Righteous XR a Harley to love

This Bargain Milwaukee bruiser has European influence writes PAUL OWEN.

As a model made unapologetically for European markets, the Harley-Davidson Sportster XR1200X was born to ride under Tuscan skies.

For those that haven't been there, Tuscany looks a bit like Northland: same red clay soil heaped into a hilly topography, same roads constantly turning back on themselves.

So it's quite a blessing that we get the XR1200 in our market as no other bearer of the hallowed badge is so suited to our road conditions. New Zealand and Australia are the only places outside Europe where the XR is sold.

The US is deemed off-limits for the highest-riding Sportster, presumably because a Harley that functions as good as it looks is deemed counter-productive to local brand values.

The XR1200 makes its point by proposing that good looks and athletic cornering ability are not mutually exclusive.

Sure, the riding experience is not all that different from that of a 1998 Buell M3 Cyclone, and pales in comparison with recent European streetfighters like the dastardly agile Triumph Street Triple.

Instead, the progress is best measured by the way that the XR looks like a classic Harley, yet handles in such a frisky fashion that it bears comparison with more sports- minded bikes. Where the Cyclone struggled to win a backwards glance from its rider after parking up, the new XR is a piece of two-wheeled sculpture that's easy on the eye.

There's a hint of the 1971 Harley FX Super Glide in the tail section to keep the style historians happy, and the way the classic peanut-shaped fuel tank hides the enlarged airbox is one of the happiest compromises I've ever witnessed between the often conflicting disciplines of design and engineering.

Touches like these create the impression the XR1200 is no overnight wonder but more the product of years of sustained development.

That sense is reinforced when you fire up the traditional Sportster 45-degree 1203cc air-cooled V-twin and open the throttle for the first time. Here, finally, is a Sporty that breathes.

The air flows through the combustion chambers like in few other Harleys, enabling the XR to accrue rpm with more enthusiasm than expected. It was no surprise to find during acceleration testing that the XR1200 is as quick as any V-Rod-powered Harley.

A few refinements to the exhaust and induction systems coupled to a weight- loss programme have resulted in a 50-year-old engine that accelerates as fast as the latest high-compression, Porsche- developed, water-cooled Harley twin.

Yet all that old-school character remains: the bike still tremors deliriously with vibration at idle, the gearbox engages first with a loud clunk, and 7000 revs is most definitely this engines paltry maximum.

Not that you need to explore that easily found 90bhp redline other than for interest's sake. Most riders will soon find the first half of the rev range is where the real action lies, courtesy of the 103Nm torque peak arriving at 3700rpm. Use this and the result is a satisfying smooth surge forward that's as potent and effortless as the top-end power feels strained and forced.

While corners bring out the best in the XR, there's always an impression that this is more a sports-minded Harley than a finely-honed sportsbike.

For starters, the riding position is unique, a combo of the wide semi-western handlebars of a dirt tracker, the low seat height of a cruiser and the rear-set pegs of a cafe racer. It's not uncomfortable, but it does take some settling into.

Then there's the steering, which is more 1970s than noughties due to the 18-inch front wheel and slightly conservative geometry. As a result, the XR arcs into corners where bikes like the Street Triple carve. That said, it's still huge fun to lean the bike over to what seem unfeasible angles for a Harley and not hear the sound of scraping metal.

At $16,495, the base XR1200 is the Harley for buyers who are wary of the customary dynamic compromises of the breed, yet are still attracted to the enormous cachet of the brand and its retrospective sense of style.

Even better is the better-furnished $17,750 XR1200X, which shares its 43mm Showa Big Piston front forks with cutting edge sportsbikes like the latest Suzuki GSX-R1000 and Kawasaki ZX-6R to cut the compromise even further.

A Harley sharing the same front suspension as the Gixxer and Zixxer? Never thought I'd ever write that before, but then again, I've never wanted to own a Harley more than when riding the righteous XR1200X.

HARLEY-DAVIDSON XR1200X SPORTSTER

* Engine: 1203cc air-cooled fuel-injected V-twin developing 90bhp of power and 103Nm of torque.

* Transmission: Five-speed sequential gearbox, belt drive.

* Chassis: Steel tube cradle frame with double-sided swingarm, 43mm inverted front forks and twin rear shocks, all fully adjustable.

* Price: $17,750

* Hot: Most NZ-friendly Harley is also one of the most affordable.

* Not: Awkward sidestand hard to deploy while in the saddle.

- © Fairfax NZ News