Harley-Davidson Iron 883

The Harley Davidson Iron 883 has a commanding stance of a naked roadster, which blends in the design ethos of a cruiser very well.

The frontal stance of the Iron 883 features a high mounted round headlamp, with the round orange turn indicators placed far, below either side of the handlebar. This overall theme makes the motorcycle appear wide when viewed from the front.

Moving towards the side profile, and the Iron 883 looks masculine and beefy. The high mounted and sloping fuel tank gives it a tall stance, whereas the black finished engine, side cowls, alloy wheels, and the double barrel exhaust pipes accentuate the dark appeal of the motorcycle. All these black finished cycle parts do come with minor chrome touches, which make the Iron 883 look premium as well. The chopped front fender, as well as tall front wheel, adds into the overall tall stance of the Iron 883.

At the rear, the Iron 883 features a curvy fender which is common to all the Roadster motorcycles of Harley Davidson. The tail lamp cluster of the motorcycle is quite unique, with the twin tail lamps doubling up as turn indicators as well. The Iron 883 comes with a single seat as standard, however, it does offer a pillion seat in the list of optional accessories.

The only bit which looks dated and unlikeable on the Iron 883 comes with is its round instrument console which looks slightly dated and boring. It has an analog speedometer and digital readouts for tachometer, odometer, trip meters, clock and gear indicator on display. It would have been great if Harley Davidson was offering a better and more modern looking part digital unit which would have gone well with the overall theme of the motorcycle.

The Harley Davidson Iron 883 features a traditional and old school suspension setup of telescopic hydraulic forks at the front and hydraulic coil springs at the rear. The Iron 883 features a slightly more revised ergonomics and footpeg position as compared to other Roadsters, which makes it a more aggressive motorcycle to ride and giving it an appeal of a naked roadster.

However, the low seat height and a higher set of handlebars is a trait of a cruiser, which makes the overall seating posture comfortable. However, the low grounds clearance might be a trouble when ridden over broken sections of roads.

The engine which powers the Iron 883 is the same four-stroke, fuel injected, V-twin, 883cc from the other motorcycles of Roadster family like the Forty Eight and Superlow. Mated to a 5-speed gearbox, this engine churns out a healthy torque output of 69 Nm. Thanks to its punchy mid-range, the Iron 883 turns out to be a great mile muncher for longer rides.

The Harley Davidson features a single disc brake setup at both the front as well as the rear. In addition to it, the Iron 883 also features ABS, which was not present in the previous iterations of the motorcycle. However, when compared to the competition, the Iron 883 could have been equipped with a couple of more safety features.

Positioned in the more affordable spectrum in Harley Davidson’s range, the Iron 883 possesses charm and glamour in equal balance. The overall design of the Iron 883 has got a perfect amalgamation of classic cruiser silhouette and bits from a modern naked roadster, which makes it a very unique proposition. The engine does miss out on the outright sportiness and refinement of its Japanese rivals, however, the real joy of the Iron 883 is best enjoyed when cruised at slower speeds.