Harley-Davidson XR1200 (2008-2013) - Review & Buying Guide

Launched in late 2008 as a 2009 model year machine, the XR1200 is a bike that has lived somewhat of a rollercoaster life. Originally conceived by Harley-Davidson as a flat-track inspired model that was meant to directly target the European market (the first time Harley-Davidson had done so) due to its enhanced handling when compared to other Sportster models, the XR1200 initially flopped despite some fairly serious marketing that even included a one-make race series. Then something very odd happened, just as Harley pulled the plug the whole ‘hipster’ fashion took off and XRs were in high demand! Where dealers struggled to shift stock when new, used bikes were now commanding a hefty premium. It was, much like Ducati with their SportClassic model range, the perfect example of right bike, wrong time. Nowadays the hipster bubble has burst and XR prices have returned to more ‘normal’ levels. If you are after a cool-looking bike with easy-going charm, the XR1200 is actually very good. It’s not the fastest or lightest-handling machine out there but it is charming to ride and still looks great. Just avoid any heavily modified machines and don’t think you need to get a sleeve of tattoos, top-knot and a beard to own one...

Pros & Cons

2008-2013 Harley-Davidson XR1200 - Prices

When the XR1200 arrived in 2008 it commanded a £7655 price tag, which was quite quickly reduced when dealers discovered that the market wasn’t ready for such a bike. Despite this, or in an effort to excite buyers, the higher-spec XR1200X was released in 2010 with an even higher £9170 RRP. If you had looked to buy one about five years ago you would have needed to fork out in the region of £8500 for a stock bike and closer, or even over, £10,000 for an X due to fashion putting it in high demand. This trend has passed and you can get a nice standard XR1200 for about £5000-£6500 with an X pushing this to £7000-£8500, which is much more align with what they are actually worth!

2008-2013 Harley-Davidson XR1200 - Engine & Performance

The high-torque 1202cc Evolution motor features fuel-injection and an electronically controlled active intake system as well as the cool 2-1-2 straight shot exhaust system but to all intents and purposes, it is just a Sportster motor (aside from oil-cooling around the exhaust valve pockets) and that means it has its limitations. Mainly being the fact it isn’t that sporty....

As it is heavily based on the Sportster engine, which remember is an air-cooled 2v push-rod motor that only has a five-speed gearbox and runs a belt final drive, you can’t expect too much in terms of performance. With a claimed 91bhp and 73.7lb-ft of torque, it lumbers along merrily but is far from fast – especially as it has to lug around 250kg of bike plus rider! That said, it sounds great, vibrates as a Harley should and as long as you don’t rush the gearbox, is an engaging motor to use. And, importantly, as well as sounding right it is very reliable.

Aside from the occasional sensor failing, there is little to worry about in terms of reliability. The belt final drive can be replaced without removing the swingarm (unlike on some Harley models...) and while it is quite costly at nearly £300 for the belt, it should last a long time. Always check it for any signs of damage such as tears or stone holes. Service intervals are 5000 miles and as it has hydraulic tappets, there are no valve clearances to check. The major worry is if the previous owner has used the correct grade of oil as the air-cooled engine needs 20/50 oil, which is thicker than water-cooled engines run. Generally, a stamped service book from an authorised Harley dealer means you can be confident that the motor is sound.

2008-2013 Harley-Davidson XR1200 - Handling & Suspension (inc. Weight)

Harley made every effort to appeal to the European market with the XR and that meant making it quite sporty-handling. Or as sporty-handling as they could within the constraints of the Sportster platform. To these ends the XR comes with unique three-spoke lightweight cast wheels with the front an 18in item and the rear a 17in. The suspension is built by Showa, the four-piston brakes from Nissin and the tubular steel chassis features semi-rear set pegs, wide bars and a high-ish seat height of 742mm. Apparently all ergonomics designed around the average height European male rider (what does that say about the average American rider...)!

