Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/703695
81 www.thunderpress.net THUNDER PRESS nAugust 2016n The drive and gear ratios are the same for the Roadster as for the Forty-Eight, but quite different from the XL 883N, although the fi nal belt drive (29:68) ratio is the same. In city traffi c these ratios make a tremendous difference when rapid acceleration is required and on country roads the extra torque is just plain fun. The 3.3-gallon gas tank will take you—depending on how aggressively you ride—about 150 miles, whereas the Forty-Eight's 2.1-gallon fuel capacity restricts one to places where gas stations are prevalent. However, the Roadster is not a touring, or even a sport-touring bike so fuel range isn't an issue. One of the fi rst things I would change on the Roadster is the seat. The stock seat is narrow, hard, and just plain uncomfortable. Unless the passenger was rather petite I doubt anyone would want to sit on the pillion for hours. The optional Café Solo seat ($349) might improve the aesthetics of the Roadster, but not having sat on one I can't vouch for its comfort. Although it is strictly a personal preference, I'd swap out the standard headlamp for the optional Daymaker LED ($399) and then install the LED turn signals ($139) while I was at it. I like to be seen on the road and if I must make a night run, lighting up the world of my near future appeals to me. The warning indicators are cleanly integrated into the handlebar clamp while all the instrumentation is packed into a 4-inch diameter clock-style case. The top half of the instrument housing is an easy-to-read analog tachometer, plus an orange warning light for low fuel. The low half contains digital readouts of the speedometer, odometer, and time that can be cycled through, and set by, a switch on the handgrip. At night the digital numerals are easy to read, but during the daylight, angles can make them extremely diffi cult to see. A small cowl on the bezel would improve this somewhat, but this is not yet an option available on the market. The unique aluminum cast wheels and the swept-back pipes with heat guards are solid design elements that help make the Roadster an eye-catch- ing bike. Paint schemes are black with charcoal pinstriping; fl at black with red; intense red with red; and silver/ black with burgundy. (MSRP ranges from $11,199 to $11,749 depending on paint selection.) However, the real beauty of this Sportster is felt in the corners, not seen on the curb. The highways were heavily patrolled and set with speed traps during Laconia Motorcycle Week, but I took a risk and got onto the inter- state. The Roadster is very stable at higher speeds and even at 90 mph still had additional torque on hand. Returning on a twisty highway that had a fair amount of broken pavement demonstrated that the new suspension system was a beautiful thing. Even slightly (ahem) above the speed limit the suspension system provided stability in the corners. On newer pavement, braking just before entering a curve was delightfully smooth while the torquey 1200cc engine easily pulled me out the other side. Although the Roadster looks like a Harley it doesn't really feel like one. For riders who like spending a day canyon carving or zipping down coun- try roads fi lled with curves and eleva- tion changes, this is the bike for them. I expect it will appeal to younger riders who are more performance ori- ented and fi tted with Screamin' Eagle upgrades would compete with some of the more popular crotch rockets. In the fi nal analysis all I can say is, this is a fun bike to ride. 4 The Roadster features aluminum alloy wheels and chopped rear fender are pure cafe racer Inverted Showa rear shocks keep the rubber on the road The turned-down handlebars, bobbed rear fender, and chopped front fender reminds me of an old cafe racer