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xr1200 rules

Phew! I am not sure what front brake problems you had but it does not take 100 meters to get a reading/feeling about a bike.

Sure a friend rode mine and commented about the brakes but hey it's my ride and over 20,000 k's they have not let me down.

and on our roads and 4 wheel tin tops gunning for ...you every time you head out on the road it does it 4 me.
Done 3000 k's trips and no reliability problems, it just starts every time and I have a big grin after every ride.
A ride around the block is not a test.
Cheers from Aussie. Read Full Review

Defective Brakes Mar Strong Effort

I test rode an XR1200 during a Harley-Davidson Demo Day and locked the front brakes TWICE before leaving the parking lot. Before you write me off as a hopeless H.O.G. who wouldn't know a sport bike from an Oreo cookie, consider that I've been riding for 25 years, and my usual ride is a 650 Suzuki wi...th triple disks. What caused the brakes to lock up? The XR1200 has a special set of front brakes not used on any other H-D model. They are, in my opinion, defective in design and prone to being overly aggressive at low speeds. Is it the brake pad material? Maybe. Could the pads be getting stuck and staying too close to the rotors? I don't know. All I know is that I rested my fingers on the brakes at less than 10 mph and the front locked up. I released the brakes and left my fingers in contact with the front brake lever again--and the brake locked up AGAIN! I continued the test ride because my guess was that the brakes would work fine at cruising speeds, and I was right. At speed, the bike was fine. It was comfortable, powerful and responsive. I did not like the narrow Sportster tank because I could not lock myself into place using my outside leg. The pegs were also tucked too far under the bike to be comfortable for long, but the seat was fine. I'm glad I tested the bike because I love the IDEA of the XR1200, but you will never see one in my garage. Read Full Review

Dangerously Defective Front Brakes on XR1200

I test road the 2010 Harley-Davidson XR1200. Nice bike over all. Good seating position. Enough power. Handled well. The only problem was the clearly defective front brakes that locked up TWICE before I could get out of the parking lot! "Oh, you're just used to the standard H-D brakes." Not... so. I normally ride a 650cc Suzuki with triple discs. The brakes on my XR1200 test mule were defective and literally locked the front wheel at the slightest touch! Since this complaint has come up before, over and over and over again, by test riders and reviewers without Harley-Davidson doing anything about it, I cannot recommend this motorcycle to anyone at any price. Instead, if you are looking for a sporty retro bike, check out the Ducati GT1000 Sport Classic or the Triumph Thruxton. Read Full Review