2022 Harley Davidson Sportster S

Welcome to the 2022 Harley Davidson Sportster S showroom review and specification page. Harley Davidson seems to be in a period of a innovation. New models outside the usual chrome laden Cruiser class yet keeping their core values, unlike past models. I hope I’m not mistaken but the new Sportster looks like a sign of styling changes happening at HD. Of course it’s not just about styling but the engine as well. 

Lets talk about the styling which is what drew me to the bike in the first place. It’s quite different from what you’d expect from the company and could be even called the spiritual successor to the V-Rod. The new Sportster variants looks really good. This styling is for younger buyers that may have aspired to the V-Rod but couldn’t afford them at the time but can now. However to be honest it looks like a HD clone from any number of competitors – Japanese and Italian! 

The engine is based on the recently released Pan-America adventure bike. However being a cruiser it appears to be detuned for more leisurely power output. The new engine features overhead cams and 16 valves with variable valve timing which is new for Harley Davidson. Unfortunately this is old tech for the rest of the world. 

Overall the Harley Davidson Sportster is much delayed but step in the right direction for Harley Davidson as a brand. It really needs new models like this to attract new buyers who usually aspire to a 50 year old VW Combi.