Harley Davidson Sportster S (2022) Review

Modern Heritage

The Sporster nameplate has been the bread and butter of the Harley lineup for decades. Being the so-called entry point into Harley ownership, the Sportser has been the go-to for everything from flat track racing to transcontinental touring and everything in between. As the average age of a Harley buyer has steadily increased the brand has had to take significant strides at getting a younger audience to buy into the brand and the Sportster was firmly in their crosshairs.

Related: More than just a commute

The new Sportser S has been fitted with the advanced 1250 Revolution Max engine and now features fat boy styling and is loaded to the handlebars with new tech and electronics which are sure to appeal to the younger audience that Harley is targeting.

 

Styling

The Sportster S is no longer a slimline, small engine capacity machine. This machine is a thic-boi with its immediately noticeable fat tyres front and rear. The small 11-litre tank, wide handlebars with bar end mirrors, and the chopped rear fender give the bike an aggressive look and feel. Harleys are well known for having their exhausts exit low but on the Sportster, it sweeps up and exits in a twin-muffler near the rear fender giving it a "Sportbike" look. This also serves a dual purpose of quietening the V twin engine down.

The Sportster is available in three colours namely Mineral Green Metallic, White Sand Pearl, and Vivid Black, all with Gold accents on the tank and engine covers. The bike's lighting system is completely LED and illuminates the road at night very well with the turn signals and brake lamp being very noticeable.

 

Tech

The tech that has been crammed into the new Sporster is on point. the first thing you will notice is the 4.3-inch TFT gauge that will give readouts for speed, gears, odometer, fuel level, ambient temp, range, TPMS, and revs. This is also the screen through which you can connect your smartphone via Bluetooth and making use of the Harley Davidson app, access phone calls, muisc, and navigation (with a suitable BT helmet setup).

The Sportster is also equipped with riding modes for Freeway cruising, Sports riding, and Rain as well as custom setup for Individual settings. The Sportster also features cruise control, wheelie control, cornering control, traction control and ABS as standard, sure to make even the most nervous of riders feel safe.

The whole setup is very intuitive and easy to use, as are the handlebar controls. 

 

Engine and Drivetrain

The party piece of the new Sporster is of course the 1250T Revolution Max engine. This fuel-injected behemoth pumps out 90kW and 127Nm and despite its size is actually rather quiet. It has a buttery smooth and linear power curve and easily accelerates without hesitation. If you aren't prepared for it, the rapid acceleration will startle you and even when you are ready for it, it is still a grin-inducing experience.

The engine is mated to a 6-speed sequential transmission and sends power to the rear wheel via a belt drive. The Sportster S runs a 180/70-16 rear tyre and a 160/70-17 front tyre with both wheels fitted with Brembo brakes. It also runs a 43mm inverted fork front suspension and a linkage-mounted piggyback mono-shock in the rear.

There is not a lot of suspension travel so bumpy roads are not going to be fun and the fat front tyre does limit rapid cornering.

 

Let's Ride

The Sportster S may have sportbike qualities but it is still a cruiser at heart. It is no lightweight and comes in at a hefty 227kg wet. The engine makes up for it though and the rapid acceleration and boundless torque means you can keep up with sub 1000cc sportbikes all day. The weight and torque do sometimes feel as if they are overpowering the brakes and the Sportster doesn't stop on a penny but rather checks up at its own pace lest you properly climb on the brakes.

The lack of any wind protection also means that higher-end speeds on the freeway and any headwind are going to mean holding on for dear life once the Sportster gets going. If you are sensible and don't go screaming off because you can, the Sportster S will return a paltry 4.8l /100km in fuel consumption meaning you should be able to get 210km on a tank of fuel but as we found, the temptation to wind the 1250 engine runs deep as that torque delivery is oh so delicious, we returned 5.7l on our combined riding, averaging 187km on a tank.

The seating position with the forward controls and wide handlebars is relatively comfortable but the seat could have used some contouring as the top edges near the tank began to dig into the thighs after a while whenever you put your feet down.

With this in mind, we would have to say that the Sportster S is perfectly suited to life in the city and the potential for using it on longer touring journeys should be carefully considered. It took me a few hours in the saddle before I could find a comparative ride and the closest thing to the Sportster,s is a BMW K100 cafe racer conversion, it has a similar riding position and weight transfer with very similar dynamics and power delivery.

 

Pros and Cons

• Attractive styling
• Excellent and easy-to-use tech
• Dynamic handling
• Low down torque and immediate power delivery
• Super bright LED lighting

 

• Suspension is hard
• Tailpipes carry a lot of heat - Be Careful!
• Seat has square top edges that could use some contouring

 

Model and Price

Harley Davidson Sportster S    -     R 289 900

*Pricing correct at time of publication, subject to change without notice

 

Verdict

To put it mildly, the Sporster S is a very interesting ride. It may say Harley Davidson on the tin but it is more European cafe racer than anything. It subverts any preconceived notions you may have had and delivers a powerful and dynamic ride with all the tech that you've come to expect on a modern bike, but somehow still manages to retain the essence of what makes a Harley Davidson a Harley. It is, as they say, a modern take on a trusted classic and it works so well.

The Sporster S is going to appeal to the crowd that wants to have a piece of the Milwaukee heritage but also wants all the mod cons that make riding so much easier and fun and aren't after the big thunderous cruiser. As we said before Harley is more than just a motorcycle brand, it's a lifestyle and this is the most modern way that you are going to get a slice of that heritage pie!

Our deepest thanks to Sheldon and Luke at ROC Harley Davidson in Alberton for the demo unit. You can visit the website for ROC here or call them on 010 492 4300 if you have inquiries.