| Author | Message | ||
     Glitch |
We have just attended the first press conference at the 2006 Intermot in Cologne. Harley-Davidson showed a new XR 1200 based on the air-cooled Sportster 1200 engine. New is down draft fuel injection, chassis, sporty pipes and loads of ground clearance. performance are between 85-90bhp and around 75ftlb according to Harley-Davidson. The bike also gets an electronically controlled active air intake system. All in ode to the XR 750 flat tracker. | ||
| Buelluk |
I like it, I thought the previously announced models were a bit of a disappointment for the 50th anniversary, I wonder if I could get it in Hi-fi Purple to go with my XLCH. Might be time to say bye-bye to the Uly....or maybe wait until 2008 for the second-gen XLCR | ||
| Diablobrian |
Wow, it looks to have a terrible passenger seat. It does have genuine rearsets and XB style injection. I wonder how much gas it holds with the airbox underneath it, or did they swap the oil and fuel locations? I like the "sportster" cast into the engine case. it's a neat detail. overall very reminiscent of the old XR dirt trackers without the carbs sticking out the side. | ||
| Hattori_hanzo |
Passenger seat? We don't need no stinkin' passenger seat!  I'd love that seat for my XB9S. I love it. I like the air intakes under the tank, the swept up exhaust, and the color combo with the black wheels. The rear tire looks meaty, wonder if it's sporting a 180/55? I'd imagine the price point will be around $10k mark which looks real attractive compared to a Storz and Lawill custom. Hope the Harley guys "get it", I certainly do. | ||
| José_quiñones |
Not watercooled, cool as heck anyways. The guy that emailed motorcyclist about this bike had that wrong but everything else was spot on. For those wanting a street tracker, here it is! For those wanting a new M2, this might be close enough. For those wanting a successor to the XR750, this might be it...... (Message edited by josé_quiñones on October 09, 2006) | ||
| Kenb |
man i was thinking i would never get rid of the S1 but this could be my next bike, very cool indeed | ||
| José_quiñones |
from motorcyclenews.com
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| Glitch |
Looks like it has one of Trojan's right side air scoops.  | ||
| Jackbequick |
That's a pretty righteous looking Sportster. I have mixed emotions about the angled up/hanging on the end mufflers though. Those speak a little too much of "rice rocket" to me. I think it would look better (and more like a Sportster) if they were lower and shorter and maybe even staggered a little. I wonder if the length is dictated by a "happy horsepower harmonic". Jack | ||
| Thespive |
Check out my profile....that bike is everything I wanted my Sporty to be! Oh well H-D, you are too late, I am a Bueller now. --Sean | ||
| Crusty |
Jackbequick; have no fear. Some aftermarket company will come up with an exhaust that decreases corning clearance, robs horsepower and is obnoxiously loud; but it will look "good". Most (but not all) Harley buyers don't want performance; they want looks and sound. | ||
| José_quiñones |
More info/photos HERE, in French | ||
| Glitch |
Babble Fish acts for the moment of a proto... which is extremely likely to become reality during 2007. Because it will be difficult not to crack for this Harley XR 1200, its look of queen of dirt track, her V twin of 90 CH. and its behavior finicked by the French pilot Adrien Morillas in person! Perhaps remember the XR 1000, Sportster Harley-Davidson very special manufactured in series limited in the Eighties and which already took again at the time the philisophie motor bikes of dirt track, this typical competition of the USA consisting in running on a ground ring, slips about it and handle into the corner... Approved after a fashion by some rare lucky, one thus saw very little of it in France, since they were not imported officially. Since, the policy of the American mark evolved/moved much, at the point to regard Europe as priority from now on in its commercial objectives! For this reason one saw arriving these last years of of course Harley mixing the caractérisque style of the mark, V twin and chromiums, with a more effective behavior in turn and with the daily newspaper, like the series of famous V-Rod and Street-Rod. On their side, Sportster, traditional entries of US range, them also much progressed, as well in approval in price, downwards drew. In parallel, the sporting roadsters and motor bikes with strong personality allure on our premises a large audience. One did not have any more to convince the Americans studied a model likely to interest the European motorcyclists in the search of an attaching, different and powerful machine. Like the XR 1000 at its time thus, this XR 1200 exploits the heritage of the XR750 of race. But this time, it does not act more than one confidential production but indeed of a prototype promised with a production in "great" series according to the reactions of the public. Most European of American Taking into account its schedule of conditions turned towards export, Prototype XR 1200 was developed jointly by Harley-Davidson staff of Milwaukee (the USA) and "Product Planning Europe equips it" (P.P.E.). One already could measure the results of this collaboration at the time of the recent test of the incredible VRSCDX Night Rod Special MOD. 2007 on motor bike-station. And there is extremely to bet that the XR 1200 shows a nature at least also soaked, and this time adapted better to a really sporting use. Since it is neither more nor less than Adrien Morillas, our multiple national champion speed, which took part in the tests and the development of the machine at the side of staff house. Thus, on a Sportster basis, the XR1200 promises a behavior, an agility and performances sharpened... With this intention, it uses a V Twin 1200 Cm3 which takes again technologies of the engines Buell (a mark of sporting motor bikes belonging to Harley-Davidson) promising between 85 and 90 CH. Its esthetics is very neat, amongst other things on the level of the side lids. As on Buell, the agreement admission/échappement was the work object large. One notices his air box of large volume (with valve with electronic order) discreetly coupled with the tank of gasoline, and his two silencers positioned high to optimize the ground clearance in turn. Moreover, the XR 1200 rests on adjustable Showa suspensions, a solid reversed fork and