For all Harley-Davidson’s fanfare surrounding the new Sportster S, the bike itself is surprisingly quiet.
The usual “potato-potato” beat of a Harley has been replaced by a purposeful thrum that feels more Munich than Milwaukee, the result of a push to make the Sporty meaner and greener than before.
This machine is the third prong in a careful strategy intended to reel in new customers.
The electric LiveWire won global headlines for innovation – if not sales – while the high-riding, all-terrain Pan America took aim at the raging popularity of BMW’s GS line and the Ducati Multistrada.
While those are big-dollar bikes priced well north of $30,000, the new Sportster replaces the most affordable rides in Harley showrooms.
Not that the Sportster is particularly cheap.
Priced from $26,495 ride-away, it’s hardly a budget-basement machine – especially when you consider the outgoing Sportster could be had with change from $20,000.
But the new model does much to justify its premium.
Just as the price has increased by about 30 per cent, so has the performance from its V-twin engine.
The Revolution Max 1250 motor pinched from the Pan America ditches pushrods and simple air-cooled architecture in favour of a radiator, double overhead cams and new thirst for speed.
We’ve been here before, with the Porsche-fettled Harley-Davidson V-Rod that was a cult favourite in Australia.
Which suggests the new Sportster S should be a winner.
Harley says the new motor is good for 90kW and 125Nm, figures that out-punch the mighty V-Rod muscle bike while redefining the Sportster’s place in showrooms.
The sophisticated engine is central to a package dripping with street appeal and premium components such as Brembo brakes and adjustable Showa suspension.
Tech includes cruise control, customisable riding modes, plus traction control and anti-lock brakes that take lean angle into account. A sophisticated digital display is capable of connecting to your phone to offer sat nav and entertainment apps accessed through new buttons near the handgrips.
Conventional indicator switches on the left side replace Harley’s preference for separate blinker buttons for each hand, welcoming riders new to the brand while asking rusted-on fans to compromise for the future.
It’s easy to see where designers defeated engineers in battles between poise and practicality.
The bike looks purposeful when parked, canted dramatically on a short kickstand delivering heart-stopping moments on soft summer hotmix. You’ll look back at the bike to admire it, and to make sure it isn’t about to topple into the sea.
The hunched-over, stretched-out riding position is more suited to short blasts than long days in the saddle.
Muscular rear proportions look tough while delivering precious little suspension travel on the road, making you wince every time there’s a decent bump in the road. And see bright lights if you fail to miss a pothole.
High-mounted exhausts inspired by dirt oval flat-track racing slow roast your right thigh.
And the fat front tyre selected by the styling department can’t approach the feel, precision or initial steering response of sportier rivals.
Riders new to the cruiser category will be surprised by the physicality of the Sportster, as you really do need to muscle the bike to lean it from side to side.
The long shift lever of its forward foot controls needs deliberate action and its brakes require more effort than premium alternatives.
Forget about auto-blipping quick-shifters. Riding the Sportster hard is like rocking out with a drum solo, two hands and two feet working in unison to make great things happen.
Improved ground clearance allows you to push harder in the bends, and the Rev Max motor does what it says on the tin, surging forward with a thirst for engine speed rarely found on stretched-out cruisers.
You need to put the work in to get the most out of the Sportster.
Peak torque arrives at 6000rpm – about double that of the brand’s big twins.
And you must take the high gearing of its six-speed transmission into account, choosing a lower ratio to allow the motor to do its best work.
You’re busy, but there’s no doubt that you’re really riding a motorcycle.
And it rewards keen riders with stirring performance.
It’s a shame modern environmental regulations addressing noise and emissions pollution prevented Harley from giving this Sportster a riotous soundtrack to match its style and speed.
There’s an occasional rumble on the over-run, but nothing like the flare and crackle folks might expect from such an aggressive-looking bike.
Then again, this isn’t your dad’s Harley-Davidson.
There isn’t even any chrome to reflect on what the brand has achieved with the new Sportster.
Harley-Davidson Sportster S
Price: From $26,495 ride-away
Engine: 1252cc v-twin, 90kW and 125Nm
Safety: Cornering ABS, traction control, multiple ride modes
Thirst: 5.1L/100km
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