ninjette.org

Go Back   ninjette.org > General > Motorcycling News

Notices

Reply
 
Thread Tools
Old April 1st, 2018, 09:21 AM   #1
Ninjette Newsbot
All the news that's fit to excerpt
 
Ninjette Newsbot's Avatar
 
Name: newsie
Location: who knows?
Join Date: Jun 2008

Motorcycle(s): only digital replicas

Posts: Too much.
[motorcycle.com] - Church of MO: 1998 Sportster Sport


And in MO’s fourth year, Harley-Davidson gave the Sportster piggyback shocks and a fork that was adjustable, along with a hopped-up motor that spat out one more horsepower than before. And on the seventh day Willie G rested. And so it is written, alongside the usual tiny photos.

First Impression: ’98*Sportster*Sport

Don’t Believe the Hype… Well, Believe Some of It
By MO Staff*Mar. 15, 1998
Photos by Mark Hammond and Billy Bartels


If hype kills, then absolute hype kills absolutely. The hoopla surrounding Harley-Davidson’s release of their re-designedSportster*Sport was deafening. With its dual-plug heads, a new digital single-fire ignition system, manifold air pressure sensor and a 10:1 compression ratio, we had our hopes up for a bike we believed to be the best handling and most competent H-D*Sportsterever to come out of Milwaukee. But for all these advancements and changes, the performance increase adds up to just one horsepower.

Surprised? We were after a dyno run that showed a whopping total of 57.9 horsepower (1.2 over last year, to be exact). When asked why the most advanced stock Harley motor ever failed to even match up to Buell’s bargain basement M2 Cyclone,*Sportster*performance guru Scott Bartels blamed the pipes and*airbox. By limiting the size of the*airbox*and muffler in order the achieve the mandated HC (Harley-Correct) look, Harley hampered the*SportsterSport from reaching its full potential.






The bright side is that 75 ponies at the rear wheel (give or take) is possible with a new a pipe,*airbox,*jet kit, and ignition module (around $700 total). Bartels added he had tuned one on the dyno that had hit about 80 horsepower. Compare that with an average output of around 65 for a similarly modified 1200 standard, and then you have a motorcycle worthy of the hype. For comparison, we’ve created dyno charts comparing the ’98 XL1200S with Buell’s Cyclone and the ’96 XL1200S we tested.
One thing we love about this bike is how Harley added hundreds of dollars in custom touches while raising the MSRP only $200.00. And pictures do not do justice to this bike. The ’98*Sportster*Sport is the best looking*Sportster*we have ever seen. Chrome, high polish, and silver paint set off beautifully against the thick, black, gloss paint covering the*handlebars, fender rails, gas tank and frame. Add a cool reflective plate on the*air cleaner*and silver bead-blasted powder coated cam covers, and you have a cross between the brooding tones of the Bad Boy and the roughed silver paint of Buell’s Cyclone.

The suspension, which we loved in our original review, remains the same. The*Sportster*Sport’s weight is toward the rear, so for real canyon scratching all but the most svelte rider will want to opt for maximum rear preload. Other damping adjustments are mostly a matter of personal preference, but we preferred the compression set towards the top of the dial since the springs are a little soft. This is not a criticism, as the Sporty is, after all, a*cruiser*first and foremost.

Dunlop*591s still grace the 13 spoke cast wheels, making for sticky times on the road, although losing a little life in the bargain. Long time H-D riders used to 10,000 miles from their tires will be dismayed when the Sporty’s rubber needs to be replaced at just under 5000.

Harley has replaced the fitted and supportive seat with one that is sportbike wide and flat, allowing for a greater amount of Body English. Also, it’s lower than before, so you are required to tuck your legs up higher in relation to the seat. This may seem uncomfortable for some taller riders, but even for our long legged testers it was just a matter of getting used to it. On longer trips the seat is a bit hard, but with a quick adjustment of the suspension, the Sporty is back to being a squishy*cruiser.

The brakes remain the same: High-effort, high-reward full-floating binders. Coming from another brand of bike, you may feel your sphincter tighten after giving the brakes a cursory one-finger brush only to have nothing happen, but give the lever a man-sized three- or four-fingered pull and the bike will stop in a hurry, with quite a lot of feel as well.







An advantage in owning any*Sportster*is that H-D implements their technological improvements first with the littlest Harleys. On the Sport, you get both a “check engine” light and plug-in diagnostics. In addition, it’s one of the few Harley’s with a stock*tachometer. We wouldn’t mind H-D’s reluctance to put tachs on their bikes as much if, as a result, the Japanese*cruiser*manufacturers had not felt obliged to follow suit.

Having a tach is a useful evaluation tool since vibration is severe from 3800 to about 4500 rpms, above which the engine smoothes out and the bike harmonizes. Unfortunately, this doesn’t last because the despite the 6200 rpm redline printed on the tach, the rev limiter kicks in at around 5300 rpms, causing all kinds of commotion if you expected to continue accelerating. Thank God the engine has gobs of torque in the basement. The*Sportster*Sport’s sweet spot is from 3000-3800 rpms.

In the end, the*Sportster*1200 Sport represents a departure for Harley, and for sport-inspired*motorcycles*as well. A departure from the ethic that says you have to be fat and slow to be cool, a departure from plastic, geeky, technical perfectionism. Soul with a little spirit. Tradition with a nod toward the future.

Specifications:

Manufacturer: Harley-DavidsonModel: XL1200S Sportster SportPrice: $8395 USDEngine: 45 degree V-twinBore x stroke: 3.498 by 3.812 inDisplacement: 1203cc Carburetion: 40mm CVTransmission: Five speed, belt final driveWheelbase 60.2 in. [148.5 cm] Rake 29.6 degrees Trail 4.6 in. [11.68 cm] Seat Height 28.0 in. [74.0 cm] Fuel Capacity 3.3 gal. Claimed dry weight: 501 lbs
The post Church of MO: 1998 Sportster Sport appeared first on Motorcycle.com.



Click here for full story...
__________________________________________________
I'm a bot. I don't need no stinkin' signature...
Ninjette Newsbot is offline   Reply With Quote




Reply




Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
[motorcycle.com] - Church of MO: The Best of the Best 1998, Part 3 Ninjette Newsbot Motorcycling News 0 January 28th, 2018 11:10 AM
[motorcycle.com] - Church of MO: 1998 Best of the Best Part I Ninjette Newsbot Motorcycling News 0 January 21st, 2018 11:24 AM
[motorcycle.com] - Church of MO: 1998 Sport Tourers Ninjette Newsbot Motorcycling News 0 January 7th, 2018 09:42 AM
[motorcycle.com] - Church Of MO Honda Shadow Spirit 750 Vs. H-D 883R Sportster Ninjette Newsbot Motorcycling News 0 January 8th, 2017 05:10 AM
[motorcycle.com] - Church Of MO 1998 Polaris Victory V92C Ninjette Newsbot Motorcycling News 0 April 5th, 2015 04:50 AM


Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


Motorcycle Safety Foundation

All times are GMT -7. The time now is 02:55 AM.


Website uptime monitoring Host-tracker.com
Powered by vBulletin®
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
User Alert System provided by Advanced User Tagging (Lite) - vBulletin Mods & Addons Copyright © 2024 DragonByte Technologies Ltd.
Except where otherwise noted, all site contents are © Copyright 2022 ninjette.org, All rights reserved.