Harley-Davidson Sportster S Review: The Legend Rebooted for a New Generation of Riders

You know that moment when you pull up at a light next to a modern naked bike and realize your classic cruiser just can’t keep up? The style is there, the sound is there, but the instant shove, the sharp handling, the tech – that belongs to another era. And it’s not yours.

For years, riders who loved the soul of a Harley but craved real performance had to compromise: old-school charm or modern muscle, but rarely both in one package. The price of heritage was putting up with heat, heft, and handling that felt a generation behind.

That’s the pressure cooker Harley-Davidson found itself in – and the reason this bike exists.

Enter the Harley-Davidson Sportster S: not just a mild refresh, but a complete reimagining of what a Sportster can be. It’s low, aggressive, outrageously torquey, and unapologetically modern – the spiritual reboot of the entry-level Harley, designed for riders who want style and speed.

Why this specific model?

The Harley-Davidson Sportster S is Harley’s answer to a simple but brutal question: what if a Sportster could run with the fast crowd instead of just looking cool at the curb?

Built around the same Revolution Max 1250T liquid-cooled V-twin you’ll find in the Pan America (retuned for low-end torque), the Sportster S is a huge step beyond the air-cooled Iron 883s and Forty-Eights that used to define the lineup.

• Power with purpose: The 1250T engine delivers strong, immediate torque low in the rev range. In the real world, that means punching out of corners, easy highway overtakes, and that satisfying shove in your chest when you crack the throttle – even in a higher gear.
• Modern electronics that stay out of your way: You get selectable ride modes (Road, Sport, Rain, plus custom), cornering ABS, and traction control. Translation: you can ride harder with more confidence, especially in bad weather or on unfamiliar roads.
• Radical stance, familiar soul: The slammed, fat-tire silhouette is more muscle bike than traditional cruiser. But it still feels undeniably Harley – from the low seat height and wide bars to the thump and character of a big V-twin.
• Tech that finally feels 2020s, not 2000s: A round 4-inch TFT display, Bluetooth connectivity, and navigation via the Harley-Davidson app bring the Sportster S into the same universe as modern European and Japanese competitors.

If you’ve always loved the idea of a Harley but worried it would feel outdated, the Sportster S is the model that directly tackles that fear.

At a Glance: The Facts

Feature	User Benefit
Revolution Max 1250T liquid-cooled V-twin engine	Delivers strong low-end torque and high performance with smoother power delivery and less heat than older air-cooled Sportsters.
Selectable ride modes (Sport, Road, Rain + custom)	Lets you tailor throttle response and intervention levels to weather, road, and mood – from relaxed cruising to aggressive canyon runs.
Cornering ABS and traction control	Provides extra safety and stability when braking or accelerating in turns, especially on wet or uneven surfaces.
Low seat height with forward controls	Makes it easy for shorter riders to flat-foot at stops and gives a stretched, power-cruiser feel for confident highway riding.
Upside-down front fork and monoshock rear suspension	Improves front-end feel and handling precision, giving more confidence at speed and in twisty roads compared to older Sportsters.
4-inch TFT display with Bluetooth connectivity	Offers clear, modern instrumentation plus media and navigation via the Harley-Davidson app without cluttering the cockpit.
High-mount exhaust and chunky tires	Delivers a distinctive, aggressive visual identity that stands out at any bike meet and underlines the bike’s performance intent.

What Users Are Saying

Spend a few minutes diving through rider feedback and forum threads – including Reddit discussions and owner reviews – and a clear pattern emerges: the Harley-Davidson Sportster S is polarizing in all the right ways.

The love:

• Engine performance: Owners rave about the Revolution Max 1250T. Many call it the first Sportster that truly feels fast, with brutal mid-range torque and surprisingly strong top-end pull.
• Modern feel: Riders coming from metric naked bikes or sport-tourers appreciate the sharper handling and tighter chassis compared with old Sportsters. The bike feels more planted and responsive than its looks suggest.
• Tech and safety: The ride modes, cornering ABS, and traction control earn praise from newer riders and veterans who ride year-round. People like that it’s still a Harley, but with smart electronics quietly watching your back.
• Styling: The aggressive, almost custom look – fat front tire, high exhaust, short tail – gets a lot of attention. Owners talk about constant questions at gas stations and bike nights.

