Harley Davidson XL1200X Sportster Forty-Eight 2013 Service Manual

Harley sells the Forty-Eight as an urban brawler that drips attitude from every element, from the fat balloon tires to the all-steel peanut tank and the solo seat. It’s part of the Dark Custom line, with a small 2.1-gallon tapered peanut tank that first appeared on a Harley in 1948 and gave the model its name. A slammed speedometer mounted low in the handlebar clamp and under-bar mirrors keep the profile low, along with lowered front and rear suspension and a 26-inch seat height. It rolls on 16-inch black laced steel wheels, with a fat MT90 front tire, and a blacked-out engine with polished covers. New for 2013 was an optional Hard Candy Custom paint, a large metal flake finish recalling 1970s customs. Some bikes also had the Smart Security System with a hands-free fob.

Power comes from the air-cooled, rubber-mounted 1,202cc Evolution V-twin, the “Blockhead” first bolted to a Harley in 1984, with Electronic Sequential Port Fuel Injection. Torque is about 98-107 Nm depending on the source. The gearbox is a 5-speed with belt final drive.

Confirmed figures list a wet weight of about 567 lbs (257 kg), a gross vehicle weight rating of 1,000 lbs and a 2.1-gallon fuel tank, though one listing quotes 2.7 gallons. The bike was sold with a 26-inch laden seat height.

This factory service manual covers the procedures, torque specs, and diagrams needed to keep a Sportster Forty-Eight XL1200X running the way it was built to.