Harley-Davidson rip it up and start again with all new Sportster S for 2021 | review

The 2021 Harley-Davidson Sportster S cruiser motorcycle represents a seismic overhaul of a long-lived family of bikes reaching all the way back to the ‘50s.

The previous bike - the Sportster 1200 - could trace its heritage all the way back to the Model K, with the most recent version having received a steady stream of updates since the introduction of the Evolution engine in 1986. But who cares? That’s ancient history now.

What Harley-Davidson have presented us with now is a brand new bike, nay a brand new concept, that chucks all but the Harley Sportster name in the bin. Following on from the Harley-Davidson Pan America, the Sportster S eschews air-cooling, non-existent electronics and 'feel over performance' in favour of modern engineering, less show and more go.

If this was a competitor product, like a Honda Rebel 1100, I’d be heaping praise on how it rides while whinging about how it doesn’t quite have the Harley-Davidson je ne sais quoi­ but the Sportster S doesn’t have it either.

We’re out riding the new @Harley_UKI Sportster S today at its UK launch. Powered by a 1252cc V-twin, expect a claimed power of around 120bhp. Prices start at £13,995 and you can find more details here: https://t.co/e01c8NogvX pic.twitter.com/v9pXc3AglW

— Motor Cycle News (@MCNnews) August 9, 2021

There’s no doubting that the new bike is leaps and bounds ahead of the old Harley Sportster in every area that can be measured and would be more than capable of keeping up with the current crop of naked retros.

But in engineering such a solid bike, Harley have engineered out some of what, to me at least, makes Harleys great.

Watch: Harley-Davidson Sportster S video review

Like the Pan America, the Harley Sportster's Revolution motor is a stressed member in the chassis, helping to reduce weight considerably, which is felt on the road.

The Sportster S changes direction much better than the old machine but the bulbous front tyre puts up a bit of a fight. The first 20 or so degrees of lean are fine but after that you have to really give the bars a good push to get it to go further.

Mid corner changes, especially if things tighten up, can be equally challenging. The Fat Bob has the same issue, so all fingers are pointing at that giant front tyre. Ground clearance too is much improved with the old skrrrrtt on every roundabout long forgotten.

Elsewhere in the chassis is new suspension that, unlike the old stuff, is fully adjustable, while Brembo now provide the brakes.

Both work reasonably well considering they’re hamstrung from the outset. The suspension for instance is just 92mm at the front and a paltry 37mm at the rear – the ride is good, considering how little Showa had to work with, but you can’t help but feel another inch at either end would work wonders. There's also a remote preload adjuster, with a whopping 40 clicks to muck about with, which is tucked under the left hand side of the seat.

The same goes for the brakes – the four pot Brembo up front does an ample job of stopping 228kg of metal plus another god knows what of rider but another disc/caliper wouldn’t hurt.

The Harley-Davidson Sportster S is powered by a 1252cc V-twin engine dubbed the Revolution Max 1250T. Just like the Revolution Max fitted to the Pan America 1250, the engine is a water-cooled 60-degree V-twin with DOHC and a VVT system but it’s got a few changes.

Overall displacement, including the bore and stroke are the same, but there’s a new top end with smaller valves, different velocity stacks and altered cam profiles.

The result is less peak power and torque (120bhp claimed rather than the 150bhp of the Pan and 92lb.ft instead of 95lb.ft) but an increase in torque elsewhere in the rev range with 10% more torque from 3000 to 6000rpm. The results on the road are delightful.

The Harley Sportster's motor pulls right from the bottom without shuddering or chugging, just delivering spades of usable torque. Unlike the old bike, which just shook like crazy from the midrange onwards, the Sportster S pulls cleanly all the way to the redline, rewarding riders with a decent kick of power right at the top.

It’s geared well too with second gear dispatching most town duties and third comfortably stretching right from low-30s right through to ‘how are you doing officer?’.

The only complaint about the engine is that it just doesn’t have that drama you expect from a Harley – the bike doesn’t shudder waiting at the lights, it doesn’t roar with induction noise. It's also desperately in need of a louder pipe but this isn't Harley's fault - it's a product of Euro5 regulations that everyone has to meet.

Sure, there’s a bit of popping on the overrun but it doesn’t feel like 1200cc of rip-snorting American muscle. On the Pan America, where refinement is the name of the game, you don’t notice it but on a cruiser, where you want a sense of occasion, it leaves you feeling a little flat.

The Sportster S may come from a long line of Harley Sportster models but this version is a complete departure from previous generations. The 1250T engine has only just been released and it's too soon to draw any conclusions about long-term reliability - particularly because we don't have any owners' reviews at this point. Standard warranty is two years but it can be extended by a further three.

Fit and finish of the parts is generally good but we did spy a few empty threads on the frame that had gone rusty.

Our Harley Sportster owners' reviews show nothing concerning at this point. It's early days, though, and the Pan America doesn't appear to be faring particularly well in this respect.

Harley launched the Sportster S is the ‘pinnacle’ of the model line, with cheaper options to come. It was joined in 2022 by the Harley-Davidson Nightster, which replaced the old entry-level Sportster 883.

But sticking with the flagship 1250, its position at the top of the range (and its price) mean it competes with with everything from Indian’s Scout Bobber to the muscular Italian Ducati Diavel V4 and everything else in between.

As a replacement for a Harley Sportster it’s so different it’s almost incomparable. Rather than attracting previous Sportster model owners, it's more likely to tempt BMW R nine T riders to the brand.

It would also be worth considering a Sportster S if you're in the market for an Indian FTR although the Harley might struggle to live with the road handling of the sportier 17"-wheeled FTRs in the range.

As with the rest of the bike, the Harley Sportster's electronics too have had a huge uplift compared to the old model with three riding modes (Road, Sport and Rain) plus two custom modes as well as cornering ABS and lean-sensitive traction control, which this tester found worked remarkably well on one particularly slippery corner.

All of this is controlled through the 4" round TFT screen, which also houses other functions from the Harley-Davidson app such as navigation.

Along with the new dash are heaps of other new features including LED lighting, cruise control, new multifunction switchgear plus the obligatory restyle complete with high-level flat track inspired exhaust.

Like every Harley there are loads of options including mid-mounted footpegs in case you find the forwards a bit of a stretch. We gave them a try and found them a little cramped and they also made the sidestand trickier to deploy. Unless you really hate the look of the forwards, at over £600 a set (plus fitting) we'd give them a miss.

It's also possible to fit a pillion seat, pegs and backrest, which comes with a rear mudguard extender to protect your passengers backside.