1986 Harley-Davidson XLH1100 Evo Sportster - Limited Edition - 5300 Orig Miles

Description

Garage kept and barely used. Have Original Pipes and straight pipes are installed. All accessories in photos are included. Will supply helmet and manual as well.

By Motorcycle Classics staffJanuary/February 2014

Harley-Davidson XLH1100Years produced:1986-1987Claimed Power:63hp @ 6000rpmTop speed:104mph (period test)Engine:1101cc air-cooled; OHV 45-degree V-twinTransmission:4-speedWeight:494lb (dry)

Though tradition is a core tenet at Harley-Davidson it still seems surprising that the stroke length of its XL engine has remained unchanged since the introduction of the Ironhead Sportster in 1957. So when the first all-aluminum alloy “Evolution” 883cc and 1100cc Sportsters arrived in 1986 their pistons rose and fell as they had for 29 years by 3-13/16 inches — or 96.8mm. Tradition retained.

New however was the XLH1100’s enlarged 85.1mm bore giving a swept volume of 1101cc up from previous 997cc of the big Ironhead. New aluminum alloy cylinder heads used larger valves a narrower included valve angle and more efficient port profile for more power while hydraulic lifters replaced the iron engine’s adjustable rockers in the valve train. Inside the crankcase went a new three-piece crankshaft (replacing the previous five-piece unit) and lighter pistons. Under the smart new aluminum primary cover primary drive to the diaphragm clutch was still by chain — unlike the new belt drive on the 1340cc Evo Big Twin introduced in 1984. In all though more than half the Sportster engine’s components were improved or modified making for smoother and lighter clutch operation reduced valve train noise and quicker quieter gearshifts.

The unit-construction engine was solidly mounted in a dual-downtube steel cradle frame with twin Showa shocks controlling the rear swingarm while a Showa fork with 35mm stanchions provided front suspension. Cast alloy wheels were 16-inch diameter at the rear and 19-inch at the front with a single 11.2-inch disc brake front and rear. Dry weight snuck in at just less than 500 pounds. With its power boosted from the iron engine’s 50-odd horsepower to a claimed 63 the new Sportster turned in 13.5-second standing quarters at 97mph — respectable but a second slower than the contemporary Yamaha Virago 1100.

Yet while it may have been slower than the Japanese competition more important Cycle World wrote in 1986 was the kind of power the Sportster had. “It’s that brute thumping always-usable style of power that is so typical of big V-Twins … When the 1100’s throttle is rolled open anywhere between 2500 and 4500rpm the engine usually accelerates with enough force to make downshifting its 4-speed gearbox seem totally redundant.”

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