All Tests – Different and proud of it – Used HARLEY-DAVIDSON

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Different and proud of it

All Tests - Different and proud of it - Used HARLEY-DAVIDSON

By launching the new version of its famous Sportster 883 R, Harley spoke only of driving pleasure and "goude vaillebrecheunzzz". The American manufacturer therefore assumes and always claims its difference. What about use ? Test.

By launching the new version of its famous Sportster 883 R, Harley spoke only of driving pleasure and "goude vaillebrecheunzzz". The American manufacturer therefore assumes and always claims its difference. What about in use? Test.

When a motorcycle manufacturer, a fortiori Japanese, unveils an evolution of a model in its range, it competes with announcements of the style "we gained 4 hp thanks to the injection" or "we managed to lose 1.2 kg on the frame and 750 g on the swingarm"…

Conversely, Harley-Davidson never entered the game of performance marketing..

The Sportster 883 R is clearly a model "of call" for the American manufacturer: its role in the range consists in conquering bikers not initiated in the brand without confusing them, to try to make them evolve then towards higher displacements..
Paris, 07/06/2006 – Harley-Davidson XL 883R Sportster Review Video Site.

This beautiful American with a timeless line is therefore the least typical of the Harley: it offers a driving position that is not too "feet forward" and offers just the right amount of engine character..

Evolution more than revolution

As we do not change a recipe that works, the manufacturer of Milwaukee smoothly evolves his little custom / roadster. The main modification made is the assembly of the engine on silent blocks: exit the fillings of the teeth which jump from 120 km / h! But that purists rest assured, the Sportster has not lost its soul and still distils its "goude vaillebrecheunzzz" !

Second noticeable and beneficial improvement in traffic jams: the effort required to squeeze the clutch handle has been considerably reduced. As for the other evolutions, they take more detail and have very little influence on the behavior of the bike: a double side exit exhaust replaces a 2 in 1, a 150 mm rear tire succeeds the previous 130 and the handlebars flat is wider than the old one.

Foundry gross

Aside from the air filter housing, the 883 R has absolutely no plastic parts. Which is very rewarding, especially as the finish is remarkable. On the other hand, it is paid in cash on the scale: despite its contained size and its general finesse, the bike accuses more than 267 kilos all full. !

Fortunately, the height of the saddle flush with the daisies and the very low center of gravity make you forget this overweight from the first turns of the wheel.

A very custom roadster !

In the Harley-Davidson range, the Sportster 883 R is the bike that offers the least custom-style position, hence its positioning as a roadster. That said, nothing to do with a Z 750 or other FZ 1 because we still have the feet forward and the arms in the air and relatively apart due to a fairly wide handlebars..

The geometry of the bike is also completely custom with a very long wheelbase of 1520 mm, a particularly open fork caster angle of 30 °, a very limited ground clearance of 141 mm and 19-inch wheels. ‘front and 16 rear.

Equipment: good and less good…

Like all Harley-Davidsons, the Sportster is equipped with a toothed transmission belt which guarantees cleanliness and quiet operation. The motorcycle is also protected as standard by an electronic alarm very easy to use.

On the other hand, there are also some annoying peculiarities specific to the brand and its age. First of all, we have to deal with an automatic crutch that is quite annoying in use: it is hard to deploy – you need a very, very long leg – and folds up automatically, but never when you have to….

The ignition key finds its place to the left of the engine: it’s a habit to get into. As for the steering lock, it is done directly on the fork, which is not very practical.

Not being fueled by injection, the Sportster’s engine needs a little choke kick for cold starts. This is unfortunately placed to the left of the engine, in the old way, and not on the handlebars. We also find in the same place the fuel tap, the location of which must be remembered, because the passages in reserve must be done very quickly on pain of stalling while driving! And the meter unit will not be of any help to you in anticipating this maneuver, because it does not include a reserve indicator.

Even if you don’t buy a Harley for that, it’s a shame that the Sportster doesn’t offer any practicality: no location for a lock or hooks to attach a bag. It will therefore be necessary to draw on the catalog – extremely extensive! – manufacturer’s accessories to find sissy-bars and other luggage racks.

Contact

Due to the 267 kg in running order of the machine, vigilance is required during maneuvers with the engine off. Despite a very low center of gravity, you will have to be particularly careful when reversing, otherwise your shins will be bruised against the particularly protruding footrests. Fortunately, the more than reasonable saddle height of 714 mm will allow even the smallest to get by..

To get off the sidewalks, it is best to look for a boat because the long wheelbase associated with the reduced ground clearance irreparably scrapes the pots and the low engine … Caution, therefore !

The 883 R’s air-cooled, long-stroke, carburetor-powered twin-cylinder doesn’t like too much cold load. We will therefore take care to heat the beauty on its crutch, having taken care to pull the choke rod halfway. Then the engine snorts quickly, in a sound quite pleasing. Aaah, the sweet Harley symphony !

We can already clearly see the filtering work of the silent blocks because only the engine vibrates, unlike the rest of the bike..

In the saddle !

Clack! The first passes in a metallic noise, clean and effortless. The clutch is released and the motorcycle sets off on a trickle of gas, the torque being placed very low (7 mkg at 4200 rpm). All this is of course in the order of the feelings, because it lacks a rather minimalist dashboard tachometer of the Sportster. This absence is especially annoying during the first kilometers traveled, when one is still little used to the operation of the American V-twin..

