New retro-inspired Harley Forty-Eight roars into view
Harley-Davidson hark back to their heritage with affordable new retro
After promising to deliver 100 new models over the next 10 years, Harley-Davidson have stepped on the production accelerator and unveiled two Sportsters powered by the 1202cc Evolution engine: the Iron 1200 (first ride appearing in MCN next week) and the Forty-Eight Special.
The Forty-Eight is Harley’s version of the classic low-slung bobber, so it’s all about style and attitude. The Forty-Eight’s defining features are the tiny 7.9-litre peanut tank, low single seat, bobbed rear mudguard, feet-forward riding position and the Wide Glide front end paired with a fat front tyre. The Special builds on that aesthetic with lashings of chrome, a 1970s AMF-era throwback paintjob and a set of Tallboy handlebars for that fists-in-the-wind feeling. So how does it ride? Although it’s no different from the engine in the standard Forty-Eight, the big shuddering air-cooled twin gives the bike a decent punch out of corners. Unlike Harley’s Big Twins there’s little reward for revving the nuts off it but you can stick it in third and ride it pretty much everywhere on a fistful of grunt. The braking is half-decent, complemented by the chunkier 49mm forks, but when you’re really getting a lick on you do wish there was a second front disc helping you rein in its 248kg weight.
Despite appearances it corners well and the suspension does a decent job on all but the roughest of road surfaces, although the bike goes a bit loopy when it encounters mid-corner bumps. That said, the Forty-Eight Special doesn’t really move things on from the standard bike.
There’s a new Wicked Red or Billiard White paint-scheme for an extra £250 and the new handlebars offer a different riding position. At £9995 it’s the same price as the standard Forty-Eight.
As an entry-level Harley for sensible money it could tempt those considering getting into the famous American brand.