2016 Harley-Davidson Forty-Eight Review
Harley-Davidson has updated the Forty-Eight for 2016, and the result is a bike with improved handling to match the easy-going Sportster 1202cc Evolution motor.
The most important changes for the 2016 Harley-Davidson Forty-Eight are right up front; the Sportster 48 gets beefy new 49mm forks (up 10mm from last year, and now with cartridge damping) with stronger triple clamps and a fork brace, improving the handling of the bike.
Riding the Forty-Eight, the new front end it immediately apparent when putting it into a turn. The previous edition of the bike wasn’t bad, but this is a much more substantial feel, which improves confidence in the handling. The same excellent Michelin Scorcher 31 is used, with a fat 130mm width on a new 16-inch 9-spoke cast aluminum wheel (it replaces a traditional laced wheel).
With the increased stiffness in the front of the bike, Harley-Davidson was able to tuck in the fork angle by 1.3 degrees, giving the 551-pound bike (claimed wet) more of an agile feeling, both in-town and on backroads.
The back-end of the 2016 Harley-Davidson Sportster Forty-Eight also got some help. The rear shock still has a scant 1.6 inches of travel, but now the shock has a nitrogen-charged emulsion-style design, plus a variable rate spring and threaded preload adjustment. Without riding them back-to-back, it’s difficult to tell a huge difference, given the short travel, but it handled irregularities in the road well enough.
Lean angle has changed a bit for 2016, with the touch-down point at a uniform 27.1 degrees. That increases the left side by a full degree, while taking away 0.7 degrees from the right side. Being a low-slung Sportster with a seat height of 28-inches, the peg feelers still hit the tarmac with some regularity if you’re even a slightly aggressive rider.
Speaking of the set, the 2016 Harley-Davidson Sportster Forty-Eight gets a new solo seat. It’s comfortable, with nice support, even as the foot- and hands-forward ergonomics tend to give this bobber more than a bit of a café feel (the under-bar rear view mirrors add to this).
Overall, the 48 could certainly be more inviting from a comfort standpoint, but with a 2.1-gallon tank that needs frequent refilling, H-D isn’t expecting you to go for long stints between off-bike breaks.
The appearance has been changed thanks to new AMF-inspired retro graphics (except on the Hard Candy Custom versions), along with chrome exhaust shields with some old-school bobber-style cutouts (saving weight, naturally) and “1200” on the engine cases (replacing “5”). Plus, the air filter is now round and black. There’s also more black on the Forty-Eight than before, solidifying it as one of Harley-Davidson’s Dark Custom series.
Overall, the changes to the 2016 Harley-Davidson Sportster Forty-Eight are not revolutionary, but they are significant enough to make it a better motorcycle for bombing through town late at night, as well as taking a fast stroll to the local tavern in the canyons.
Photography by Riles & Nelson
Riding Style:
- Helmet: Arai Defiant Jolly Roger 2
- Communications: Sena SMH10R
- Jacket: Rev’It Flatbush
- Gloves: Rev’It Abbey Road
- Jeans: Harley-Davidson Genuine Performance Riding
http://www.harley-davidson.com/store/genuine-performance-riding-jean - Boots: Rev’It Royale
2016 Harley-Davidson Sportster Forty-Eight Specs
Engine:
- Engine: Air-cooled pushrod, Evolution
- Bore x stroke: 3.5 x 3.811 inches
- Displacement: 73.4 cubic inches
- Compression ratio: 10:01
- Exhaust: Chrome, staggered shorty exhaust with dual slash-cut mufflers
- Fuel System: Electronic Sequential Port Fuel Injection (ESPFI)
- Engine torque: 70.8 ft-lb @ 3500 rpm
- Fuel economy: Combined City/Hwy, 48 mpg
Dimensions
- Length: 85 inches
- Seat Height, Laden: 26.2 inches
- Seat Height, Unladen: 27.3 inches
- Ground Clearance: 3.9 inches
- Rake: 30.2 degrees
- Fork angles: 28.7 degrees
- Trail: 5.3 inches
- Wheelbase: 59.3 inches
- Tires: Michelin Scorcher 31
- Front tire: 130/90B16 73H
- Rear tire: 150/80B16 77H
- Fuel Capacity: 2.1 gallons
- Engine oil capacity (w/filter): 2.8 quarts
- Curb weight: 551 pounds
Chassis
- Front suspension: 49mm forks, 3.6 inches of travel
- Rear suspension: Variable rate spring over nitrogen-charged emulsion-style shock with threaded preload; 1.6 inches of travel
- Wheels: Black, Split 9-Spoke Cast Aluminum w/ Machined Highlights
- Brakes f&r: Dual-piston calipers (ABS optional)
- Lean angle r&l: 27.1 degrees
- Gauges: 4-inch Speedometer mounted low and integrated into handlebar clamp
2016 Harley-Davidson Sportster Forty-Eight MSRP:
- Vivid Black: $11,199
- Color Option: $11,549
- Hard Candy Color Option: $11,649
- Security Option: $395
- ABS Option: $795