In the time between the first XR’s appearance over two years ago and now, surely Harley would’ve heard enough bellyaching from riders and reviewers about limited ground clearance. It’s a wonder then why The Motor Company didn’t capitalize on the opportunity to increase clearance on the X model, especially in light of its improved performance parameters thanks to the new suspension.Despite good grip and feedback from the Dunlop Qualifier D209 tires, one could not lean and push this bike to its limits. These lean-angle annoyances aside, we must remember the XR-X is a street bike, not a race-prepped supersport.
The new XR1200X brings the ability to fine-tune suspension adjustments, and as such most riders will find they can resolve most individual handling issues they might encounter on this sportiest of the Sportsters. For this reason alone I cannot conjure a good reason to lament the X’s added cost.With this latest update to the modern XR series, we can once more thank our motorcycle-loving European brethren.