As a sport bike owner when I test drove this bike in sport mode I knew I wanted it. Bought it the day I test drove it. Much faster than I thought and I love the speed. Mine is a 23 model but basically the same as the 21
After 1,000 miles with the sportster s, I finally got around to putting it on the dyno. 111whp @ 8,400rpm 84ft lbs @ 6,400rpm What's nice about it, is the torque below the curve, which comes on strong and early at 80ft lbs @ 4,000rpm
@@mariuss.6607 It also weighs over 250lbs more than the Sportster S and those cams destroyed your low end torque which the sportster s has plenty of. The sportster S is going to be a high 10 second bike all day. The vrod was a high 11 second bike on a good day. With cams you're about on par with a stock sportster s if not slower.
@@bharsen I like the new sportster s don't get me wrong. Cool little bike. All I'm saying I built my vrod the way I want it to suit my needs and I don't know if I want to buy another bike and do it again. Also, I'm 6'2 or 3 I don't think I'd be comfortable on the sportster.
If I was ever to buy a Harley, since I’m young I always wanted the original night train which they stopped making I believe in 2010 and when the Vrod came out I loved those and the original Vrod is one of the few bikes that made it through that German endurance test with flying colors! They push whatever they test through grueling stages and try to kill them, the Vrod is the only one to make it!
*DISCLAIMER* MSRP is $15,000.00 but dealers are marking them up $4-5k. I went to pick mine up today and this was a slap in the face. 19k for a sportster is ridiculous. Good job Harley continuing to alienate younger buyers.
@@moosestanggang More than likely down the road I would assume. I'm getting mine on a dyno in 500 more miles to see what she does. Then probably hitting the 1/4 mile late October. If anything I'm hoping by next year they will have a tuning package for it to free up some extra power.
Good review agree the taillight bracket is an eyesore not to mention it would be bobbing up and down since it’s attached to the swingarm. If l we’re going for that type bike ld have to go for the Indian Scout.
@@candiedorangepiggy3281 What was their justification for the markup? Did they originally say it would be at MSRP? I put a grand deposit down about a month ago and it was understood that the bike would be at MSRP, plus taxes and title and freight.
Hello from Texas - appreciated your review which stood out from the rest by emphasizing the "speed," that awful tail thing, as well as the clarity of your communication.
I rode one at the hometown rally in Milwaukee a few weeks ago. I was blown away by the power and smoothness too. It's not like any other Harley I've ever ridden. Definitely not a beginner bike by any means. Great vid. Keep up the good work bud.
Yeah I THINK they will stick around at least another year. I just know not being able to sell them in certain demographics means the writing is on the wall.
Well, I brought my Sportster S home this week; put 50 miles on it so far. I absolutely love the tail lights and license holder ! The exhaust goes back to the XR750 flat tracker and is nostalgic ; it has been growing on my as well, I actually really like it at this point. This is going to be my go-to sport knock around town bike... still going to use my Heritage Springer Softail (antique, 2003) for touring, but my Sportster is going to be my everyday bike for years to come. marcus
Great review and insightful. Getting over the non-Harley sound is huge since Harley's distinctive characteristic is "potato". Remember in 1994 Harley tried to trademark their exhaust note as unique and a competitive advantage. The non-Harley sound works on an ADV bike but I'm not sure in the traditional line. Triumph when to great engineering lengths to keep the Bonnie sound in the redesigned engines and it works. Triumph even remapped the firing order on their triples as much for sound as low end performance. Why Harley engineers couldn't do the same is very puzzling.
Though a 'late to the game' review as you said, it was a very good review, none the less. Thanks so much for it. I am very interested in this bike and am looking forward to test riding it. I think it looks great and agree with everything you mentioned about it. Nice to hear what someone that works at HD and has ridden every HD model think of this new direction bike from them. The one thing I think about it is, I don't necessarily think HD is marketing it to new riders. I think they're going after riders that wouldn't have looked at HD or have never thought of owning a HD bike. I think this Sportster S and Pan America are proof to that. Anyway, thanks again for your thoughts on the Sportster S.
Just bought the 2022 model and can't wait for collection on the 1st of March here in the UK. I took the 2021 demo model out a few times 1st but totally fell in love, I have never owned a harley and I come from a supersports background. But they bike gave me smiles for miles, I have only ridden it in sport mode and like yourself I very much doubt I'll ever come out of it. She's responsive, she handles well and she's very planted. I've sold my ducati 1200 s for this beauty and that's a real wild horse this sportster felt so positive and laid back, just what this lady rider is ready for. I have no doubt that this will be a great bike for anyone making the change over. Thanks for the review 👍
I bought my sportster s back at the beginning of November and have put a little over 1300 miles on it and I absolutely love it the only complaints I have are the suspension and the fuel economy or lack there of, my sportster 48 got more miles to a tank than my sportster s although this bike wasn’t made to tour or go long distances so it’s not the end of the world and the suspension if not loosened up can be a real pain on the back not an easy bike to stunt on either I find it hard to wheelie and go full hooligan on it but it’s amazing in the twisties and back roads, all in all its an amazing bike always got power on tap right when you need it only thing harley coulda done to make it better is add a heated seat :)🤙 if you haven’t had the chance to ride one yet I’d highly recommend it👍 🏍
@@grayghost1423 I get about 70-90 miles to the fill depending on how I ride and I exclusively ride in sport mode so not the best mpg usually 75 miles to a tank witch isn’t great if you like to tour but if you just want to zip around town popping wheelies and doing burnouts this definitely a great bike 🤟
Thanks for the best review I've found on the Sportster S, Blair. I'm in the UK and at 41 this will be my first bike so I've been apprehensive about the power etc. I'll definitely be taking your advice about (not using) Sports mode until I'm fully accustomed to the power. Cheers mate. Andrew.
Definitely interested in getting one of these for my next bike (sometime in the spring). I'll be interested to see what options come available as this bike gets popular.
