HARLEY’S SPORTSTER IRON 883 IS DESIGNER DAIS NAGAO’S GLORIOUS COMBINATION OF TOKYO URBAN AGGRESSION AND CALI CUSTOMIZATION

BY ALICE FORSTEAD

Harley Davidson’s Sportster line’s market success need really only be delineated by observing that it has been in continuous production since 1957. Recognizing that the company is famed nearly as much for relatively aggressive price points in the upper-end models as it is for extraordinary attention to detail and “made in the USA” status, the Sportster line, then and now, is a way for dreamers to enter the Hog world in a relatively thrifty manner, with new models fetching just over $8,000 before options.

Though always lovely, these entry-level Harleys (whether the choice is the 883cc V-twin or its larger 1200cc brother) used to be comparatively unadorned–designed simply and without the plentiful chrome and exuberant body styles of, say, the Road King ($18,800) or the Street Glide Special ($23,200).

With the advent of Harley’s Dark Custom design approach eight years ago, the release of the Sportster Iron 883 in 2009 and most recently with the participation of designer Dais Nagao, fans of the former “blank slate” Sportsters are in for a thrill. When he’s not in the studio, Nagao hits motorcycle shows all over the world, from Mooneyes in Japan to Born Free in California. He grew up racing on the neon streets of Tokyo, later moving to our West Coast, where he fell in love with the custom scene. It’s not hard to see these influences in the Iron 883—all Tokyo urban aggression, with bare-boned Cali customization.

The Iron ($8,849) offers responsive handling, smooth clutch effort, handsome black nine-spoke wheels (front and rear) and machined highlights, and pushes the styling of motorcycling minimalism. Decked in black from fender-tofender, and with an 883 Evolution engine (its overhead valve design and four-cam gear train firmly rooted in the company’s race program), the design is counterpointed by gritty, old school garage features like front fork gaiters, drag-style handlebars, and a side-mount license plate holder.

“The Iron 883 defies the plastic conventions of other motorcycles at this price,” said Mark-Hans Richer, Harley- Davidson Chief Marketing Officer. “It’s got old school style but a new school ride, and gives the owner a platform for creative customization.”

Garden State Harley-Davidson
1775 NJ-10, Morris Plains / 973.898.7100 / gardenstatehd.com
Williams Harley-Davidson
1100 US-22, Lebanon / 908.236.0767 / williamshd.com