Harley-Davidson XL 1200S Sportster 1200 Sport reviews

I have been riding motorcycles since 1967. I own five street bikes at the moment. I bought this bike because I have always liked the looks of the Sportsters and no longer have the need to ride 170 mph. I have an aversion to vibration so I didn't give serious thought to a Sportster until they mounted the engine in rubber. In 2007, they gave it fuel injection. That is just icing on the cake. This is a great bike. It runs down the road 60-75 mph. all day long. It starts instantly and has great low-end and mid-range power. I just changed the oil and filter at a cost of $12. If you do your own maintenance, this is a very easy bike to work on. I have owned some very nice bikes (around 100 all together) and have always done the maintenance as much a matter of convenience as well as cost saving. This is a bike that has a solid feel, great build quality, good looks and unfortunately a reputation as a starter bike. It is way more than that. I must admit that I haven't had mine much over 100 mph., but then again I don't have a need to go there. In the real world, the speeds that I ride on the back roads and expressways at 55-75 mph., the performance is very pleasing. It pulls like a John Deere from the bottom. It isn't a GSXR or an FZR. It is a Harley and it behaves like one. If you want a race bike buy something else. If you want something to ride back and forth to work or perhaps to the west coast and back, you could do far worse. This is one very satisfying motorcycle. Show less

Here's a little about me. I've been riding since the late sixties. I started out with a '69 Sportster. I loved it and put many miles on it. Over the years I've owned various big twins and metrics and a few Sportsters mixed in. I've always come back to the Sportsters. After riding Sportsters with no battery, only magneto, shaking like a paint mixer, missing or marginal front brakes - I'm spoiled now. I like fuel injection, decent brakes, no puddles of oil on my garage floor. I'm enjoying my 2011 SuperLow. I turn the key and go. It has good low end torque. The motor runs out of steam early enough so you don't need a tach to know when it's time to shift. Handling is great for every-day normal riding. Things start scraping if you get wild, but you can keep this to a minimum once you get to know the bike's limits. The 4.5 gallon tank is a welcome relief on a highway ride. I look forward to many enjoyable miles on this bike. Show less

I really do enjoy this bike. It was a great bike to get back into riding with. I was a little concerned about the size since I am a big guy, but this bike has more than enough to haul me around. On the highway I can reach around 90 mph. and there is still a little left. I don't know how comfortable I would be with doubleup riding for long rides but it still handles well. I'm very pleased with this bike. I'll upgrade eventually, but for now I'm more than happy. Show less

Being a new rider, some friends said I should buy a smaller bike first before buying a Road King. I bought this bike off E-Bay back in February, 2011 with only 5,600 miles on it. I have put over 1,800 miles on it in three months. It has run great, no issues here at all. The bike had custom Pearl Blue paint. The previous owner added a lot of accessories. I got this bike for a steal at $5,000! The bike looks brand new and was garage kept. It runs great, has plenty of torgue. I love this bike and hopefully later this year I will buy a Road King if Harley comes out with some decent colors for 2012. P.S. I will keep this bike besides getting a Road King. Show less

I bought a new 883 in 2008 and have not had the first regret. I rode a 1986 Honda Gold Wing 1200 for 17 years. I was at the age that I felt that I needed something a little lighter and more nimble. Besides, I wore the wing out and sold it for salvage. In three seasons, I have put 34,000 miles on it, and it is still a joy to ride. I really enjoy jumping on it and riding on three or four day trips. I am 75 years old and this should be my last motorcycle unless I wear it out too soon. Show less

I bought this bike and love it! When I bought it, it had 3,231 miles on it. In just a few days that I've had it, it's already at 3,396. I'm glad I got this one before someone else did. Show less

I picked up the bike in San Marcos and rode it home (3/14/11) - put 396 miles on it Sunday; mostly down I10. I rode the farm roads from San Marcos to Comfort. There were tight turning hill country roads to I10 and I never even scraped a foot peg much less the kick stand. The bike will hit a solid 100 mph. and cruise at 80 all day long - trust me, you will give out before the bike does. There is a foot peg vibration at 60 in 5th. gear but it goes away quickly and the suspension is stiff! I averaged 47 mpg. on the highway. It sounds to me like the last reviewer left the kick stand down when taking off. Show less

My last Sportster reference was a '69 XLCH and it was pretty bad. I took this '01 in on a trade and thought I might ride it a little and then sell it, but it's a great little bike and I think I'm going to keep it. I don't understand where all the stories about horrible vibration, poor handling and lack of comfort are coming from. This thing is as smooth as glass at 65 mph and has only a very slight, very tolerable vibration at 80+ mph. I've ridden it at 80 for over an hour at a time. It's not a sport bike, but it will still go down any twisty road I can find in North Arkansas at twice the legal speed limit or better. I've got about 15 bikes in the garage and find myself throwing a leg over this one more often. Maybe this is just a good one? Show less

I bought this bike after a 15-year absence from motorcycling. I've been closely following the XR ever since it came out, dealerships are pricing these bad boys to move. The motorcycle press gave the XR great reviews and I echo their comments. Good (not great)acceleration, straight-forward instrumention, effective brakes, nimble suspension, and sticky rear tire. I'm a 35-year-old that generally prefers sport bikes over cruisers, but this is a nice compromise. Mine is black and I have been having a hoot on it....definitely a grin producing bike. Show less

I have ridden a Road King for seven years and wanted a lighter sportier bike without traditional sportster issues. The rubber mount helps with the vibes. It has 3 disc brakes, tach and midmount controls, not to mention the bigger tank. I had to switch out the seat for a Mustang. Also, I added a Supertrapp 2 into 1 to open up the top end. Now I ride it much more than the Roadking, that I use for 2 up and long rides. People comment it's not the traditional sports look but I think its one of the best looking sporties I have seen. Also, it will be a rare classic only made 1 year. Show less