Yeah I’m not sure if it was photoshop or real but the pic I flashed up of the exhaust looked pretty rad. Haven’t heard one yet if it was real. I think there is a LOT you could do with this thing to make it even cooler.
Hello Sir ! I’m 6’4” tall and bit on heavier side. Will sportster S be a bike for me ? I like both sportster S and fat bob, but i like tech on sportster. What would you recommend ?
@@throttleblip9854 That sounds like a plan, but I haven’t seen a local dealership yet that has one. Plus, my daughter gets married this weekend. Kinda busy. LOL! Maybe soon though.
100% give me that digital gauge and I am trading in my 2019 FXFBS immediately. I agree that its time for Harley to start including more technology in their products.
I own a 2021 model and love it now that I have removed the signal plate holder and have LED lights under my rear fender with signals LED. Also under the rear fender forward controls suck you need to ride one with mid controls. I had to customize mine after two years of riding with the forward controls I finally got fed up with him and added my med controls. What a difference, the pipe I ordered took six months to get in but I finally got a nice brothers pipe on there. It looks and sounds fantastic but once again the heat shields are in adequate nice talking to you guys. Keep up the good work.
I bought an S today and am picking it up tomorrow. I'll be trying to figure out a better tail light section ASAP, but am excited to put so miles on this bike.
Yeah the good thing is you can't see it when you ride it. haha. Let me know what you come up with as far as a replacement and most importantly, enjoy the bike.
I'm driving home from work right now and I'm picking my Sportster S tomorrow morning. This will be the last review I watch of the bike before I get mine. I couldn't be more excited.
@@kspocketngroove3973 oh, it's damn fast. Faster than I expected from watching all the reviews. It pulls a lot of attention with a few people thinking it was a VRod. I haven't gotten to check out it's cornering ability yet but it seems capable enough. It's a very fun bike.
@blockhead seemed to let us know about the speed n power. The USB on the pan am has an update so it can be used as a charger too. I would not consider getting one. My next bike is going to be more upright with a lot more suspension like the Pan am.
He got to ride it early didn't he? I felt like I saw him in one of the first groups to test it. That's good about the PanAm charger, how silly to not ship it as charge capable. As fun as this bike is, hands down I'd get a PanAm over it. Just based on what I'd like out of a bike.
Bought the first in my town and i am glad i did. Its a beast lots of fun :), don't care for what people comments. If you feel good after throwing a leg on it, take a test ride and listen to ur guts. this will pump a ton of Adrenaline for sure :) Harley did a wonderful job. I traded my 2008 HD Fatboy with 30000 miles and so happy i did.
I test rode the Sportster S at both the Chicago IMS show and at the homecoming event, I loved it. If this is the direction that Harley Davidson is going in the future, I am all for it. However, it is too small for me at 6’4”, if they made a Sportster S “XL” it would easily be my next motorcycle. Sport mode is ridiculously fun, do yourself a favor and test ride it if you haven’t already.
As an OG with an ultraed out TC SGS and an old low rider. My next HD acquisition is going to be a 114 fat boy…. But damn, after riding the new S, oh my… it’s a hoot. I’m 5’8 and the S fits me good, especially with the forward controls. I don’t care much for the styling but I live in rural Ozarks, it would be a blast around this region.
Another great review! I completely agree about the rear light mount. So many new bikes now have this feature and they all look awful, in my opinion. I’d like the option of mounting the exhaust lower down to remove the heat, but the bodywork is moulded around the muffler so that wouldn’t be possible without spending a ton of money on a replacement seat unit. I’d also worry about stones going through the radiator as the front fender offers no protection for it.
Great review. I own a 2022 sportster 48. I have a friend that owns the new sportster S and obviously I have taken it out for several rides and now I wish I would have waited and bought the new sportster S. The Harley 48 looks much better, but with only having five gears in that small peanut tank is a real downer! I am thinking about purchasing the new sportster, S and having two Harleys
Well, this is my first bike and love it but like you said need to respect the power! i have a couple buddies that been riding for over 35 years on Harleys so i have some great advice! Thanks for sharing. Be safe and God bless you all.
I'm 6 feet tall and 230 pounds and I bought this bike at the beginning of this year. Until now, many people have told me that this bike is too small for me and I'm confused whether I should get an M8 instead.
I got to ride one of these a few weeks ago at “bikes blues and BBQ” and I agree. This is a very sporty motor and it is the fastest Harley I’ve ever ridden. But as good as it handles i still feel like it’s a miss for me. I personally prefer sport naked/ street fighter bikes. So Im a little biased, but I was hoping this Harley could convince me. But it’s just not competing in that market with this bike. The ergos are all wrong for leveraging the bike, it’s a little too long, and it’s missing a lot of the top end power you get in the pan-am, and most sportier bikes. This bike is an excellent muscle cruiser. But I’m seriously wanting Harley to make an American sport bike/ street fighter with this platform. Fingers crossed they still release the Bronx 🤞
@@rubensahak9178 depends on your point of reference. I’m looking at it from a sport bike/ naked bike perspective. And compared to those this bike is long and doesn’t turn in quite as well. But it’s handle amazing for a Harley
I love the aesthetic of this bike. Wish it weren't so powerful, as I'm still looking into my first bike. I feel like this is a bit much to start on, but it's really attractive. Regardless, thanks for the great review. Glad I watched.
Good review, thanks for riding it and showing us around it. I'm definitely curious about how it rides. I could never ride a bike without mirrors. After a few close calls being rear-ended, I need to see behind me. Older I get, the more I appreciate functionality... damn, now I sound like my dad haha.
You are the 1st one to frankly and truthfully admit this is a powerful motorcycle. At 121 horsepower for a 550lb bike I knew it was a monster. Harley Did say they dialed the bike up to 11 when they designed this particular revolution max engine for this bike. The stroke is a little different than the Pan America for more bottom end power taking off. The big deal for the Sports S is the technology in the engine and electronics. Harley Davidson knew what they were doing by eliminating the huge primary chain rotating in oil, pushrods, rocker arms, bottom end cams, pushrod lifters, and that hot butt air cooled motor. Adding full liquid cooling & full counter balancing is huge, with this power plant there is no going back for HD which I have no doubt there engines will be the future for all models moving forward. The competition has already hurt Harley Davidson with people going to Honda, Yamaha , and BMW for the Cadillac smooth ride they were looking for.
