The Forty-Eight is a solid all-road package in Harley-Davidson's 2011 Sportster line-up.

Harley-Davidson doesn’t make a bad bike these days, however finding the good one that’s suits your needs, style and pocket is a totally different dilemma.

Fortunately Harley-Davidson kept it simple and presented two new Sportster models for Australia at the Sydney Press Launch and geed us up with some background into changes for all 2011 models.

Apart from some good spin, great food and a well-planned test loop, the most impressive elements to the day was the senior project engineer in Vehicle Dynamics, James Sedauckas – who gave a small presentation in his area of expertise – and also the heartwarming crew from Harley-Davidson Australia whose average age would be mid-thirties.

Times have changed and you can tell the Milwaukee factory are talking to and working with a new and younger generation of riders, highlighted by involvement with stunt star Matt Mingay, as well as various Crusty Demons appearances.

The Sportster SuperLow 883cc and the Forty-Eight 1200cc have their sights set on young and old, male or female, and given the pricing of these latest H-Ds, for the rich and for the ‘poor’. Let’s take them for a blast and see what they’re like on the road.

A 1200cc engine and phenomenal handling highlight the Forty-Eight on the road.

FORTY-EIGHT
I once swore that I would never use the word awesome and Harley-Davidson in the same sentence after a stint on a race-prepared 883 Sportster. 10 years later and I’ll eat my words…

Harley-Davidson has done an awesome job in styling and producing the 1200cc Forty-Eight! Riding and looking at it give two totally conflicting opinions.

In a pack of 10 other riders the Fort-Eight is a stand out, out there, looker. Pictures won’t mean everything until you sit beside or follow another rider on the fastest selling Harley-Davidson Stateside.

It’s a minimalist package, retro with aggressive pretensions. Yes, it works, but I’ll get to that in a minute. There were so many styling cues I didn’t know where to start. The fat front wheel? The underslung mirrors? The low, small seat? The lack of a rear brake stop light? The stop light and indicators are actually combined.

It did my head in.

Ride it and clear all those thoughts. What a bloody hoot! It feels low and lean with only the sense of a big donk between your legs. Leanness and the 1200cc do encourage twisting the throttle a bit harder, or you can just cruise and enjoy the view.

The Forty-Eight is as easy to ride as the SuperLow except for the flatter handlebars and the sense that with a little too much throttle you are going to exit stage rear because of the small, firm seat.

Brakes and gear shifting suit the style. Grunt is supplied in a smooth and muscular manner, with the same reduced rider input as the 883. What gives?

In talking to James over morning tea, he revealed why: a Ph D in Motorcycle Dynamics and the ability (with his team members) to apply real physics into the black art of motorcycle handling.

The project team wanted the look of a larger than normal (and convention) front wheel to marry up to the rest of the Forty-Eight. I listened and learned. James is a great communicator when it can to explaining how his team achieved the result. Space prevents full details of that conversation, however results speak for themselves.

It’s magic that there is no bump steer and so little effort to maintain any given line in a corner.

Look at the Forty-Eight and you’d think it is the simplest of all bikes on the road. It is only a motor, wheels and a peanut tank (the Forty-Eight name relates to the 1948 model with featured this styled tank first) after all.

Millions of dollars and of lot of thought no doubt have been spent on making it just right. Trouble is, I honestly can’t pigeonhole the potential buyer of this wonderful bike. It is a very individual look and ride, but it is a Harley-Davidson and that’s the starting point.

The brand justifiably drags in people to their showrooms and given the success Stateside, we will see lot of Forty-Eights around our cities shortly for just $14,995.

The SuperLow is an incredibly easy bike to ride, with solid handling joining the smooth 883cc powerplant.

SUPERLOW 883XL
What a great looking and riding bit of kit the 883cc-powered SuperLow is.

The name suggests a low seat height and it’s true. Maybe it was the torrential rain on the day, but I felt I was riding a shrunken Wide Glide. The little cruiser had all the show and shine of its bigger brethren with almost no challenge to ride it, and this is a good thing given the target customer.

It may be a cinch to ride, however there is enough power throbbing out of the V-twin’s smaller capacity to put a decent grin on your face. To be successful in upgrading the 883 Sportsters, the factory had to make it the easiest to ride, handle and generally appeal to rider’s looking for their next new bike, and that’s what they’ve achieved.

It’s got great fueling from the fuel injection, tons of low-down grunt rated at 55ft-lbs of peak torque at 3500rpm, sweet clutch action, smooth drive and a first gear that’s a wee too tall in the city.

Fifth is a true overdrive while all the gears shift well and match any situation.

If Harley power is a ‘given’, the real achievement is the natural handling of the SuperLow.

A humongous amount of detailed work went into find a natural balanced equation for this type of cruiser. Attention to lighter wheels, specific Scorcher 11 radial tyres by Michelin, the perfectly matched handlebars and mid-mounted footrests gel really well.

It really takes almost zero effort to ride and enjoy. Soak up the scenery at a legal and leisurely pace as the beat at 110km/h is as natural as being on line through every damp corner in the Royal National Park.

It’s easy for me to say and know that young or old will enjoy the SuperLow. It’s a fun thing without the sting. If the main objective was for Harley-Davidson to introduce a better ideal cruiser as an entry level temptation then 2010 and 2011 is looking super positive at just $11,495.

At under $12,000, the SuperLow just made riding a H-D more affordable than ever before!

CONCLUSION
Finish, pricing, and great resale are the hallmark of the Harley-Davidson brand. Tattoo parlors around the world will attest to this fact.

Like tattoos, H-D bikes tend to be a lifelong passion once you throw a leg over your own one. The brand is one I would consider as package of style, quality and pride. Respect dudes.

These two latest additions to the Sportster range may just be exactly what the younger generation of riders have been looking for.

Click here for detailed specifications

Images: Lou Martin.