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I was shocked today to hear Matt Laidlaw claim that somewhere after the 1970s or so & the Sportster had "lost it's way" which IMO is utter BS! He claims the Sportster WAS "one of the most competitive platforms" which it again IMO never stopped being FOR WHAT IT WAS DESIGNED FOR. The market expanded & diversified. I do like the Sportster S & the Nightster though.
In another video he claimed that the Sportster isn't really suitable for modern high speed roads and that a big twin works better...utter nonsense IMHO, my 1200 works just fine on real world 80+ MPH freeways locally.
An 883 with lower gearing might be a bit wound up at that speed but a 1200 is in its sweet zone and nowhere near being wound out.
Last edited by 08xl1200r; Apr 13, 2023 at 12:15 AM.
I thought his intro was spot-on. The Sportster was introduced as a sporty, versatile, competitive machine. But anyone who wanted sport performance and versatility in the past two or three decades wasn't going to buy a Sportster unless they were brand loyalists. They are not sporty or versatile compared to other offerings in the marketplace IMO.
You're right that "The market expanded & diversified". But Harley chose not to go with it, and so was left behind. That's what so many people love about HD. It's utter refusal to evolve. People buy HDs today for this very reason. They don't buy them because they are the highest performing or most versatile. They buy them because they are Harleys. It's also true that fewer and fewer people are choosing them. The company needs to update its line or die with its aging customer base.
I just bought a bike. I don't have brand loyalty and could have bought anything. If I was looking for performance or versatility, a Harley would have been near the bottom of my list. So many other bikes offer more and cost less. I chose a frame mount Sportster because of its simple, crude, antiquated design. It seems to have more in common with agricultural machinery than a modern motorcycle. And that's the heart of the appeal.
I just bought a bike. I don't have brand loyalty and could have bought anything. If I was looking for performance or versatility, a Harley would have been near the bottom of my list. So many other bikes offer more and cost less. I chose a frame mount Sportster because of its simple, crude, antiquated design. It seems to have more in common with agricultural machinery than a modern motorcycle. And that's the heart of the appeal.
You nailed it, and I feel like Laidlaw is right. Back in the 60s a Sportster was a performance-oriented machine when compared to other bikes of the era.
Then came the 70s and the Japanese bikes. Honda CBs, Kawasaki KZs and the like simply just outperformed the Sportster in almost every way. And as the metric bikes evolved, they got faster, lighter, better suspensions, better brakes, and cutting-edge technology. The Sportster stayed the same.
Take a brand-new metric bike and compare it to its predecessor form the 70s. The difference is night and day. Now take a Sporty and do the same. You won't find a lot of change. It's basically a tractor motor in a motorcycle frame.
Now don't get me wrong, I love Sportsters, but if I wanted a performance bike, I would buy a metric bike with 3 times the performance at half the price of a Sportster.
Personally I don't think Matt Laidlaw is all that, don't understand what the attraction is with him. His monotone delivery puts you to sleep, and all I've ever seen him do is ride around on crowded LA streets, big whoop.
Just another guy talking about motorcycles who happens to own a Harley Davidson dealership IMO.
Best review of harley I've seen simply listed all the shortcomings like weight. Low power. Poor lean angle ect then went on to explain nothing else he has ridden put a smile on his face like the harley did. The overall experience is more than a spec sheet can explain.
!!
His monotone delivery puts you to sleep, and all I've ever seen him do is ride around on crowded LA streets, big whoop.
