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With apologies to Monty Python—the EVO Sportster isn’t dead, it’s just made in the factories of China. And now, it’s coming to Europe.
Back in July, we told you that Chinese mega-giant manufacturer Shineray was working on a clone of the air-cooled EVO Sportster engine. Even back then, it seemed likely the EVO Sportster was on the chopping block in the near future, and frankly, it’s not like the EVO Sportster was exactly high-tech or difficult to copy in the first place. I was surprised that no other Chinese manufacturer had tried it before.
But at that time, we had no indication this new machine from Shineray was coming to western markets. Now we know that it is, thanks to SWM. The Italian brand has long been linked to Chinese manufacturers, and now it is reportedly offering this Shineray-built Sportster clone to European customers. It made an official debut at this month’s EICMA show.
According to Motorrad (see a Google Translate version here), this air-cooled Sportster clone will be called the Stormbreaker 1200, and that mag’s writers expect the air-cooled V-twin (with pushrod-actuated two-valve heads) to make 80ish hp (other reports indicate around 60 hp). Like the OG EVO Sportster models, this Chinese version will have a five-speed gearbox and belt final drive. Motorrad says the bike will weigh 250 kg, which works out to 551 lb, and will have 14L fuel capacity, which is 3.7 USG.
You can hear the engine running below:
So, not straying terribly far from the US-built Sportster formula, then! Which leads us to this question: how is SWM getting this engine through Europe’s emissions testing, and why couldn’t/didn’t Harley-Davidson do the same? Was there no more demand for this platform? Was the profit margin too small for Harley-Davidson, making the bike in a US factory? Was the EVO Sportster’s demise just part of the new management’s plan to bring the Bar and Shield upscale, selling less bikes for more money?
And the other big question: Will Shineray bring this engine to North America? SWM does sell bikes here, but in recent years, most have been big-bore dual sports, trail bikes and supermotos, using the old Husqvarna designs that went away when KTM bought that company from BMW. In other words, SWM cleverly targets market segments that other companies have ignored. Maybe this EVO Sportster clone is the perfect machine for SWM to bring here, in that case, and who knows? Given SWM’s interest in trail bikes, maybe someone can convince them to finally offer a factory scrambler based on this platform?
Who knows. It seems unlikely to expect this cruiser or anything else here, but SWM is smart at exploiting market niches. Would anyone even buy it, if this not-a-Sportster was available? The answer to that probably depends on pricing, and whether or not there’s a mass outcry against the idea of a made-in-China copy of a Harley-Davidson. But if H-D itself has discontinued this machine, is that even a problem? Let us know what you think…
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