A low center of gravity, relatively light weight, and strong mid-range power allowed for spirited bend-swinging, though lines had to be carefully chosen. The Sportster’s handling, though, was a strong point. The tester was less kind about the Sportster’s “intense vibration, the worst of which comes through the seat.” Unfortunately, the vibration peaked in the mid rev range, at about 55-65mph, “the most often used cruising range,” Cycle World said, noting that the buzzing through the footpegs was bad enough “to put your feet to sleep.” Motorcyclist magazine’s testers agreed, adding, “The excessive vibration combined with the less-than-accommodating seat brought most riders to the pain threshold within 20 miles.” “It’s that brute, thumping, always-usable style of power that is so typical of big V-Twins … When the 1100’s throttle is rolled open anywhere between 2,500 and 4,500rpm, the engine usually accelerates with enough force to make downshifting its 4-speed gearbox seem totally redundant.”
Yet while it may have been slower than the Japanese competition, more important, Cycle World wrote in 1986, was the kind of power the Sportster had. With its power boosted from the iron engine’s 50-odd horsepower to a claimed 63, the new Sportster turned in 13.5-second standing quarters at 97mph - respectable, but a second slower than the contemporary Yamaha Virago 1100. Dry weight snuck in at just less than 500 pounds. Cast alloy wheels were 16-inch diameter at the rear and 19-inch at the front, with a single 11.2-inch disc brake front and rear. The unit-construction engine was solidly mounted in a dual-downtube steel cradle frame with twin Showa shocks controlling the rear swingarm, while a Showa fork with 35mm stanchions provided front suspension. In all, though, more than half the Sportster engine’s components were improved or modified, making for smoother and lighter clutch operation, reduced valve train noise and quicker, quieter gearshifts. Under the smart new aluminum primary cover, primary drive to the diaphragm clutch was still by chain - unlike the new belt drive on the 1,340cc Evo Big Twin introduced in 1984. Inside the crankcase went a new three-piece crankshaft (replacing the previous five-piece unit) and lighter pistons. New aluminum alloy cylinder heads used larger valves, a narrower included valve angle and more efficient port profile for more power, while hydraulic lifters replaced the iron engine’s adjustable rockers in the valve train. New, however, was the XLH1100’s enlarged 85.1mm bore, giving a swept volume of 1,101cc, up from previous 997cc of the big Ironhead.