Two Wheel Fix - View Single Post - HD XR1200 (HD lovers you may want to skip this)

No Worries · 06-26-2010, 01:47 PM

To be fair, Cycle World's 1/4 mile time was 12.13, a full second quicker than Bike Magazine. And their 0-60 time was 3.9 seconds, compared to Bike's 4.34 sec. The weird thing is Bike's 90.1 HP compared to Cycle World's 79.2.

In Cycle World's report, they compared the XR1200 to Ducati's Sport Classic Sport 1000. Surprisingly, both bike were comparable. The Ducati's stiff suspension made it a killer in corners, but the highway ride was too stiff. They gave the nod to the Harley.

The short-travel (3 1/2 inch) rear shock was a problem on the XR. But that can be fixed. The high, wide handlebar on the XR made it easier to handle than the narrow, clubman-style clip-ons of the Ducati. Although the XR has more HP and Torque, the 130 pound weight difference made the Harley slower in the quarter.

But here's the clincher: "The Sportster's big-time midrange torque helps it to be an amazingly easy bike to hustle along a twisty road." That would be a selling point to me.

06-26-2010, 01:47 PM	#62
No Worries Keyboard Racer Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Mile High City Moto: Old Superbikes Posts: 1,016	To be fair, Cycle World's 1/4 mile time was 12.13, a full second quicker than Bike Magazine. And their 0-60 time was 3.9 seconds, compared to Bike's 4.34 sec. The weird thing is Bike's 90.1 HP compared to Cycle World's 79.2. In Cycle World's report, they compared the XR1200 to Ducati's Sport Classic Sport 1000. Surprisingly, both bike were comparable. The Ducati's stiff suspension made it a killer in corners, but the highway ride was too stiff. They gave the nod to the Harley. The short-travel (3 1/2 inch) rear shock was a problem on the XR. But that can be fixed. The high, wide handlebar on the XR made it easier to handle than the narrow, clubman-style clip-ons of the Ducati. Although the XR has more HP and Torque, the 130 pound weight difference made the Harley slower in the quarter. But here's the clincher: "The Sportster's big-time midrange torque helps it to be an amazingly easy bike to hustle along a twisty road." That would be a selling point to me.