MCN tested the 04 XL1200C in it's 12-03 issue and reported a 12.99 @ 100.11 mph quarter mile with a measured top of 123.7 mph. Quite good stock figures for the cruiser world. It had 58HP with 68 ft lbs of torque.eric© wrote: I was looking at the Sportster 1200, and was rather amazed to find figures on it such as only 58HP, and a top speed around 105mph. Now I realize that it's a considerably larger bike than my GS, but my "little" bike will do 105 no problem. I then pulled up specs on the V-Max. 98HP, and a top of 132. Bandit-114HP and 146MPH.
Similar results on the other bikes out there....the Harley ends up being the most expensive to buy and insure, gets the cruddiest gas mileage, and has the lowest performance. They sound cool tho
They tested the 883L model in their 1-05 issue and reported a 14.98 @ 88.93 mph quarter with a 108.2 mph top. 40.8 HP and 41.9 torque. Actually better figures than the Honda VLX and the Aero 750 and also better than the popular 650 Stars. I think a guy that knew how to shift gears and liked too do so could run away from most of the mid size cruisers on the 883. It's 51.3 mpg avg gas milage is better than all the mid size cruisers I can think of. About 10 mpg better than the 1200.
I spent a lot of time sitting on the XL1200C at the bike show last winter and was quite impressed with it's ergos for my 6' 240# carcass. I've never ridden any Harleys although i have been offered a ride quite a few times by friends. I did get a good ride on a 1200 Buell Cyclone with a souped up HD engine down in Knoxville in 01. Wow, amazing torque for a guy that rode down there on a GS500 at about 80 mph indicated. It vibrated extremely badly at idle but smoothed out if you picked up the idle to 1800 and riden between 2k and 3k rpm it was quite smooth and extremely torquey. Vibes went up quickly from 3k up.
If you could get a ride on a current XL1200C, I think you would be very favorably impressed. Sadly, the Sporty gained about 60# when they added the rubber mounts a couple years ago. The last few years I've hung out uptown evenings in front of a coffee shop with a bunch of bikers that ride mostly cruisers and most of them HDs and have ridden with many of them. When running on highways with these torque monsters I run my GS500s in 5th and drop frequently to 4th as required. That's why we have 6 gears on our small engine high revving bikes.
But alas... I had to sell it in order to get a down payment for my first house... 
Just where the heck were my priorities??? 
