The Harley Davidson Sportster Seventy Two emerged at a time when the custom motorcycle craze was starting to fade. Aimed at the affluent “Rich Urban Biker” crowd, this model was designed to target the wealthier demographic in a changing motorcycling market.
The HD Sportster Seventy Two came in a period where the custom craze was almost over. When it hit the market, there were the existing challenges with the prevailing attitude regarding the art of motorcycling in general. There was this new market among the ‘Rich Urban Biker’ crowd of that period. The introduction of the Sportster Seventy Two was mainly to target the rich crowd. The basic reason for this was that in order to make money people who have money should be targeted.
With the initial Sportster Seventy Two following the same variety in designs and more or less the same routine, there was a case of stagnation. Understanding this scenario, there came a period where the Sportster Seventy Two hit the market with minor variations to it. In the case of the 2016 model, the custom culture is back, which was even featured in Vogue with the New Guard. This helped in removing a lot of stigmas which was attached to the original category.
Following the lines of forty-eight, Sportster Seventy Two also does not follow any kind of specific historical model. This model instead concentrates on getting the vibe of an entire era in the case where the choppers were the central attraction to the custom culture which was prevailing during that time. The major part does start with the front end, which comes with the 21-inch laced rim. It also has the cut-down fender which has the drilled supports and skinny white walls that help in setting the tone for the remaining of the bike.
This model is not exactly a chopper, but it does come with a 30.1-degree rake. The front forks get into the front wheel diameter in order to bring up the front of the frame a little higher than the back. This leads to a stretching effect, but in reality, it seems like an illusion due to the minimal clearance in regards to the rocker boxes and the tank. The thicker-walled steel tubing helps in forming a double-downtube chassis, with a heavy and stiff backbone running below the tank and the seat.
The Sportster Seventy Two is particularly low with just 5.2 inches of ground clearance. Its laden seat height is shy of 27 inches, making it suitable for riders who prefer bikes that keep them closer to the ground. The drivetrain of this model has been in the industry for about 30 years, and the company had ample time to enhance the bike with necessary improvements. The engine shape was altered to complement the overall look of the bike.
The engine option is purely air-cooled, offering advantages over the Twin-Cam’s twin-cooling technology. The undersquare long-stroke engine produces a displacement of 73.4 cubic inches.
Sources
- 2014 Harley-Davidson Sportster Seventy-Two Review - Ultimate Motorcycling - Road test with specifications including ground clearance and seat height
- 2012 Harley-Davidson Sportster XL1200V Seventy-Two Test - Ultimate Motorcycling - Original test of the 2012 model covering chopper-inspired design and 21-inch front wheel
- Church of MO: 2012 Harley-Davidson Seventy-Two Review - Motorcycle.com - Review covering the Rich Urban Biker market and custom culture revival
- Harley-Davidson Sportster - Wikipedia - Specifications and overview of the chopper-style Sportster including the XL1200V Seventy-Two
- Harley-Davidson Seventy-Two Specs - Autoevolution - Technical specifications including 73.4 cubic inch displacement and rake angle
- Factory-Built Chopper: Harley-Davidson Seventy-Two - Hot Bike Magazine - Coverage of the Seventy-Two’s custom chopper styling and peanut tank design
Background reading: our Harley-Davidson history guide covers the full company timeline, every engine family, and the model evolution from 1903 to today.
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