Bore & Stoke Breakout: Bill Davidson on the Most Underrated Harley
When asked on episode 8 of the Bore and Stoke podcast to name the most underrated Harley-Davidson ever produced, Bill Davidson didn’t hesitate. He pointed directly to a short-lived machine from the late 2000s: the XR1200.
A Sportster with Track DNA
Introduced in 2008 for the 2009 model year, the XR1200 was a street-legal homage to Harley’s dirt track racing dominance. Powered by a high-output 1200cc Evolution V-Twin engine, the machine featured a sporty stance and upgraded suspension that begged to be ridden aggressively. Its performance credentials spawned the AMA Vance & Hines XR1200 road racing series. Bill Davidson himself remains a fan of the model, keeping an XR1200 in his personal collection alongside his 1983 XR1000.
"I think the XR1200 was a pretty phenomenal motorcycle," Bill remarked. "It is a ball to ride. I think that bike had some life left in it, and I'm sorry that we had to get rid of it."
Ultimately, the realities of product planning budgets meant the XR1200 had to make way for other projects, but it remains a certified cult classic for performance-minded riders.
Check out the Bore & Stoke episode with Bill Davidson here to listen to the full interview.
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Troy's been riding motorcycles and writing about them since 2006, getting his start at Rider Magazine. From there, he moved to Sport Rider Magazine before finally landing at Motorcycle.com in 2011. A lifelong gearhead who didn't fully immerse himself in motorcycles until his teenage years, Troy's interests have always been in technology, performance, and going fast. Naturally, racing was the perfect avenue to combine all three. Troy has been racing nearly as long as he's been riding and has competed at the AMA national level. He's also won multiple club races throughout the country, culminating in a Utah Sport Bike Association championship in 2011. He has been invited as a guest instructor for the Yamaha Champions Riding School, and when he's not out riding, he's either wrenching on bikes or watching MotoGP.
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The first Harley I ever rode. I probably would have purchased, but for the extra $3k of dealer bump-up. In many aspects, it was an evolution of the Buell XB series, which were derived from the Sportster. Drawbacks were excessive weight (still rode and handled great) and a dinky fuel capacity.
It just looked Eurocentric to me.
Hardly underrated. Too long, fat, and under powered, ie a typical Hardly Ableson.