Guest Review: 1995 Harley Sportster 1200

All readers welcome

(This comes to us from ‘gt’, one of our favorite commenters and motorcycle-sufferer — jb)

My first taste of “The Motor Company” was in the form of short-lived ownership of a 1980 Shovelhead Low Rider FXS back in 2023. I’d only owned cheap Japanese bikes until that point but had always wanted to see what all the fuss was about. And a real-deal shovelhead with a kick starter was what I decided was needed to really experience a Harley. As a total vintage Harley novice I was quite frankly spooked to ride it any further than short trips near my house for fear of some expensive thing blowing up. I sold it (broke even) before the thing had a chance to burn me, but the “potato-potato” sound and feel of those fork-and-blade 45 degree v-twins etched itself in my brain and I knew I would own another HD.

Two years later, I’m back in the Harley fold. Bought off-season, I scored a clean, stock 11k mile 1995 Sportster 1200 (XLH1200) for $2000. With it came a receipt from the local HD dealer for $1500 worth of recent tune up, fresh made-in-USA Dunlop Harley spec tires (relabeled and massively upcharged D404s), and a set of TC Bros forward controls that I promptly swapped for OE “mid” foot controls.

It's been a perfect replacement for the departed Shovelhead. The proper laid back “potato-potato” soundtrack and heartbeat of the air cooled 45 degree OHV V-twin, fueled through a split manifold by a single carburetor, bolted solidly to the frame. Without the hassle and expense of owning an AMF-era Harley.

I just got back from a weekend getaway in the Hocking Hills in Ohio where I had trailered the Sportster down with my trusty minivan to do some local riding, and it was nothing short of magical. The twisty roads through misty Appalachian hollers are a sport-bike rider's dream. But these days, as a guy with a young family, I find that I have a different tolerance for riding beyond the limits of my visibility and prefer a mellower (but still "sporting" pace). The aptly named "Sportster" delivered in spades. It's such a satisfying bike to hustle through some corners on a back road: tons of usable torque down low, you’ve got all that character from the engine, enough ground clearance, and it's nice and light and easy to throw around without much conscious cornering technique.

The engine is tractable but not in the way a big bore inline 4 is: you have to be careful not to lug the motor below 2000rpm, so some downshifting is required. But that’s just part of the fun: manipulating the very deliberate, mechanical shifter and operating the manly clutch lever. 2400rpm on up though you’ve got this smooth strong pull, up to however high your threshold for vibration is. Practically speaking, I almost always short shift and don’t take it much if any over 3500-4000rpm to maintain my back road pace. The spec sheet says 71ft lbs at 3000 rpm, for reference, that’s stronger than my Bandit 1200 (67ft lbs @6000rpm) that weighs about the same.

.The Harley feels very narrow between the legs with a low center of gravity — thanks to that small 3 gallon gas tank. As mentioned, I don’t really have to think about counter steering or anything else that normally enters my mind when riding sportier bikes, it’s completely easy and unintimidating. Speaking of that small tank, I’ve not really found the short range to be an impediment. The bike returns around 45ish mpg (mine is jetted fatter with a factory performance jet kit), practically speaking you start looking for a gas station at 100 mile intervals. For a laid back day-riding bike like this, this isn’t a problem, out in the Eastern US anyways.

Shortcomings? At one point that weekend, my route took me out onto a 70mph highway for one exit. It was a windy day, and here is where the Sportster felt out of sorts: sitting bolt upright hanging onto the buckhorn bars, blasted by wind, the vibing engine’s previously seemingly endless well of torque feeling merely adequate. It was a relief to get back to the 55mph back roads. Highway cruising ability aside, the biggest demerit of the bike is the stock suspension. It just doesn't handle bumps very well, doubly so when said bump is mid-corner. I suspect it comes down to a lack of suspension travel. But there is some aftermarket support there in the form of cartridge emulators and taller rear shocks. It’s a physically compact bike, and with a 32” inseam I've "solved" the notoriously tight seating position with a combination of an air cushion pad and then a fake sheepskin layered on top of that to gain a few inches in height and to sit a bit farther back from the foot controls. I simply can’t tolerate the lack of control of forward foot control setups. My opinion on the buckhorn bars went from “I can’t wait to replace these” to "what exactly did I think was the problem with these?"

Overall, the Sportster is motorcycling fun distilled. Big bore roll on torque from a soulful engine in a 500lb bike that’s fairly low to the ground and totally unintimidating. Unlike my sportier machines, I don’t feel compelled to ride fast just because the higher performance envelope almost demands it. There’s none of the “gravity” of “serious riding.” The Sportster’s performance envelope feels perfectly tailored to “sane” riding on the street. The Harley is not a first choice for serious highway mile burning or a bike to try to keep up with your fast buddies on modern bikes. Another Sportster owner over on a motorcycle forum I frequent put it perfectly: “It couldn’t be an only bike, but it’s my favorite bike.”