quite as promising arm oscillating out of aluminum. It in addition presents equipment and an ergonomics completely re-examined compared to what one knows of current Sportster. In particular, its footrests control are deferred to the level of the axis of arm oscillating and either on both sides of the engine, still to gain there in slope in turn. It is you who decide In short, one sees it through these first infos, this XR1200 has all the air of a preproduction more than of a proto. Its development seems indeed already very advanced and promises a capable character to allure a fringe of motorcyclists sensitive to the charms of V twin and wearied by the untameable powers. Harley-Davidson has the wind in poop in France and should still progress thanks to a very ambitious range 2007, while Buell marks points thanks to motor bikes more led... and with the very recent victory of its XB12SS to the hands of Denis Bouan in Dark Dog Moto Tower 2006. In short, little by little, the image of the American motor bikes changes, and it holds only with us that it approaches still more our "European" aspirations. By presenting this prototype of XR1200 to us, it is also the message which wants to make us become the manufacturer: Harley-Davidson is interested more in us, the occasion is too beautiful of him to say what one awaits from him. Characteristics of Harley-Davidson XR 1200: - design and style inspired of the XR 750 - engine V twin 1200 Cm3 with completion color money - vertical injection and intake system of active air with electronic order - power from 85 to 90 horses - Dunlop tires To qualify special (before 120/70ZR18; back 180/55ZR17) - reduced rims - Showa suspensions - reversed fork diam. 43 mm - oscillating cast aluminium arm - Nissin brakes - ergonomics conceived for the European customer of average size They said: John Russell, Vice-president of Harley-Davidson Europe: "Prototype XR 1200 should attract new customers, in particular the young motorcyclists who currently have a traditional or sporting motor bike of concurrent mark" Frank Savage (responsible for the design; P.D.C., Milwaukee): "the inspiration comes from the XR 750, a rough and simple motor bike designed with a specific aim: the ground track. Consequently, the proportions and the characteristics are single. For example, the shape of the tank is magnificiently refined. And the engineers also worked hard so that this motor bike profits from optimal characteristics in terms of performance, handiness and feeling so that it can carry badge XR. shameless " Matt Weber, specialist "Wrinkles and Handling": "My team and myself worked on the ground to develop the performances control handiness, in particular while collaborating narrowly with our colleagues of team P.P.E. and with Adrien Morillas, the former French champion of categories G.P. and endurance " | ||
| Kenb |
it's up on the harley - davidson france site; http://www.harley-davidson.com/wcm/Content/Pages/home.jsp?locale=fr_FR | ||
| Jackbequick |
Crusty, You're right I'm sure. I never thought of the Sportster mufflers and anything that would drag but I guess maybe they could. I bought a Dyna FXD this year with SE II pipes and they were nothing short of obnoxiously loud. I added two aftermarket baffles to them and can enjoy the rides and face my neighbors but I have my eyes open for a stock exhaust system for a '97 FXD. They are good looking pipes, and big, that they are that noisy had to be intentional. They were sold as a "race system" item and now H-D no longer sells them. As near as I can tell, there is no one making aftermarket exhaust systems for MoCo products that are as quiet as the OEM systems. Jack | ||
| Jscott |
They should get this thing produced and pull some weight to get this to run the upcomming Moto-ST race at Daytona. | ||
| M1combat |
"They should get this thing produced and pull some weight to get this to run the upcomming Moto-ST race at Daytona." Seems to me that would be a monumental waste of time... | ||
| Brucelee |
I would buy one of this in a minute! | ||
| Jscott |
"Seems to me that would be a monumental waste of time..." Kind of like responding to most of your post. Darnit, I guess I just did that though. | ||
| M1combat |
Then knock it the heck off . | ||
| Jandj_davis |
"Harley-Davidson has the wind in poop in France" What a great quote. I love Babblefish. | ||
| Jlnance |
I love Babblefish. It is somewhat amusing to take something written in English, and use Babblefish to translate it to a different language and then back to English. | ||
| Bigdaddy |
Babblefish is a fitting name. Mangles the crap out of all languages equally.  G2 | ||
| Staindus |
So does this mean that HD is going to kill off Buell if it comes out with its own "Sport Bike" Line and it sells more bikes than Buell? | ||
| Eboos |
THE SKY IS FALLING!!!  | ||
| José_quiñones |
www.xrdna.com Tell them what you think! | ||
| Xring |
I like it very much. Sign me up. Bill | ||
| Xlcr |
Build it, and they will come. | ||
| Eboos |
I wouldn't worry about this or any other sporty HD model taking away from Buell sales in a significant way. HD people will undoubtedly be fearful of these in a chimp like way and start screaming and throwing their arms in the air. | ||
| Outrider |
Wow...It is even better looking than I thought. They really did a fine job of blending the headlight and instruments into the Street Tracker look. Plus, as it will be a production model, it should be priced comparable to the other Sportsters. However, I would consider paying a little more for the HP and Torque of a Buell XB1200 engine. Heck, just match the power of my X1 and I'll be a happy camper. I have a strong feeling that this model will cut into the demand for the Triumph Scrambler and other similar "Retro" bikes. Heck, it already has them beat in the HP/Torque arena. As for it's potential to cut into Buell's market share, I don't believe it will as a Street Tracker is a different market niche and I fully expect the Buell line will continue to be the better handling bike. In essence, Street Trackers are more geared to the Stylin' and Profilin' side of the sport(ing) bike market. You know, something that appeals to us Flat Track Fans and Evel Knievel types. I can't wait for the US intro so I can get in line for one. What could be better than a factory built Street Tracker from the Company that dominated the Sport! Just wondering if I should order my white leathers with or without the cape.  |
