Motorcycle specifications Harley-DavidsonXL 1200 X Sportster Forty Eight Special 2018 A Polaroid tussle

The Sportster Forty-Eight is not the last of the little rascals. Designed for the essentials, with a clear penchant for showing off, this roadster is a bad boy of everyday life. No frills on the ride, just the 1200. The ridiculously large "Peanut" fuel tank is laughed at, the big front axle (49 mm fork, 130 tire) is attacked head-on, and all those who like plastic and cheese without crust are sneered at.

what more or different did the 48 need to feel the need for a Special orientation? Surely a more violent need to grip the road. And that's where this Sportster's main specificity lies: the handlebars. With a black "Tallboy" element, the rider takes a more relaxed stance without losing an ounce of virility.
The Special also makes the most of its choice of colors, an escape from the era of Polaroid OneStep color photos. We're plunged into the America between the Beach Boys and disco. As for the rest of the machine, among the depths of black and 248 kg of metal, it has lost a few tricks like the recesses on the belt guard and the muffler covers.

special... a big word for just handlebars and color stripes. Except in the fiefdom of Harley, where words and ideas are conjugated differently. The Sportster 1200 Forty-Eight finds an expression here where it lifts the chin while offering the same flavor. To the rhythm of the 9.8 mkg of its Evolution twin. And as it's priced the same as the standard 48, looks alone will dictate the buyer's choice.

M.B - Manufacturer's photos