Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

~ PREVIEW 1991 Harley-Davidson! eNew Sturgis, refined Sportsters lead Milwaukee lineup o 0") . 0") tinue its limited edition status as only 1500 will be bui lt, each to be numbered as part of the series. Anyone who has ever ridden a Sportster on the freeway agrees the bike needs a fifth gear, and Harley has fina lly seen fit to give its smallest-disp lacement motorcycle an extra cog. The four model Sportster lin eu p starts with Harley's lowest-priced moto rcycle, the single-seat 883, then climbs past the low-saddled Hu gger and du al-sadd led 883 Delu xe to th e top -of -the-li n e Sportster 1200, complete with two-tone paint scheme. All four feature the new five-speed transmission , Wi th fifth gear acting as an overdrive. The new gearbo x features a new shifter mechan ism and clutch similar to those employed on the Big Twins. The 1200, incidentall y, features different gear rat ios than its smaller sib ling. ......... (Left) The new-from-the-ground-up Sturgis was the star of the HarleyDavidson press introduction, and is the first model to feature Harley's new Dyna-Glide chassis, (Below) All four Sportster models now feature five-speed transmissions, while the 883 Deluxe and 1200 (shown) also feature belt drive. new version of the Sturgis and a five-speed gearbox for Sportster models are the high lights of Harley-Davidson 's 1991 model lineup. The Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based manufacturer introduced its '91 line up to the press in Pomona, California, on Jul y ,10. And while most of the journalists in attendance were expecting the announcement of a five-speedSportster, the new Sturgis was a real surprise. Styled like the origina l black-onblack with orange highlights limited edition Sturgis Low Rider introduced in 1981 , the '91 Stu rgis is virtually allnew, and is said to be the first HarleyDavidson model to be designed from the ground up using CAD (computeraided design ). The '91Sturgis features what HarleyDavidson has labeled the Dyna Glide chassis, a so-called " intern al" mild steel frame with a sing le box-section backbone, twin down tubes, and a two-point engine isolation system. Major junctions on the Dyna Glide frame uti lize forgings instead of the starnpings used on prior models, which is said to resul t in more consistent quality. The internal frame design exposes the battery and simu lated oil tank, which hides the electrical components. The real oil tank for the no n-unit constuction, dry-sump Evolution motor has been shifted to a location underneath the transmission, and features shorter, tucked-in external lines and a filler cap with a built-in dipstick located atop the tranny. A new, more-accessible, highercapacity oil filter permits simpler oil filter changes. The int ernal frame also posi tions the bike's belt final drive outboard, which means the belt can be changed without removing the swingarm. Belt drives are . known for their durability and ease of maintena nce, and the fact that th e infrequent task of rep lacin g the belt has been made easier is a real boo n. However, unlike the origi nal Sturgis, the new machine does not feature belt primary drive. Instead, it uses a doublerow chain in an oil bath. . A 26 Ano ther innovation on the Sturgis is its chro me stagge re d shorty d ua l exha ust system, which uses a hidden crossover system (as Harley stresses thro ug hout its sales literature) "for a cleaner look." After years of uti lizing a primitive pad lock system, Harley has now seen fit to equip the Sturgis with a rou nd , barrel-type fork lock built into the steering head. The ignition lock, whic h convenientl y uti lizes the same key as the fork lock, has been repositi on ed on the righ t side of the bike so that it's a straight drop from the rider's right sho ulder. A furth er theft deterrent is the new serial num ber pad on the frame which . is said to make alt ering the number virtually im possible. The design was developed with the help of the Wiscon sin State Crim e Labo ratory. Development of the Sturgis was said to have ta ken five years, a nd the in troduction is especially timely since this year marks the 50th anniversary of the bike's namesake, the famed Sturgis Rall y held in the Black Hills Country of South Dakota. The bike will con- (Below) Last year's sensation was the popular Fat Boy, which returns for 1991 in five different paint schemes. i A host of other changes to the unitcons tr uc tio n Sp ort ster pow erpla nt accompany the new gearbo x: Automotive-style valve lifters now drop in from the top and are pinned to resist rota tion; the engi ne breather system has been changed to vent throu gh new umbrella valves in the rocker boxes and through m od ifi ed cylin der h eads directly into the air cleaner, eliminating the vent house off the gear cover; the alternator has been relocated to the cra nkshaf t, offering improved ou tput at low rpm; and a simplified pump now circu lates oil thro ug h internally cast feedlin es in the crankcase. The sum total of these changes has produced an engine that has only increased a half-inch in width. In addi tio n, the 883 Del uxe an d Sportster 1200 will be belt-driven in '91. The new belt drive system uses a 1.125inch wide belt with correspo nding front and rear sprockets. In order to add the belt drive, the fram e, swingarm, rear shocks and sprocket cover all had to be modified. Harley claims the new system puts

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