Harley Davidson XLS 1000 Roadster
Make Model | See full list on lowendmac.com. Harley Davidson XLS 1000 Roadster |
Year | 1979 - 85 |
Bricscad for mac. Engine | Four stroke, 45° V-Twin, OHV, 2 valves per cylinder |
Capacity | 998 cc / 60.8 cu-in |
Bore x Stroke | 81 x 96.8 mm |
Cooling System | Air cooled |
Compression Ratio | 8.8;1 |
Induction | 38mm Keihin carburetor |
Ignition | Transistorized |
Starting | Electric |
Max Power | 57 hp / 41.7 kW @ 6000 rpm |
Max Torque | 55 ft-lb / 74 Nm @ 4000 rpm |
Transmission | 4 Speed |
Final Drive | Chain |
Frame | Single down tube cradle |
Front Suspension | Telehydraulic forks |
Rear Suspension | Dual shocks swinging arm fork |
Nature soft occlusion shader unity patch. Front Brakes | 2x 254mm discs |
Rear Brakes | Single 292mm disc |
Front Tyre | MJ 90-19 |
Rear Tyre | MT90-16 |
Wet Weight | 245 kg / 540 lbs |
Fuel Capacity | 13.5 Litres / 3.5 US gal |
For years I've thought that Harley-Davidson just had to be joking, and the XLS Roadster merely reinforces such a horribly biased opinion. How anyone could even consider paying £100 more than BMW's top of the range R100RS for a one-litre machine which has the acceleration of a 250 and top end performance of a 500, vibrates like an earthquake and is not provided with so much as a plug spanner, is difficult to understand.
No doubt Harley riders will rush to put pen to paper, using words like macho, image and torque to justify their purchasing of what can charitably be described as one of motor cycling's greatest anachronisms. But before the hot-headed criticism self-ignites, permit me to rationalise.
There is only one way to seriously appraise any Harley. You can look at the machine, its performance, comfort, handling and braking capabilities and study its value for money. Then, since Harley-Davidson motor cycles are responsible for boosting more flagging egos than any other machine, you must consider its unique esoteric appeal as an entirely separate issue.
Having approached such an emotive machine in such a level headed fashion you will probably arrive at the conclusion shared by many of my colleagues. It is that the Harley is a craggy and uncouth contraption as it stands in the parking bay but its aura and image is such a powerful force that even the most stoic opponent would enjoy, even admire, these hulking American motor cycles - once they're in the saddle.
As remarked in previous Harley tests, one of the Milwaukee giants has about as much to do with normal motor cycling attributes as Khomeini has to do with genuine religious morals. While the Roadster is an undeniably awful motor cycle per se, it is easy to understand why a comparatively small and partisan group of bikers find them so appealing.
You sit low in the bucket-type seat, feet on the additional forward-mounted highway rests, arms stretched to meet the horizontally-bowed handlebars, and let the distinctive motor haul you along at 60 mph in fourth gear with barely 3,500 rpm on the tacho. You keep the speed down so that wide-eyed pedestrian admirers can confirm that they have indeed seen a real- live Harley-Davidson that day. There's no need to rush, even though the Roadster will run a healthy 112 mph; as the rider of a Harley you have nothing to prove. Whether it's curiosity, disbelief, admiration or disgust which brings comments from onlookers, you'll never be ignored.
With nonchalant modesty, you'll tell allcomers what it's like to ride a Harley-Davidson. And you will probably find yourself leaving out all references to the shocking vibration and dreadful brakes, or glossing over its many bad faults in a few words.
The Roadster is a descendant of the Harley Sportster which partially lived up to its name with a one-way speed of 123 mph when tested by Motor Cycle Weekly in 1978. Both bikes share a virtually identical 45-degree, 997 cc V-twin with a 38 mm Keihin carb, although the Roadster has a slightly lower first gear ratio.