Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
TO BE SPECIAL IS A HARLEY CUSTOM
The Harley-davidson Sportster range has long been used by owners as a solid starting point for customising a base model into something more individualistic.
Brad Richards, of the firm’s design department, told On Your Bike: “Since its inception, the Sportster has offered the perfect combination of size, power and character that makes it appealing to so many different riders. A Sportster is a relatively easy bike to strip down and reinvent.”
One of the top Sportsters for customisation is the Forty-eight, and now those kind folk at H-D have saved you the bother by doing it all for you, in the shape of the Forty-eight Special.
So, what’s special about the Special?
The most obvious differences are the black Tallboy handlebars and the peanut tank, which looks very cool, but holds just 7.9 litres and features a simple but elegant 1970s-inspired graphic and badge.
There’s also chrome on the bottom end of the power train, plus chrome rocker boxes, pushrod tubes and tappet covers, which contrast with the black cylinders to accentuate the shape of the V-twin.
The latter is the tried-and-tested 1200cc Evolution engine which offers bags of torque and plenty of power – and sounds great, too.
The front end is very beefy looking, with a 130mm front tyre, framed by 49mm forks held by a large forgedaluminium triple clamp.
On board I found the ride position pretty comfortable with my fists and feet out front. The ribbed solo saddle is well padded and has enough of a rise at the back to hold you in place when the torque kicks in.
There’s a single round clock with analogue speedo and a small digital screen below, which gives you the revs, gear indicator and all the other usual info.
Suspension-wise, the only adjustment is the rear pre-load so, with a weight of 256kg, you do feel some of the bumps. Handling is never going to be seat-ofthe-pants stuff, but aided by the low seat height it’s steady and dependable. Be aware though that with a 27 degree lean angle it’s pretty easy to scrape the pegs or the exhaust.
Hauling up the Special requires a decent amount of pressure on the levers, but the single discs and two-piston calipers are plenty powerful enough and linked ABS is standard. I already have a soft spot for Harley’s Sportsters and the Special is another great addition to the range. Harley-davidson Sportster
Price: £9,995 (black) £10,245 (colour)
Engine: 1,202cc air-cooled V-twin
Torque: 71ft lb @ 3,500rpm
Power: 66bhp @ 6,000rpm
Colours: Black, red, white Picture: WILL ROGERS