Apr 30, 2015 12:37 PM
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This bike's V twins are known to be very distinctive in terms of their method of delivering output and transferring it to the road in an easy and comfortable manner. The Sportster Forty Eight is no exception here either, in fact it actually pushes the envelope as far as performance is concerned. It piles on speed with surprising potency all thanks to the wonderfully linear torque curve.
The 255 kg kerb weight does not feel like much and the bike handles corners with surprising ease. The aggressive low handlebars work with the front mounted footpegs with integrated controls to give you a very flexible seating position. Thus it is able to tackle urban situations and dominate them with the sheer stance alone and of course the low saddle height helps immensely.
You can whip it through traffic like nobodys business. Bear in mind though that this is a cruiser and not a sportbike so lean in too hard and you risk grounding the pegs or the exhaust. Having said that, the lean angles at 27.8 degrees on the right and 26.1 degrees on the left are somewhat better than the lower powered cousin- The Iron 883.
The lean angles and the largish 1, 520 mm wheelbase go together like Laurel & Hardy. The low mounted front & rear suspension is adjustable for preload helping keep the setup free to suit individual choices. The Michelin Scorcher tyres provide ample grip and aid handling sufficiently.
Featuring a massive 130/90 front on a 16 inch wheel and wide rear 150/80 also on a 16 inch wheel, the Forty Eight gets a mean stance with a wide footprint. Braking duties are taken care of via a 2-piston 300 mm single disc front and 2-piston single disc rear brake system featuring braided steel lines for maximum braking efficiency.
