Quick Ride

QUICK RIDE

XLH 1200 SPORTSTER H-D defines simplicity

"BEAUTY OF STYLE and harmony and grace and good rhythm depend on simplicity," scribed Plato some 400 years before the birth of Christ. There is little doubt that Harley-Davidson believes in this reasoning. If it didn't, the Motor Company's lineup wouldn't include the Sportster 1200, itself a rolling paragon of disentanglement.

The essentials include a 45-degree V-Twin solidly mounted to a double-downtube steel-frame chassis with twin shock absorbers, a conventional telescopic fork, steel fenders and relaxed ergonomics. A simple formula, for sure, and one that has survived fundamentally unchanged since the bike’s introduction in 1957.

Thirty-seven years later, the Sportster is still a solid performer, though dual instruments, upgraded electrics, a quick-release clutch cable, castalloy wheels and disc brakes bring it up to modern standards. Still, the Sportster remains an elemental motorcycle.

Climb aboard, settle into the stepped saddle and wrap your hands around the controls. Everything is within reach, right where it should be. Meter the choke, thumb the barmounted starter and the engine pops to life, within minutes idling down to a smooth, muted rumble. A quick check of the vibration-fuzzed mirrors, and you’re off.

There are, however, several points that will likely keep most Sportsters relatively close to home. While ground clearance is respectable, the suspension, both front and rear, lacks compliance and control, especially over larger, square-edged bumps. Not the recipe for long days in the saddle. Aftermarket shocks, stiffer fork springs and heavier-grade fork oil are worthwhile upgrades. Furthermore, the Sporty’s 2.3-gallon peanut fuel tank is too small, limiting the distance between fill-ups to less than 100 miles. An optional 3.25-gallon tank is available.

Those complaints, and others, have been leveled at the Sportster for years, yet Harley continues to sell every one it can build. Consider this though: For nearly every one of the Sportster’s flaws, aftermarket fixes are available. Take the engine. A performance-oriented carburetor matched with a free-flowing air filter and a quality exhaust system will amplify the engine’s performance considerably. Have a few more greenbacks to spend? Try a hotter cam and ported cylinder heads. Of course these modifications aren’t exactly inexpensive, but then again, serious horsepower never is.

Flaws aside, the $7000 XLH Sportster remains an attractive purchase, thanks to its strong character and purpose. It just goes to show that two-wheeled excitement needn’t be priced extravagantly nor fitted with a compact-disc player, heated grips and a vanity mirror.

Plato would probably agree.

Matthew Miles