Don't you forget about me
Harley-Davidson presents the new Sportster Seventy-Two
Drip candles, slime, men's handbags and ribbon salad - no one will shed a tear for some of the peculiarities of the Seventies.
But where is that hot orange, where are the hot Bonanza bikes and where are the really cool choppers? Harley-Davidson has a brand new answer to the latter question: It's called the Sportster Seventy-Two - a model name that is not only reminiscent of the 1970s, but also of US Route 72, the popular cruising boulevard in East Los Angeles.
And it was precisely here, in sunny California, that the look was born in the Seventies, to which the team around Harley-Davidson designers Willie G. Davidson and Frank Savage bowed with the new Seventy-Two.
The synthesis of mini-ape handlebars with internally routed cables, deep solo seat and forward footrests is simply a turn-on. The slim 21-inch wire-spoke front wheel and its 16-inch counterpart at the rear are equipped with elegant whitewall tires that underline the old-school look.
A crisply short rear fender covers the 150mm rear tire, while the slim, almost eight liter “peanut” tank inevitably draws the eye to the massive, gray powder-coated V2, equipped with chrome covers and a round air filter. With 49 kW (67 hp) at 5950 rpm and a maximum torque of 96 Nm at 3,500 rpm, it ensures extremely befitting locomotion.
The stable Sportster chassis guarantees comfort and keeps the bike on track at all times in a manageable and unerring manner. If you want to enjoy the pleasure for two, simply retrofit the pillion seat and footrests from the extensive original accessories range.
The extremely stylish standard components of the Seventy-Two include the chrome-plated bullet indicators at the rear, into which the brake and tail lights have been integrated. The extremely practical features include the security system, which activates the immobilizer and alarm system fully automatically.
And one of the particularly cool finesses is the new, optionally available deep red big flake paint with retro pinstripes - significantly larger flakes than in conventional metal effect paints and a complex manufacturing process ensure an incomparable glitter look.
The Sportster Seventy-Two is warmly recommended to anyone who wants to recapture the best of the “Age of Glamour” feeling. It's already waiting at the nearest authorized dealer and at prices starting at 10,795 euros (Austria: from 12,995 euros) it's coming home with you.
Text & Image: Copyright Harley-Davidson 2012
