Driving report: Harley-Davidson XL 883L SuperLow

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Driving report: Harley-Davidson XL 883L SuperLow
Harley-Davidson

Driving report: Harley-Davidson

Harley-Davidson XL 883L SuperLow

Dwarf uprising in the short-legged department: Harley presents the particularly low Sportster SuperLow. The first US small game that can also be fun for normal adults.

None, the Sportster is not your typical women’s motorcycle. At least in theory. After all, Harley’s smallest series started just 53 years ago as a counterpoint to English sports machines and as a dynamic alternative to the company’s own tourers. Basically, a Sportster is definitely something for the really tough guys. For more than twenty years they have also had the format of a Napoleon, Stallone or Sarkozy, because the Americans have had a big heart for small people since the days of the 883 Hugger. Later flat irons carried the addition "Low" in the model name, but what all animal-removed sports stars have in common is that they were made suitable for dwarfs with fairly manageable technical means. Specifically: they limited themselves to a radical reduction in the spring travel, which – to put it carefully – made the shape a little overgrown and the driving behavior a little mixed.

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Driving report: Harley-Davidson XL 883L SuperLow

Driving report: Harley-Davidson
Harley-Davidson XL 883L SuperLow

Harley-Davidson now other ways. The 883 is much more than just a revision of the popular predecessor model. This is noticeable at first glance, because this Sporty is miles away from the squat lines of its predecessors. This time, the flat makers didn’t just limit themselves to installing the shortest possible spring elements, they gave the whole load a new frame geometry, installed new wheels and tires, changed the seat and handlebars and finally packed the large 17-liter tank in place of the 12, 5 liter potty. The whole load now looks much more pleasant and adult.

Initial findings from the seat sample: Nothing sinks dramatically at the rear, even under 90 kilograms, the single seat offers enough space to vary the seating position, and the footrests are mounted exactly where they are always mounted on standard sports star – in the most stupid place imaginable, that just doesn’t fit anyone. As before, the hand levers are of course not adjustable, the handles fortunately not quite as sausage as on the Big Twins, and the manual clutch force is surprisingly low. The curve itself, and that already means a loosely flicked roundabout, is the natural enemy of the SuperLow. At least when the Sporty owner attaches great importance to the intactness of footrests, boots and exhaust clamps, because even beginners can work with the XL 883L after just a few familiarization bends. It was no different with the predecessors, but that also has something in common with the driving dynamics.


Harley-Davidson

Apart from the impossible footrest position, the uperLow is also suitable for people of normal stature.

If the road surface gets lousy or even lousy and wet, the SuperLow shows what the radical cure was good for: the rear stays clean on the track, nothing slips through, and it takes a surprisingly long time to close comfortably. The fork also does a decent job, but in the case of really nasty distortions it reaches its limits a little earlier than the struts. The front brake needs a strong hand, but can then be dosed properly and grabs firmly. While the Sportster used to tend to overbrake abruptly in the wet, those days are over with the SuperLow thank goodness – Michelin instead of Dunlop is the best thing that could have happened to the Sporty! Engine? Right, there was something else: 883 cm? from two cylinders are not synonymous with "Power from the basement". The V-Twin needs revs, the gearbox needs clear shift foot announcements, and at some point the driver needs a fair offer from his dealer for the conversion to 1200 cubic meters. But that has always been the case with the 883, falls under tradition and does not change the fact that the SuperLow is the best small-person Sportster of all time.

Technical specifications


Harley-Davidson

You can’t be mistaken about the short spring struts: they’re good for something!

engine:
Air-cooled two-cylinder four-stroke 45-degree V-engine, four underlying, gear-driven camshafts, two valves per cylinder, hydraulic valve lifters, bumpers, rocker arms, dry sump lubrication, injection, Ø 45 mm, uncontrolled catalytic converter, alternator 405 W, battery 12 V / 12 Ah, mechanically operated multi-disc oil bath clutch, five-speed gearbox, toothed belt.
Bore x stroke 76.2 x 96.8 mm
Displacement 883 cc
rated capacity 39 kW (53 PS) at 5900 rpm
Max. Torque 70 Nm at 3750 rpm

landing gear:
Double loop frame made of tubular steel, telescopic fork, Ø 39 mm, two-arm swing arm made of steel profiles, two spring struts, adjustable spring base, front disc brake, Ø 292 mm, double-piston floating caliper, rear disc brake, Ø 260 mm, single-piston caliper.
Cast aluminum wheels 3.50 x 18; 4.50 x 17
Tires 120/70 ZR 18; 150/60 ZR 17

Mass and weight:
Wheelbase 1500 mm, steering head angle 59 degrees, caster 145 mm, spring travel f / r 108/54 mm, seat height 695 mm, weight with a full tank of 260 kg, payload 194 kg, tank capacity / reserve 17/3 liters.
Service intervals 8000 km
Colours Black, blue, red / black, white / orange
Guarantee two years
price plus additional costs from 8295 euros

More novelties


Harley-Davidson

Softail Deluxe: The lean angle is slightly more generous than with the Sportster SuperLow. That’s the good news. But she likes to cruise.

The Harley-Davidson innovations for 2011 are quite manageable, the only real novelty is the XL 883L SuperLow. Instead of spectacular innovations, there are some model updates. For example, all touring models are equipped with the Twin Cam 103 engine (1690 instead of 1584 cm³, 84 instead of 82 hp), and all Softails with the exception of the crossbones (because of the jumper fork) have ABS on board as standard. Two other models are also available from Harley-Davidson as "new hits" led, but actually these are comebacks.

Softail Deluxe (FLSTN): In 2009 and 2010, the undisguised classic was no longer part of the program, now the nostalgic stunner is back. The Twin Cam 96B engine with six-speed gearbox provides propulsion. The 96 stands for the displacement in cubic inches (1584 cm³), the B for "Balancer", the two chain-driven balancer shafts that cost some performance. 76 hp meet an unladen weight of 330 kilograms. For dynamic alpine crossings – as happened with the presentation of the 2011 models – this is only of limited use, because the very soft Softail chassis gives the feeling of riding a pudding in brisk combinations of bends. But the treasure is made for relaxing cruising and is equipped with running boards, whitewall tires and tombstone taillights. ABS is standard. From 19790 euros.


Harley-Davidson

Electra Glide Classic: clearly way ahead when it comes to show value.

Electra Glide Classic (FLHTC): The empty travel steamer, which weighs 413 kilograms, was not part of Harley’s European program from 2006 to 2010. The epitome of the typical E-Glide is celebrating its comeback, namely with the aforementioned Twin Cam 103 engine. Cruise control, a Harman / Kardon audio system, immobilizer with alarm system and ABS are among the lavish standard equipment. In direct comparison, the fat lady can be surprisingly moved much faster than the Softails. From 23,785 euros.

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