The Harley-Davidson Motor Company rolls its newfangled version of the classic Sportster family, the Sportster S, over into 2023 with some adjustments to the colorways on offer. Ride-control electronics join with the Revolution Max 1250T to move this venerable model line well into the high-performance field.
This Sportster S isn't your granddad's Sportster but is the latest in a line of evolution that did away with the Evolution-based Sportster engine in favor of this new plant. This is the best feature of the new H-D Sportster S. Introduced as a mid-year release in 2021, the Sportster S carries a liquid-cooled Revolution Max engine, so you can count on plenty of stamina, even in stop-n-go traffic or riding in extreme heat.
2023 Harley-Davidson Sportster S
- Sport-Bike Agility
- Low Seat Height
- Top-Shelf Rider Aids
- Forward Controls
- Thrilling Performance
- Model: Sportster S
- Engine:: 1,252 cc V-Twin
- Power Output: 121 HP (90kW) @ 7,500 RPM
- Torque: 94 LB-FT @ 6,000 RPM
- Transmission: 6-Speed Manual
- MSRP: $16,399
- Powerful Engine With Modern Performance
- Robust Electronics Suite
- Pays Proper Homage To Family Line
- Tiring For Long Rides
- Not Entry-Level Friendly
- Increasingly Expensive
2023 Harley-Davidson Sportster S Performance And Capability
The Harley Davidson Sportster S produces 121 horsepower and 94 pounds of torque. Unlike previous engines, this one likes to rev up. The ponies max out at 7,500 rpm while the torque tops out at six grand even.
Self-adjusting lifters actuate a quartet of poppets in each of the two heads. In another change, the Revolution Max runs in a short-stroke arrangement instead of the usual long-stroke setup with a 105 mm bore and 72.3 mm stroke. The compression ratio is pretty saucy for a Harley at 12-to-1 and will prefer top hook gas to prevent detonation and dieseling. Induction control falls to a downdraft intake that rocks tuned velocity stacks to deliver a broad tractable powerband.
The MoCo shows its commitment to progressive design by throwing on ABS, Traction Control, Drag-Torque Control, and Wheel Lift Mitigation. These systems are all in the corner-sensitive variety to put this bike on even footing with the best in the bracket worldwide.
A multi-plate clutch adds another layer of anti-backtorque protection and delivers a light lever pull weight for which your left hand will thank you, particularly in city traffic. Power flows through a six-speed transmission with a carbon fiber belt-and-pulley final drive for a Sportster S top speed of 143 mph, which is really an astonishing number compared to everything else in the Sportster family, going back all the way to 1957.
Engine & Drivetrain | |
|---|---|
Engine | Revolution Max 1250T, Chain-driven, DOHC, hydraulic self-adjusting lifters, intake & exhaust VVT; four valves per cylinder |
Displacement | 1,252 cc (76.4 cu in) |
Bore x Stroke | 105 mm x 72.3 mm |
Compression | 12.0:1 |
Power | 121 HP (90kW) @ 7,500 RPM |
Torque (J1349) | 94 LB-FT @ 6,000 RPM |
Fuel System | Electronic Sequential Port Fuel Injection (ESPFI) |
Exhaust | 2-into-1-into-2; catalyst in muffler |
Primary Drive | Gear, 49/89 ratio |
Final Drive | Belt, 34/80 ratio |
Clutch | Mechanical, 8 plate wet, assist & slip, 1090N |
Gearbox | 6-Speed Manual |
Design
Harley-Davidson abandoned the look of the previous iteration, save for a nugget or two here and there, to give the modern Sportster line a new set of lines. Proper homage is paid to the custom culture as well, starting with a front fender that's cut down to just a little bit bigger than a postage stamp with minimal fling coverage.
The headlight has an oval shape to accommodate the LED projectors and the LED blinkers clamp to the upper fork tubes to ride outboard of the headlight array. This puts them well out of harm's way should you drop it in the parking lot. The Bluetooth-enabled, round 4.0-inch fully-digital gauge cluster displays everything from the fuel level to turn-by-turn navigation with the Harley-Davidson app.
To the factory's credit, they retained the teardrop gas-tank profile that can trace its roots all the way back to the 1952 K Model. The tank console is a non-chrome item to go with the rest of the blackout paint. You can pencil me in as a fan of the bar-end mirrors, both their round shape and their location looks like old-school custom bikes of old.
Unladen seat height measures 30.1 inches off the deck. Providing that you have at least 180 pounds of body weight, the suspension will compress down to 28.9 inches high which is still pretty tall for an H-D sled.
You can forget about riding two up. The stock Sportster S comes with a solo seat, and considering the subframe design, it's hard to imagine a pillion pad finding anywhere to call home. The tradeoff is a clean hindquarter and minimal bodywork to help keep weight down, plus it looks fast even when sitting still. The gear in the rear mount to a one-side hugger with more LED goodness to make sure you are visible from the rear.
Harley-Davidson Sportster S Specs | |
|---|---|
Length | 89.4 in |
Width | 33.1 in |
Height | 42.7 in |
Seat Height, Unladen/Laden | 30.1 in/28.9 in |
Wheelbase | 59.8 in |
Ground Clearance | 3.5 in |
Fuel Tank Capacity | 3.1 gal with 0.8 gal reserve |
Curb Weight | 502 lb |
Dry Weight | 487 lb |
Chassis
Instead of a traditional frame, a low-alloy steel was the material of choice for the Trellis-type frame on the Sportster S with forged junctions and welded tubing, but it shifts to forged aluminum for the mid-structure to keep weight down. Steel alloy tubing makes up the swingarm, and it carries forged axle junctions for long service life.
