1986 Harley-Davidson XLH 1100

The introduction of the 1986 Harley-Davidson XLH 1100 was big news for fans of the Harley Sportster.

The Sportster motor introduced in 1957 enjoyed a long life, even by Harley-Davidson's standards.

**The XLH 1100 utilized Evolution technology** **in its engine.**

It wasn't until 1986 that it saw any significant changes, but those changes made quite a difference.

**The instrument panel of the 1986 Harley-Davidson** **XLH 1100 was mounted to the handlebars.**

Adopting some of the same Evolution technology that had so improved Big Twins two years earlier, 1986 Sportsters got their own version of the Evolution powerplant that was smoother and more reliable than the old design.

**Both 883-cc and 1100-cc engines were available** **on the XLH.**

The new motor now came in two displacements: the original's 883-cc and a larger 1,100-cc version. The latter was enlarged to 1,200-cc for 1988.

**Low-mounted exhaust pipes ran beneath the** **rear suspension on the Harley-Davidson XLH 1100.**

To learn more about Harley-Davidson and other classic motorcycles, see:

Harley-Davidson Motorcycles
How Harley-Davidson Works
How Choppers Work
Chopper Profiles
Classic Motorcycles
How Motorcycles Work