Harley-Davidson has unveiled its 2015 line-up of the Sportster middleweight cruisers. Besides updating the 883 Sportser Superlow and the 883 Iron, the American manufacturer has also unveiled a new model christened 883 Roadster. Retaining the stripped-down minimalist approach, the new Sportster series gets a host of new paint jobs and decals.
The new 883 Roadster sticks to the Sportster philosophy in terms of design and gets an unadulterated and clutter-free design. The peanut-shaped tank adorns a chequered flag and the manufacturer's name in bold lettering. It gets an LCD display in the instrument cluster which shows the gear position, revs and other details. An ergonomically placed hand control facilitates scrolling through the menu on the display. The 883 Roadster has been priced at EUR 9,645 (Rs 7.66 lakh) in Germany.
The 883 Sportster Superlow is essentially a smaller version of the traditional Sportster and isn’t the most flamboyant of the lot. As the name suggests, the 883 Sportster Superlow sit very low and gets a more steeply raked handlebar. It also gets a bigger teardrop fuel tank which means fewer stops for refuelling. It gets a new paint scheme - white hot pearl/blue hot pearl and a host of other customising options.
The 883 Iron is very similar to the 883 Roadster in terms of design, though it gets a dark matte finish for the handlebars, forks and the frame, which gives it a menacing look. The seat blends smoothly with the narrow peanut-shaped fuel tank, adding to its slenderness. It has been updated with a slew of ‘hard candy custom’ paint options and other accessories.
The new Sportster series continues to be powered by the same air-cooled 883cc Evolution V-twin engine which is rated at 70Nm of torque and comes mated to a five-speed gearbox. Being used since 1984, the engine gets modern touches like aluminium heads and Electronic Sequential Port Fuel Injection which make it more durable and reliable than the previous units. ABS is offered as standard in all three motorcycles.
