How powerful is an 883 Sportster?

[wroughtn_harv]

<font color=blue>And if that guy could not win on it, noone could. He is/was the best rider I have EVER seen. </font color=blue>

I once saw Malcom Smith in action just playing around on a factory four oh five Husky. It has to be inate talent on loan from the universe.

As for the 883 I'd guess the fiftyish number sounds about right. I rode a bud's twelve hundred Sportster and it was fun but wannabe son in law's 996 Superhawk made it look weak.

If I remember right my 465 Yamaha I raced desert with was in the fiftyish area and that was back twenty years plus ago.

 

[s1120]

<font color=red>. I rode a bud's twelve hundred Sportster and it was fun but wannabe son in law's 996 Superhawk made it look weak.
</font color=red>

I would have to say thats and understatment./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif I got a little Yamaha RD400, two stroke buzbomb that has made a sportsster or two eat smoke. Only about 20 or so HP, but in a bike that is only about 300lbs, and that power band!/w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif/w3tcompact/icons/cool.gif Got to love when it hits.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Paul, since you made the only real guess, YOU WIN!

Peak HP 45.9
Peak torque 42.9 ft. lbs.

The torque curve has a pretty good dip in the middle which I suspect is a lean condition in the mid range.

 

[Wingnut]

Gary,

the women I know that ride bikes don't need a special Goldwing made for them .... they ride the big bikes right alongside the guys. Or else they get trikes made outa wings.
Something to do with wanting to make it to the other end of the trip with all bike parts intact, I'm told.

Just more pot stirring.

OK ... all you Harley guys settle down, we just enjoy poking fun at you occassionally ... usually in writing because you usually can't hear what we're saying for an hour or two after shutting your bikes down.
/w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif /w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif

 

[Wingnut]

883 ??? Is that the decibals measured 1/4 mile back on the hiway or what?
Or is that how many seconds it takes to hit 60mph from a stopsign?
/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

 

[Anonymous Poster]

I tried to post the print out of the power curves but the JPG file is just slightly to big (160k). Yea the little sporty is pretty weak. About 53 C.I.D. At 46 HP that is about .87 HP per cube. And since it weighs about a thousand pounds,(/w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif)pretty dismal power to weight ratio. Now lets take a look at a Jap motor. 998 cc (59.9 C.I.D.) About a 13% increase in displacement, but in a little more efficient configuration. Whoa! 131.6 HP. and 69.5 ft.lbs. at the rear wheel, or in laymans terms about 2.2 HP per cube. If Harley could get that kind of efficiency that sporty would have over a hundred HP. But wait a minute-Harleys are all about torque, not screaming RPMs. That little sporty pumps out a hearty 43 ft.lbs., or .81 ft.lbs. per cube. Yep, torque is where its at. That stupid Yamaha with it's "rev to the moon" HP reading can't compare to good old "off the line" power. Oh-wait a minute. looks like the Yamaha motor has right at 1.2 ft.lbs. per cube. Hmmm./w3tcompact/icons/hmm.gif Come to think of it that tiny TTR 125 4-cycle dirt bike that I ran the other day had 1.1 HP per cube. Oh well. At least Harleys usually have lots of pretty chrome to look at. (how's that for stirring the pot?)

*all readings taken at the rear wheel

 

[Ozarker]

I rode a Yammer R5C 350 back in the 70's and it was a screamer.

 

[DK35vince]

Harley's also come with a really thick payment book you can look through !!
Maybe some day they will learn how to build a muffler.

 

[AMP762]

You guys miss the whole point. Harleys are not about going anywhere,thy're about putting from one beer joint to the next
and then talking about Harleys.

 

[Von]

You guys can stick with your bikes, I'll take my Porsche 911 any day! I take the top off and still have the wind in my hair! Just no bugs in my teeth!/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif I bet I paid less for the 911 than what a HD cost! Plus I can hear the radio!/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif