Harley Davidson XL1200C Sportster Custom 2018 Service Manual

Reviewers call the Sportster 1200 Custom the maximum Sportster. The original Sportster displaced 883cc, and the 1,203cc 2018 bike is 36 percent bigger, with dual-piston brake calipers, available ABS and the kind of effortless power needed to push back horizons. It’s the bike for those who “put a premium on making a personal statement,” with a fat 16-inch front wheel and a 130/90B16 tire (instead of a skinny 21-inch with a 100mm tire) for a chunky, muscular look, black rocker box covers, a black and chrome oval air cleaner cover and a black and chrome timer cover. The wheels are 16 x 3.0-inch chrome 5-spoke cast aluminum, front and rear. The 2018 US price was $10,999.

The engine is the air-cooled, rubber-mounted 1,202cc Evolution V-twin, with an 88.9mm bore, a 96.8mm stroke and a 10:1 compression ratio, fed by Electronic Sequential Port Fuel Injection. The exhaust is chrome, staggered and shorty with dual mufflers. Torque is 73-76 lb-ft (about 96-103 Nm) at 3,500-3,750 rpm, power is about 67 hp at 6,000 rpm, and Harley lists fuel economy of about 48 mpg. The gearbox is a 5-speed with a multi-plate wet clutch and belt final drive, with overall ratios of 9.315 in first, 6.653 in second, 4.948 in third, 4.102 in fourth and 3.517 in fifth.

The chassis has a mild steel tubular frame, a 39mm fork and coil-over rear shocks with dual-adjustable preload. Rake is 30 degrees with 107mm (4.2 inches) of trail on a 1,530mm wheelbase. Brakes are dual-piston calipers on the front and rear discs, and tires are Michelin Scorcher 31, a 130/90B16 73H at the front and a 150/80B16 77H at the rear. Lean angles are about 26 degrees to the right and 28 degrees to the left.

The bike is 2,225mm (87.6 inches) long, with 105mm (4.1 inches) of ground clearance. Seat height is about 725mm (28.5 inches) unladen. The tank holds 17 litres (4.5 gallons), and engine oil capacity is 2.6 litres with the filter. Weight is 255 kg (562 lbs) as shipped and 268 kg (591 lbs) in running order.

This factory service manual covers the procedures, torque specs, and diagrams needed to keep a Sportster 1200 Custom XL1200C running the way it was built to.