The 2009 XR1200 brings a complete sports bike back to Harley Davidson's lineup. Harley Davidson has dominated motorcycle cruising and touring market for decades, but the XR1200 pushes the company into a new market with major competitors from all around the world. One of the most notable competitors will be the Ducati Monster 1100S.
Drivetrain
The 2009 Harley Davidson XR1200 is powered by the familiar air-cooled Evolution engine, measuring 73.40 cubic inches and making 90 horsepower and 73.8 lb-ft of torque. The Ducati Monster 1100S is fitted with an air-cooled Desmodromic L-Twin cylinder engine, measuring 65.78 cubic inches and making 95 horsepower and 75.9 lb-ft of torque. This gives a slight edge in both horsepower and torque to the Ducati, although the Monster 1100S makes its peak torque at 6000rpm, where the XR1200 makes its peak torque at just 4000rpm.
The Harley Davidson XR1200 converts its power via a 5-speed transmission, using a 9-plate wet clutch to get through the gears. The power is sent to the wheel by means of a belt drive with a 1.68:1 final drive ratio. The Ducati uses a 6-speed manual transmission, offering more gearing to make use of the Monster's high revving Desmodromic engine. A dry multi-plate clutch system with hydraulic control feeds the power to the rear wheel via a chain drive, with a final drive ratio of 1.84:1. This gives the Ducati the advantage in acceleration, but may hurt mileage.
Suspension and Braking
The front suspension layout of the XR1200 and the Monster 1100S is very similar. The Harley Davidson XR1200 uses a Showa 43mm inverted fork, and the Ducati uses a 43mm inverted fork produced by Ohlins. The rear suspension differs quite a bit, as the XR1200 uses a dual sided swing arm with coil-over shocks on both sides. The 2009 Monster 1100S uses a single sided swing arm, with a fully adjustable Ohlins monoshock.
The braking system of the XR1200 uses a dual disc in the front with 4-piston calipers clamping down on the 11.5" rotors. In the rear, a single 11.5" disc is bracketed by a single floating piston caliper. The Ducati also uses a dual disc setup in the front with 4-piston calipers, but they use 12.6" rotors. Out back, the Monster 1100S has a significantly smaller rotor, measuring only 9.6", with a 2-piston caliper. The larger front rotors may give the Ducati stronger and more responsive braking, but the Harley system balances the braking pressure more evenly.
Physical Styling
The chassis of the 2009 XR1200 is made of tubular steel, and much of the framework of the motorcycle is tucked away. The Ducati proudly displays its trellis style frame, and this "naked" look is something for which the Italian motorcycle manufacturer has become famous. There is no mistaking the XR1200 as a sports bike, but the shorter Ducati shows a shape more in tradition with the Monster brand.
The seating position of the XR1200 sits you high on the motorcycle, relatively even with the fuel tank, especially in comparison to the Ducati Monster 1100S. Due to the overall posture of the Monster, the rider is still seated higher on the Ducati.
Overall
The 2009 XR1200 gives Harley Davidson a true competitor into the sports bike market, but the Ducati Monster 1100S has an advantage in both torque and horsepower. A more important note is that the XR1200 also weighs 192lbs less, dry weight. This 34% difference in weight gives the Ducati a defined advantage in performance, but that comes with a price. The base price for the 2009 XR1200 is $10,799, where the 2009 Monster 1100S rings in at a hefty $13,995.
This new Harley Davidson XR1200 is a masterpiece of Harley Davidson tradition and attitude packed into a sporty frame, but if you're looking for a sports bike and your main concern is speed and performance, the Ducati may be the better choice.
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Harley Davidson XR1200 Specs:
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Ducati Monster 1100S Specs:
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CHASSIS |
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Frame |
Tubular steel trellis frame |
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Wheelbase |
1450mm / 57.1in |
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Rake |
24° |
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Front suspension |
Ohlins 43mm fully adjustable upside-down forks with TiN. |
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Front wheel travel |
130mm / 5.1in |
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Front brake |
2 x 320mm discs, 4-piston radial caliper |
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Front wheel |
Y-shaped, 5-spoke in light alloy 3.50 x17 |
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Front tyre |
120/70 ZR17 |
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Rear suspension |
Progressive with preload and rebound Ohlins adjustable monoshock |
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Rear wheel travel |
148mm / 5.8in |
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Rear brake |
245mm disc, 2-piston caliper |
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Rear wheel |
Y-shaped, 5-spoke in light alloy 5.50x17 |
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Rear tyre |
180/55 ZR 17 |
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Fuel tank capacity |
15 l (of which 3,5 l reserve) / 3.8 |
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Weight * |
168 Kg / 370 lbs |
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Seat height |
810 mm / 31.9in |
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Instruments |
Digital unit displaying: Speedometer, rev counter, clock, scheduled maintenance warning, oil temperature, trip fuel, air temperature, lap time, warning light for low oil pressure, fuel level, fuel reserve, neutral, turn signals, overrev, immobilizer. Read |
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Warranty |
2 years unlimited mileage |
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Body colours (frame/wheels) |
Red (Red / Golden) - White (Black - Golden) |
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Versions |
Dual seat |
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* = The weight excludes battery, lubricants and, where applicable, cooling liquid. |
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ENGINE |
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Type |
L-Twin cylinder, 2 valve per cylinder Desmodromic, air cooled |
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Displacement |
1078 cc |
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Bore x Stroke |
98 x 71.5 mm |
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Compression Ratio |
10,7:1 |
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Power* |
69,8 kW - 95 hp @ 7.500 rpm |
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Torque* |
10,5kgm - 75,9lb-ft @ 6.000 rpm |
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Fuel injection |
Siemens electronic fuel injection, 45mm throttle body |
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Exhaust |
2 aluminum mufflers |
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Emissions |
Euro3 |
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TRANSMISSION |
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Gearbox |
6 speed |
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Ratios |
1st 37/15, 2nd 30/17, 3rd 27/20, 4th 24/22, 5th 23/24, 6th 24/28 |
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Primary drive |
Straight cut gears; Ratio 1.84:1 |
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Final drive |
Chain; Front sprocket 15; Rear sprocket 39 |
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Clutch |
Dry multiplate with hydraulic control |
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* = Data calculated using an inertia dynamometer |
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