Visited High Octane Harley-Davidson in N. Billerica, MA. Looking at the bikes. Interested in the Forty-eight. One bike was showing a fluid leak on top. All comments appreciated. i could purchase the Softail Standard for the same price as the Forty-Eight, inclusive of all costs (out the door). Any explanation here whereas the Standard has the bigger motor (107 vs. Evo)?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kl2d...nel=Synoptic12

 

Did any take notice of the 'oil leak' above the cylinder > New 2021 Sportster 1200 Forty Eight? What possibly could be the cause? All replies welcome.

 

Seems like an odd spot for an oil leak, probably something just spilled on there?
I've always chuckled about the difference in price between motor sizes, as far as just the motor is concerned it costs virtually the same to manufacture an 883 as a 1200 yet there is quite a price difference. I have noticed the same with outboard motors, Mercury uses the exact same motor for the 75, 90 & 115 horse, the only difference is the mapping of the ECM but they charge thousands more for the 115 compared to the 75.

 

Thanks, but would differ on the cause. When I felt the stain, it smelled like oil and felt like oil. I wasn't aware of the forward controls, as I've always ridden with mids'. Needless to say, I like to have my feet under me and heels on pegs for quick reaction time. Do you have any opinion as to the forward controls, as well as the wide front tire? I would only believe that a more narrow tire would handle the twisties much better. Finally, I cannot understand the 'peg scrapers'; seems dumb to me. Did not ride, maybe next week to check the forward controls. Are the Sportsters mapped better for emissions as opposed to the softails, and if so in what sense? So, I'm still at the crossroads.

 

I'm just not sure where it could be leaking from, those chrome bolt heads seal lower down so it would have to be trickling down from the rocker covers to end up there I would think.
I like mids personally but I also have drag bars, if I was using high "sit back" bars I would probably try forwards, I think that would sacrifice some handling for comfort.
As far as the big front tire that also is more of a comfort and looks thing and sacrifices some handling.
You need to think about your riding style before picking a model, I gave it a lot of thought when I bought mine new in 2007 and decided that I didn't really want the laid back touring or chopper style, I like riding the twisties and so I chose the Roadster that sits higher for more cornering angle, has triple disk brakes, mid pegs, a tach and goes well with low bars for the kind of sporty riding I like. It saves a lot of work and a lot of money if you buy the stock bike that is the closest to what type of riding you want to do.

 

Sounds like me. I agree with most everything you've said. I would hate to give up handling, cornering, and stance. Comfort is a duel edged sword. May be fine for baggers but I much prefer to be as nimble and quick as possible, in unison with the bike. One bike has the paint, another bike has the controls, and another bike has different front suspension. A mishmash of hardware not fitting to one style. In accompaniment, all the black is just horrible. Chrome and aluminum are very much in need, yet the MoCo uses an abundance of black . Why not just paint everything black?

 

What's the idea with the rubber fork boots?

 

Those are gators and used to be to keep the dust and gravel away from the fork seals, they are useful on a dirt bike but just for looks on a street bike.
If you like sports stance bikes why don’t you look for a Roadster, the newer ones have inverted forks and are a nice package right out of the box.

 

This is the one I'd be taking for a ride.
https://www.highoctaneharley.com/inv...1lm318kc414540

 

They have some nice new Roadsters too, this black one:
https://www.highoctaneharley.com/inv...-20xl1200cxblk
and this classic orange is pretty hot too:
https://www.highoctaneharley.com/inv...xl1200cxorange