| 2002-03 Harley-Davidson Sportster 883R |
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| Performance |    |
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| The 883R was no faster than the base-model Sporty, despite the racy looks. |
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| Handling | |
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| The suspension spring and damping rates were not well matched. The solid-mount Evo frame offered better ground clearance and steering than many of the Japanese cruisers it competed against, but that's not saying much. Despite triple discs, braking is only average. |
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| Looks | |
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| Changes made to the 883R were not drastic, but the bright orange bodywork, matte black engine and unusual 2-into-1 chrome exhaust made the 883R Sportster actually look 'sporty.' Unlike some Sportster models, it aspired to be more than just a scaled-down version of Harley's chopperesque big twins. |
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| Reliability | |
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| By the time the 883R came along, Harley had figured out how to produce high quality machines. |
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| Practicality | |
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| The 883R's style and size are perfect for short cruises to the local burger stand. Numbing vibration, poor ergonomics and skimpy fuel tank makes it a very poor choice for traveling any farther. |
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| Desirability | |
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| The initial generation of 883R (2002-03) unfortunately lacks the fuel injection and rubber-mounted engine of later Sportsters. Sadly, by the time those functional improvements arrived, the 883R had lost its distinctive 2-into-1 exhaust and was nearly indistinguishable from other Sportster models. (Photo of 2007 model 883R) |