My Thoughts exactly, I didn't know what to expect, but when I opened this up in Sport Mode, it was literally "Breath Taking", the Thrust and Pull in Sport Mode, is Amazing. This Bike is a Sleeper. You will be able to Smoke alot of Bikes, and they won't believe what Hit them !!💥💥
grew up ridin' my dads Harley's and now ride the new GL1800, I am hoping to love this bike as I miss the ride of a HD at times but will not sacrifice the comfort of my Tour Monster GW
Not sure the target audience, I have 2 other HDs, CVO RG and Sostail Slim, and I love my S, and I'm 61. All it needs is a seat and a longer shock. Fun bike. 2 tanks of gas burned through so far, averaged 41 mpg, about 100 miles per tank. But that was a lot of stopping and starting, not just a continuous ride. 1 other detractor, the GPS is pretty useless. Everything else works good. Such a fun bike.
Excellent review, excellent bike, even though I will never own one…I like it. I do want that screen and speedo on soft tails and road kings. I do have to have mirrors, and that exhaust needs some serious after market work.
I don't understand the point about the gas cap lock. It's centrally locked with the key, right? Or do you have to dig out your key and unlock it with the fob every time? Also, so I assume it has no quick shifter and none available as an add-on either? A bit of a shame for a sports bike, for us used to quick shifters it feels strange to go back to living without it.
I'm guessing the whistling from the wind is why you overdubbed the audio. Also, I could see how fast you were going from how your GoPro kept falling over. I also think the Speedometer looks cool and should be on other bikes. I'd pay cash for a Street Bob if it had the speedo and headlight of the Sportster.
I am getting mine in a couple weeks…2nd bike though. I am 6’5” and feel comfortable on this bike. I still have the SGS in the garage though…tall guy problems!
Been looking forward to this review and you didn’t disappoint! Hoping to get this as a second bike to zip around town on because I can’t imagine it would be good for long distances.
I moved up to a sportster s after 6 years on a Vulcan S as my first bike. It's a learning curve for sure, this bike is a handful. I have it in standard mode right now and it walked a camaro zl1 from a stoplight to 60mph... lol. I would not recommend this bike unless you have had at least 5 years on a motorcycle that runs low 13's/high 12's... because this thing is a high 10 second bike all day.
The reason you didn’t get an invite is you are not females, all about the drama and actually know what you were talking about. Keep what you’re doing. Your review and comparisons of bikes are very helpful and it’s obvious from Someone that has a good understanding of bikes and riding bikes
You can’t think about buying a bike these days without a lockable gas tank. I’d probably leave it in road mode until it was run in or the first week at least. Low Rider ST or this? Sportster S has a small tank but I do mainly short rides these days.
The sound is like a euro bike with a sweet exhaust. These new Harley engines sound great to me! Even more fun when I’m passing other Harleys in my Pan America! This will save Harley at least for few more years.
I wanted the bronx but my interest is picking up on this one.i would definitely go with mid controls and get rid of that big front tire.I think you did a good seat of the pants review
I would go for mids as well. I test rode this bike and the forwards felt all wrong for leveraging the bike. However I am still holding out to see if they bring back the Bronx
I thought the same until I got one last week. The forward controls aren’t as forward as you would think. (Like other bikes). You have a radiator in front of them. So its kinda a not so forward, forward controls.
@@zimzim1642 I personally wasn’t digging it when I took one for a spin. I prefer sport bikes and sport nakeds. So I want something with more lean angle and more aggressive ergonomics. Still hoping for the Bronx someday
This bike is SICKENING! 🔥. Say I bought this bike as my first bike and kept it in “rain mode” for a couple months? I’d be ok, right? Awesome review btw!
I'm with you when it comes to innovation. While I don't care for the Sportster, I hope the innovation introduced on that bike makes its way to the touring frame. Today, and that is the brutal reality, a Goldwing handles better than any comparable Touring Harley. Not sure why .. weight, innovative suspension, weight distribution, whatever but Harley is the 🦕. If they don't want to get extinct, they have to start innovating their flagship product! Just my .02$. Good video, thanks for sharing.
Thanks for the video. You didn't talk about the water cooled engine (or showed us) or other technological goodies, that sets this apart from most other HD's. You did say you were not going to talk too much about specifications, so I get why you didn't do a "deep dive." But honestly, water cooling is a BIG deal for HD. This is the first video I watched on this bike, but realize I have to look at others, as well, to get a more well rounded opinion. I agree, the rear license plate/light holder/bracket is kind of weird. I do see it potentially helping if a car bumps into you from behind in stop-and-go traffic. It would have been nice for you to let us hear the bike. I know it sounds like I'm kind of trashing your review, but that is not my intention... just giving you some feedback.
Honestly I skipped over a lot of detail because I didn't think people would really watch the video. I saw so many reviews of the bike months before I was able to do mine that I assumed it was old news to people. Now here we are 50k views later. lol I ended up starting the bike in my last review where I compared this one to the Lowrider S. I didn't do that before because this bike makes no sound lol. Like a whisper almost hah. I do appreciate the feedback and I appreciate you watching. Much love.
