ge5715730180030542395
4
Bikesales Staff9 Jan 2004
REVIEW

Harley Davidson sportster

Harley's Sportster name has been around for the best part of half a century and the factory has released a much-updated bike for 2004. Greg Leech, Editor of Australian Motorcycle Trader magazine, has a look

For 2004 the Sportster range has come in for a major overhaul. Gone is the theory of the Sporty representing "Harley-Davidson light". While the bikes are still the entry point for those looking to get involved in the H-D thing, the changes for 2004 offer a great deal more creature comfort, with the major whinge of vibration getting a good deal of design focus.

The 2004 Sportster range includes four models There's the budget XL 883, the XL 883C Custom, the XL 1200C Custom, and the new and XL 1200R Roadster. All get a redesigned Evolution powertrain, which is now rubber-mounted in a new frame that is 126 percent stiffer than the previous Sportster item, and feature a lower seat height than previous Sportster models. Sixteen colour choices will be available for 2004 Sporties: including standard, pearl and two-tone colour schemes.

In short, the bikes don't look all that different - and why would you change radically the visage that has worked so well for H-D since 1957? It still has that pared-down hot-rod feel that Sporty-folk love. Me too...

NEW BITS
There are numerous changes to the bikes for 2004. Let's look at the major ones.

Engine vibes have been a Sporty bugbear for some time now so H-D engineers have rubber-mounted the donk. It's still vibey, but nothing like the old bike. Big improvement for mine.

The frame is now super rigid. It has made turn-in pretty damned sharp and shenanigans that place big forces on it are coped with in a far more stable manner than previously.

H-D has played this down, but all that extra hardware adds up to s significant weight penalty. At 251kg (for the lightest of the new range, the XL 1200R is 255kg) the Sporty is a porker. You just can't hide from that fact. Want proof? Well , the V-Rod comes in at 280kg. Enough said.

The engine is stabilised by three links that aid the low-vibration feel. This works.

The engine is the Evo arrangement with lighter conrods and pistons, more efficient timing sensor for better spark, there are new cylinders and heads (the 1200 has high-flow heads) that are claimed to be easier to cool.

RIDE IMPRESSIONS
The Aussie launch saw us able to ride all of the new range except the 883C on the great roads in and around Port Macquarie in NSW. The route offered every challenge that a bike should face and in most cases the Sportsters came up trumps - especially in the area of FUN. Let's look at each bike individually...

XL 1200C CUSTOM
There is less clearance available on the 1200c than the 1200R and scraping of the pipes is an ever-present phenomenon. Having said that, I find touching tarmac a bit of fun and it never unsettles the bike unduly (as long as you recognise there is no clearance left of course). The again, I wasn't paying for the damage or putting up with the loss of aesthetic quality incurred.

The bigger tank the 1200C gets (17lt versus 12.9lt) looks really good and the obvious pay-off here is in touring range. A big plus here.

I thought the 1200C was the most refined looking and well-finished of the new range. It belies its Sportster moniker and offers a feeling of riding a big H-D without the fat price tag.

XL 1200R ROADSTER
I really liked this one. Its clearance is far better than on the 1200C and its quite a handy tool in the twisties. Turn-in is the best I've ever experienced on a Harley and this one stops well with the twin disc front-end really very efficient. There's far less lever effort required to haul the bike up.

There's good response available from the engine from 4000rpm up and in tight stuff those good torque numbers really enable a quick exit - get to max clearance in the first third of the corner and simply nail the throttle and there's enough there to toss you at the next bend with surprising speed.

XL883
This one is a really involving ride. Okay, it may lack some of the refinement and niceties of its top-end Sporty brothers, but I've always like the idea of owning a bottom-of -the-range bike - they usually do most things as well as the more premium members of the stable, but are never pretending to be any more than they are.

In sweepy stuff the bike loses very little due to its smaller capacity, but it does get found out when things tighten up. You find yourself without a ratio that suits at times with the rev-limiter bouncing all over the place in one gear and snicking up to the next seeing the bike bog bike down underneath the optimum rev range. It is a 5K cheaper though and it is only in the very tight going you notice the lack of real power. For that price difference, I'd live with it and do some smart mods myself.

SO...
This is a significant step up for the Sporty in general. The changes were all made in response to owners' criticisms and they have made a real-world difference.

Look. Sportties are bags of fun and offer the H-D experience at a competitive price. Yep, I could own one easily. Which one? Well, I love the hot rod looks and good brakes of the Roadster.

SPEX

(CUSTOM MODEL IN BRACKETS)

ENGINE:
Type: Air-cooled, 45 degree V-twin, four-stroke;
Bore x stroke: 76.2mm x 96.8mm;
Displacement: 883cc;
Compression ratio: 9.0:1

TRANSMISSION:
Type: Five-speed, constant mesh;
Final drive: Belt.

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR:
Frame type: Double cradle;
Front suspension: 39mm conventional telescopic forks;
Rear suspension: Twin coil over shocks;
Front brake;
Single 292mm disc with twin-piston caliper;
Rear brake: 292mm disc with twin-piston caliper.

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES:
Dry weight: 251kg (255kg)
Seat height: 693mm (668mm);
Fuel capacity: 12.9lt (17lt).

PERFORMANCE:
Max power: 53PS at 5900rpm;
Max torque: 6.94kg-m at 4100rpm;
Test bike supplied by: Harley-Davidson Australia;
Warranty: 24 mths/unlimited km;
Price: $11,250 ($12,995).

H-D SPORTSTER XL 1200 (CUSTOM MODEL IN BRACKETS)

ENGINE:
Type: Air-cooled, 45 degree V-twin, four-stroke;
Bore x stroke: 88.8mm x 86.8mm;
Displacement: 1202cc;
Compression ratio: 9.7:1.

TRANSMISSION:
Type: Five-speed, constant mesh;
Final drive: Belt.

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR:
Frame type: Double cradle;
Front suspension: 39mm conventional telescopic forks;
Rear suspension: Twin coil over shocks;
Front brake;
Twin 292mm discs with twin-piston calipers
Rear brake: 292mm disc with twin-piston caliper.

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES:
Dry weight: 251kg (255kg);
Seat height: 713mm (668mm)
Fuel capacity: 12.9lt (17lt).

PERFORMANCE:
Max power: 62PS at 6000rpm;
Max torque: 9.18kg-m at 2700rpm;
Test bike supplied by: Harley-Davidson Australia;
Warranty: 24 mths/unlimited km;
Price: $16,495 ($16,995).

Share this article
Written byBikesales Staff
See all articles
Stay up to dateBecome a bikesales member and get the latest news, reviews and advice straight to your inbox.
Subscribe today
Disclaimer
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
Love every move.
Buy it. Sell it.Love it.
®
Download the bikesales app
    AppStoreDownloadGooglePlayDownload
    App Store and the Apple logo are trademarks of Apple Inc. Google Play and the Google Play logo are trademarks of Google LLC.
    © carsales.com.au Pty Ltd 1999-2025
    In the spirit of reconciliation we acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.