RIDE REVIEW I 2021 HARLEY-DAVIDSON SPORTSTER S
P96
Forward feet
controls are nice
but Rennie preferred
the mid-mounts
like a traditional
naked bike.
ess. The best bike I can compare
it to is the XL 1200X Forty-Eight, a
machine the new Sportster S takes
plenty of design cues from includ-
ing the feet-forward ride position
and overall dimensions. But the
Sportster is a far more modern
design with fully adjustable suspen-
sion, 43mm Showa inverted forks,
a single linkage shock and chunky
tubular steel swingarm that looks
nothing like Harleys of the past.
Cornering ABS and traction
control systems work well, although
ABS kicks in too early for my liking
even on the least intrusive setting.
The single disc front brake is fine for
around town cruising but lacks over-
all power and feel at the lever. I get
that Harley's design team wanted a
single disc front-end, but I don't feel
a twin-disc setup would have been a
disadvantage in terms of looks while
still giving a higher level of perfor-
mance.
You might think it's all roses and
cream at this point, but, like any bike
review, there's got to be a few points
of contention. For me, that comes
down to the comfort, of lack thereof,
regarding the rear suspension.
You're sitting 29.6 inches off the
ground on the new Sportster S, and
you only have a claimed two inches
of suspension travel to stop your
spine from going through your ass
over sharp bumps. In short, it's far
from comfortable over crappy road
surfaces. You will feel every one of
the road corrugations, with sharp
compressions from the high-speed
circuit of particular discomfort.
Not helping matters here is the
forward mounted controls, as
they're a bit harder for the rider to
lift your ass off the seat when the
incoming pothole is spotted. Cue
wincing.
You get an extra 1.6 inches
of travel from the front suspen-