@@throttleblip9854 I totally understand, but there are some peeps like me that don't get to some posts until years after they have been posted, so don't worry 🤣👍
In European models there's a key locked gas cap. I love my sporty. 3 things I dislike: 1: Rear suspension- no travel 2: Foot control 3: tank size +1: single disc front break
I was at a dealer this week when the first one arrived. I was there for 2 hours, and I watched as probably 20 guests walked up to it, wouldn’t get within 6 feet of it, with their hands in their pockets and stared at it like it was made out of some exotic quantum matter, and then turned around and went and sat on new road glides. I didn’t but I couldn’t test ride it. It feels like it weighs about as much as my old 10 speed bicycle compared to my flhtc, but I wanted to just put it on my credit card and go. My friends who work there rode it while I was there, and they got off and said, “it’s fast.” That’s all. It’s fast. It sounds killer, and I am buying it or the next one they get in hell or high water. If no one else wants to come near it in the meantime, that’s fine with me. It’s badass.
I cam here backwards from the Low Rider S comparison. I am very intrigued with these. As I stated before, I rode the Pan America, but now am very curious about the power delivery you mentioned being lower and instant.
I walked a ZL1 Camaro from a stoplight to 60mph by about two cars. Considering those do 0-60 in 3.5 seconds I'd say it's probably running sub 3 second 0-60's with a good launch. I've only took it to 111 so far but it had a lot of gear and pull left in it.
You know. I was dreading that 2" of rear travel when I bought my Sportster S. But I gotta say, once it's dialed in to your weight, it rides better than my Vulcan S with 3 ½" of travel
@@TheBigkal201 The ONLY thing the Vulcan had over the sportster was handling. The sportster takes a bit more effort to lean into a turn where the Vulcan was much more light in the front and seemed very agile without much effort. But every other category, (tech, brakes, suspension, power etc etc etc) the sportster is better
I also have a Vulcan S and am looking at the sportster S. How is the HD comfort wise compared to the Vulcan? I’m 6’2” and 235 lbs and find myself looking for something a bit bigger and more comfortable. I know that Harley makes much more comfortable bikes, but they’re also much more $$$. How does the sportster compare?
@@jolsen76 The Vulcan has a more upright seating position which was a more comfy imo. I quickly got used to leaning forward some though and don't consider it a deal breaker by any means.
Yeah so far the PanAm exhausts that I've heard make it louder but I wouldn't describe it as a "good" sound. I do agree about the V-rod though. Very different engines however.
As a sport bike owner when I test drove this bike in sport mode I knew I wanted it. Bought it the day I test drove it. Much faster than I thought and I love the speed. Mine is a 23 model but basically the same as the 21
After 1,000 miles with the sportster s, I finally got around to putting it on the dyno.
111whp @ 8,400rpm
84ft lbs @ 6,400rpm
What's nice about it, is the torque below the curve, which comes on strong and early at 80ft lbs @ 4,000rpm
That’s great HP! I have a Kawasaki z900 and it’s 115 at the rear wheel, so it’s right there with the several naked sport bikes, that’s impressive!
will stick with my vrod. 127 whp with cams and happy
@@mariuss.6607
It also weighs over 250lbs more than the Sportster S and those cams destroyed your low end torque which the sportster s has plenty of. The sportster S is going to be a high 10 second bike all day. The vrod was a high 11 second bike on a good day. With cams you're about on par with a stock sportster s if not slower.
@@bharsen I like the new sportster s don't get me wrong. Cool little bike. All I'm saying I built my vrod the way I want it to suit my needs and I don't know if I want to buy another bike and do it again. Also, I'm 6'2 or 3 I don't think I'd be comfortable on the sportster.
If I was ever to buy a Harley, since I’m young I always wanted the original night train which they stopped making I believe in 2010 and when the Vrod came out I loved those and the original Vrod is one of the few bikes that made it through that German endurance test with flying colors! They push whatever they test through grueling stages and try to kill them, the Vrod is the only one to make it!
*DISCLAIMER* MSRP is $15,000.00 but dealers are marking them up $4-5k. I went to pick mine up today and this was a slap in the face.
19k for a sportster is ridiculous. Good job Harley continuing to alienate younger buyers.
Same here. But I paid it. I wanted this thing too bad :(
Because people will simply buy it and resell it for more, so the dealer will take it instead.
It’s LED lights all around including the turn signals which about time! Finally a bike that has LED lights all around and it’s not a CVO.
Let's hope HD keeps this going with the 22 models!!
@@throttleblip9854 will there stage kits with this bike? Don’t know much about the 1250
@@moosestanggang
More than likely down the road I would assume. I'm getting mine on a dyno in 500 more miles to see what she does. Then probably hitting the 1/4 mile late October. If anything I'm hoping by next year they will have a tuning package for it to free up some extra power.
Great review. I pick my vivid black up Saturday. Can't wait!
I happen to like the tail section but every body is different.
That's awesome. Congrats on the new ride. Yeah if you like it thats even better so you aren't spending money to change it.
Be prepared, I went to pick mine up today and there was a $4,000.00 markup over MSRP.
19k is ridiculous when the rebel 1100 is almost half the cost
@@candiedorangepiggy3281 Gosh dang, $4,000 in dealership fees! crazy
Good review agree the taillight bracket is an eyesore not to mention it would be bobbing up and down since it’s attached to the swingarm. If l we’re going for that type bike ld have to go for the Indian Scout.
@@candiedorangepiggy3281
What was their justification for the markup? Did they originally say it would be at MSRP?
I put a grand deposit down about a month ago and it was understood that the bike would be at MSRP, plus taxes and title and freight.
Hello from Texas - appreciated your review which stood out from the rest by emphasizing the "speed," that awful tail thing, as well as the clarity of your communication.
Very much appreciated!!
I rode one at the hometown rally in Milwaukee a few weeks ago. I was blown away by the power and smoothness too. It's not like any other Harley I've ever ridden. Definitely not a beginner bike by any means. Great vid. Keep up the good work bud.
Lol it was my beginner bike
Test rode a 2023 sportster s today and bought it 30 minutes later. No regrets, I fn love it.
I love this bike. I rented one, and in 3 and a half days I put 220 miles on it. I almost bought it. Sport mode is so much fun. It's stupid fast.
Still want an Iron 1200 or a 48. Hope they keep those around (as they have been) for a couple more years.
