The Harley-Davidson Sportster S is a cruiser motorcycle from Harley-Davidson. It is currently on sale. Cruisers are built for relaxed riding, typically with a low seat, a laid-back posture and an engine that pulls from low revs. With a 1,252 cc engine it sits in the big-bike, 800 cc-plus class.
Power comes from a 1,252 cc twin-cylinder liquid-cooled fuel-injected engine that makes 122.3 PS at 7,500 rpm and 125 Nm of torque at 6,000 rpm. Its bore is wider than its stroke (105 mm x 72.3 mm), a short-stroke layout that generally favours higher revs. Divide power by kerb weight and it has about 536 PS per tonne; by that measure, its performance is at superbike level and rewards an experienced rider. The claimed top speed is 230 km/h. It has electric start.
It has a 6-speed manual gearbox with a 1-down, 5-up shift pattern, and a belt carries drive to the rear wheel. Its slipper clutch lightens the lever and stops the rear wheel hopping when you downshift hard.
It is built around a high strength low alloy wheel trellis frame. At the front, the suspension is 43 mm inverted fork with compression, rebound and spring preload adjustability. At the rear, it is Linkage-mounted, piggyback monoshock with compression, rebound and hydraulic spring preload adjustability. Braking is by a 320 mm disc at the front and a 260 mm disc at the rear, with dual-channel ABS. ABS on both wheels keeps either tyre from locking under hard braking. It rides on 17-inch front and 16-inch rear alloy wheels with tubeless tyres — 160/70-17 at the front and 180/70-16 at the rear.
The seat is 765 mm off the ground, which is low and makes it easy to put your feet down. It weighs 228 kg ready to ride, which is heavy, so parking and tight U-turns need care. Ground clearance is 90 mm — low, so take speed breakers and steep ramps slowly. It is 2,270 mm long, with 1,520 mm between the axles. Its 11.7 L fuel tank and claimed mileage of 20 kmpl work out to roughly 234 km per tankful on paper; real-world range is usually lower.
Equipment includes a digital instrument console, an LED headlamp, turn-by-turn navigation, USB charging port, call and SMS alerts, gear position indicator, mobile app connectivity, cruise control and daytime running lamps. Safety equipment includes side-stand warning, engine kill switch, hazard light switch, traction control and low fuel indicator.
Warranty terms: Unlimited km or 2 years. For the Harley-Davidson Sportster S, Mechiee offers a fixed ₹10,999 doorstep service.
It is best suited to relaxed riding and unhurried weekend trips. Its low seat also makes it approachable for shorter and newer riders. With this much performance, it is better as a step-up bike than a first bike.
Recommended tyre pressures are 36 psi front and 42 psi rear, solo or with a pillion. Its belt drive needs no lubrication, only periodic checks for wear and tension.
