Alright, let’s talk about my little project with the Harley Davidson 1200 Sportster. I’ve always been curious about the actual horsepower of this bike. I mean, you hear numbers thrown around, but I wanted to see for myself.
So, I got my hands on a 2019 Sportster 1200 Custom. Nice bike, really. It’s got that classic Harley look, but it’s a bit smaller and more nimble than the big touring bikes. I took it down to my buddy’s garage – he’s got all the cool toys, including a Dynamometer, or “Dyno” for short. This thing is basically a treadmill for motorcycles. You strap the bike down, and it measures the power output.
Getting Started
First things first, we had to secure the bike on the Dyno. This involved a bunch of straps and tie-downs to make sure it wouldn’t go flying off. It’s a powerful machine, and you don’t want it jumping around. The 1200 Custom is air-cooled, like most Harleys, and it’s a V-Twin, which means it has two cylinders arranged in a V shape.
Running the Test
Once the bike was secure, my buddy started the test. The Dyno spins up, and you run the bike through the gears, just like you would on the road. The engine in this thing is called an Evolution engine, and it’s got a five-speed gearbox. We ran it up to 6000 RPM, which is where the peak power is supposed to be. It’s a bit smaller than their more expensive siblings.
The Results
So, what did we find? Well, the Dyno showed that the bike was putting out about 67 horsepower. That’s pretty close to what I’ve read online. I’ve seen some numbers around 68 horsepower, and some say 70, but 67 is right in that ballpark. The torque, which is the twisting force of the engine, was also measured, and it was around 70 ft. lbs. That’s what gives you that low-end grunt that Harleys are known for.
My Thoughts
- The 1200 Sportster isn’t the most powerful bike out there, but it’s got plenty of pep for cruising around.
- If you want more power, you could modify it, maybe with a bigger engine kit, like a 1275 kit, or by changing the cams. But for me, the stock power is just fine.
- It’s fun to see the actual numbers and know what your bike is capable of.
Overall, it was a fun little experiment. I learned a bit more about my bike, and I got to hang out with my buddy in his garage. What more could you ask for?