Yeah I THINK they will stick around at least another year. I just know not being able to sell them in certain demographics means the writing is on the wall.
@@throttleblip9854 I wasn't aware there was an issue with sales being restricted? Are they unable to sell them overseas?
48 is one of the best things Harley has goin. No idea what 2022 brings
Can’t buy them new anymore in the UK, I think the same is true in the rest of Europe
I’m an Old School Harley rider , Great review . I just sat on one Saturday and I think I’m going to get one. Thanks for the Video !
I love the look of that license plate and light bracket personally
Well, I brought my Sportster S home this week; put 50 miles on it so far.
I absolutely love the tail lights and license holder ! The exhaust goes back to the XR750 flat tracker and is nostalgic ; it has been growing on my as well, I actually really like it at this point.
This is going to be my go-to sport knock around town bike... still going to use my Heritage Springer Softail (antique, 2003) for touring, but my Sportster is going to be my everyday bike for years to come.
marcus
I looking to get one as well and keep my 2003 Fatboy for touring!
Great review and insightful. Getting over the non-Harley sound is huge since Harley's distinctive characteristic is "potato". Remember in 1994 Harley tried to trademark their exhaust note as unique and a competitive advantage. The non-Harley sound works on an ADV bike but I'm not sure in the traditional line. Triumph when to great engineering lengths to keep the Bonnie sound in the redesigned engines and it works. Triumph even remapped the firing order on their triples as much for sound as low end performance. Why Harley engineers couldn't do the same is very puzzling.
Though a 'late to the game' review as you said, it was a very good review, none the less. Thanks so much for it. I am very interested in this bike and am looking forward to test riding it. I think it looks great and agree with everything you mentioned about it. Nice to hear what someone that works at HD and has ridden every HD model think of this new direction bike from them. The one thing I think about it is, I don't necessarily think HD is marketing it to new riders. I think they're going after riders that wouldn't have looked at HD or have never thought of owning a HD bike. I think this Sportster S and Pan America are proof to that. Anyway, thanks again for your thoughts on the Sportster S.
Just bought the 2022 model and can't wait for collection on the 1st of March here in the UK. I took the 2021 demo model out a few times 1st but totally fell in love, I have never owned a harley and I come from a supersports background. But they bike gave me smiles for miles, I have only ridden it in sport mode and like yourself I very much doubt I'll ever come out of it. She's responsive, she handles well and she's very planted. I've sold my ducati 1200 s for this beauty and that's a real wild horse this sportster felt so positive and laid back, just what this lady rider is ready for. I have no doubt that this will be a great bike for anyone making the change over. Thanks for the review 👍
I bought my sportster s back at the beginning of November and have put a little over 1300 miles on it and I absolutely love it the only complaints I have are the suspension and the fuel economy or lack there of, my sportster 48 got more miles to a tank than my sportster s although this bike wasn’t made to tour or go long distances so it’s not the end of the world and the suspension if not loosened up can be a real pain on the back not an easy bike to stunt on either I find it hard to wheelie and go full hooligan on it but it’s amazing in the twisties and back roads, all in all its an amazing bike always got power on tap right when you need it only thing harley coulda done to make it better is add a heated seat :)🤙 if you haven’t had the chance to ride one yet I’d highly recommend it👍 🏍
May I ask what your mpg is?
@@grayghost1423 I get about 70-90 miles to the fill depending on how I ride and I exclusively ride in sport mode so not the best mpg usually 75 miles to a tank witch isn’t great if you like to tour but if you just want to zip around town popping wheelies and doing burnouts this definitely a great bike 🤟
honestly, i felt this is the best review n most honest one i have seen on this beautiful bike
I love the tail section and the stock exhaust. They make the bike's lines aggressive.
I agree
This one's starting to grow on me.
Your take is always a must see for me.
For me this motorcycle is in a category of its own, in a good way. It looks tough, fast, and fresh.
Thanks for the best review I've found on the Sportster S, Blair. I'm in the UK and at 41 this will be my first bike so I've been apprehensive about the power etc. I'll definitely be taking your advice about (not using) Sports mode until I'm fully accustomed to the power. Cheers mate. Andrew.
Definitely interested in getting one of these for my next bike (sometime in the spring). I'll be interested to see what options come available as this bike gets popular.
Yeah I’m not sure if it was photoshop or real but the pic I flashed up of the exhaust looked pretty rad. Haven’t heard one yet if it was real. I think there is a LOT you could do with this thing to make it even cooler.
Hello Sir ! I’m 6’4” tall and bit on heavier side. Will sportster S be a bike for me ? I like both sportster S and fat bob, but i like tech on sportster. What would you recommend ?
This is one I’ve yet to see live. I got to ride the Pan America when it first came out. I’m looking forward to riding this one.
PLEASE go ride it this weekend and let me know what you think.
@@throttleblip9854 That sounds like a plan, but I haven’t seen a local dealership yet that has one. Plus, my daughter gets married this weekend. Kinda busy. LOL! Maybe soon though.
Great review brother. You deserve a lot more subs. Keep up the good work.
8:00 One of the reasons I got a Sporster48 is that it has no digital display and is just simple. Nothing fancy just a engine with two wheels.
Ok oldman
@@conlosmorchitti5832 if 23 is old
@@partybus31 ok grandpa
This is a great video! You don't need to be first-it's good enough to be original, informative, helpful. Thank You for this review and keep on!
I really appreciate that!!
100% give me that digital gauge and I am trading in my 2019 FXFBS immediately. I agree that its time for Harley to start including more technology in their products.
I own a 2021 model and love it now that I have removed the signal plate holder and have LED lights under my rear fender with signals LED. Also under the rear fender forward controls suck you need to ride one with mid controls. I had to customize mine after two years of riding with the forward controls I finally got fed up with him and added my med controls. What a difference, the pipe I ordered took six months to get in but I finally got a nice brothers pipe on there. It looks and sounds fantastic but once again the heat shields are in adequate nice talking to you guys. Keep up the good work.
