Never a company to do things in haste, Harley-Davidson tends to adopt change slowly.
Up until a couple of years ago, their "big" V-twin engine was based on a design that could trace its origins back to the 1920s. And until this year, their entry-level model, the Sportster, hadn't changed dramatically since its introduction in 1957.
Harley tends to refine its products, rather than redesign them outright, and judging by the numbers, it seems to be a winning formula.
The Milwaukee company has been experimenting with a rubber-mounted -- or isolated -- engine system for the Sportster for years. Legendary Canadian distributor and rider, Trev Deeley, designed a prototype at least five years ago, using bits from the Dyna and FXR models. (I actually rode it myself and thought it was a great idea.)
But the powers that be at Harley-Davidson head office, for one reason or another, just couldn't seem to see the light.
The Sportster, admired by many riders for its accessibility and performance, continued to offer one of the harshest rides in the industry right up until 2003.
But it's a whole new ball game now.
As well as fitting the new mounting system, Harley has redesigned the frame of the 2004 Sporty, repositioned the oil tank and battery, overhauled the engine, redone the brakes and reshaped the fuel tank. The new Sportster is more than the previous model with a smoother engine -- it's basically a brand-new motorcycle.
Power is still provided by Harley's proven Evolution power plant, but it benefits from bigger cooling fins, redesigned valve-train assembly, lightened internal components, redesigned internal oiling and a new breathing setup.
The result is a freer-revving power plant, with improved horsepower and torque output.
The Sportster is the last model in Harley's lineup that still uses a carburetor rather than fuel injection. But aside from taking a little longer to warm up in the morning and the occasional "sneeze," that doesn't affect its performance or practicality.
Two engine sizes are offered: 883 cc and 1200 cc. They develop about 53 and 70 horsepower, respectively, and I recently spent time aboard the larger of the two in the form of the 1200 Custom, which has styling cues in the form of a 21-inch front wheel, larger fuel tank and special paint.
One of the Sportster's biggest selling points has always been its handling and rideability.
In the beginning, the model was specifically designed to compete with the hordes of British parallel twins dominating the tracks and streets and running rings around Harley's big touring models.
Names like Triumph, BSA and Norton were direct rivals to the Sportster, and it helped Harley stay relevant through the '50s and '60s, when the rest of their offerings just kept getting bigger and slower.
Until recently, Sportster had been the fastest model in the company's lineup and many engineering changes have been tried on it before being incorporated into other models.
Despite its heritage and 1960s charm, the Sportster is still a good handling motorcycle, with a nice, light feel to it and above-average braking and manoeuvrability.
The 1200 version, in particular, has buckets of useable grunt throughout the entire rpm range and with the new mounting system, is a reasonably smooth and docile performer.
It won't match its overhead camshaft, liquid-cooled rivals in terms of refinement or eyeball-flattening acceleration, but the folks who typically buy Sportsters don't necessarily care about these things -- and you can now spend all day in the saddle of a Sporty without wishing you hadn't.
With a starting price of about $9,500, the base 883 Sportster is also an affordable way to get into the V-twin touring market. The 1200 Custom starts at $13,500 before taxes, levies and accessories.
The 883 model is essentially the same as the more powerful 1200. Both have the new mounting system, five-speed transmission, belt final drive and redesigned clutch. Some other highlights include: A larger back tire, a nifty new pop-up oil dipstick and upgraded electrical system.
As well, the handlebar grips are slightly smaller than before, no doubt to appeal to female buyers, who favour the Sportster because of its relatively modest seat height and civilized handling.
It may not be the greatest long-distance highway cruiser on the market, but for city riding and modest cross-country jaunts, the Sportster is as good as anything else out there.
Having said that, there are some minor annoyances:
I found the shift lever to be a little on the small side and struggled somewhat with the low-profile fuel cap on my tester. I'd also fit highway bars on mine if I owned one; as the miles pile up, you definitely want to stretch out on this little tusker.
But the new Sportster is the best one yet, and definitely represents the maturation of Harley's least-expensive bike.
It may have taken them a little while to get around to it but, hey, you don't want to rush into things.
