The Harley-Davidson Sportster was introduced in 1957 to compete against the best-selling British bikes that were invading the United States market. The 2018 Sportster range starts with the base model SuperLow, and then rises in price and specification to include the Iron 883, 1200 Custom, Roadster and Forty-Eight bikes.
The Harley-Davidson Sportster’s original 40 hp Ironhead V-twin engine gave a top speed of approximately 100 mph and stayed in production until 1985, when it was replaced with the 1986 Evolution motor.
There is a vast market for spare Sportster parts and accessories, and many owners transform their bikes into something else—whether a chopper, cafe racer, or scrambler.
In our extensive coverage of Sportster customs, you’ll find bikes that are tuned up (and dressed up) by the world’s top custom Harley builders. Dig in, and get inspiration right here for customizing your own Harley-Davidson Sportster.
Most of the customs we drool over on these pages have little or no history. They’re usually modified after a few mundane years of weekend riding—or transported straight from the showroom floor to the workshop, in the back of a van. Occasionally, though, we happen across a machine with a decades-long backstory. Like this street…
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We’re casting the net far and wide this week. There’s a brutal Aprilia Tuono V4 from Switzerland, a Harley cafe racer from Japan, and a new bike from the American small-batch manufacturer Janus. Plus Union Motorcycle Classics are raffling off a jaw-dropping Gary Nixon tribute Triumph.
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Crooked Motorcycles is a name worth watching on the custom scene in Europe. Just a couple of months ago, they impressed us with a crisp BMW K100 build that avoided the cookie-cutter ‘flying brick’ vibe. And they’ve now just released details of this intriguing Sportster street tracker. You don’t often hear adjectives like ‘sleek’ or…
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Even though there’s been no official word from The Motor Co., it looks as if the venerable Harley-Davidson Sportster is slowly fizzling out. It’s been completely removed from H-D’s European website, and the once extensive range has been reduced to just three models on the US listing. And with H-D currently on a mission to…
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Read more »In this week’s weekend roundup, we’re looking at a new CB350 from Honda, farewelling the Harley-Davidson Sportster, and casting an eye over…
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Read more »We’ve got a Harley-heavy selection this week, with a cafe racer from Italy, a scrambler from Japan and a tracker from the…
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