The Harley-Davidson Sportster is the motorcycle family introduced in 1957 that became one of the company’s longest-running model lines.
Harley-Davidson created the Sportster as a lighter, sportier motorcycle powered by an overhead-valve V-twin. Its original Ironhead engine helped distinguish it from larger side-valve and touring motorcycles in the range. The first Sportster models were designated XL and used a 883 cc engine.
The name is sometimes confused with the specific model names used within the family, such as Iron 883, Forty-Eight, and Roadster. Sportster is the family name, while those labels identify particular versions produced at different times.
The Sportster line remained in production for decades and became especially associated with compact dimensions, customization, and accessible performance. Harley-Davidson later introduced the Sportster S with the liquid-cooled Revolution Max engine, marking a major technical change from the classic air-cooled configuration.