No sooner had Harley announced they were bringing the XR1200 stateside than I received an invite to ride an undisclosed H-D through the hills of north San Diego County. Could it be the flat-track inspired XR1200 I'd be sampling across the twisty roads connecting Julian and Mount Palomar? Sure enough, I just got back from a full day of riding the newest member of the Harley-Davidson family, and encapsulated my thoughts in a review.
Is the XR1200 sporty? Staid? Stellar? To find out what I thought of Harley's latest variation on a Sportster theme, check out my 2009 Harley-Davidson XR1200 Review.
Related:
- 2009 Harley-Davidson XR1200 Photo Gallery
- Harley-Davidson XR 1200 to Hit Europe, U.S. Market Left Empty-Handed
- C'mon, Harley... Give Us Some XR 1200 Lovin'!
- Harley Sparks Rumors by Purchasing U.S. Trademark for XR 1200
- 2009 Harley-Davidson Buyer's Guide
- 2009 Harley-Davidson CVO Buyer's Guide
Click for Harley XR1200 Review
Had a look at it at the Toronto MC Show last night. Disappointing. Pretty cobby…..and very ‘tank’ like.
The XR750 is such a very cool bike, I thought they could have done a much better job than just an exhaust system the sort of resembles the race bike.
Oh well….no surprise.
Why would Harley Davidson design a heavy, large, underpowered bike??
Chris,
Nothing unusual about that…that’s describes every bike they’ve ever built.
I’ve been riding dirt and street bike over 30 years. I spent this past year on a Harley XR1200 this is what I like about it:
It’s not a wind sail like lightweight race bikes, the weight sticks it to the highway when the semi’s blast your side with a wall of air. The low end tractor like power is where it’s needed. Face it in the real world the highway is not a race track. Common sense tells you we don’t need to go much over 100 mph the low revving good mileage bikes are what’s needed.
The 1200 is like the old aircraft engine design simple and dependable. The fuel injection keeps it running and starting smoothly. Low maintenance with no coolant to change or worry about. No constant shimming of dual overhead cams. A plastic tank that never causes rust problems or seats during winter storage. The belt drive is an efficient power transfer compared to shaft drives and smoother than chain drives with easier maintenance. Just change the oil when needed and most normal riders will never have any problems in their lifetime.
Finally I love the Harley sound it doesn’t whine like the jap bikes. It sounds tough like an AK 47 or a jack hammer.
Jack, i couldnt agree more with your description. I bought an 09 XR1200 when i got back from Afghanistan. Ive had a Bonny, V-max, and a Roadster, over the years. By far this is the easiest bike to maintain and ride, by far. The only complaint i have is the hard ass seat. HA
I got a ‘09 XR 1200 back in the mid 2010, it’s brand new.
I rode a couple of hundred miles, the mid section on one of the exhaust was leaking, they fixed it with a metal casket.
After the three thousand miles oil change, I rode for about
800 hundred miles, and I check the oil, to my surprise, I have to top up 1 quart. This time they change something on the engine.
After 600 miles, I get the oil change for running in on the engine. And after a few thousand miles, I check the oil again, and top up 1 quart. I let them know about the problem.
This time they sealed the oil cap, and ask me to go for another 500 miles, and ask me not to exceed 70 mph.
Exceeding to a higher speed on a certain of miles will eventually dry up the oil.
I rode motorcycle for almost 40 years, I never have any problem like this and this is my first Harley Davidson.
Do I have to follow the outlined procedures from Harley or
ride freely , I really lost confident on Harley, if there is a
manufacturing problem fixed it, before putting the model
on the market, and don’t outlined the rider how to ride.
Hi, rider out there, please give me some comment and advice.