Having long been a Harley sceptic, when I saw an advert for extended test rides, I thought why not see what all the fuss is about and I had a longish go on this on Friday. The 2025 MY Sportster S
121 hp, 125 nm, 228kg wet and the best number for me is the 765mm seat height.
The engine and gearbox is a delight. No quick shifter but clutch less upshifts were silky smooth and the clutch is super light making downshifts easy.
On smooth roads with medium to high speed sweepers I was really enjoying it, but any bumps really showed up the way too firm suspension and with a foot forward riding position (no weight through the pegs) my arse and lower back took a bit of a beating. I even played around with the remote rear preload adjustment and took a few psi out of the tyres - the rear had 45 psi in, but it made no discernible difference. Maybe the settings were full hard. When I told the sales guy the suspension was shocking he said “well it is Showa”
Other highlights - the brakes were really good and the view of the front tyre was cool, but you’d get a face full of spray in the rain. Tight turns, especially mini roundabouts were a challenge. You actually need to avoid counter steering which feels very weird. The bike gets VERY hot in traffic. Taller riders would be able to splay their right leg out far enough to avoid the exhaust heat shield but I was forced to put my left foot down mostly to avoid burning my right thigh.
The engine made a great noise, but a less restrictive pipe would be a must buy. It pulls like a train all the way to the 8,500 rpm red line. Rubbish range though at 120 miles from full, but it’s not a bike for long stints. My arse was numb after about 45 mins.
Not expensive at £15k and you can currently get £2k off without even haggling. I’d not buy one, but overall I was quite impressed. I’ve never ridden a Harley before and it was much better than I expected.
121 hp, 125 nm, 228kg wet and the best number for me is the 765mm seat height.
The engine and gearbox is a delight. No quick shifter but clutch less upshifts were silky smooth and the clutch is super light making downshifts easy.
On smooth roads with medium to high speed sweepers I was really enjoying it, but any bumps really showed up the way too firm suspension and with a foot forward riding position (no weight through the pegs) my arse and lower back took a bit of a beating. I even played around with the remote rear preload adjustment and took a few psi out of the tyres - the rear had 45 psi in, but it made no discernible difference. Maybe the settings were full hard. When I told the sales guy the suspension was shocking he said “well it is Showa”
Other highlights - the brakes were really good and the view of the front tyre was cool, but you’d get a face full of spray in the rain. Tight turns, especially mini roundabouts were a challenge. You actually need to avoid counter steering which feels very weird. The bike gets VERY hot in traffic. Taller riders would be able to splay their right leg out far enough to avoid the exhaust heat shield but I was forced to put my left foot down mostly to avoid burning my right thigh.
The engine made a great noise, but a less restrictive pipe would be a must buy. It pulls like a train all the way to the 8,500 rpm red line. Rubbish range though at 120 miles from full, but it’s not a bike for long stints. My arse was numb after about 45 mins.
Not expensive at £15k and you can currently get £2k off without even haggling. I’d not buy one, but overall I was quite impressed. I’ve never ridden a Harley before and it was much better than I expected.
