Menus
- Two visions quite close to the cool and relaxed motorcycle
- V2, 1202 cm3, 66 hp, 98 Nm, 248 kilos, from 11,290 €
- Discovery
- In the saddle
- Engine and transmission
- In the city
- On motorways and main roads
- On departmental
- Part-cycle
- Brakes
- Comfort & duo
- Consumption / Autonomy
- Conclusion
- Harley-Davidson Forty-Eight Special and Iron 1200 video test
Two visions quite close to the cool and relaxed motorcycle
V2, 1202 cm3, 66 hp, 98 Nm, 248 kilos, from 11,290 €
One thousand nine hundred and fifty-seven: this is the year the Sportster was born and it is both the oldest line in the Harley-Davidson world, only beaten by the Royal Enfield Bullet, which has been around for over a long time yet. The Sportster is both a myth and the jack-of-all-trades at Harley-Davidson. Motorcycle access to the world of Milwaukee, perfect for girls as for young people allowed, it is also a machine which lends itself perfectly to any type of customization, whether in the world of dragster, custom, bobber or cafe racer.
It is precisely to please this clientele in search of differentiation that Harley-Davidson is presenting two "novelties" in this spring of 2018. New with quotes because we are only looking at aesthetics, with no major difference in driving.
Thus, within a range that already included six different versions of the Sportster, Harley-Davidson has just added two more: the Forty-Eight Special and theIron. Which one is the best? Which one to choose ? Answer below.
Discovery
We know it well, the Sportster family. Just recently, Le Repaire has offered you the test of the latest versions, the Roadster as well as the Forty-Eight with its new saddle and new shocks..
Not much new in the sun, then: The Sportster is still a clean take on the bike. One engine, two wheels and basta. Basta being able to be, in this case, synonymous with Freedom, because on the handlebars, it is also what one feels, with a motorcycle without filters, which makes you feel all the vibrations of its big V2, all the roughness of the road. The Sportster is an old-fashioned iron horse.
Minimalist, of course, but dense too: it is always hard to believe that such a compact machine can weigh 250 kilos, but fortunately they do not feel at all in action and not much when stopped.
Compared to the Forty-Eight, the Special offers “Tallboy” handlebars. And that’s all ! Ah yes, there are the colourways, which are reminiscent of the historic period of Harley-Davidson history, corresponding to the AMF (American Machine Foundry) tutelage and the partnerships with Aermacchi. These colors, the Iron also picks up on them and it is clear that they look good on them. The Iron also has a ‘mini-ape hanger’ handlebars and mid-mounted footrests, unlike those on the Special which are forward. The Iron also has a little headlight cowling, which is very fashionable on the US West Coast custom scene. We can now tell them apart with the 19-inch wheel on the Iron and its small fork gaiters and the 16-inch front wheel on the Forty-Eight Special.
If the bike looks good, there are however some inequalities in the finish, with unsightly electrical wiring, in addition to not being integrated in the same way from one machine to another …. Finally, more generous in chrome, the Forty-Eight Special is also more expensive: from € 12,590 against € 11,290 for Iron (in black, count € 200 more for other colors in both cases)
In the saddle
With its 16-inch front wheel, the Forty-Eight Special is a little lower saddle: 705 mm instead of 735. On the other hand, we must praise the narrowness of the whole, with a very thin tank in its part. back. Suddenly, we can say that the Sportster is a machine really accessible to all, whatever its version, which will therefore allow you to put your feet on the ground. On the other hand, the footrests in front of the Special and the handlebars which is a bit (small, the hair, but all the same) curved forward make that the large sizes will feel a little less cramped than on the Iron.
Then it’s easy: the dashboard is entrusted to a simple odometer, but the digital window houses a small on-board computer operated by a button on the left stalk. It’s simple and efficient and allows you to scroll through the information: two trips, clock, engine speed and gear engaged.
