harley-davidson sportster

Harley-Davidson Adds New Forty-Eight to Dark Custom Line

2010 Harley-Davidson Forty-Eight – Click above for high-res image gallery

Harley-Davidson has just announced a new addition to its entry-level Sportster family, and it's seemingly again drawing on its years of heritage in both the bike's design and name. Called the Forty-Eight, the new machine is the latest motorcycle to slot into HD's Dark Custom series, which also includes the Nightster 1200, Iron 883, Cross Bones, Fat Bob and Street Bob.

So, what makes this model different from the other Sportster models? It's all in the styling details, naturally. Included in the kit are bobbed fenders front and rear, fat front tire, blacked-out and polished 1200cc Evolution V-twin, solo seat that measures 26 inches from the ground, under-mounted mirrors, side mount license plate and tiny 2.1-gallon peanut fuel tank. No matter, with what we bet is less than two inches of rear suspension travel, this bike seems destined to be a short-distance mount anyway.

So, to recap, there's nothing new here at all (which we surmise is kind of the point), but the overall effect still makes the Forty-Eight arguably the most attractive bike in the Sportster line, barring the much sportier XR1200, of course. Pricing begins at $10,499 MSRP in Vivid Black with Brilliant Silver and Mirage Orange Pearl also available. Click past the break for the complete press release and check out our high-res image gallery below.

Gallery: 2010 Harley-Davidson Forty-Eight

[Source: Harley-Davidson]

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Harley-Davidson launches new Iron 883

by Jeremy Korzeniewski (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Click above for a gallery of the 2009 Harley-Davidson Iron 883

Most motorcycles are, by definition, luxury items. In the United States, a very small percentage of motorcycle riders use their bikes as daily transportation, instead choosing to take the "cage" for the various day-to-day trips that are a necessary part of life. This being the case, as fewer people have reserves of money left over to spend on discretionary items in a recession, sales of Harley-Davidson's Big Twin models are suffering.

Enter the new Iron 883, which is based on the Sportster underpinnings and features a fuel-injected 883cc V-twin powerplant. Besides the smaller displacement engine, the rest of the bike mimics the bobbed look of its larger sibling, the Nightster 1200, right down to the blacked-out color palette, front fork gaiters, solo saddle and side-mounted license plate holder. This cost cutting has allowed Harley to place a $7,899 price tag on its Iron 883, neatly undercutting the Nightster by a full $2,000.

Gallery: 2009 Harley-Davidson Iron 883