How Is The Harley-Davidson Roadster Different From A Standard Sportster?

The Harley-Davidson brand has certainly been busy since its got its start in Milwaukee in 1903. Harley has developed a range of surprising products, including sneakers. It has been most prolific, of course, in the motorcycle arena. From touring to trike models, there’s likely a Harley to suit the interests of any rider. The crucial thing, though, is to know exactly what your requirements are and which model family would cater best to them. Grand adventure touring machines and sports models are very different beasts that even those accustomed to the finer details of Harley-Davidson motorcycles may struggle to tell the difference between the vehicle families.

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The Sportster and the Roadster are both model families that Harley has added to its line-up, and though they have a lot in common, there’s also much that separates them. Let’s take a look at the respective qualities of both, how their specs differed as they evolved, and what sets them apart.

When the Roadster was introduced in 2016 as the catchily-named XL1200CX Roadster. But the Sportster family had been around for almost six decades, incorporating classic Harley-Davidson models such as the Iron 883. Among the most significant additions to the family were sophisticated new engines, such as the 1000cc Ironhead that arrived in 1972 and the similarly-acclaimed Harley-Davidson Evolution engine, which was first included with the Sportster lineup in 1986. Just two years later, Evolution was offering Sportsters up to 1200cc.

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The Sportster closed out the millennium with advanced electrical systems and a universal belt drive system, among other improvements. The Roadster arrived at a crucial time for the Sportster — one when the family’s performance was ramping up. The 2008 XR1200 had set the pace for things to come. Riders sat atop an air-cooled 1202cc V-twin that could propel them to around 120 mph, and the engine offered approximately 91bhp. It was produced only until 2013, but nevertheless demonstrated that Harley considered a sportier take on the incredibly successful Harley-Davidson model, the Sportster, to be a concept at least worth experimenting with.

And so the Roadster was born a few short years later. The challenge for Harley with Roadster was to create a machine that was its own but that didn’t depart too much from what the Sportster family had accomplished. Let’s see how Harley blended the old and the new.

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A lot of auto manufacturers have demonstrated that small, aesthetic changes can go a long way in changing the overall feel of a vehicle. Design has a big role in defining the intent of a ride, perhaps just as much as the powertrain that makes it tick. The engine of the first Roadster, interestingly, is an Evolution from a Sportster, offering displacement of 1202cc, coupled with a reported torque of 76 lb-ft. It puts out approximately 62 hp.

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The powertrain may have been the same, but this isn’t to say that the Roadster and Sportster were one in the same. If you’re setting out to make a new model that defines itself as a worthy addition to an existing brand, it typically needs to look the part. The first and most striking difference between a Roadster and the wider Sportster, then, would be its design.

According to the brand, the goal wasn’t simply to give the Sportster family a distinctive new look in the Roadster, but to do so in a meaningful, performance-enhancing way where possible. With its wheels, for instance, Ben McGinley, Harley Industrial Designer explained at the time that the purpose of the unique design was twofold. “Interlacing spokes shoot outward toward opposite sides of the wheel, creating a dramatic visual effect,” adding that “these wheels are also very light for their size, which contributes to the Roadster’s handling performance.”

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The difference in appearance between the models is something that’s immediately evident at a glance. Specs, too, are particularly illuminating for those in the know.

The distinction between riding two different models, though, is something that can only be determined by … well, doing just that. To emphasize the sporty feel at the heart of the Roadster’s creation, it was packed with features to make it more comfortable to ride and control. Suspension was a primary focus. The system’s 4.5 inch and 3.2-inch suspension travel, courtesy of new tri-rate springs and 43mm forks, mean the Roadster was built to absorb the rigors of the road more effectively than other members of the Sportster family, and there’s another concern that’s paramount for a riding experience: The stance.

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The Roadster differs in that, Harley stated when introducing the model, it “puts its rider in an aggressive posture with a new low-rise handlebar and mid-mount foot controls that centre the rider’s weight over the classic profile of the 12.5 liter Sportster fuel tank.” This is an important statement of intent, and one that neatly summarizes the broader concept of the Roadster. It’s a model in touch with its wider Sportster family and its history, but designed from the frame up to be even more sporty.

Motorcycle models in a family, while closely related, can still deviate significantly from each other. The Roadster quickly established itself as a close relative of the Sportster, defining in a similar fashion the no-frills spirit that so many riders are enamored with. These are not machines for those who enjoy their mod cons and suites of extra features, but rather for those who want straightforward, uncomplicated rides that are still unmistakably Harley.

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With a 59.3 inch wheelbase, 586 pound curb weight and height and length of 33.1 inches and 86 inches respectively, the Roadster was far from the heftiest offering in Harley’s line-up. That honor goes to the brand’s formidable CVO Road Glide, pictured above, which tips the scales at around 866 lbs.  But weight management is a huge concern for any sports motorcycle, as a nimble frame can make for easier handling and potentially higher speeds.

The 883 Iron Sportster, as introduced in its redesigned form for 2015, was about as heavy as the Roadster, weighing in at approximately 564 pounds. As its name suggests, it was powered by a 883 cc Evolution engine, which offered 50.2 ft-lb of torque and 51 bhp. The Roadster, meanwhile, sports a 1202cc Evolution, with 66 bhp and 71.5 lb-ft of torque.

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Harley-Davidson no longer manufactures the Roadster. It went the same way as the wider family of Evolution-equipped Sportsters, the last being produced in 2021. They would bow out in favor of a new era for the family, in the shape of the Sportster S. This model year, the S featured an engine entirely new for the line: the Revolution Max. Though the name has changed little, this 1250T pushed the Sportster family to all new heights, capable of 92.2 ft-lb torque and 121 bhp.

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The S model is still available, alongside the Nightster and Nightster Special in Harley’s sports lineup, and the ’24 edition boasts the same blend of performance and style. It was created to be a lightweight and uncomplicated ride, and this is reflected in its very design, of which the Revolution Max is a structural element. This is not the very same 1250T found elsewhere in Harley’s lineup, but one that is tailored to performance for a lighter machine such as the S.

Like the Roadster, the Nightster (pictured above) family is a close relative. The 2024 Nightster Special edition features 72 ft-lb of torque and 91 hp, and is designed to keep the rider in a straight, dominant position with its seat at just 27 inches high. A stylish, retro addition to the lineup, just like the Roadster before it.

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