Driving report Harley-Davidson XR 1200

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Driving report Harley-Davidson XR 1200
Jahn

Driving report Harley-Davidson XR 1200

Driving report Harley-Davidson XR 1200

Driving report Harley-Davidson XR 1200

Driving report Harley-Davidson XR 1200

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Driving report Harley-Davidson XR 1200

New Harley-Davidson

In its old days, Harley sent the Sportster back to the gym: The full 91 hp of the XR 1200 are the convincing result of a development program that is supported by a veritable sports suspension.

E.t is not the fine line between genius and madness, but rather the combination of both that distinguishes dirt track riders. Anyone who drifts around corners on slippery oval slopes with 100 hp machines has to be a driving genius. And if you have tough slipstream duels at 160 km / h without brakes, you have to be pretty crazy. A sport as typical for the USA as rodeo or nascar races.

And certainly also so popular because the sliding national heroes like Scott Parker, Chris Carr or Jay Springsteen perform their phenomenal performances on domestic material. Instead of modern high-tech machinery, the air-cooled V2 bumper with the two-valve heads has been used since time immemorial, which obviously has ideal conditions for fast laps on difficult and greasy terrain. XR 750 is the name of the legendary Harley racing machine that is specially built for this discipline.

While Harley has so far only half-heartedly tried to let this sporty shine shine on the series (see box on page 18), now comes the XR 1200, a sporty, excitingly styled Sportster. Externally, it is strongly based on the dirt tracker and has also been technically upgraded compared to its sister models. Last but not least, this applies to the engine. He’s under pressure like a real racer. Surprisingly, the impetus for this did not come from the Americans, the idea for the series XR was rather born in the European branches. In 2006, Harley presented the XR as a study at the Intermot trade fair, now it is practically unchanged in series production.

V2 heartbeat


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Sporty genes: the air-cooled twin delivers more than 90 hp thanks to the downdraft injection system.

In Valencia, Spain, the journalists had the first opportunity to have a fitness test of the new model. As with every Harley, the powerful V2 heart is at the center of the action, literally setting the tone with its full beat. And with 91 hp it should have a good 20 horses more than previous Sportster variants. The similarly powerful Buell models have already proven in the past that this performance can be achieved in a healthy and stable manner. Whereby the XR engine is not exactly from a Buell, only some components have been taken over.

Already just above idle the twin pushes with hearty force. Shakes himself a little, but shoots forward without complaining. Only a Harley engine delivers such a pulse in this immediate way. The strength of the XR is more in the middle speed range, but even at high speeds up to the limiter at 7000 rpm the engine smashes with relish. Those who come from the Japan four-cylinder will probably not be blown away by the power, but this is a new league for Sportster drivers. In a jiffy, the small digital speedometer reports just over 200 km / h, then the briefly translated XR runs roughly into the hard-working speed cutter. A speed that proves that the specified 91 horses gallop in full.

Apart from the pure top performance, the type of power delivery is what makes the primeval engine so attractive. This engine lives and shakes, it sniffs and puffs. It doesn’t matter where the needle on the large, central rev counter is, the drive dominates the driving experience acoustically and emotionally. From the outside, the XR sounds voluminous, but still comparatively subtle. In contrast to the larger-capacity Harleys, there are no exhaust flap tricks, both dampers are always active. In contrast, at low speeds, an integrated flap in the airbox takes care of the noise reduction. In vain, the XR loudly draws in the air.

Driving experience

Driving report Harley-Davidson XR 1200

Driving report Harley-Davidson XR 1200

Driving report Harley-Davidson XR 1200

Driving report Harley-Davidson XR 1200
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Driving report Harley-Davidson XR 1200

Harley-Davidson

Driving report Harley-Davidson XR 1200

Harley-Davidson

Driving report Harley-Davidson XR 1200

Harley-Davidson

Driving report Harley-Davidson XR 1200

Harley-Davidson

Driving report Harley-Davidson XR 1200

Harley-Davidson

Driving report Harley-Davidson XR 1200

Harley-Davidson

Driving report Harley-Davidson XR 1200

Harley-Davidson

Driving report Harley-Davidson XR 1200

Harley-Davidson

XR 1200 has shed the fatigue of earlier Sportster chassis. Even under full thrust, the XR 1200 driver can cross ruts at acute angles without the load wobbling a hundred meters afterwards. However, the developers did not dare to make the spring elements really sporty. If you want to stay on the heels of a super athlete, you have limits. The non-adjustable fork hits the stop as hard as can be, and the rear dampers also have a hard time keeping the bike on the ground.

