2009 Harley-Davidson XR1200 First Ride

New Models

2009 Harley-Davidson XR1200 First Ride

Harley-Davidson draws upon the success of its iconic dirt-track motorcycle, the XR750, for its street-shredding adaption in the form of the 2009 XR1200.

Bryan Harley | http://www.motorcycle-usa.com | Posted December 29, 2008 Eugene, Oregon

The 2009 XR1200 debuted solely in Europe originally, but outcry by dealers and enthusiasts here in the States helped convince Harley-Davidson that we needed it here, too. (Photo: motorcycleusa.com)

The road before me is relentless. Dropping down off E Grade Road on Palomar Mountain is an unforgiving series of sneaky decreasing radius turns and switchbacks. I give the stiff clutch lever a short pull and bang it down a gear. The rear Dunlop Qualifiers are sticking like glue, and the motorcycle ahead of me is picking up every small rock in the road and throwing it back at me. The pace is fast as we drop a thousand feet with the bike seldom standing up. Transitions are quick and smooth as I hit another turn. I check my side view mirror to see 9-time AMA Dirt Track champion Scott Parker hot on my tail. To add to the surreal nature of the scene is the fact that the sharp-handling bike I am on is a Harley-Davidson, the 2009 XR1200.

It is fitting that Parker is on hand for the XR press introduction. Harley-Davidson used his weapon of choice, the XR750, as inspiration for the XR1200. But besides the fact that Parker won nine of the 26 #1 Race Plates the XR750 has captured, he also helped The Motor Company sort out the XR1200’s chassis as they adapted the aggressive attitude of the dirt tracker for the street.

These adaptations start with a 1.5-degree split-rake fork offset, with the 29.3-degree angle of the steering axis slightly more than the 27.8-degree fork angle. The tight rake and Showa sticks up front keep the 18-inch D209 firmly planted on
Twin four-piston front brakes with 292mm discs have great feel and are very responsive.
Twin four-piston front brakes with healthy-sized 292mm discs have great feel and are very responsive.
the road. The 43mm inverted front fork does have a claimed 5.12-in travel to the front, but even under heavy braking the amount of flex wasn’t an issue. Steering response is like an Insta-Matic, just point and shoot. Throw a set of high-performance Nissin brakes into the equation and you’ve got the best feeling front end you’ll find on a production Harley. The twin four-piston front brakes with 292mm discs only take a light squeeze to engage and have the potential to throw you over the bars if you don’t respect them.

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