HARLEY-DAVIDSON FORTY-EIGHT IS A RAW AND RADICAL RIDE

New Sportster Brings Brawn as Chiseled Custom with Power and Performance

OXFORD UK (January 22, 2010) – The new Harley-Davidson® Forty-Eight™ motorcycle is a new factory custom in the legendary tradition of the hot rod Sportster line with the raw, elemental appeal of a Custom.

Riding low and featuring the classic 2.1-gallon (7.95 litre) "peanut" fuel tank, the Forty-Eight backs up its bulldog appearance with the performance of its blacked and polished rubber-mounted Evolution 1200 cc V-Twin engine. The low solo seat, under-bar mounted mirrors, clean rear fender and fat balloon tires emphasise the Forty Eight's focus on chiseled customisation.

"With its classic bulldog shoulders stance, the Forty-Eight strikes a distinctive look and low profile that could only come from Harley-Davidson," said Ray Drea, Harley-Davidson Senior Director of Styling. "The Forty-Eight has a collective past life experience and broken-in look that is raw and authentic."

As a Harley-Davidson Custom, the Forty-Eight is ready to ride as a radical custom and also primed to take on its rider's character and personality.

Harley-Davidson Sportsters like the Forty-Eight have retained an aura of rebellion since their introduction in 1957, when the foundation of custom culture was being laid by military veterans, swaggering greasers and anyone else with a gritty garage. Sportsters became an iron canvas for many legendary choppers of that hot rod era and beyond.

Lying low from tyre-to-tyre, the Forty-Eight showcases more of its black 1200 Evolution V-Twin engine with polished accents and other components with a clean look highlighted by the traditional peanut fuel tank, small solo seat and lightening holes in the backbone mounting bracket. The Forty-Eight has more than just custom cool styling with the smooth ride on new front fork sliders, a fat and wide 150 mm front tyre and slammed rear suspension.

With Electronic Sequential Port Fuel Injection (ESPFI) and a broad torque curve, the Forty-Eight delivers a powerfully responsive ride with smooth clutch effort. The chrome, staggered shorty dual muffler pounds out the distinctive Harley-Davidson American V-Twin sound.

The Forty-Eight embraces the street up front with forward foot controls, low profile custom handlebar, under-bar mounted mirrors, fork-mounted turn signals, slammed speedometer mounting bracket and lightened fork brace. A unique dual texture solo seat fits the lone rider, while a passenger pillion, footpegs and backrest are some of the many accessories that can be added.

The black chopped rear fender with combination stop/turn/tail lights help show-off the fat 150 mm rear tyre and 16-inch Black Steel Laced wheels. The front tyre also rides on a wide black wheel.

The Forty-Eight is available in Vivid Black, Brilliant Silver and Mirage Orange Pearl colours.

Forty-Eight features and highlights:

    * Blacked and polished rubber-mounted Evolution 1200 cc V-Twin engine with chrome accents
    * Electronic Sequential Port Fuel Injection (ESPFI)
    * Steel 2.1-gallon (7.95 litre) peanut fuel tank with lightening hole mounting bracket
    * One-piece, solo Sportster classic seat
    * 710mm seat height
    * Fat balloon tyres
    * 16-inch Black Steel Laced wheels
    * Low profile custom handlebar
    * Under-bar mounted mirrors
    * New front forks with wide triple clamps
    * Chopped front fender mounted on fork brace with lightening holes
    * Fork brace mounted chopped front fender
    * Blacked components including air cleaner cover, clutch and brake levers and turn signals
    * Chopped rear fender
    * Stop-turn-tail lights
    * Two-year factory warranty
    * Harley-Davidson Smart Security System