Harley-Davidson Sportster Iron 883 review

Nowhere does it deliver the sort of grunty, short-lived burst of thrust that goes some way to justifying the whole proposition of a big air-cooled V-twin cruiser.

THE Sportster Iron 883 was one of three new bikes which Harley-Davidson thrust at journalists to ride in a single day in Barcelona three weeks ago.

It’s almost as if they wanted to make us too busy to notice it. But I did.

Like the Sportster Forty-Eight, one of the other two machines, the Iron 883 has a new fork and pre-load adjustable progressive shocks for 2016. It's also got new cast-aluminium nine-spoke wheels, said to reduce unsprung weight by 3.63kg, and the seat has been reshaped to ‘increase comfort and control to smooth the road ahead’.

The formerly oval air-filter cover is now round and the exhausts have changed from chrome to black.

Read the rest of the review here.

THE Sportster Iron 883 was one of three new bikes which Harley-Davidson thrust at journalists to ride in a single day in Barcelona three weeks ago.

It’s almost as if they wanted to make us too busy to notice it. But I did.

Like the Sportster Forty-Eight, one of the other two machines, the Iron 883 has a new fork and pre-load adjustable progressive shocks for 2016. It's also got new cast-aluminium nine-spoke wheels, said to reduce unsprung weight by 3.63kg, and the seat has been reshaped to ‘increase comfort and control to smooth the road ahead’.

The formerly oval air-filter cover is now round and the exhausts have changed from chrome to black.

Read the rest of the review here.

Model tested: Harley-Davidson Sportster Iron 883

Price: £7,4955 on the road

Engine: 883cc air-cooled V-twin

Power: No claimed figure

Torque: 52.3lbft @3,500rpm

Weight ‘in running order’: 256kg

Frame: tubular steel double cradle

Tank capacity: 12.5 litres

Seat height: 775mm

Colours: Charcoal ‘Satin, Black Denim, Olive Gold with an Eagle-and-Shield tank logo, or Hard Candy Custom Gold Flake with a flame detail paired with black fenders.’