The new Sportster S posted beside Ray Price’s “Funny Bike Dragster” Sportster
Tobacco Road Harley-Davidson is no stranger to fast Sportsters. In fact, there’s one of the fastest Sportsters ever made right above your head when you walk into this Raleigh, North Carolina based dealership. Granted, that particular motorcycle was heavily modified for drag racing by legendary racer, Ray Price. Ray just so happens to be the founder of the dealership that is now Tobacco Road and a collection of his bikes sits in our Legends of Harley Drag Racing Museum.
When our most recent Sportster S arrived, Shop Foreman Bruce said “Hey, I’ve got an idea.” ... and when someone with as many years in the industry as Bruce speaks, we listen. He explained how awesome it would be to get a couple photos of the new Sportster S beside our 70’s era drag racing Sportster. “This new bike is pretty cool and we’ve already had a fast Sportster here.” Ok Bruce, we're sold! Let's do it!
The Sportster we already have is one of Ray Price’s most famous bikes, the "Funny Bike Dragster". It even spent some time at the Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin! This bike was designed and created by the Ray Price Race Team as the first "Funny Bike Dragster" to mimic the look and style of a traditional Sportster but still be regarded as a high performing drag bike. An Elapsed Time of 8.39 at 177 mph certainly qualified this bike as high performing. This was done with inspiration from the “Funny Car” drag racing, where teams would race a full-fledged drag car, modeled to resemble a normal family car. Price is often credited as the Father of the Funny Bike for bringing this style to motorcycle drag racing into the spotlight.
While these bikes are many in their differences, they are a testament to the long history of speed and power one expects from a Harley-Davidson. And the front forks aren’t the only thing the Sportster S has turned upside down! With the new Revolution Max 1250T motor, high mountexhaust, all new digital display, and spitting out 121 HP on only 502 lbs, this bike is bound to make you think you’re still on the drag racing track. Don't get us wrong, we still think the 1200’s and 883’s are great bikes, but we are looking forward to an exciting future for the Sportster saga.
At the current rate, you are not very likely to see a new Sportster S, unless you can catch it in the 20 minutes it takes to go from the delivery truck to its new owner’s garage. That's right, all of the ones received thus far were already claimed in no time at all. However, you can see about reserving one by getting in touch with our sales department! In the meantime, come see our drag bikes in person and learn more about our racing heritage in the upstairs Legends of Harley Drag Racing Museum.
