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| Archives - Production Motorcycles |
New Bike Test: 2009 Harley-Davidson XR1200 - From RoadBike May 2009
 Flat Track Fever By Chris Maida, Photos By Tom Riles And Brian J. Nelson I hail from the ’50s and ’60s, the golden age of piston-powered machinery, when XLCHs ruled the two-wheeled streets. And while the recent crop of rubber-mounted Harley-Davidson Sportsters are great, they lack the aggressive spirit of those early bikes.
That’s all changed with the XR1200. Not to belittle the present offering of Sportsters, but it’s great to see that H-D is again putting out an aggressive machine in the XL lineup. Initially designed for and launched only in Europe (where it debuted in April 2008), customer demand convinced Harley-Davidson that there was a sizable interest in the XR1200 stateside. I’m told hundreds of bikes were ordered before they were even promoted. The racing heritage of the legendary Harley flat tracker, the XR-750, can be felt in both the chassis and engine of the new XR1200. Of course, the XR1200 also carries traits of modern Sportsters, which make it a perfect blend of both eras. This bike has more than just its father’s looks going for it. Our test ride took place in the mountains outside San Diego, California. We blasted through hill and dale, the most notable trip being on Mount Palomar. With aggressive curves on the way up and tight switchbacks on the return, we put the XR1200 through its paces. It also showed me I’ve got to improve my twistie skills, since the XR1200 had way more ability than I did to negotiate the switchbacks. And that’s great! When riding a bike that’s designed to be a performance machine, I like it when I can’t master it right away. This is a machine I can grow into and not get bored riding.
Here’s the skinny on the XR1200: the bike is stable and predictable in turns. Though not as flickable as a Buell, it was a lot of fun to ride. It’s also a solid platform on the highway and likes to run fast. As you can see in the photos, the XR1200 has quite a few new features. The most obvious are the rearset foot controls, rear swingarm, intake system, and oil cooler. The rearset and pegs were comfortable. The suspension is well-balanced, and the frame geometry is right on. The inverted Showa 43mm front forks did their job exceptionally well; bumps were absorbed and dispensed with quickly, while still giving me solid control in tight turns. And that superlight-but-rigid rear swingarm and twin preload-adjustable rear shocks made a big difference out back. The new cast-aluminum swingarm is 40 percent stiffer than the steel version and 3.3 pounds lighter, which makes a big difference in unsprung weight, and, therefore, handling. The dual Nissin four-piston calipers and huge 292mm rotors up front had no trouble in the stop department. As for go, the engine is a standard 1200cc, but this mill does not operate like a standard XL motor. This 10:1 compression version likes to spin! Redline is at 7000 rpm, and it pulls right up until you hit the soft rev limiter. Many times I did a double take on the tach, since the engine was turning at 5000 rpm, but it felt like a normal Sportster at 3000. The XR1200 has nice power all around, though it pulls stronger up top than down low. A feature I definitely liked was the way the engine sounds when you open the throttle: a little like a big-block Chevy! If you’re looking for the air cleaner, it’s tucked horizontally under the right side of the gas tank. That’s why the right side of the bike looks so clean. Though this version has slightly less volume (2.9 quarts) than a standard XL airbox (3.4 quarts), it flows enough air to feed the downdraft 50mm throttle body. As for cruising nice and easy, at 60 mph the engine is spinning at 3500 in fifth, while 4000 rpm will get you to about 70. So what didn’t I like about the XR1200 (besides the fact that I had to give it back)? The only flaw I found was that the powdercoating on the cam cover didn’t match the finish on the rear sprocket cover. Though it did match on some bikes, on most it didn’t, when examined from various angles.
For those of you who are already thinking about which accessories you can bolt onto your new ride, Father H-D has you covered with a line of stuff already waiting to be had. A trip to the dealership or www.H-D.com/XR1200 will give you plenty to drool over. RB That Didn’t Take Long
Years of flat track racing have proven the success of Harley’s XR, and SuperTrapp’s Megaphone exhausts. So, naturally, SuperTrapp was one of the first manufacturers to develop a race-inspired exhaust system with XR flare for the new XR 1200. The SuperTrapp XR 1200 Megaphone System is a brushed stainless steel, tunable, 2-into-2 system that includes two 20-disc packs. Adding discs allows you to increase horsepower, exhaust tone, and flow; subtracting discs reduces sound and increases low-end torque. And while the stock exhaust weighs 36 pounds, SuperTrapp’s XR 1200 system weighs less than half that. Furthermore, SuperTrapp claims a 10 percent horsepower and torque gain when tested with 16 discs through the midpower range. $985. SuperTrapp, 216/265-8400, www.SuperTrapp.com. Tech Sheet 2009 Harley-Davidson XR1200 |
