Well Hello There, New Sportsters!

News that Harley-Davidson would be announcing a pair of new Sportster models set the rumor mill into overdrive. Would we get a scrambler? A true light tourer? Maybe an Iron 1200?

I love my Sportster 1200 Custom, which, as I’ve written before, has been pretty much the perfect first motorcycle for me. It’s been a perfect blend of Swiss-Army knife, jack-of-all-trades, motorcycle. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t a few things that I’d like to change, so I’m always interested in what’s new from H-D

Outside the fence at one of the local airports on one of the last rides of 2017. Image mine.

The two new Sportsters that we got were the Iron 1200, and the Forty-Eight Special. Of the two, I definitely prefer the Iron 1200. The Forty-Eight Special looks good, but it’s basically just a Forty-Eight with mini-ape handlebars and some other cosmetic changes. With the tiny 2.2 gallon peanut tank, you’re not going very far between stops. It’s a good-looking bar hopper, or a nice 2nd motorcycle for someone who already has a practical daily rider, but a good only bike this is not.

It's a really good looking bike. Just not one that would work in my garage. Image via Harley-Davidson

That Iron 1200 is a different story. I really liked the look of the Iron 883 that I rode last fall, but the 883 engine lacks guts, especially compared to the bigger displacement 1200. With the additional power, and a bit of wind protection from that bikini fairing, the Iron 1200 looks a lot more capable. That 3.3 gallon tank won’t let you keep up with the big tourers forever, and I’d think long and hard before trying an Iron Butt ride on one, but that’s still more than enough range to make a reasonable day trip. Plus with the range of customization options and aftermarket parts available, this could easily be turned into a daily rider, a show chopper, or almost anything else. With most Sportsters, the only real limits are imagination and budget.

I really think the Iron looks even better though. Especially with the blue tank graphics. Image via Harley-Davidson

Will either of these two replace Kristi in my garage? Probably not. But I’ll sure try to throw a leg over if they show up at the next demo fleet event I attend!