Harley-Davidson Sportster S
Harley-Davidson's modern cruiser — the 2021+ Sportster S abandoned the air-cooled Evolution engine for a Revolution Max 1250T liquid-cooled 60° V-twin (122 PS, 125 Nm). UK buyers get a low (753mm) seat, 122 PS that's competitive with European cruisers, and the unmistakable Harley sound and presence. The trade-off is the engine has limited service history in the UK (newer platform), small 11.7-litre tank gives ~110 miles touring range, and cooling fan controller failures are a documented early-unit issue.
- Engine
- 1252 cc
- Power
- 122 PS
- Weight
- 228 kg
- Seat height
- 753 mm
- A2 licence
- —
60° V-twin Revolution Max 1250T, liquid-cooled DOHC
wet
The short version
Forecourt score
Value 64 · Insurance 25 · Theft 65
The Harley-Davidson Sportster S holds its value about as well as most bikes (around 25% lost over three years, against the 25-32% bike norm) and is expensive to insure (group 13). Theft risk is moderate.
A bike-specific blend of value retention, insurance and theft risk (weighted 40/35/25). Bikes carry no MOT reliability data, so reliability isn't scored. Higher is better.
Variant: Sportster S
Engine
Petrol · 1252cc
Power
122 ps
Torque
125 Nm
Weight
228 kg
Seat
753 mm
Transmission
6-speed manual
Economy
50 mpg
Tell us about the one you're looking at
Tidy and well looked-after for its age — the typical clean bike.
Estimated market value
£10,024
Range £9,022 – £11,026
HIGH CONFIDENCE
Holding value
Bikes hold value far better than cars — typical motorcycle 3-year depreciation is 25–32%, against cars' 40–50%. Some bikes (Hayabusa, Gold Wing, classic Z1000) actually appreciate in the 7–15 year zone as cult demand outstrips supply.
New
£14,200
At 5 years
—
At 10 years
—
Value loss by phase
Each band shows the share of original value lost during that window — not cumulative. Appreciation (green, marked +X% gained) is real for bikes that develop cult status.
UK new price by year
How we estimate this
These figures are specific to this model rather than a shared default, but they are indicative estimates and not yet derived from a recorded sample of UK sale prices. Bike residuals depend heavily on theft history, service-stamp count and crash-damage signatures. Figures assume a clean, fully-stamped example.
What it costs to own
Indicative running costs at 3,000 miles a year — the UK average from DfT travel and traffic statistics. Belt or shaft drive eliminates the chain/sprocket consumable; tax (typically £25–£100/yr) and depreciation are excluded — see the section above for value retention.
3-year total
£3,158
Per year
£1,053
Per mile
£0.35
Service costs assume independent specialist labour and OE parts. Tyre intervals reflect typical UK road riding — track-day usage burns through rear tyres in <2,000 miles. Fuel uses the variant MPG at the current DESNZ pump price of £1.60/L (week commencing 03/08/2026). Electric bikes are costed from battery capacity and published range at the current domestic electricity price; where a bike has no published range we show no energy line rather than guess. Lower-mileage riders see proportionally lower totals; higher-mileage commuters pay roughly linearly more.
Estimated insurance
Group 13 of 17 (high — performance) · Comprehensive · 5 yr NCB
Indicative annual comprehensive premiums for this bike. Bike insurance is far more sensitive to licence tier and rider age than cars — pick the combination closest to your circumstances.
Licence
Age
No-claims bonus
5 yearsRisk profile
Estimated annual premium · typical, age 30-39
£1,200/ year
Roughly £100 per month
Typical
Suburban postcode, 3+ years NCB, standard security (Thatcham chain + disc lock), no recent claims.| Age band | Lower risk | Typical | Higher risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age 17-21 | £1,980 | £2,640 | £3,696 |
| Age 22-29 | £1,215 | £1,620 | £2,268 |
| Age 30-39Selected | £900 | £1,200 | £1,680 |
| Age 40-49 | £792 | £1,056 | £1,478 |
| Age 50+ | £720 | £960 | £1,344 |
How we estimate this
Premiums combine licence tier, rider age, no-claims bonus and a risk-profile multiplier on top of a bike-specific baseline. Bike insurance is materially more sensitive to licence tier (CBT / A1 / A2 / A) than car insurance, and young riders pay considerably more than older riders even on the same machine. Always get individual quotes before buying.
Theft risk
Bike-specific · Met Police + insurance reporting
UK bike theft rates are an order of magnitude higher than car theft. Nakeds and supersports lose more to professional gangs; large adventure bikes and tourers are statistically much safer.
Theft risk score · 1 to 4
2/4Medium risk
Medium risk
Some theft pattern, particularly in urban postcodes. Thatcham-approved chain plus disc lock recommended; secure overnight parking helps premiums.Theft hotspot postcodes
Postcode prefixes only; full London hot zone runs across E, N, NW, SE, SW, W boroughs depending on the model.
What this means for you
Harleys are distinctive and harder to fence — lower theft attraction than equivalent-value sport bikes. Disc lock + chain advisable in London.
How we set this band
Bands derived from Met Police bike-theft reporting (most-stolen lists) cross-referenced with insurance industry underwriting data. Model + postcode are the two biggest factors in motorcycle theft risk in the UK, materially more than vehicle value.
