I’m afraid to call the new Harley-Davidson SuperLow 1200T adorable, but it is. Charming, in fact. I’m not sure why these kinds of labels come across as derogatory when used to describe motorcycles, but they often do. But what’s a Mini Cooper, or a Fiat 500 Abarth, when it’s passing you on the inside of a mountain curve? Certainly no less cheek-pinchingly cute.
Similarly, the Sportster has a prestigious racing history and it’s steeped in a general iconic coolness that can’t quite dilute what’s darling about the bike. To date, the SuperLow has been an 883-outfitted option, and it has become especially popular with riders who want to own a Harley-Davidson but require something lighter, lower, and more nimble than The Motor Company’s main-stage offerings. With the release of this Sportster 1200T (“T” is for touring), these customers now get a magic-wand fit plus the option of more power and all the touring amenities usually reserved for Big-Twin baggers.
The SuperLow 1200T is claimed to be calibrated to offer more long-haul, two-up comfort with a retuned fork and implementation of an easily adjustable emulsion rear shock system, controlled by a hand dial located just forward of the left saddlebag. Being taller than the typical SuperLow customer (5-foot-10) but not feeling particularly chunky that day, I was a little surprised that the bike’s owner’s manual recommended that my empty-saddlebag setting was full taut. (The bike, for the record, is designed to be ergonomically ideal for riders 5-foot-1 to 5-foot-7.) Despite being well above that window, I felt quite comfortable on the SuperLow: not too spider-legged to the ground nor cramped underway.
Our all-day test ride had us wandering around central Florida…a place where it’s easy to forget what cornering feels like. But we still had to turn once in awhile, which spotlights the downside of the SuperLow’s stature: It’s a scraper. With, whoa, a maximum 2.1 inches of travel out back. So, yeah, it’s a bit of a spine compressor when you hit anything squirrel-sized, and if what you hit isn’t squishy and you happen to be cornering, it’ll kick you out of shape in a hurry. However, because of its lighter weight and well-balanced chassis, it’s easily collectable.
In retrospect, that day spent riding Harley’s new models in The Sunshine State was funny. First of all, it was butt-clenchingly cold every single minute, very uncommon Spring Break/Bike Week weather, and none of us were properly dressed. Second, during our ride, we were meant to swap between the SuperLow1200T and Harley’s other 2014 mid-year release, the legendary Low Rider, freshly returned from a five-year hiatus. As excited as I was for the Low Rider, you could scarcely pry me from the SuperLow 1200T. That 14-inch windshield may look pretty dinky, but let me tell you, it is a life-changer on a cold, misty day, even for a taller rider. It’s also detachable, by the way, for warmer days, and adjustable to best match the rider’s height.
Another boon are the firm, well-constructed saddlebags that come stock on the SuperLow. Made of a leather-look vinyl, these lockable units are very roomy for a small touring bike, roomier, in fact, than many bags found on full-size, current-model cruisers.
Another touring-intended garnish are the 1200T’s “mini floorboards,” which are really just plumped-up footpegs. I found them initially annoying because they didn’t offer a lot of foot-placement flexibility, yet they were wide enough to get in the way of boot deployment at stops. You know, with actual floorboards, you automatically put your feet out and over the platforms, but because these “minis” feel like pegs, you tend to go forward and down. And while I’m a bit tall for the bike, I wear a size 8 men’s boot, far from ginormous.
Alas, by the end of that frigid day, the SuperLow and I were happily fused. I’d gotten used to the fat pegs. Was taking those cross-roads corners (just about the only kind in Florida) upright and wide, so as not to shower sparks on any snowbirds walking to bingo. Plus, by making myself as small as possible, I was able to utilize every beautiful inch of that wind- and mist-slaying windshield.
Shivering uncontrollably—with a grimace that told of too light a jacket and way too many fried scallops for lunch—I wasn’t a pretty picture as we rolled back into downtown Daytona Beach. But, I guarantee you, that two-tone XL1200T SuperLow I was riding, which retails for $12,334 in its two-tone paint, was looking nothing short of adorable.
SPECIFICATIONS
2014 Harley-Davidson XL1200T SuperLow
PRICE
$11,799 (black)/$12,114 (solid)/$12,334 (two-tone)
ENGINE TYPE
air-cooled 1202cc V-twin
BORE & STROKE
88.9 x 96.8mm
INDUCTION
EFI
COMPRESSION RATIO
10.0:1
VALVE TRAIN
ohv
TRANSMISSION
Five-speed
FINAL DRIVE
Toothed belt
FRONT SUSPENSION
Telescopic fork
REAR SUSPENSION
Dual shocks
FRONT BRAKE
Single 300mm disc, dual-piston caliper
REAR BRAKE
Single 260mm disc, dual-piston caliper
FRONT TIRE
Michelin Scorcher 11T, 120/70ZR-18 59W
REAR TIRE
Michelin Scorcher 11T, 150/70ZR-17 69W
RAKE
31.1º
TRAIL
5.7 in.
WHEELBASE
59.1 in.
SEAT HEIGHT
26.1 in.
WET WEIGHT
599 lb.
FUEL CAPACITY
4.5 gal.
FUEL ECONOMY
48 mpg