Engine and transmission
Here we are in the timeless: if the design of the Sportster dates back to 1957, it is obvious that the machine has evolved. However, the mechanical basis of the motorcycles that concern us today dates back to 1988 (a 5 gearbox and the final belt drive dates from 1991). Then the Sportster saw its engine mounted smooth in 2004 and injection arrive in 2007, ABS in 1994 and Euro 4 standards recently..
In short, we are in for the past and Harley is not targeting with these machines a clientele that is above all looking for performance. Power comes out at 66 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and torque at 96 Nm at 3,500 rpm. The gearbox remains at five gears.
The weather is starting to be cruel for this 1200, especially when we come out of a comparison of models with the 107 engine, the Road Glide and Street Glide, where the V2 is at the same time more flexible, rounder and more lively..
In short, this 1200 deserves to be a bit liberated, which will hurt no one except, perhaps, the ears of your neighbors. And your wallet, too.
In the city
Since we are talking about flexibility, we find ourselves on the boulevards at 50 km / h at 1700 rpm in third and this is really the threshold of flexibility of the big V2. In town, we appreciate the engine character of this machine and the good feeling of extension (in first gear at 2200 rpm, i.e. with a micron of gas above idle speed), we are already at 30 km / h.
The narrowness of the machine is obviously an asset, as is the good turning radius. Finally, the “historic” look will undoubtedly guarantee a real success for cafe terraces and other organic grocery stores. Without forgetting, of course, barbers and wholesalers in checked shirts..
In this context, which one to choose: let’s say that the 16-inch wheel of the Forty-Eight Special makes it a bit livelier and that the riding position with arms and feet more forward makes it easy to brace yourself on the machine and in accordance with the treaty of good conduct of a custom, to rotate it with a flexible movement of the pelvis.
Well, the other does not demerit either.
On motorways and main roads
At 130 km / h, the V2 runs at nearly 3600 rpm in fifth gear and obviously, it has resources. Nevertheless between the wind protection, the saddle which quickly becomes hard and the limited autonomy, we will quickly understand that long journeys are not the holy grail of this machine, even if we will always find illuminated who made the Iron Butt in Sportster.
So if the highway is not her cup of tea, it will still do the job between two gas breaks…. And besides, it’s almost a tie between the two.
On departmental
There, what’s the point? The little bucolic and contemplative stroll? A return to basics on a machine full of sensations and devoid of any filter? In this case, it will do the trick (however, crossing the Morvan at night should be avoided, in relation to autonomy). But the V2 is flexible enough to purr at 2500 rpm on the last gear at 90 km / h, we take advantage of these authentic sensations which mean that we are not frustrated with driving at legal speed, we have the nose in the wind, the bike is beautiful, we live the moment intensely. Everything is fine.
In this context, the Sportster ensures. Otherwise, we must objectively say that it is an old motorcycle: its behavior, the rigor of its suspensions, its limited ground clearance (we are quickly placed on the pots on the right and I do not even tell you about the moment when the we type a compression that takes you out of the traj ‘), the braking approval is dated, the engine does not like to take turns. In short, the Sportster does not hold up well to a rational analysis of the thing: but that does not matter, because in the same way that one finds fans of Porsche 911 who think that a 3.2 or even a 2.4 atm. , it will always be better than a modern 991 and which, moreover, are perhaps not entirely wrong, they say it for the beauty of the object and the authenticity of the sensations.
However, during our ride, on beautiful, well-paved and very winding Croatian roads, we got through the traditional flurry with colleagues and that was fun too. Like what.
And by the way, which one is the best? The Forty-Eight Special is a bit brighter, the Iron is a bit more straightforward. But given the average level of performance, you should not normally attach great importance to this type of analysis to focus on other aspects of the bike. !
Part-cycle
Only the front axle differs on these motorcycles, a 130/90 x 16 tire fitting the Forty-Eight Special while the Iron relies on a 100/90 x 16. At the rear, it’s 150 / 80 x 16 for both. Despite the differences in the front wheels, the geometry is similar on both machines, with a caster angle of 30 ° on the Iron and 30.2 ° on the Special.
