2011 Harley-Davidson XR1200X [motorcycledaily.com]

[steve.m]

i'd own an xb12r if i could fit on the thing.  i'm limited in sportbike selection by my tallness.

[Sport-Touring]

[st ryder]

I really like the white one. Maybe it's the white paint treatment and the very good suspension upgrade that brought me around, as I wasn't a big fan of the previous XR1200X, but I like this HD.  

[motoguy128]

Wet weight of 573lbs is not that bad - only, what... 30lbs(?) over the weight of the Guzzi Griso or older BMW R1150R?  That's not atrocious.  

But the 1150R in '04 at least made 90RWHP... and it was fairly heavy.  My R1200RT without side cases and only 4 gallons of fuel weighs pretty close to 573lbs.

With HD motors, you really need to ignore the peak HP numbers and look at peak torque.  I bet this engine makes at least 80ft-lbs at the bottom and an midrange, so below 100mph it should feel pretty meaty if not faster without needing to be reved.  That's great for commuting and tight twisties.... and wheelies.

[steve.m]

below 100mph it should feel pretty meaty if not faster without needing to be reved.  That's great for commuting and tight twisties.... and wheelies.

 

[reppans]

With HD motors, you really need to ignore the peak HP numbers and look at peak torque.  I bet this engine makes at least 80ft-lbs at the bottom and an midrange, so below 100mph it should feel pretty meaty if not faster without needing to be reved.  That's great for commuting and tight twisties.... and wheelies.

+2

You sir know your engines and what what works well and where.  

[Rogue]

Yeh, the firebolt was a frickin sales dynamo.

 

Someone posted it in the Buell forum a while back.  Or was it the Cycle World article?  In any case, Buell actually sold a lot of Firebolts.  But it was the Lightning that sold even more, which gave Buell the $$ to develop the 1125R

XR1200 is NOT a sales success, not even close.  Wrong bike for the wrong market as far as the US is concerned.  It may be the bike for Europe though where the H-D stigma doesn't exist...at least I hope I doesn't.

[Playinthestreet]

When are youse guyz gonna learn?  It is simply not possible to have an enjoyable riding experience on a Harley-Davidson.

[ggemelos]

Compare it to the air-cooled ducati 1000/1100 engine and the Guzzi 1200 and you will note that the numbers are quite similar. The duc is more revvy and makes more peak HP, but the H-D makes more torque. The Goose was pretty similar last I checked.

The monster 1100 is speced at 95hp and 76 ft-lbs.  It also has a dry weight of 373lbs.  How is that close to the XR with 80hp, 74 ft-lbs, and a dry weight of 551 lbs?  You must have a pretty loose definition of close if a 19% bump in power and a 32% decrease in weight are irrelevant.

By the way, I actually like the XR.  It is a damn fine looking bike.  

[chornbe]

Well, thank God for all the expert opinions!  

[1KPerDay]

The monster 1100 is speced at 95hp and 76 ft-lbs.  It also has a dry weight of 373lbs.  How is that close to the XR with 80hp, 74 ft-lbs, and a dry weight of 551 lbs?  You must have a pretty loose definition of close if a 19% bump in power and a 32% decrease in weight are irrelevant.

Uh.... so you're comparing SPEC'ED, PUBLISHED/DRY/LIE STATS with actual, real-world, measured, ready to ride weight/power stats?

Come back when you're ready for the intarwebs, skippy. BTW my driver's licence says I weigh 220 so it must be true.  

[ggemelos]

Uh.... so you're comparing SPEC'ED, PUBLISHED/DRY/LIE STATS with actual, real-world, measured, ready to ride weight/power stats?

Come back when you're ready for the intarwebs, skippy. BTW my driver's licence says I weigh 220 so it must be true.  

You can argue the power numbers if you like, they are from the respective manufacture web pages (except for the HP on the Harley).  So they are probably all optimistic.  I doubt the quoted dry weights are off by enough to make a dent in the 32% difference.  Not that there is anything wrong with a heavy bike, I hear it helps on windy days  

[1KPerDay]

You can argue the power numbers if you like,

You're the one arguing using numbers. However, if you're going to argue, at least compare apples to apples. kthxbye

[mnb]

When are youse guyz gonna learn?  It is simply not possible to have an enjoyable riding experience on a Harley-Davidson.

Oh, you most certainly can.

Power isn't everything.  The latest technology isn't either.  For me, whether or not something is fun to ride depends on more than just those two things.

The day you can enjoy doing 35mph down a meandering farm road as much as carving a tight canyon at 80 is the day you graduate to a true motorcyclist and stop being just a speed junkie.

[steve.m]

real riders can rip canyons on an undersprung sporty and have fun doing it...can you?  

[fastdadio]

real riders can rip canyons on an undersprung sporty and have fun doing it...can you?  

Yup. Been doing it for a while now. 99, Sportster-sport. Brought it home in Sept 98. South east Ohio, Deals Gap, B L Pkwy, Ridden in Tn. with family every year. Multi state two lane black top touring. Yada,,yadda. ect. Other bikes will come and go from my stable, but this one stays. Sportsters aren't the best bike for any given aspect of riding. When the total overall ownership experience is considered, they're hard to beat. Price, ease of maintenance, insurance, dealer support-access, part cost-availability, crashability. If out right performance is your concern, look at power to weight ratio and vote with your wallet. The new XR 1200 is bad ass and I want one.

[steve.m]

 

except i sold my sportster for a buell, which i feel is the younger, more athletic sister of the sportster.  do miss the look of the sporty though.  

if i fit the mold of the avg american male (5'10"), i'd still have it.

[chornbe]

real riders can rip canyons on an undersprung sporty and have fun doing it...can you?  

 

[1KPerDay]

Yup. Been doing it for a while now. 99, Sportster-sport.

Sweet! The last Harley that leaned.  

[Prubert]

Sweet! The last Harley that leaned.  

The XR ain't bad...Dragged a header pipe tho.

[1KPerDay]

Yeah, the XR is definitely the sportiest currently. But the Sporty sport leaned further. And was a lot lighter.