From the first meters, the weight is completely forgotten. And despite its length, the bike is even surprisingly lively. The wide handlebars which offer a large leverage and the fairly thin tires (100 / 90×19 at the front and 150 / 80×16 at the rear) make the 883 very manoeuvrable. The grip is therefore almost immediate and we quickly get into the game … Feet forward, we already imagine ourselves in the place of Peter Fonda in Easy rider : all that’s missing is "Born to be wild" by Steppenwolf in the background! And this is precisely the great strength of this bike and the Harley myth in general: they transport you … literally and figuratively. !

The city is not our Sportster’s favorite playground, but he does it very honorably: his powerful horn and warnings make it possible to be seen and heard. Its indicators, on the other hand, are quite simply the most sophisticated of motorcycle production: smart, they go out on their own after turning thanks to the T.S.S.M. ("Turn Signal Security Modul") common to the entire Harley range. This electronic unit manages the indicators, the immobilizer and the alarm. Equipped with an inclination and go-around sensor, it cuts the indicator automatically after turning , straightened the bike and accelerated again.

Of course, in the case of overtaking on the road during which you do not take an angle and where you remain throttle open, you will have to turn off the indicators manually. But for the stunned, the indicators will turn off by themselves after 30 times … This new and very sophisticated system requires a little adaptation time, but is very practical in use.

Let’s go for a ride !

Despite everything, we feel that the air-cooled V-twin heats up more than it takes in town and that he is impatient to go stretch his cylinders on the road … Because this is where this Harley is appreciated at its true value. We take a lot of pleasure to wind up "cool", whistling in the helmet while making fun of these crazy people who double thoroughly, the nose in the bubble of their sports … Are in a hurry or what ?

The 883 cc engine claims around 53 hp. If he is not a thunderbolt, he still distills his good vibes generously and far from being temperamental, he is very flexible. It offers very little engine braking for a twin cylinder because it is strangely not very torquey. And it will be necessary to play with the gearbox to ensure suitable times, especially since the 5th gear is sufficiently multiplied.

The performance is therefore relatively modest for an engine of this displacement and the Sportster 883 R hangs a big 160 km / h at peak. But at these speeds, vibrations are making a comeback, accompanied by uninviting chassis oscillations … Finally, this Harley is crazy about legal speeds and that’s the secret of its success: we take a lot of fun to ride within the speed limit. It is therefore a motorcycle which is perfectly in tune with the times in France today, and there is hardly any other than in town where you can be surprised above the legal 50 km / h..

Braking is far from sporty and can be confusing at the start, especially if you get off a Japanese or European motorcycle. In use, it finally sticks well with the vocation of the bike which tends more towards "cruising" than towards excessive attack. In an emergency, the two front discs pinched by 4-piston calipers can still deal with the worst if they are requested in a sufficiently manly way..

Poor lonesome biker…

In its original configuration, that is to say without sissy-bar (the famous passenger backrest that can be found on many customs), the Sportster will quickly overcome the endurance of even the most motivated passengers. . Indeed, if the position seems pleasant in static, as soon as one rolls a little the passenger capitulates quickly enough: he has only the pilot to hold on, the saddle lacks thickness and we feel the metal frames. protruding. In addition, your companion who also has the feet forward will have a particularly arched lower back: back pain guaranteed after a long journey. !

In terms of consumption, this bike is very reasonable. Fortunately, moreover, because its tank is quite modest with a capacity of 12.5 l including 1.9 l of reserve. In mixed city / road / motorway use, the beautiful will not hiccup to ask for its passage in reserve until after 180 km, an average consumption of 5.4 l / 100 km.

To attack

When venturing onto the motorway, the 883 R quickly shows its limits: protection is non-existent and will encourage you to scrupulously respect the regulatory 130 km / h.

Direction therefore small roads, but if we increase the pace even on a good surface, the Sportster will quickly withdraw. Its gigantic engine inertia due to the very long stroke of its cylinders imposes in fact a flow, fluid and made of a lot of anticipation..

In addition, as the toe clips are offset from the motorcycle, we do not form one body with the machine and we cannot drive it with our legs. If we add to this the fairly open caster angle of the fork of 30 °, we understand that everything will happen in the arms: mandatory counter-steering! Fortunately, the large handlebars and thin tires make the bike quite manoeuvrable. And if we insist on manhandling the little Harley, it’s its gearbox, the rigidity of its chassis and the endurance of its brakes that will give us back our hands..

We forgive a myth !

This Sportster 883 R therefore does not deny its rather old conception and this is precisely where its capital seduction lies. This rusticity, which can appear as a defect on a Japanese or a European, the Sportster transforms it into a formidable asset of charm. It is also perfectly suited to the repressive climate of our French roads and allows you to have fun riding a motorcycle without trembling for its pink paper on each outing. !

But beware: this little 883 R is smarter than it looks! Because casually, we let ourselves be contaminated by the Harley virus and we put our finger in the gear … After, we always need more: more accessories, more preparation, more cubic centimeters…

We then realize that the small Sportster 883 R fulfills its role very well in the Harley range: it seduces the uninitiated without confusing them, to better then develop them towards the Sportster 1200 or the big 1450 … We will have you warned !

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