Why This Harley Was A Game-Changer For American Motorcycling

There have been many American motorcycle brands, but among them stands one like a giant. Harley-Davidson might not have been the first American motorcycle company, but it is the only one to be in business and continuous production for the entirety of its history. It has been under different ownership during its long and storied history, but there was a time when it came closer to bankruptcy and shutting shop than most people think.

That was the late ‘70s, when American Machine and Foundry owned it. During that period, reliability and quality tanked, as did sales and the reputation of Harley-Davidson motorcycles, both its cruisers and tourers. In 1981, a group of investors that included Willie G. Davidson bought The Motor Company back from AMF. Harley-Davidson was truly hanging on by a thread at this stage, but one engine – and a model that it powered – not only brought it back, but changed the way American motorcycles were perceived. This is the Harley that was a game-changer for American motorcycling.

The 1985 Harley-Davidson Sportster Was A Game-Changer For American Motorcycling

The Evolution Engine Was At The Heart Of The Matter

Harley-Davidson

The late ‘70s were a time of big turmoil for the bar and shield, with the then-AMF ownership making a lot of questionable decisions. The Japanese brands all made quicker and more reliable products that were ironically modeled on Harley-Davidson products, and it was the originals themselves that couldn’t keep up. With the change of ownership came a change in priorities. One of the biggest ‘What Ifs’ in automotive history happened during this transition, with the killing off of the Nova V4 project. The new ownership decided to go back to its roots, an air-cooled V-twin engine that had good performance, great reliability, and would give off all the Harley charm with none of the problems.

The solution was the ‘Evolution’ engine, an all-new engine that wasn’t groundbreaking, but it did catch up to at least the industry standard. The Harley Evolution engine made its debut as a Big Twin on a few limited edition tourers, but the general public got a good look at it on the 1986 Sportster. The Sportster has always been the entry-level series of motorcycles at Harley-Davidson, with the most accessibility in terms of purchase price, performance, and ownership costs. The new engine and platform made it an immensely popular model, and the Sportster not only revived the brand, but also interest in American motorcycling as a whole.

Why We Picked The 1985 Harley-Davidson Sportster

• A lot were sold
• Reliable
• Fun
• Brought American Iron to the masses

The 48-Horsepower ‘Evolution’ Engine At The Heart Of It All

Evolution Revolution

Artem Beliaikin via Flickr

The Evolution engine is at the heart of the Harley-Davidson revival, both literally and figuratively. The new ownership decided to not alienate its fan base, and to stick with what they knew the general public wanted from the Bar And Shield. All that was done was to increase power and reliability while sticking to the known formula. This generation of Sportster was available with two different engines. The larger Sportster XLH 1100 was available with a 1,101 cc engine that generated 63 horses at 6,000 RPM and 64 pound-feet at 4,000 RPM, but we’re going to focus on the smaller 883 cc Sportster.

1986 Harley-Davidson Sportster XLH 883 Engine Specifications

If that displacement is familiar, it is because it only got discontinued in 2022 with the Iron 883, an incredible 37-year run for this engine. Of course, it got updated with fuel injection over the years to comply with emissions, and a five-speed gearbox was provided for similar reasons, but it was in effect the same engine that was launched way back when. In 1986, it generated 48 horsepower and nearly 68 pound-feet of torque with the help of a single 34 mm Keihin carburetor. A four-speed gearbox and belt drive complete the driveline. This engine wasn’t very powerful, but it had great torque and was reliable – and that was enough to make it popular.

1986 Harley-Davidson Sportster XLH 883 Chassis

Standard Fare As Well

Harley-Davidson

The 1986 Sportster chassis wasn’t as modern as today’s Sportster S chassis. It was a traditional double downtube frame that held the engine. It had rubber mounts for the engine that reduced the vibrations to the rider, and also had a way to reduce vibrations in particular planes, so it contributed a lot to the good feeling with the bike. Showa helped develop the suspension, but in an effort to keep the seat height really low and accessible, Harley chose to go with twin rear shock absorbers. They have a tiny three inches of travel, so don’t expect the ride to be comfortable on anything but a smooth road.

1986 Harley-Davidson Sportster XLH 883 Chassis Specs And Dimensions

The same 292 mm brake disc with a single piston floating caliper was fitted to both ends of the Sportster. In today’s world, it wouldn’t have been enough for a 500-pound motorcycle, but back then, it was good. A 19/16 inch wheel combination was offered, and alloy rims were standard.

Not Much In Terms Of Creature Comforts

Bare Basic – But It Is An Entry Model

Mecum

This is one thing that hasn’t changed about the entry-level Harley model; you get a motorcycle that is good to ride, and not much else. The 1986 Sportster, like today’s Nightster, got a single-pod instrument cluster. Unlike today’s Nightster though, it was all-analog. The larger 1100 cc Sportster got a twin-pod cluster with a tachometer. The larger one also got a pillion seat and footpegs, which is consistent with the models today – the pillion provisions are optional on the base Nightster, and standard on the Nightster Special.

1986 Harley-Davidson Sportster XLH 883 Notable Features

• Single pod instrument cluster for smaller Sportster XLH 883
• Twin pod instrument cluster for larger Sportster XLH 1100
• Sportster XLH 1100 received a pillion seat and footrests as standard
• Disc brakes at both ends
• Alloy wheels

The Harley-Davidson Sportster Today

Another Giant Leap for The Motor Co.

Harley-Davidson

Like the 1985 Sportster, the current generation of Sportster models is a big break from the past. Another evolution, if you will, to appeal to yet another generation of potential motorcycle riders. Both the Nightster and Sportster S use a trellis frame and the engine as a stressed member. That engine is the Revolution Max engine, which is wholly liquid-cooled and has variable valve timing – on the intake valves for the more affordable Nightster, and for all the valves on the Sportster S. The Sportster also gets a full safety suite at its price, which makes it quite a good value.

Harley-Davidson

The Nightster employs a twin rear shock setup and deletes some features like a pillion seat and a TFT screen for its entry-level model, which you can have if you opt for the Nightster Special, which costs $3,000 more. The Sportster S takes inspiration from the design of Harley’s flat-track racers, and uses a hidden rear monoshock and high-mounted exhaust system.

Current Harley-Davidson Sportster Range