Harley-Davidson Sportster SuperLow 1200T 2016 — Specifications

How do you do touring without straying from the heart of the brand? The question has plagued Milwaukee for years. The answer, for a generation of riders drawn to adventure but put off by the size and budget of the Touring giants, might well nestle in this Sportster SuperLow 1200T. A motorcycle that, beneath its accessible custom appearance, aspires to take you far.

The principle is simple, almost obvious: take the chassis and feel of the Sportster SuperLow, known for its low seat height – 705 mm here – and its manageable size, and graft a dose of autonomy onto it. The removable 356 mm windscreen and standard locking saddlebags are the external signs of this vocation. But the operation goes further. The engine, that famous 45° Evolution V-Twin, goes from 883 to 1202 cm3. You gain 15 horsepower and 26 Nm, bringing power to 67 hp and torque to 96 Nm. That’s just what’s needed to provide responsiveness without turning the motorcycle into a wild animal. The character remains that of a Sportster: immediate availability, generous sound, but power that unfolds more in traction than in violence. At 274 kg fully fueled, it remains 53 kg lighter than the smallest Road King, a tangible advantage in everyday agility.

This modest traveler benefits from the improvements introduced to the Sportster range in 2016. The 39 mm telescopic fork adopts a new cartridge with three damping settings, while the emulsion rear shock absorbers allow preload adjustment. The braking system, with its 300 mm front disc and standard ABS, is reliable. The ergonomics, with its forward-mounted footpegs and redesigned seat, aim for long-distance comfort. The minimalist dashboard hides a useful LCD window, displaying the gear engaged or a digital tachometer. It’s a prepared motorcycle, not a transformed one.

The test of this Harley-Davidson Sportster SuperLow 1200T reveals a motorcycle with a dual vocation. For the neo-Harley rider or the urban rider wanting to escape, it represents a reasonable entry ticket – around 12,690 euros – into the Milwaukee touring world, without the physical and financial constraints of the flagship models. For the Sportster purist, it offers an extension of its domain without altering the essence of the motorcycle. It does not rival the cargo capacity or comfort of an Electra Glide, but it offers a credible, lively and lightweight alternative for those who prefer back roads to endless highways. A proposition that, in 2016 as in its later versions, retains its relevance for a certain type of adventurer.