The moment Harley made a real sportster | Editor’s Choice October 2026
As we head out to Spain to ride the new entry-level Harley-Davidson Sprint 440 we look back at a previous attempt to appeal to Euro tastes
Contributing editor Phil West writes:
"Think Harley-Davidson and you inevitably picture classic US V-twin cruisers like the Street Glide bagger or Fat Boy, the latter as much for its iconic appearance in Terminator 2 as anything. That identity has long been the historic American brand’s greatest strength – but it also, arguably, is its biggest weakness.
“With an aging customer profile, limited youth appeal and a reputation for producing old-fashioned bikes Harley in recent years has repeatedly attempted to break into different biking genres – so far with little success. Its revolutionary V-Rod, complete with Porsche-designed, liquid-cooled engine, was launched 2002 but never caught on as hoped and was quietly killed off in 2017. The Street 750 was a liquid-cooled, budget-priced, Indian-built V-twin launched in 2013 and intended to have ‘entry-level’ appeal, but it similarly didn’t succeed and was dropped in 2020.
“Most recently, Harley’s unashamedly modern, liquid-cooled Pan America 1250 was launched 2021 in an attempt to cash in on the craze for premium adventure bikes but, despite commendable dynamics and spec, has mostly failed to convince BMW GS buyers that a Harley could be their kind of bike.
“But one of these attempts, although unsuccessful at the time, deserves another look today – and also makes a great used buy. Launched in 2009 and a pet project of Harley Europe, the XR1200R would be a Sportster finally worthy of the name with its combination of sporty dynamics and heritage drawing on the brand’s XR750 flat trackers. Although the R’s pushrod V-twin was derived from that of the XL1200 Sportster, high compression pistons, new fuel-injection and a performance 2:1:2 exhaust resulted in a fruity 90 horsepower while a new chassis, inverted Showa forks, twin discs and sporty rubber meant it handled. In HD racing orange and black the XR1200R looked great, too.
“There was more. The global launch favoured Europe, taking place in Spain where Harley even wheeled out then AMA Flat Track champion Scott Parker to give the bike his blessing. The following ride through the mountain foothills near Valencia was a hoot, the XR proving to have just enough power and handling for high jinks (even if it was a little overweight and agricultural) plus character and attitude in spades. The £8,245 price was broadly in the ballpark with Monsters and their ilk, too.
“Sadly, it didn’t prove to be enough. As has repeatedly been proven to be the case, fans of rival bikes (in this case the Ducati) weren’t sufficiently tempted to ‘go Harley’, while traditional Harley fans didn’t want a sporty roadster. The XR’s small 13.1 litre tank and token pillion seat made it impractical, its ride and ground clearance were a little limited, too. Its styling and big 19-inch front wheel didn’t quite convince, either.
“Harley improved things with the updated XR1200X a year later with fully-adjustable suspension and a menacing black livery, but it wasn’t enough. As a consequence, both were dropped after barely three years on sale. Which is a shame as with a little less weight, a bigger tank, a more refined chassis and slightly better styling, the XR, in both forms, could have been brilliant.
“That failure does, however, now render the XR1200 a tempting used buy. Its limited awareness and niche appeal means good used examples can be found for as little as four grand. Its style and abilities haven’t aged and, as Indian’s more recent failure with its similarly flat track inspired (yet brilliant) FTR1200 has again proved, Europe clearly still doesn’t quite get US-style flat trackers. But if you want a fun, characterful, different roadster with a great image and at a tempting price, maybe, finally, you will. After all, who doesn’t want to be seen on a real Harley?”
