Since 1995, I’ve had a Harley-Davidson Sportster in my garage. What always drew me to it was its nimbleness, its narrow profile — perfect for weaving through city traffic — and the way it still holds its own on the highway. A Harley, definitely, but a little leaner, more connected to the road. So when I went to pick up the new 2025 Harley-Davidson Sportster S, I was expecting maybe a refinement of that familiar package. What I got instead was something else entirely. Somewhere in the last five or six years, Harley-Davidson has completely reinvented the Sportster, and I hadn’t been paying attention.
And when they say reinvented, they mean it. The tires are fat — really fat — both front and back. There’s forward controls, a wide handlebar, and all the modern features you’d expect, from Bluetooth connectivity to a full-color digital dash. Not to forget the massive tank, which looks similar to the ones on Harley’s cruisers, nothing like the peanut tank on the old Sportsters.
Coming from the old Sportster, it took some serious adjustment. You sit upright with your arms spread out wide and your feet sticking way out in front. More cruiser than anything else.
The first thing I noticed when I fired it up was the sound — gone the potato-potato rumble of the old V-twins. The sound of the Revolution Max engine is cleaner, smoother, and much more “middle of the road”.
Then I opened the throttle — and the thing just took off. This new Revolution Max 1250T engine revs high and fast, packing 121 horsepower. From 4,000 RPM up, it pulls like crazy. It’ll take you from 30 km/h to 140 km/h in second gear alone. And if you’re in sixth, just cruising at 80, a little twist of the throttle sends you flying toward license-losing speeds in seconds. It accelerates fast and probably can do well over 200km/h – but I never came close to that speed. Because here’s the thing: you really don’t want to go fast on this bike…
The riding position makes anything over 110/120 km/h downright uncomfortable. The wind hits your chest like a hammer. My neck and arms were getting battered, and there’s nothing—no fairing, no windscreen—to help. Past 160? Forget it. With no wind protection and a cruiser-style riding stance – it hurts!
Then there’s the suspension. On paper, it’s fully adjustable Showa hardware. In reality? It’s rock hard. Within a few hundred meters, I hit a minor speed bump and immediately took a solid shot to my lower back. Every crack, every pothole, every imperfection in the road makes itself known.
It’s not just about comfort, either. Those fat tires, especially the oversized front one, don’t exactly inspire confidence in corners. Steering feels heavy and imprecise, and if you try to attack a curve at pace, you’ll quickly find the bike pushing back. This thing doesn’t want to carve; it wants to go straight—and fast.
front tire!
rear tire…
And while the tank looks big, it only holds a little under 12 liters. After about 130 kilometers, a large warning on the display let me know I was almost out of gas — and it blocked all other info until I stopped to refuel.
Then, on the ride back to the dealer, it started raining—at which point I learned the hard way that having no rear fender means a soaked back in no time at all, courtesy of the exposed rear tire kicking up dirty road spray. I get the minimal styling choice, but it’s just impractical! Same goes for the single seat by the way…
Speaking of styling: sure, it’s aggressive. The fat tires and short fenders give it presence, and the upswept exhausts look the part. But the massive radiator and cooling elements sticking out on both sides? Not my thing. It might be necessary, but it looks bolted-on—not integrated.
In the end, the Sportster S feels like a hybrid that hasn’t quite figured out what it wants to be. It’s got the power of a modern sportbike, but the ergonomics and ride quality of a stripped-down cruiser. It’s too heavy and stiff for city riding, and too naked and uncomfortable for distance. You can go fast—but you really don’t want to. You can go slow — but then what’s the point of all that power?
For me, the soul of the old Sportster is missing here. That mix of accessibility, maneuverability, and raw fun has been traded in for brute strength and futuristic tech.
To be honest, I just don’t get this bike. I kept asking myself who it was really for. And I’m afraid I’m not the target audience anymore….
