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This article will be a chronological history of the overhead valve Sportsters that began in 1957 and continue to present day. The history of this much-maligned "half-brother" to the Big Twin is intriguing. Maligned only recently by the uninformed. In yesteryear, this hot rod rumbled with the best and ultimately won the majority of street fights. The Sportster fought the British bikes and the initial Japanese onslaught for supremacy on Main Street in every American town, in the ring at Daytona Raceway or at the track for land speed records at the Bonneville Saltflats. It ranks way ahead of the Evo, Twin Cams and even the Shovels in Harley folklore. The Sportster certainly rivals that of the legendary Panheads and Knucks. The rough and ready Hot Rod XL fell into place with the muscle car era in the USA. It reverberated irreverently, coughed, hacked and shook the ground beside the big V-8's out of Detroit. This was mainstream America and its fascination for muscle and domination at the stoplight. So lets get a few modern discriminatory theories, practiced by some, out of the way.

Real Men Ride Sportsers

I say this in an historical context since this comment would be interpreted today as sexist in a variety of ways. We all ride Harleys for specific psychological reasons but some legendary riders created the aura that we all bask under. Let's have a look at the people who defined and framed the Harley traditions. When watching early biker movies in the late sixties and early seventies, you see the lReal Deall riding their beloved "CH's" that today have become living legends? It was a man's world and these men didn't see a feminine side to anything they did. In the vernacular of the day "CH" is the acronym for the brutal, knee-busting, kick-start XLCH Sportster.

The Sporstser and the American Dream

These icons that form this facet of the American Dream embody freedom and a wild abandon that most can only fantasize about. Some modern riders call the Sportster a girl's bike. This connotes frailty that inhibits them from handling "a man's bike." Think about it, a smaller, physically weaker person would be better suited to a Softail with a lower seat height and a correspondingly lower center of gravity. A SoftailÒ is eminently easier to ride, brake and control than an early Ironhead Sporty.

Evil Knievel

He is a Sportster man….all the way to the hospital and right back on them again. Evil was one of the first riders to bring Harley to mainstream America….actually change that to the Western world. Looking for ever-more exotic and dangerous jumps to perform, Evil kept achieving until he failed much to the detriment of his body. The reputation his heroic and crazy actions bestowed on Harley Davidson through the Sportsters he rode lent a special status to this bike in the American psyche. A status that we the modern rider feed off today. In the eyes of the public, riding a Harley Davidson stereotypes a brave, independent, freedom-loving mantel upon the owner.

The Old Man's Bike

In the old days, Sportster riders picked on the Big Twin set. There were no Dynas, FXR's or FXE sport models. The only Big Twin models were the "King of the Road" FL and FLH full dressed models with windshields and saddlebags. They were derisively referred to as "old man's" bikes, cages and garbage wagons.

Sportsters are Faster

How come it's faster than the Big Twin is? It always has been off the line. The best a Big Twin can do is in top end riding. Remember one thing though, the "half-a-Harley" will get there first. An old pal of mine increased his XL 900 cc Ironhead to about 1250cc using stroker flywheels over 30 years ago. My 1200 cc Shovel had been stroked and bored to 1525 cc's using stroker flywheels and a big bore kit. He took me off the line like I was standing still. I caught up to the "little" bike at around 65-mph. Now,