I bought an S today and am picking it up tomorrow. I'll be trying to figure out a better tail light section ASAP, but am excited to put so miles on this bike.
Yeah the good thing is you can't see it when you ride it. haha. Let me know what you come up with as far as a replacement and most importantly, enjoy the bike.
Just ordered mine today without seeing it live lol can't wait. first bike! thanks for the good review.
I'm driving home from work right now and I'm picking my Sportster S tomorrow morning. This will be the last review I watch of the bike before I get mine. I couldn't be more excited.
so,....what can you tell us??? 😰🤭🤔😬
@@kspocketngroove3973 oh, it's damn fast. Faster than I expected from watching all the reviews. It pulls a lot of attention with a few people thinking it was a VRod. I haven't gotten to check out it's cornering ability yet but it seems capable enough. It's a very fun bike.
@blockhead seemed to let us know about the speed n power. The USB on the pan am has an update so it can be used as a charger too. I would not consider getting one. My next bike is going to be more upright with a lot more suspension like the Pan am.
He got to ride it early didn't he? I felt like I saw him in one of the first groups to test it.
That's good about the PanAm charger, how silly to not ship it as charge capable.
As fun as this bike is, hands down I'd get a PanAm over it. Just based on what I'd like out of a bike.
Bought the first in my town and i am glad i did. Its a beast lots of fun :), don't care for what people comments. If you feel good after throwing a leg on it, take a test ride and listen to ur guts. this will pump a ton of Adrenaline for sure :) Harley did a wonderful job. I traded my 2008 HD Fatboy with 30000 miles and so happy i did.
Have you been able to adjust the suspension to make it comfortable?
I test rode the Sportster S at both the Chicago IMS show and at the homecoming event, I loved it. If this is the direction that Harley Davidson is going in the future, I am all for it. However, it is too small for me at 6’4”, if they made a Sportster S “XL” it would easily be my next motorcycle. Sport mode is ridiculously fun, do yourself a favor and test ride it if you haven’t already.
Is the fat bob kind of like the bigger sportster s? Cheers from Lakeview
My main question is about the exhaust, I wonder if removing the baffle would help a little on the sound. Just not sure if it would mess up the tune.
As an OG with an ultraed out TC SGS and an old low rider. My next HD acquisition is going to be a 114 fat boy…. But damn, after riding the new S, oh my… it’s a hoot. I’m 5’8 and the S fits me good, especially with the forward controls. I don’t care much for the styling but I live in rural Ozarks, it would be a blast around this region.
Another great review! I completely agree about the rear light mount. So many new bikes now have this feature and they all look awful, in my opinion. I’d like the option of mounting the exhaust lower down to remove the heat, but the bodywork is moulded around the muffler so that wouldn’t be possible without spending a ton of money on a replacement seat unit. I’d also worry about stones going through the radiator as the front fender offers no protection for it.
I agree with the dash being on the next softail and touring bikes. I can totally see the street bob being a great contender for that dash
Great review. I own a 2022 sportster 48.
I have a friend that owns the new sportster S and obviously I have taken it out for several rides and now I wish I would have waited and bought the new sportster S.
The Harley 48 looks much better, but with only having five gears in that small peanut tank is a real downer!
I am thinking about purchasing the new sportster, S and having two Harleys
Well, this is my first bike and love it but like you said need to respect the power! i have a couple buddies that been riding for over 35 years on Harleys so i have some great advice! Thanks for sharing. Be safe and God bless you all.
I'm 6 feet tall and 230 pounds and I bought this bike at the beginning of this year. Until now, many people have told me that this bike is too small for me and I'm confused whether I should get an M8 instead.
How does the Sportster S compare to the Ducati XDiavel S? Both are V-Twin sport / muscle cruisers.
Unfortunately I haven't ridden that or ANY Ducati. A lot of sport bikes but never a Ducati.
I got to ride one of these a few weeks ago at “bikes blues and BBQ” and I agree. This is a very sporty motor and it is the fastest Harley I’ve ever ridden. But as good as it handles i still feel like it’s a miss for me. I personally prefer sport naked/ street fighter bikes. So Im a little biased, but I was hoping this Harley could convince me. But it’s just not competing in that market with this bike. The ergos are all wrong for leveraging the bike, it’s a little too long, and it’s missing a lot of the top end power you get in the pan-am, and most sportier bikes. This bike is an excellent muscle cruiser. But I’m seriously wanting Harley to make an American sport bike/ street fighter with this platform. Fingers crossed they still release the Bronx 🤞
funny you said bike is too long whereas I think overall proportions are too small.
@@rubensahak9178 depends on your point of reference. I’m looking at it from a sport bike/ naked bike perspective. And compared to those this bike is long and doesn’t turn in quite as well. But it’s handle amazing for a Harley
I love the aesthetic of this bike. Wish it weren't so powerful, as I'm still looking into my first bike. I feel like this is a bit much to start on, but it's really attractive. Regardless, thanks for the great review. Glad I watched.
There’s more models coming out after this.
I saw another video about the Sportser S. The guy recommended to set the bike to Rain Mode if you're a newbie rider.
Really good advice!
I like it but it sucks that they don't have a traditional 1200 sportster anymore.
Good review, thanks for riding it and showing us around it. I'm definitely curious about how it rides. I could never ride a bike without mirrors. After a few close calls being rear-ended, I need to see behind me. Older I get, the more I appreciate functionality... damn, now I sound like my dad haha.
Haha! Time to be in the progressive commercial!! Haha it just means you have more knowledge and common sense now
You are the 1st one to frankly and truthfully admit this is a powerful motorcycle. At 121 horsepower for a 550lb bike I knew it was a monster. Harley Did say they dialed the bike up to 11 when they designed this particular revolution max engine for this bike. The stroke is a little different than the Pan America for more bottom end power taking off. The big deal for the Sports S is the technology in the engine and electronics. Harley Davidson knew what they were doing by eliminating the huge primary chain rotating in oil, pushrods, rocker arms, bottom end cams, pushrod lifters, and that hot butt air cooled motor. Adding full liquid cooling & full counter balancing is huge, with this power plant there is no going back for HD which I have no doubt there engines will be the future for all models moving forward.