The suspension marks a departure from the Sportster line in general with its 43 mm inverted forks and piggyback monoshock, plus the whole trifecta of tweaks at both ends. The steering head sets a rake angle of 30 degrees, but there must be an offset in the tripletree. The actual fork angle is 28 degrees with 5.8 inches of travel, giving the Sportster S a certain amount of stability which pays off at higher speeds and over longer rides.
Cast-aluminum alloy wheels round out the rolling chassis with massively fat Dunlop Harley-Davidson Series tires in the 160/70-17 up front and 180/70-16 out back that also add to the Sportster S's custom chops. H-D relies on the strength of a single front brake with a 320 mm disc and 4-piston caliper for the bulk of the stopping power, while out back, a single-pot caliper and 260 mm disc take care of business.
Chassis & Suspension | |
|---|---|
Frame | Stressed-member, high strength low alloy steel trellis frame; stamped, cast, and forged junctions; MIG welded; aluminum forged mid-structure |
Swingarm | High strength low alloy steel, tubular sections, stamped x-member, forged axle junctions; MIG welded |
Front Suspension/ Travel | 43 mm inverted fork with compression, rebound and spring preload adjustability. Aluminum fork triple clamps/ 3.6 in |
Rear Suspension/ Travel | Linkage-mounted, piggyback monoshock with compression, rebound and hydraulic spring preload adjustability/ 2 in |
Rake | 30° |
Fork Angle | 28° |
Trail | 5.8 in |
Lean Angle, Left/Right (J1168) | 34°/34° |
Front Wheel | Aluminum cast, satin black 4.5 x 17 |
Rear Wheel | Aluminum cast, satin black 5 x 16 |
Front Tire | Dunlop GT503 160/70R17 73V |
Rear Tire | Dunlop GT503 180/70R16 77V |
Front Brake | 320 mm floating rotor, radially-mounted monoblock 4-piston caliper |
Rear Brake | 260 mm solid uniform expansion rotor, floating single-piston caliper |
2023 Harley-Davidson Sportster S Price And Availability
How much your Sportster costs really comes down to the color choices. The 2023 Harley-Davidson Sportster S costs $16,399. As usual, that's for the Vivid Black colorway. You'll have to skin that checkbook for another $450 if you'd prefer White Sand Pearl, Gray Haze, or Bright Billiard Blue packages.
Build your 2023 Harley-Davdison Sportster S here.
Rider Safety Enhancements
- Cornering Enhanced ABS
- Cornering Enhanced Traction Control
- Cornering Enhanced Drag Torque Slip Control System
- Tire Pressure Monitoring
- Wheel Lift Mitigation
Sportster S Pricing & Features | |
|---|---|
Model ID | RH1250S |
Features | 4-inch Color TFT, Security System, Cruise Control, Ride Modes |
Warranty | 24 months (unlimited mileage) |
Colors | |
└ 2021 | Vivid Black, Midnight Crimson, Stone-Washed White Pearl |
└ 2022 | Vivid Black, White Sand Pearl, Mineral Green Metallic |
└ 2023 | Vivid Black, White Sand Pearl, Gray Haze, Bright Billiard Blue |
Price | |
└ 2021 | $14,999, Color: $15,349 |
└ 2022 | $15,499, Color: $15,899 |
└ 2023 | $16,399, Color: $16,849 |
Competitors
The MoCo breaks new ground with this new Sportster iteration, and so it comes into contact with competitors it had never seen before. That said, the Ducati 1100 Dark Pro looks like just such a bike.
Ducati Scrambler 1100 Dark Pro
Style-wise, the Ducati hits many of the same points with a cut-down front fender, stubby tail, and a rear hugger that mounts the tag, all in blackout paint to cut the same sort of figure as the Sporty. The Scrambler-based Dark Pro also rocks corner-sensitive ABS as part of its stock equipment package, but it looks like that and the trio of Riding Modes is all you can expect to see on this model.
A 1,079 cc L-twin engine delivers the goods with 86 ponies and 65 pounds o' grunt to fall well short of the Sporty's power; now there is something I have never been able to say before. The tradeoff is at the till with the Duc's $13,895 sticker, but I think the performance from the H-D and the electronics suite package makes it more bike for the buck overall.
He Said
“The Sportster has been such a pillar for the company, it kind of hurts to see the Evolution Sportster drive put out to pasture, but it was time. This new kid on the block is far more bike than the recent models on the old design with performance and electronics that are greater on an order of magnitude over its forebears. Maybe the price will serve as a firewall because, unlike the old Sportsters, this isn't a beginner's bike.”
She Said
My wife and fellow motorcycle writer, Allyn Hinton, says, “This restyled Sportster is decidedly V-Rod inspired. The electronics meet the cries we've long had for Harley bikes and add that level of sophistication that Harleys below the touring models have needed. This is more performance-oriented, both in engine power and sportbike-like handling.”
FAQ
Q: Is Harley Sportster S fast?
Top speed of the Harley-Davidson Sportster S is 143 MPH. The new 1,252 cc Revolution Max engine is more performance-oriented than that in the Sportster XR1200, which handled zero-to-60 at 4.0 seconds and a 12.4-second quarter mile.
Q: What CC is the Sportster S?
The Revolution Max 1250T engine in the Harley-Davidson Sportster S has a bore and stroke of 105 mm x 72.3 mm. This gives the engine a 1,252 cc (76.4 cu in) displacement.
Q: Is the Sportster S replacing the Sportster?
Harley-Davidson stopped producing the Evolution-engine Sportster. The Sportster S and Nightster, each powered by new Revolution Max engines, head up Harley's "Sport" category.
Q: Can you ride two up on a Sportster S?
The Harley-Davidson Sportster S comes from the factory with a solo seat. Pillion seats are available in the accessories catalog if you want two-up riding.