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The Harley-Davidson Sportster S Is the Captain of My Sport Bike Dream Team

You can either love or hate Harley-Davidson’s way of doing business. When most of its competitors choose to release a new product and stick with it come hell or high water, Harley’s models swirl in and out of production depending on how the indicators the company uses to plan ahead move up and down.
Harley-Davidson Sportster S leads a pack of three American Sport bikes 80 photos
Photo: Harley-Davidson
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Take the Sportster model, for instance. It’s a nameplate that’s been with us for no less than 66 years. It moved in and out of the spotlight and on and off the production lines for reasons that were never properly explained (and don’t really matter anymore), but somehow managed to stick around to this day.

The most recent incarnation of the Sportster was presented just two short years ago, in 2021. It came along at a time when the Milwaukee company was somewhat struggling after the then still recent departure of its CEO, Matt Levatich, and was at the same time trying to come up with a plan to keep it alive through the pandemic and beyond.

Like a white knight racing to save a princess, the Sportster raced to Harley’s aid as the “first chapter of a whole new book of the Sportster saga.” That’s how the company that makes it describes the current, 2023 model year two-wheeler, and that is spot on: like a true savior, the Sportster S had a lot to do with saving the day and helping Harley once again navigate through some treacherous waters.

When it arrived in 2021, the Sportster single-handedly brought Harley back to a bike segment it had nothing proper to offer in: sport. Destined to play as the sole Harley contender in this category for a while, the short and stubby motorcycle presented the same new engine introduced on the Pan America, the Revolution Max 1250, which at 121 horsepower and 94 lb-ft of torque made some of its competitors tremble with fear.

2021 Harley\-Davidson Sportster S
Photo: Harley-Davidson
And it had a reasonable price, too. Back then, Harley was charging $14,999 for one (in the meantime, pricing has gone up a bit, with the sticker now reading $16,399 for the 2023 model year), and that was very enticing, especially when faced with competing bikes from the likes of BMW, Honda, or all-time rival Indian.

Because of that, the Sportster S managed to hold its ground. It actually did more than that, as seeing its success Harley decided to enlarge the sport offering with the introduction of a second model in the range, the Nightster.

Also a revival of an older nameplate, it arrived onto the scene in 2022 to become the entry-level bike in the segment. It too sports a Revolution Max engine in its frame, only this time a variant called 975T that is rated at 90 horsepower and 95 Nm of torque.

Back then, Harley was charging $13,499 for one, which was slightly cheaper than the Sportster. And that’s the exact same amount presently shown on the Nightster price stickers all over America.

2022 Harley\-Davidson Nightster
Photo: Harley-Davidson
In an apparent effort to release a new sport motorcycle every year, but also inspired by the 120th-anniversary celebrations Harley is planning for the rest of the year, this team of incredible rides received a third member in January 2023, the Nightster Special.

Essentially the same as the regular Nightster, the Special rides on cast-aluminum wheels in satin black, offers a somewhat different riding stance thanks to the lifting of the handlebar, and has four colors on offer instead of just two. That made Harley more than confident in asking $14,999 for this ride.

So, the Harley-Davidson sport team presently has three members, each of them meant to offer a little something different to customers. For me, the trio is like the dream team of the segment, and the Sportster S is its captain, for just three simple reasons.

First, the price range these bikes play in makes them rather affordable for a large spectrum of riders. Sure, one could argue motorcycles from other bike makers playing this game are just as affordable, but do keep in mind that none of them come with Harley-Davidson written on their fuel tanks. And, like it or not, Harley-Davidson is the world’s best-known motorcycle brand and, at 120 this year, one of the oldest.

2023 Harley\-Davidson Nightster Special
Photo: Harley-Davidson
Then, we’ve got the tech that went into making them. Just like with the other motorcycles it ever made, the Harley Sport range blended tried and tested recipes with novel approaches. The most notable new tech is the liquid-cooled Revolution Max, which builds upon the company’s decades of experience in making incredible engines.

Last but not least, unlike many of its competitors, old and young, the revived Harley Sport range opened up new avenues of design for the many custom garages out there. Shops like the Germans from Thunderbike have already started rolling off their bike stands modified Sportsters, and now that the Nightsters are in the mix, we expect the pace of custom rides based on the three to pick up.

Now, Harley is known for its abrupt approach when it comes to discontinuing models, so it would be a stretch to say its Sport bikes will be around forever. So, enjoy them while you can.
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About the author: Daniel Patrascu
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Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
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