2012 Harley-Davidson Sportster® Forty-Eight

Seriously does anyone have a dyno rating on the horsepower put out by the new Forty-Eight ???????

My first foray back into motorcycles after a 15 year hiatus lead me to seek out a lighter bike that looked old-school but wouldn't break the bank. Told by the dealer that this bike was a "Bar Hopper," and not meant for long distance riding, I instantly loved the throwback looks, the fat front tire, ... and the solo seat. The tiny peanut tank didn't seem to be an issue but more on that later. The first thing I noticed when riding my new Hog was that it was not meant to take corners with a lot of lean. Scraping is common, and you find yourself almost anticipating that metallic screech whenever a chicane approaches. The front suspension, for me, (160 lbs.)came with a lot of reerbound when hitting bumps. At high speeds, I felt like I was going to fly off the solo seat so I had to keep a death grip on the handlebars when cruising at highway speeds. The machine DOES turn a lot of heads! I get more "That thing is bad-ass!" at stoplights than I can count which says something for the styling. Overall, the dealer hit it right on the nose: This bike is a local cruiser. You're not going to ride from Chicago to Sturgis anytime soon, but you won't have any shortage of ladies asking for a ride if you invest in a passenger seat. Overall, a great value and fun to ride.