The criticism:

• Ergonomics: The stock forward controls and low, stretched stance look cool but can be tough on taller riders over long distances. Some complain of cramped knees or pressure on the lower back, and many mention switching to accessory controls or seats.
• Limited practicality: This is not a touring bike. Storage is minimal, passenger comfort is an afterthought, and range can feel short if you’re used to bigger tanks and lazy-range cruisers.
• Heat and exhaust placement: A few riders mention noticeable heat and the proximity of the high-mounted exhaust to the right leg in stop-and-go traffic, particularly in warmer climates.
• Price vs. tradition: Long-time Harley fans sometimes balk at the price compared to older, simpler Sportsters, and some miss the air-cooled shake-and-rumble character.

Overall sentiment: riders who approach the Sportster S as a modern power-cruiser with Harley DNA tend to love it. Those expecting a gentle, classic-feeling Sportster sometimes find it too radical – which is, frankly, the whole point.

It’s worth noting that Harley-Davidson Inc., the company behind this machine (listed under ISIN: US4128221086), is clearly positioning the Sportster S as a statement bike: this is where the brand’s future and its performance ambitions visibly collide.

Alternatives vs. Harley-Davidson Sportster S

The Sportster S doesn’t exist in a vacuum. If you’re cross-shopping, you’re likely looking at other power-cruisers and performance-oriented middleweights.

• Indian Scout / Scout Bobber: Indian’s Scout line is the most obvious American rival. The Scout Bobber offers a similarly low, muscular stance with strong performance. It feels a bit more traditional in design and lacks some of the advanced electronics the Sportster S brings to the table, but may be more comfortable for some riders.
• Yamaha MT-09 / KTM 890 Duke (for performance-minded riders): These aren’t cruisers, but riders cross-shop them because they deliver huge performance per dollar. They’re lighter and more agile, with more upright ergonomics, but don’t have the same visual drama or Harley cachet.
• Ducati Diavel / XDiavel: These are the European answer to the power-cruiser idea: wild styling, huge performance, and premium pricing. They offer more outright aggression and tech, but at a significantly higher cost. The Sportster S gives you a similar attitude at a more approachable price point.
• Traditional Harley Sportsters (used market): If you want pure old-school charm, air-cooled rumble, and simple wrenchability, older Sportsters still make sense – and they’re usually cheaper. But they simply don’t compete with the Sportster S on performance, tech, or refinement.

Where the Harley-Davidson Sportster S really carves out its niche is in the blend: American V-twin soul, power-cruiser styling, and 21st-century performance tech. If that’s the Venn diagram living in your head, nothing else overlaps quite as cleanly.

Final Verdict

The Harley-Davidson Sportster S is not a gentle evolution of a classic. It’s a mic-drop moment: a signal that Harley is willing to reinvent one of its most recognizable nameplates to stay relevant to riders who grew up on smartphones, sportbikes, and streaming, not carburetors and choke levers.

Is it perfect? No. The aggressive ergonomics and limited practicality mean it won’t be everyone’s daily commuter or cross-country tourer. Traditionalists may never fully warm up to the liquid cooling, the TFT dash, or the sharper manners.

But if you’ve ever walked past a row of cruisers and wished one of them felt as modern as it looked, the Sportster S hits differently. It launches hard, turns better than it has any right to, and finally gives you the kind of tech and safety net that makes spirited riding less of a gamble.

This is a Harley you buy because you want to ride – hard, often, and with a grin that doesn’t fade when the road gets twisty. The Sportster S doesn’t just update a legend; it rewrites what the word "Sportster" means for the next generation.

If that sounds like the kind of future you want between your legs, it’s absolutely worth a test ride.