On the other hand, the XR doesn’t lose a meter on the brakes, especially the front Nissin system grabs as brutally as possible. The effect is not only surprising for a Harley, but absolutely surprising, whereby the sensitivity suffers a little under the hard pressure point. The infight with the thoroughbred athletes is not crowned with lasting success for another reason: In right turns, the length of the bend hits the ground fairly early and uncomfortably. In left-hand bends you can keep up the pace better if you ignore the loudly scratching footrest arms; the side stand does the touchdown late.

V2 intoxication


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New style, new accessories: the exhaust system is clad with stainless steel panels from front to back.

Despite all bodybuilding measures, a Sportster is not a racer, and implanting dirt-track genes does not change that. What the Harley marketing strategists believe with sparkling lean angles and wheelie videos, nobody will seriously expect from the XR 1200. It is better to let the knee-dragging GSX-R heaters pull and enjoy the beautiful round turns with which the Harley shoots through the curve combinations in the mountains around Valencia. As if by magic, the 270 kilograms dissolve with a full tank, the XR swings neutrally and without great effort over the winding asphalt strip.

In the intoxication of the V2 rhythm, small ailments such as the coarse American workmanship, the lots of plastic stuff, the thinly padded seat or the permanently folding up driver footrests quickly fade into the background. All trifles compared to this unique driving feeling and a design that exudes a very special esprit with its unmistakable style. And besides: When was there a Harley with such a price-performance ratio? At 11340 euros and 91 hp and one hp costs only 125 euros.

Data Harley-Davidson XR 1200


Jahn

The new Harley-Davidson presents itself with a characterful and powerful drive as well as a very effective braking system.

engine
Air-cooled two-cylinder four-stroke 45-degree V-engine, crankshaft lying transversely, four lower, gear-driven camshafts, two valves per cylinder, hydraulic valve lifters, bumpers, rocker arms, dry sump lubrication, injection, uncontrolled catalytic converter, alternator 357 W, battery 12 V / 12 Ah, mechanically operated multi-disc oil bath clutch, five-speed gearbox, toothed belt, secondary ratio 28:68.

Bore x stroke 88.9 x 96.8 mm
Cubic capacity 1202 cm³
Compression ratio: 10.0: 1
Rated output 67.0 kW (91 hp) at 7000 rpm
Max. Torque 100 Nm at 3700 rpm

landing gear
Double loop frame made of steel, upside-down fork, ø 43 mm, two-arm swing arm made of aluminum, two spring struts, adjustable spring base, front disc brake, ø 292 mm, four-piston fixed calipers, rear disc brake, ø 260 mm, single-piston floating caliper.

Cast aluminum wheels 3.50 x 18; 5.50 x 17
Tires 120/70 ZR 18; 180/55 ZR 17

Dimensions + weights
Wheelbase 1515 mm, steering head angle 60.7 degrees, caster 130 mm, suspension travel f / r 125/89 mm, seat height 742 mm, empty weight 260 kg, load 179 kg, tank capacity / reserve 13.3 / 1.9 liters.

Guarantee: two years
Colors: orange, black, silver

Price: including additional costs 11,340 euros

The first dirt track offshoot: the XR 1000


Jahn

Much ado about little: The XR 1000 built in small series from 1983 was roaring loud, but the performance was very modest.

As early as the early 1980s, Harley-Davidson tried to capitalize on its success in the dirt track. The 1983 XR 1000 was a Sportster variant with a tuned V2 engine that was technically similar to the racing engine of the XR 750. From there came the cylinder heads with the intake ports pointing backwards, and as in the racing machines, the double Mikuni carburettors breathed through huge, exposed K&N air filter. Still, the performance was 67 hp ?? although only poorly soundproofed? comparatively moderate, and the XR vibrated pitifully. “After 100 kilometers you have problems pushing the filterless between your lips,” wrote MOTORRAD editor Peter Limmert at the time. The unchanged, simple Sportster chassis stood in the way of sporting ambitions anyway. Around 1000 machines were built, only a few made it to Germany. Which was certainly also due to the fact that the price was very high at around 18,000 marks in the environment at the time.

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