The fork is not adjustable and the shocks have recently evolved, without offering exceptional comfort or rigor. In short, it’s basic, but it is in line with the vocation of the motorcycle.
Brakes
Single disc with two pistons at the front and rear and in both cases. ABS is quite sensitive at the rear, especially as Michelin Scorcher tires, if they do the job relatively well in the dry, don’t like humidity and white stripes. Without having exceptional power or a dose of a feeling worthy of entering the history of fingering, the device does the job in view of the vocation and performance of the machine.
Comfort & duo
Comfort is average, due to a position that quickly gets exhausting when you prune the terminal or start to ride quickly. Which, we know, is not the vocation of Sportsters, which are most often found cruising on the boulevards or taking chip-jump rides.
And in the state, a Forty-Eight Special or an Iron 1200 are selfish motorcycles. Some love stories may have been upset by this: let’s imagine and take at random two characters from American mythology. JFK wanted to take Marylin on a Forty-Eight Special and the dealership was out of passenger seat stock. And knock, a failed romance.
Another ? This took place on May 14, 2011, in room 2806 of the Sofitel in New York. This anecdote is new, it comes from the investigation file of the prosecutor Vance: this May 14, 2011, therefore, a certain Dominique S-K, wants to take his new sweetheart for a ride in Sporster. However, May 14, 2011, it is a Saturday and when Domi decides, the H-D dealers have already closed the curtain. Suddenly, out of spite, he opts for another strategy, which he will regret a little later. It doesn’t matter much, Pure Love with a capital A !
Consumption / Autonomy
With 7.9 liters in the tank, the Forty-Eight Special will require you to install a “gas station” App in your smartphone. At 12.5 liters, the Iron chuckles and passes for a grand tourer, but it’s not terribly better, in fact. From there to say that these machines will be delighted with an essentially playful and urban use ?
Conclusion
It’s hard to talk about the Sportster and the new Sportsters: we have known the machine for a long time, we know its age and its technology, we know its faults and its true potential of seduction, we know its commercial success which makes it the best. sale for harley-davidson.
With each new test, whatever the version, we quickly find our marks, we recognize this raw foundry machine, which gives you a particular pleasure, dissociated from the notion of speed or performance, which could not really be a fault. in these troubled times of rentier security.
We got used to it over time. Unfortunately, the competition is on the move: Indian has the Scout Bobber, whose chassis is much more rigorous and the 1200 seems almost twice as punchy. Triumph dared the Bonneville Bobber and Bobber Black and question comfort, balance, finish, technology, we are in another world.
But the Sportster buyer doesn’t read "What to Choose? And does not decide according to rational criteria. He wants a look, a story, a universe, a recognition, a particular type of pleasure. In this sense, the Sportster is inimitable, timeless, unclassifiable.
So, under these conditions, it is impossible to separate these two "novelties" which differ mainly in terms of aesthetics. Suddenly, once is not customary, we will do as with Jacques Martin: everyone has won.
Strong points
- Look
- Agility in terms of weight
- Ease of driving (and A2 license possible)
- Driving pleasure (if you’re in the mood)
Weak points
- Uneven finish
- Dated dynamic services
- Autonomy
- Comfort
The Harley-Davidson Forty Eight Special technical sheet
The Harley-Davidson Forty Eight Special technical sheet
Test conditions
- Itinerary: A test day and 160 km in Croatia, from Split and the coastal road towards Dubrovnik, then fork in the mountains to go to the border with Serbia
- Motorcycle mileage: variable
- Problem encountered: nothing, in the evening, we still had bananas in Split
Competition: Indian Scout Bobber, Moto Guzzi V9, Triumph Bonneville Bobber & Bobber Black
Harley-Davidson Forty-Eight Special and Iron 1200 video test
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