The competition has already hurt Harley Davidson with people going to Honda, Yamaha , and BMW for the Cadillac smooth ride they were looking for.
Go to a bike rally of any sort! Harley not hurting trust me lol at least 50-1 Harley to other manufacturers
Yeah I have already dreamed of this engine in a touring model. I know, I know, the sound would take some getting used to but that would be a fun bike.
You're right about that and I don't see that changing unless Harley really messes up.
The stroke on this engine is exactly the same as the PA. Where they made changes to the powerband was in the cylinder heads and camshafts.
Which STD is right for you?
My Thoughts exactly, I didn't know what to expect, but when I opened this up in Sport Mode, it was literally "Breath Taking", the Thrust and Pull in Sport Mode, is Amazing. This Bike is a Sleeper. You will be able to Smoke alot of Bikes, and they won't believe what Hit them !!💥💥
grew up ridin' my dads Harley's and now ride the new GL1800, I am hoping to love this bike as I miss the ride of a HD at times but will not sacrifice the comfort of my Tour Monster GW
Definitely understand that!
Not sure the target audience, I have 2 other HDs, CVO RG and Sostail Slim, and I love my S, and I'm 61. All it needs is a seat and a longer shock. Fun bike. 2 tanks of gas burned through so far, averaged 41 mpg, about 100 miles per tank. But that was a lot of stopping and starting, not just a continuous ride. 1 other detractor, the GPS is pretty useless. Everything else works good. Such a fun bike.
Excellent review, excellent bike, even though I will never own one…I like it. I do want that screen and speedo on soft tails and road kings. I do have to have mirrors, and that exhaust needs some serious after market work.
It’s either gonna be the Sportster S or the 22 Lowrider S touring
I don't understand the point about the gas cap lock. It's centrally locked with the key, right? Or do you have to dig out your key and unlock it with the fob every time?
Also, so I assume it has no quick shifter and none available as an add-on either? A bit of a shame for a sports bike, for us used to quick shifters it feels strange to go back to living without it.
Actually I love the license plate holder at the back.
I'm guessing the whistling from the wind is why you overdubbed the audio. Also, I could see how fast you were going from how your GoPro kept falling over. I also think the Speedometer looks cool and should be on other bikes. I'd pay cash for a Street Bob if it had the speedo and headlight of the Sportster.
Very cool bike but being 6’3” I will stick with my Softail with hopes of one day upgrading to a touring bike. Nice review.
For sure. Thanks for the kind words.
I am getting mine in a couple weeks…2nd bike though. I am 6’5” and feel comfortable on this bike. I still have the SGS in the garage though…tall guy problems!
I was looking for this comment. Being 6”2 and coming from and R1 . Also was looking for the top speed of it.
If you have a passenger, they have to straddle the pipes?
Been looking forward to this review and you didn’t disappoint! Hoping to get this as a second bike to zip around town on because I can’t imagine it would be good for long distances.
Just came across your channel! Love the advise. I am hoping to start on this bike.
Thank you! Based on what I've heard everyone who got one has loved it.
I don’t mind the brake light Mount at all. I think it’s kinda cool.
Someone said the S is a great started bike, just keep it in rain mode and then move to road, and then to sport, so you can grow into the power
A Corvette is a great starter car too just keep it in first gear for your first year of driving.
I moved up to a sportster s after 6 years on a Vulcan S as my first bike. It's a learning curve for sure, this bike is a handful. I have it in standard mode right now and it walked a camaro zl1 from a stoplight to 60mph... lol.
I would not recommend this bike unless you have had at least 5 years on a motorcycle that runs low 13's/high 12's... because this thing is a high 10 second bike all day.
That rear tail light extension is sexy idk you talking about. That is what makes it a sportster and gives it a batman vibe.
The reason you didn’t get an invite is you are not females, all about the drama and actually know what you were talking about. Keep what you’re doing. Your review and comparisons of bikes are very helpful and it’s obvious from Someone that has a good understanding of bikes and riding bikes
I love the bike but hate having to pay extra for mid controls that it should have come with!
Agreed. The only reason I can see doing forwards is to give taller riders more room. I'd like to ride with mids and see if I felt crowded.
You can’t think about buying a bike these days without a lockable gas tank. I’d probably leave it in road mode until it was run in or the first week at least.
Low Rider ST or this? Sportster S has a small tank but I do mainly short rides these days.
It's good to have the both options on all new bikes. Analog vs digital
Took one for a test ride and to be honest I love it but why harley did you put a poxy sounding horn on a 13000 pound bike
The sound is like a euro bike with a sweet exhaust. These new Harley engines sound great to me! Even more fun when I’m passing other Harleys in my Pan America! This will save Harley at least for few more years.
Thought it looked like GA. I'm from Thomaston. Cool video. Hard to decide between this, the Rocket, or a Diavel for my next bike.
Just picked up mine, love it but they have some minor things to adjust to make it perfect.
They have changed the intake manifolds size and shape in addition to the cams and valves to bring the torque down into lower rpms!
Don’t you have the owners manual to check out some of those things like the charging port
With that much power, it looks like you would slide off the seat because your feet are out in front? 🤔
I wanted the bronx but my interest is picking up on this one.i would definitely go with mid controls and get rid of that big front tire.I think you did a good seat of the pants review
I would go for mids as well. I test rode this bike and the forwards felt all wrong for leveraging the bike. However I am still holding out to see if they bring back the Bronx
I thought the same until I got one last week.
The forward controls aren’t as forward as you would think. (Like other bikes). You have a radiator in front of them. So its kinda a not so forward, forward controls.
