Harley XR1200 Trophy Replica: small changes, big results

By

While ‘Mericans under the age of 50 are stuck with Harley’s lame Dark Custom range — bikes like the Softail Crossbones — Italians are getting a special edition of the Harley XR1200 complete with twin Öhlins shocks, carbon Termignoni shotgun exhausts and wavy Braking rotors. The exhausts even come with internal sleeves to make them road-legal. Even the classic start-n-stripes “1″ looks great on the orange bodywork. We’d ride that.

via OmniMoto.it

  • M.P.

    Eww, no!

    • generic1776

      Well that’s a step in the right direction!

  • chili sv

    I had thought this would be the only H-D model I would buy. And then I rode one. Looks great, not so fun.

  • http://www.flickr.com/photos/24829474@N03/ Enthusiast

    Still ugly, Storz kit is the only way to go.

  • http://setthemfree.tumblr.com Sasha Pave

    Lipstick on a hawg.

  • geonerd

    i’d test ride it for sho.

  • ISellMotorcycles

    Harley could be a really awesome bike company if they wanted to, but they are lazy Americans. This bike is like 35% cool.

  • Hank

    the xr1200 is really cool looking, but when i went to a harley dealer (only motorcycle dealer within 30 miles in southern illinois), the thing was heavy as hell. if i was looking for something that heavy i’d buy a plain old sportster and hit up the southern illinois back highways.

    the other thing i want to briefly mention is when i was at the harley dealer, the only ‘dark custom’ bikes that were selling were the sportsters. they had two cross bones and a fat bob there that had been sitting for god knows how long. the dark custom big twins are lame, i totally agree with you, but i like the sportsters because in a year or two when people are trading in their sportsters for a big twin (why i have no idea) the nightster or iron would make an awesome project bike.

  • aoelus

    I have never been a hog fan, but the K models had a lot to recommend them for compactness and lower weight. Particularly in flat track trim they had a real gnarly look and sound, and hell it’s all about the look, right? Flo makes replacement heads (flat) and carbs to improve the performance. Don’t know how many are around for a project bike. This one pictured is really tall…what’s that material under the engine, to catch the oil?

  • Scott

    that’s the turkey pan, hopefully keep oil off the track

    the engine is interesting, but wish the overall bike looked more like an XR750 or even the Storz sporty

  • Ken

    I don’t think it’s reasonable that they festoon these wheelbarrows in Ohlins and Termi logos and give them such a come-hither retro-functional look that, in a moment of madness, you get drawn away from the purchase of a perfectly good Speed Triple or Tuono and end up giving your money to people you always swore to have no truck with.

    How many people are going to make such a mistake and get hernias trying to keep up with six year old Bandits? Someone reassure me this polished turd doesn’t work and I’ll get on with my day.

  • http://artistruth.livejournal.com will

    The XR1200 looks fine in isolation, but if you put it next to actual real-world buyer competition with a Speed Triple, Monster, or Duke it becomes a non-issue.

    • Ken

      Good call Will. From now on I shall look at it in isolation. It’s what riding a Harley is all about.

  • Sid

    It’s the return of Aermacchi!

  • Richard

    Keep the model on the track. Only good sportser
    was Made in the 60′s.

  • OpenMinded

    CycleWorld magazine has chosen the XR1200 over the Ducati 1000 classic in their July 2009 issue and make some good points….