Harley Davidson XL1200XS Sportster Forty-Eight Special 2020 Service Manual

The Forty-Eight Special is the dressed-up sibling of the Forty-Eight, introduced as a mid-year 2018 model and closely related to the standard bike but very much its own motorcycle. It keeps the 2.1-gallon peanut tank that debuted on Harley-Davidson motorcycles in 1948, but wraps it in bold 1970s-inspired tank graphics, an AMF-era look of color stripes and period typography, in a pared-down, clean design. The front end is a 130mm fat tire in a 49mm fork on forged aluminum triple clamps, topped by a glossy black 7.25-inch Tallboy handlebar with forward-mounted foot controls. The Tallboy bar allows less rearward lean than a Mini-Ape bar and suits the compact tank. It rolls on black split 9-spoke cast aluminum wheels, 16 inches front and rear, wearing Michelin Scorcher 31 tires. The 2018 launch colors were Vivid Black, Wicked Red and Billiard White.

Power comes from 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. Torque is 96 Nm (about 71 lb-ft) at 3,500 rpm by the European test method, or 73 lb-ft by the US J1349 method, and power is about 66 hp (49 kW) at 6,000 rpm. The gearbox is a 5-speed with belt final drive. The Special has a black top end, with chrome set against it on the primary, inspection and clutch covers, the pushrod tubes, the lower rocker boxes and the tappet covers. The exhaust is black, staggered and shorty with dual mufflers, and chrome heat shields dress it up. Harley’s styling team notes that the Special flaunts more chrome than the standard Forty-Eight.

The steel-framed chassis sits low, with a 30.2-degree rake and 135mm of trail on a 1,495mm wheelbase. Tires are a Michelin Scorcher 31 130/90B16 73H at the front and a 150/80B16 77H at the rear. Lean angles are 27.1 degrees to each side. Reviewers found the Tallboy ergonomics change the way the brakes feel, with the rear feeling a bit less aggressive, and a full peanut tank gives roughly 60 miles before the low-fuel light comes on.

The bike is 2,165mm long, with a 705mm unladen seat height and 110mm of ground clearance. The tank holds 7.9 litres, and engine oil capacity is 2.6 litres with the filter. Weight is 248 kg as shipped (about 547 lbs) and 256 kg in running order (about 564 lbs).

This factory service manual covers the procedures, torque specs, and diagrams needed to keep a Sportster Forty-Eight Special XL1200XS running the way it was built to.