Harley-Davidson Sportster Iron 883 review

By A. NACHI | 14 September 2016


The Harley Davidson Sportster Iron 883 with its edgy looks and all black-out theme, certainly has good aesthetics.

The unit that was offered to me for review came with a fuel tank unique colour - Hard Candy Gold Flake.

Its nine-spoke cast aluminium wheels were simply gorgeous.

This bike has a comfortable sitting position.

Harley-Davidson Iron 883 - 04
The solo saddle, handlebar and the foot peg have been designed carefully to ensure the rider feels at home on this smallest family member of the Harley-Davidson line-up.

I did not have to stretch my legs and arms while riding the Iron 883.

The classic peanut-shaped tank which is an iconic part of the Sportster is very much enhanced with eye-catching colour.

Harley-Davidson Iron 883 - 08-1
The 12.5-litre tank still holds strong today with its traditional styling and attitude.

The Iron 883 is powered by the air-cooled, 883cc Evolution V-Twin producing 75Nm at 3,500rpm.

This motorcycle is very much at home in and around the city.

It is an ideal bike for commuting to work and complete the daily personal chores without worrying the cruel traffic jams in Kuala Lumpur.

Its compact size makes parking easy in tight places.

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The bike does well at low speeds which made my ride in traffic jam a breeze.

Not only that, the design of the handle allowed me to ride and squeeze between cars on the road.

Its torquey engine and low centre of gravity makes also it easy to handle at slow speeds.

I took the opportunity to ride the bike fast from Kuala Lumpur to Kuala Selangor using the trunk roads of Tanjung Malim.

The on-rushing air was too much for me to handle when I was going around 130kph on the Sungai Buloh to Tanjung Malim highway.

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Air was hitting the chest and my head was bobbing aimlessly.

I stopped my head from bobbing by lowering it a bit but the air was still slamming my chest.

Bikes of this sort has always been known for this type of problem when the rider is light.

Slowing down to around 120kph made the ride more comfortable.

I was enjoying every bit of the bike and passengers in passing cars took pictures of me on many occasions.

Harley-Davidson Iron 883 - 08
It must have been the eye-catching colour of the fuel tank - Hard Candy Gold flake, orangey yellow with gold dust effect.

There is also so much of power on this bike.

What I like very much about this bike is the throttle response which is very responsive without any no lag or sudden burst of power.

Every time I push the bike harder, I found there was still untapped power available. Very nice indeed.

This bike is ideal for those who are ready to move on from a 500cc and below to those with a bigger capacity.

One of the key highlight of this bike is the rear suspension.

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Many reviewers have praised while others said it was nothing extraordinary.

Personally, the new technology for the suspension which is called as the emulsion technology (oil and air mix) definitely is better than the conventional suspension.

The twin rear shocks with this new technology cushioned my ride well especially on the trunk roads of Tanjung Malim where I had to endure countless badly-patched stretches.

Meanwhile, the 39mm front suspension complements rear suspension well.

During hard braking, the firm front fork kept me safe from excessive nose-diving.

The riding experience was enjoyable, regardless the bad condition of the roads and zig zags turns that came with them.

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If one compares any Harley-Davidson suspension to Japanese bikes, truth to be told that the latter is much more comfortable. Harley-Davidson is getting there, slowly but surely.

The Iron 883 is equipped with single caliper brakes for the front and rear.

Few bike reviewers have suggested that dual caliper brakes were better but my opinion is that the single caliper-type brake is sufficient for a bike of this size since the anti-lock braking system (ABS) is included.

The ABS definitely gives all the assurance that one need in any braking condition.

I did few fast entries into corners and the response from the bike was great.

And my exit was equally fast thus making every turn under my control.

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The bike did not oversteer neither slide and I was in control all the time. It was a nice experience.

The Iron 883 has definitely met the need of the young urban market.

The design and handling of the bike is applaudable.

The Iron 883 might not be the fastest bike but definitely oozes with plenty of attitude.



 



Keywords

Overview

Styling
80%
Comfort
60%
Performance
70%
Value
70%
Safety
70%

CarSifu's Rating: 7.0