What goes wrong
5 known issues · sorted by severity
Documented failure modes from UK owner forums, dealer service bulletins, and aggregated mechanic feedback. Mileages are approximate — different riders see different intervals depending on use and maintenance. Always address "high"-severity items before resale.
High severity
0
Medium
3
Low / cosmetic
2
| Severity | Part / issue | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| medium | Cooling fan controller Fan fails to engage at high engine temps. TSB on 2021-2022 units; check service history. 10k-20k mi (early units) | £250 |
| medium | Belt wear / tension Belt drive — long life but eventual replacement. Tension adjustment at every major service. 25k-30k mi | £300 |
| medium | Stator Long-term wear item. Revolution Max electrical not as bulletproof as older Harleys. 30k-40k mi | £350 |
| low | Throttle position sensor Erratic idle or stalling. Diagnose with code reader before replacing. 15k-25k mi | £140 |
| low | Brake fluid darkening Harley spec — flush at every major service. Every service | Service item |
How we score severity
High — strands the bike or causes consequential damage if left. Medium — service item that affects ride quality or risks failure. Low — cosmetic or minor inconvenience. Costs are independent-specialist UK rates for parts and labour together; main dealer prices typically run 30–50% higher.
Safety recalls
Manufacturers occasionally issue safety recalls to fix a fault free of charge. You can check whether the Harley-Davidson Sportster S, or your exact vehicle, has any outstanding recalls on the official DVSA service.
Check on GOV.UKOpens the Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency recall checker. Choose the make, model and year of manufacture — no registration needed.
Variant comparison
Default standard model — the only Sportster S trim in UK. Custom variant available with different bars and paint but mechanically identical.
Known issues
- Cooling fan controller failure on early units (£250)
- Belt wear / tension drift at 25-30k mi (£300 + adjustment)
- Throttle position sensor occasional faults
Strengths
- +Lowest seat in litre-cruiser class at 753mm
- +Revolution Max 1250T — most powerful Sportster ever (122 PS)
- +Belt drive — quiet, low maintenance, ~30k mi service interval
- +Harley styling and dealer network
- +Strong residuals — Harleys hold value well
Watch-outs
- −Cooling fan controller failures on early units (£250)
- −Small 11.7L tank limits touring range to ~110 miles
- −Heavy at parking speed (228 kg wet)
- −Newer Revolution Max engine = less long-term service history
- −Premium pricing — service rates higher than Japanese rivals
Related bikes
Common questions
Harley-Davidson Sportster S, answered from the data
- How much is a used Harley-Davidson Sportster S worth?
- A 2023 Harley-Davidson Sportster S in good condition with around 9,000 miles is worth roughly £10,000 (typical range £9,000–£11,050). Dealer asking prices sit higher than private sales, and a full service history, no crash damage and an unbroken theft record are what hold a bike at the top of its range.
- How quickly does the Harley-Davidson Sportster S depreciate?
- The Harley-Davidson Sportster S loses about 25% of its value over the first three years, against a 25–32% norm for bikes and 40–50% for cars. These figures are specific to this model rather than a shared default, though they remain indicative estimates rather than a measured sample of sale prices.
- Can you ride the Harley-Davidson Sportster S on an A2 licence?
- No. The Harley-Davidson Sportster S needs a full category A licence — 122 PS puts it beyond what A2 allows, and it isn't offered as a restrictable model.
- How much does it cost to insure a Harley-Davidson Sportster S?
- Expect around £1,200 a year to insure a Harley-Davidson Sportster S, typically £850–£1,850. That assumes Age 35+, 5yrs NCB, suburban postcode. Harley demographic skews older which keeps premiums moderate vs equivalent-power sport nakeds. It sits in motorcycle insurance group 13 of 17. Bike premiums move far more on licence tier, rider age and postcode than car premiums do, so treat this as a starting point rather than a quote.
- What goes wrong on a used Harley-Davidson Sportster S?
- The wear and failure points we track for the Harley-Davidson Sportster S are: cooling fan controller (around 10k-20k mi (early units), £250); belt wear / tension (around 25k-30k mi, £300); throttle position sensor (around 15k-25k mi, £140). We don't publish a reliability score for bikes — the MOT dataset behind our car scores doesn't support one at model level — so treat these as the specific things to inspect rather than a verdict. A full service history and a fresh MOT without advisories remain the best protection.
- What does a Harley-Davidson Sportster S cost to run?
- Expect around 50 mpg, about £436 a year in fuel or energy, £480 for an annual service, £320 a pair for tyres every 9,000 miles. Figures assume 3,000 miles a year, the UK average from DfT travel and traffic statistics, and current DESNZ pump prices. The cost-of-ownership table on the profile breaks this down per year and per mile.
- Is the Harley-Davidson Sportster S likely to be stolen?
- The Harley-Davidson Sportster S is a moderate theft target. Harleys are distinctive and harder to fence — lower theft attraction than equivalent-value sport bikes. Disc lock + chain advisable in London. Theft is concentrated in E, N, SE postcode areas. A Thatcham-approved chain and ground anchor, a disc lock and a tracker are what insurers look for, and secure overnight storage moves a premium more than almost anything else.
Answers are generated from this bike's Forecourt data — curated specifications, our valuation model and the week's DESNZ fuel and energy prices — and update with the weekly data refresh.