Harley-Davidson unveiled the 1250 Custom in July 2018 giving the world a glimpse of the motorcycle that would replace the Sportster range that had one foot in the grave. Now, exactly three years later, the American manufacturer has taken the wraps off the production version of the 1250 Custom, called the Sportster S. Here we tell you everything that you need to know through this image gallery.
The Sportster S’ design isn’t far off from the 1250 Custom and gets the chunky wheels at both ends, (that are made from lightweight aluminum) with a somewhat minimalist bodywork that features a relatively large fuel tank that flows into the single seat and chopped rear section.
The other most noticeable element about the Harley-Davidson Sportster S is the twin exhaust pipes. These high-set system comes out from the front of the engine and is fitted just under the right side of the seat, exposing the bike’s swingarm below.
Moving to the front, the Sportster S has a familiar face. It borrows the low-slung, full-LED headlamp from the Fat Bob that comes with LED turn signals. The motorcycle comes with a slightly higher set handlebar with bar-end mirrors, and forward-set foot controls for a stretched-out riding position.
Apart from its styling, the Harley-Davidson Sportster S’ 1252cc, V-Twin motor is the talk of the town. Mated to a five-speed gearbox, the engine is capable of producing a hefty 121bhp and 127Nm. This motor is fitted as a stressed member of the chassis that gets a steel trellis swingarm.
The rear end of the Sportster S rides on Showa shock with preload adjuster while the front gets a fully-adjustable 43mm upside-down shocks from Showa as well. Braking is done by a 320mm disc with a four-pot Brembo caliper while the stopping power for the rear end comes from a 260mm, two-pot caliper also from Brembo.
The Sportster range was historically known for its scarce list of features. But that changes with the new Sportster S. It comes with cornering ABS, traction control as well as three ride modes- Rain, Road and Sport with two customisable modes as well as cruise control. Moreover, it also gets Bluetooth connectivity as standard.
Harley-Davidson is offering the Sportster S in a choice of three colours- Vivid Black, Stone Washed White and Midnight Crimson. It is also offered with accessories like a detachable windscreen, tail bag and mid-mounted controls.
We can expect Harley-Davidson to launch the Sportster S in India sometime later this year.
