This model was introduced as a sharper, more track-focused evolution of Harley-Davidson’s XR1200 concept. It carried the company’s flat-track-inspired styling cues from the XR750 racing lineage, but aimed to make that look and feel accessible on the street rather than in competition trim. The nameplate appeared for the 2010 model year and continued through 2013, positioned within the Sportster family as the performance-oriented version of the XR idea.
Compared with the earlier XR1200, this variant was presented as the more aggressive and better-suspended version, with a blacked-out, race-leaning appearance, revised chassis tuning, and equipment intended to sharpen handling and braking. Harley-Davidson’s own materials framed it as a bike built around rider involvement, combining an upright street-tracker stance with a more adjustable suspension setup and stronger sport-road intent than most other air-cooled Harley models of the period.
Enthusiast interest in the nameplate came largely from that unusual place in Harley history: a factory street motorcycle that borrowed openly from dirt-track visual language and racing heritage. It was never a mainstream cruiser, and that rarity helped define its appeal. The model’s run ended after the 2013 model year, making it one of the more distinctive short-lived performance entries in modern Harley-Davidson history.