told him only an idiot rides with shorts, so, no, no burning leg issues. He then gave me a really pissy look - I'm guessing he rode with shorts...

 

Man I don't know, the sport bike scene is blowing up there again the last several years and they are all kids on them. Lots of them starting to do trackdays too. It reminds me of the early 2000's when I started getting into the scene.

 

and he's the one with a 64oz sweet tea in a cup holder attached to the handlebars and then bitches about shimmy when takes his hands off the bars

 

You're talking about the guy that hasn't checked the air pressure in his tires since April?

 

These were really bad ass motorcycles once, one of the fastest on the road. Cook Neilson started a Sportster test in Cycle magazine, maybe 1967-68, with a line something like "Hey over compensators, this bike is for you."

 

I always liked them and my buddy had a iron head that was fun and kinda slow so when eric did the 96 S1 buell with 90hp crank / 68 RWP, I had to have one off the showroom floor and still have it .

 

If ever!

 

Reminds me of me lol. I bought a used Street Glide last summer. Trailered it home because it was 8 hours away. For the first couple weeks while I was getting used to it, I thought it was kinda slow and definitely not easy to push ar0und the garage. Dawned on me to check the air pressure, and the tires were both less than 10 lbs. Aired them up and it did end up improving things a little.