Tracing the Sportster's Evolution From the Beginning To Today

Legendary Model

The Sportster is, without a doubt, one of Harley-Davidson's most popular and iconic models. However, many believed that the Sportster was on the verge of being discontinued forever before the new Sportster S was revealed recently, though thankfully that wasn't the case. After all, few models in any industry have the staying power this one does, which we can trace back to the 1950s.

Photo: Harley-Davidson

K-Series

Harley-Davidson held down the American motorcycle market for some time in its early days, but when a number of English models sporting less weight and improved performance began to appear in the 1940s, Harley developed the K-Series version of its Flathead powerplant. But when that failed to win over buyers the way Harley wanted, it took things one step further.

Photo: Harley-Davidson

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Where it all Began

In 1957, the Sportster was born with an overhead-valve 883cc engine. It proved to be popular with buyers from day one, and eventually spawned some serious success on the track as well, particularly in 1971, when MoCo's first iron-head OHV XR racer dominated the Brits in the Transatlantic Match Series.

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Track to Street

Harley soon realized that it needed to utilize an aluminum top-end on the XR's powerplant to better conduct heat, so that's precisely what it did in 1972. That simple change also netted the bike's first Grand National Championship. Regardless, Harley also chose to stick with the Sportster's somewhat outdated, four separate geared cams design for a number of years.

Photo: Mecum

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Necessary Change

Harley's decision to stick with its proverbial guns meant that it also lost its luster as a high-performance brand, becoming one that could be outrun by any number of cheaper imports. And the company seemed fine with that for decades, churning out its customary cruisers and moving from the Ironhead-powered Sportster to the Evo bikes as the years passed us by.

Photo: Mecum

>>Join the conversation on the Sportster's evolution right here in the Harley-Davidson Forum!

Last of its Kind

Regardless, the Sportster survived many years while refusing to change, though sales were beginning to wane. Harley knew that it had to take a different direction to keep its iconic model alive and better compete with its foes, and that's precisely what it did with the new Sportster S.

Photo: Harley-Davidson

>>Join the conversation on the Sportster's evolution right here in the Harley-Davidson Forum!

Next Generation

In one fell swoop, Harley transformed the Sportser into a competitive, high-performance, futuristic-looking machine with power for days and styling that truly sets it apart. In many cases, redesigns ruin a machine's legacy, but in the case of the Sportster S, perhaps it is possible to retain the things we like about a bike and make it even better.

Photo: Harley-Davidson

>>Join the conversation on the Sportster's evolution right here in the Harley-Davidson Forum!

For help with the service of your bike, check out the how-to section of HDForums.com.