Economy…sputtering. Motorcycle sales…shrinking. Harley-Davidson profits…declining. We really are in a recession (if not in something that starts with a “D”) and as if tacitly acknowledging it, The Motor Company announced the newest – and cheapest – addition to their youth-oriented Dark Custom lineup, the 883 Iron.
The new model is a blacked-out, stripped down version of the popular 883 Sportster that looks similar to the Nightster we first showed you in 2007. Like the Nightster, it has a low solo seat, drag bar, mid-mount foot controls, a cool side-mounted license-plate holder and combo turnsignal/stop/taillight. The word of the day here is black, with matte-finish paint (matte silver is the other option for bodywork) and metalwork. There are also cast-aluminum wheels, with an 18-incher in front and a 16-inch in back. Braking is by a solo disc and two-piston caliper in front, a single-piston caliper and fixed disc in back. Like the $6999 Sportster 883 Low, the engine is the standard-issue pushrod-actuated 45-degree 883cc V-Twin, fuel-injected as a nod towards modernity. Claimed ready-to-ride weight is 565 pounds, but even more manageable for younger, entry-level riders is the $7899 price tag.
With the addition of the Iron, H-D now has several models to attract those who crave tough-guy street cred but lack King Midas’ FICO score. Just the thing to help weather the depre…oops, I mean recession? Time will tell.