A fairly big and chunky bike, the XR is certainly substantial and that’s what it feels like to ride. More than happy to hustle through bends, you need to put the effort in to get the XR to change direction and a spirited ride does require a fair chunk of muscling it around and forcing it to comply but once you get it rolling it is lots of fun. The suspension on the standard bike is lacking much in the way of adjustment (shocks’ preload only) and is set quite softly, leading to a bit of a spongy ride. The X’s uprated units, which are BPF forks and higher-quality piggyback shocks, are also lacking in anything other than shocks’ preload adjustability but they are set noticeably firmer and deliver a sportier ride quality. The Nissin brakes on both bikes struggle a bit under the XR’s weight, so fitting braided lines and high-friction pads is thoroughly recommended...

When buying used check the wheels not only for corrosion, which is a common complaint, but also the size of the front wheel. Race bikes ran a 17in front, which a few owners replicate. It makes the bike sportier-handling but isn’t recommended by Harley so might have implications when it comes to insurance. On any used bike, uprated suspension (Öhlins shocks are quite common) is great to see and makes a huge improvement to the bike’s handling.

2008-2013 Harley-Davidson XR1200 - Comfort & Economy

The XR is about as comfortable as any naked bike and as long as you keep the speed down, and with it the windblast, it motors on merrily (with a fair few vibrations) and the seat is fairly well padded. It’s not great for pillions but that’s not really at the top of its design brief... Some owners fit a small screen or nose fairing but that detracts from its cool flat-track look.

The engine will generally record high 40s mpg figures, which is ok as it has a fairly decent-sized 13.3-litre fuel tank. Well, decent when compared to some other Harley cruisers!

2008-2013 Harley-Davidson XR1200 - Equipment

The XR was always fairly stripped-back so it is limited in terms of equipment and lacks ABS, TC or any electronic assists. If you want to up the spec level, you need to look at the XR1200X model, which has uprated suspension. Or spend some cash on the stock model’s suspension, which is a good investment.

When it comes to accessories, you need to be a bit careful. Things like Supertrapp exhausts and a Stage 1 air filter and ECU kit are good additions (and pretty common) but aside from a tail tidy and maybe bar-end mirrors that’s where you want to draw the line. Avoid heavily-modified bikes as more often than not, they ride far worse than the original.

2008-2013 Harley-Davidson XR1200 - Rivals

There are loads of great air-cooled (or water-cooled...) retro options that have bags of character, so the kind of buyer who is tempted by the XR1200 is spoiled for choice. Generally the XR doesn’t attract just die-hard Harley fans, so the options don’t only involve other Sportster models.

BMW R nineT Pure (2017-2023) | Price: £5500-£9999

Read more

Power/Torque

108bhp / 86lb-ft

Weight

219kg

Yamaha MT-01 (2005-2010) | Price: £4000-£7500

Read more

Power/Torque

90bhp / 110lb-ft

Weight

265kg

Triumph Speed Twin 1200 (2019-2024) | Price: £6500-£11,999

Read more

Power/Torque

96bhp / 83lb-ft

Weight

216kg

2008-2013 Harley-Davidson XR1200 - Verdict

The XR1200 is undeniably heavy, slow (by naked bike standards) and not that brisk-handling – however this isn’t actually much of an issue because it still looks great and that’s what matters. If you are after a head-turning Harley that has bags of character thanks to its air-cooled motor and is fun in the bends, the XR is worth checking out. They are reasonably rare but at least prices have now returned far closer to what they are actually worth rather than being artificially inflated by fashion. And it has to either be an orange standard bike or a black X, which are easily the best paint options!

If you’d like to chat about this article or anything else biking related, join us and thousands of other riders at the Bennetts BikeSocial Facebook page.

Do you own this bike? Tell us what it’s like, or ask us questions about it at bikeclub.bennetts.co.uk.

2008-2013 Harley-Davidson XR1200 - Technical Specification