@@zimzim1642 I personally wasn’t digging it when I took one for a spin. I prefer sport bikes and sport nakeds. So I want something with more lean angle and more aggressive ergonomics. Still hoping for the Bronx someday
I think chase on two wheels or something went like 130mph on the Sportster show case
those Buell visionaries shining through. would have been nice to really hear the engine in the riding portion of the video better.
Sorry about that. I got some weird whistle noise from the wind hitting the GoPro. It's never happened before and I can't recreate the issue.
This bike is SICKENING! 🔥.
Say I bought this bike as my first bike and kept it in “rain mode” for a couple months? I’d be ok, right?
Awesome review btw!
I bought a Duke 390 for my first bike early February…6 months later I am now ready for this beast! Soo sexy
How much like the v-rod is it? I have none on my 09 ninja 650 and no problem.
I'm with you when it comes to innovation. While I don't care for the Sportster, I hope the innovation introduced on that bike makes its way to the touring frame.
Today, and that is the brutal reality, a Goldwing handles better than any comparable Touring Harley. Not sure why .. weight, innovative suspension, weight distribution, whatever but Harley is the 🦕. If they don't want to get extinct, they have to start innovating their flagship product! Just my .02$. Good video, thanks for sharing.
Thanks for the video. You didn't talk about the water cooled engine (or showed us) or other technological goodies, that sets this apart from most other HD's. You did say you were not going to talk too much about specifications, so I get why you didn't do a "deep dive." But honestly, water cooling is a BIG deal for HD. This is the first video I watched on this bike, but realize I have to look at others, as well, to get a more well rounded opinion. I agree, the rear license plate/light holder/bracket is kind of weird. I do see it potentially helping if a car bumps into you from behind in stop-and-go traffic. It would have been nice for you to let us hear the bike. I know it sounds like I'm kind of trashing your review, but that is not my intention... just giving you some feedback.
Honestly I skipped over a lot of detail because I didn't think people would really watch the video. I saw so many reviews of the bike months before I was able to do mine that I assumed it was old news to people. Now here we are 50k views later. lol
I ended up starting the bike in my last review where I compared this one to the Lowrider S. I didn't do that before because this bike makes no sound lol. Like a whisper almost hah.
I do appreciate the feedback and I appreciate you watching. Much love.
@@throttleblip9854 I totally understand, but there are some peeps like me that don't get to some posts until years after they have been posted, so don't worry 🤣👍
In European models there's a key locked gas cap. I love my sporty. 3 things I dislike:
1: Rear suspension- no travel
2: Foot control
3: tank size
+1: single disc front break
Can you even ride this bike if you’re over 5’5”?
I am 5'11 and it was pretty comfortable for me. It's forward controls and reach bars so it give you way more room than you'd think.
I was at a dealer this week when the first one arrived. I was there for 2 hours, and I watched as probably 20 guests walked up to it, wouldn’t get within 6 feet of it, with their hands in their pockets and stared at it like it was made out of some exotic quantum matter, and then turned around and went and sat on new road glides. I didn’t but I couldn’t test ride it. It feels like it weighs about as much as my old 10 speed bicycle compared to my flhtc, but I wanted to just put it on my credit card and go. My friends who work there rode it while I was there, and they got off and said, “it’s fast.” That’s all. It’s fast. It sounds killer, and I am buying it or the next one they get in hell or high water. If no one else wants to come near it in the meantime, that’s fine with me. It’s badass.
I thought you were going to open it up like they others haven't as you said???
Best thing about harley is the sound, the feel and you can make it look the way you like it.
I cam here backwards from the Low Rider S comparison. I am very intrigued with these. As I stated before, I rode the Pan America, but now am very curious about the power delivery you mentioned being lower and instant.
What would be the estimated 0-100 time of this? The Pan American does 0-100 km/h in 3.4 seconds
I walked a ZL1 Camaro from a stoplight to 60mph by about two cars. Considering those do 0-60 in 3.5 seconds I'd say it's probably running sub 3 second 0-60's with a good launch. I've only took it to 111 so far but it had a lot of gear and pull left in it.
I would swap the sides of the mirrors and make them kinda under bar mirrors.
I was thinking buying this but it will be my first bike so im bit un sure idk if i use it on wet mode till im confident would i be safe kind of ?
Just respect the bike. Like a car, the power is only there when you ask for it.
You know. I was dreading that 2" of rear travel when I bought my Sportster S. But I gotta say, once it's dialed in to your weight, it rides better than my Vulcan S with 3 ½" of travel
Wow so you’re coming from the Vulcan s…..is the Harley way better right off the bat?!
@@TheBigkal201
The ONLY thing the Vulcan had over the sportster was handling. The sportster takes a bit more effort to lean into a turn where the Vulcan was much more light in the front and seemed very agile without much effort. But every other category, (tech, brakes, suspension, power etc etc etc) the sportster is better
I also have a Vulcan S and am looking at the sportster S. How is the HD comfort wise compared to the Vulcan? I’m 6’2” and 235 lbs and find myself looking for something a bit bigger and more comfortable. I know that Harley makes much more comfortable bikes, but they’re also much more $$$. How does the sportster compare?
@@jolsen76
The Vulcan has a more upright seating position which was a more comfy imo. I quickly got used to leaning forward some though and don't consider it a deal breaker by any means.
@@bharsen thanks dude. So do you find that the sportster is equally comfortable now, or more? How about the mileage - better or worse?
It burn right leg like Pan America. Is it engineers mistake? or why HD did it? I bought Pan America and this thing number one disappointment for me.
With a performance orientated motorcycle like this, I wish Harley offered dual discs in the front.
I know I know.
The VRod doesn’t sound like a Harley either and it sounds great with an aftermarket exhaust
Yeah so far the PanAm exhausts that I've heard make it louder but I wouldn't describe it as a "good" sound. I do agree about the V-rod though. Very different engines however.
true more we review this bike, the more we like it.
I only got to do 10 miles but I look forward to taking it into some curves in the future and seeing what it can do.
My exhaust never got hot on my leg ,it was the top of the head burning my leg