Harley-Davidson XR1200 vs. Ducati SportClassic Sport 1000 - COMPARISON TEST

Even if you don’t consider yourself a motorcycle expert, you may be wondering why we chose to compare these two apparently disparate machines. If so, don’t think that you somehow missed an important memo; we even occasionally asked ourselves that question during this test. These two bikes aren’t quite polar opposites, but they seem to be aimed in different directions, meant to serve the needs of enthusiasts with dissimilar riding lifestyles.

There is, however, some rationale at work here, because the Ducati SportClassic Sport 1000 biposto and the Harley-Davidson XR1200 are alike in some ways. They're both unfaired, dual-shock motorcycles powered by air-and-oil-cooled, liter-class (give or take) V-Twins that are updated versions of engines first seen decades ago. And each pays homage to the impressive racing heritage of its manufacturer.

Interesting logic, but in reality, these two have more differences than similarities. The XR is a five-speed, belt-drive, 45-degree, long-stroke, overhead-valve, 1200cc Vee with hydraulic tappets; the Duc has six speeds, chain drive, a 90-degree, short-stroke, sohc, 992cc Vee with Ducati's proprietary Desmodromic valve actuation. Most important of all, the SportClassic honors the roadrace and sport-riding (i.e., pavement) achievements of the company's 750SS and 900SS models of yore; the Harley emulates the legendary XR-750 racebikes that have won enough flat-track (dirt) championships to fill a trophy case the size of Rhode Island. So, whatever they are, they're not the same.

Nevertheless, they do share a couple of significant traits: They’re cool-looking, extremely competent streetbikes with performance that is comparable if not identical, and they are an absolute riot to flog along a twisty road. Each does it very differently, but both do it very well.

One of their biggest differences is ergonomics. The Harley props the rider bolt-upright behind a wide, flat-track handlebar and atop a mildly dished seat, and the footpegs are higher than on the XR’s fellow Sportster models to give this 1200 more cornering clearance. The Harley has all-day-ride potential, the short-travel (3 1/2 inches) Showa rear suspension its only limiting factor. An hour or two of the bike’s rear end thumping on your rear end can have you squirming around in the saddle, but at least the seat is roomy enough to let you find a little relief by shifting to a slightly different spot. Otherwise, ride quality is passable, with a 43mm Showa inverted fork that’s reasonably plush but well-controlled and soaks up most road imperfections quite nicely.

At the other end of the spectrum is the biposto, with narrow, low, clubman-style clip-on bars that require a fairly extended reach over a long, “loaf-of-bread” gas tank, forcing the rider into a mild racing tuck. The seat-to-footpeg distance is slightly longer on the Duc, though, so the rider’s knees don’t have to bend as sharply as they do on the XR.

Ride quality on the Duc can be harsh on less-than-smooth pavement, as the Marzocchi fork and Sachs piggyback-reservoir shocks are stiffly sprung and damped. The Ducati’s seat is deeply dished in front, more or less locking the rider in place; but the forward-canted riding position takes so much upper-body weight off the tailbone that numb-butt is seldom an issue. Aching wrists and forearms often are, however, although the biposto is not nearly as uncomfortable in that regard as you might imagine.

That aggressive riding position is well-suited to fast riding on a curvy backroad, where the SportClassic is happy to demonstrate its corner-conquering heritage. It isn’t as flickable as most current sportbikes but is not as nervous, either. It dives into fast turns with a deliberate push on the grips, tracks through them with unerring accuracy and remains neutral during the entire event. The taut suspension keeps the bike rock-steady stable, and there’s sufficient cornering clearance to permit serious lean angles. And when rapid slowing and hard stopping are on the agenda, the Duc’s Brembo front brakes are powerful, progressive and easy to modulate.

If this leads you to believe the SportClassic would leave the XR for dead on a twisty backroad, purge your mind of such notions; the flat-track-inspired Sportster does an admirable job of hanging with the roadracier biposto. The H-D weighs 129 pounds more than the Duc and has close to a 4-inch-longer wheelbase; but thanks to its sit-up riding position and wider bars, it flicks over into fast corners with surprising ease, and its rigid chassis and long wheelbase help it remain just as stable in deep-lean turns as the Ducati. It doesn’t offer as much cornering clearance as does the SportClassic, but the big Sporty still can tilt the horizon far enough to make a run along a twisted ribbon of asphalt an enjoyable, satisfying experience. It, too, has powerful brakes, though the fronts have a disproportionately aggressive initial bite that can catch a rider off-guard.

Despite that, the only significant performance disadvantage of the XR in this face-off is acceleration–and that’s a by-product of the bike’s weight, not its engine. Its 208cc-larger V-Twin bangs out almost 4 more horsepower than the biposto’s and nearly 10 ft.-lb. more torque (at 3600 rpm, 2400 revs lower than the Ducati’s peak), but it takes six-tenths of a second longer to push those extra 129 pounds through the quarter-mile. The Sportster’s big-time midrange torque helps it to be an amazingly easy bike to hustle along a twisty road; but the Ducati’s broader rpm range and six-speed transmission make better use of its power. This is evident in drag races, backroad chases or any other circumstance where sheer acceleration is involved.

When you factor in the combined effects of handling, cornering clearance and acceleration, a good rider on a Ducati might be able to keep pace through the twisties with slightly better rider on an XR1200; but reverse the roles and put the better rider on the Ducati, and the XR will gradually and inexorably fall behind.

Bottom line, though, is that maybe we weren’t so off-base with this comparison after all. Maybe these two are a lot more alike than we thought. Yes, each is a celebration of its respective company’s history, much of which has involved racing; but after all is said and done, these still are just streetbikes, meant to be ridden in as many different on-road settings as possible as often as possible.

And by that measure, our vote goes to the XR1200. It’s a bike that can do it all and do it well, from carving up a serpentine country road with remarkable ease to cruising comfortably on an Interstate highway and just about everything in between.

Not so the Ducati, which is a fast, fun ride on a twisty road. But the ergonomics that are so well-suited to that brand of adrenaline-charged excitement don’t make you look forward to the ride home–or, for that matter, to anywhere that involves many more straightaways than corners.

So, in the end, versatility is what makes the real difference here, not camshaft locations, Vee angles, final drive methods or corporate legacies. In spite of its heritage, the XR1200 isn’t a racebike, but it nonetheless got to this finish line first.