Testing the Harley XL883R Kneivel replica

By Jon Urry

One of my lasting childhood memories is my Evel Knievel toy.You know the one I mean – the little white figure on his Harley which you wound up and let fly across the room as it performed some unbelievable trick? Or that’s what the packaging led you to believe, anyway.

Sadly, the toy, in many ways like the great daredevil himself, failed to perform exactly as you expected. Invariably, instead of a living room-long wheelie, the little bike would veer violently off to one side and collide with a chair leg or smash into a wall. Again, not unlike Evel himself.

The Harley XL883R flat-track replica reminds of me of that long-lost plaything. Not just because it shares a resemblance to the XR750 Evel used to ride, but the way it promises so much, but in the end is a bit of a letdown.

It’s fantastic to look at, with its high bars, fastback-styled seat, matt black engine – only the cylinder heads are chromed – and swooping exhausts. The whole thing is set off perfectly by the Harley racing orange paintwork. Why don’t more manufacturers use dark orange? It looks cool, it looks aggressive and it looks like it means business. And that’s confirmed when you start it up.

The flat-track-styled pipes are a bit naughtier than the standard exhausts on a Harley XL883, which is no bad thing. Blip the throttle and the distinctive Harley thud-thud makes everyone around turn and stare. It’s one of those bikes you can’t just start and pull away on – something compels you to rev it a few times so anyone within earshot can appreciate the sound.

The clutch is fairly light, but the biting point is typical V-twin. Where on an in-line four you can easily slip the clutch or let the bike pull at low revs, the Harley just wants to take off. Buells are the same. It’s just a characteristic of the engine, but it takes some getting used to.

Once you’re on your way the motor is punchy and accelerates well. However, as there’s no rev counter, just a big speedo slap bang in the middle of the bars, hitting the rev limiter is all too easy. When this happens, the engine braking on the big V-twin makes you lurch forward as the bike slows down and you carry on, before you shift up another gear and start the whole process again. The first time it catches you out and is a bit disconcerting, but after a while it adds to the fun.

And riding the XL883R is fun – it’s just a different type of amusement to other bikes. The trick is to take it easy. When you get above 70mph the lack of any type of wind protection means you have to hang on tight to the bars. This, combined with the low pegs, can put a strain on your lower back and pummel you around to the extent that you feel you’ve just undergone a heavy session in the gym.

But top speed isn’t what Harleys are about. The XL883R isn’t as laid-back as a conventional cruiser, but it performs best at moderate mph. Its advantage is that whereas its big brothers like the XL1200 Sportster and FXDX are heavy and a bit wobbly, the XL883R is relatively light and nimble. That doesn’t mean you’ll be able to keep up with sports bikes, but it’s actually pretty good to throw around.

The brakes won’t embarrass you, either. The twin front discs that distinguish it from standard 883s easily outsmart the grip of the front tyre.

Still, for a bike modelled on one from a sport as mad as American flat-track racing, you always expect a bit more. It may share the XR750’s looks, but that’s the only similarity. Really, the bike is just a XLH883 Sportster with a few cosmetic add-ons and a new paintjob. Even boosting its performance would have been a step in the right direction, but power is the same as on the standard XL883.

However, like Evel and my little plastic toy, the baby Harley remains cool. They all have that little spark of magic that takes them from being just another bike, just another stuntman or just another plastic model to something more memorable.

Only 200 examples will make it to the UK, so the XL883R also has plenty of exclusivity. It will certainly stand out at any meet. Just don’t try taking it on to a dirt oval – and certainly don’t attempt to jump any buses!