5 Best Harley Sports Motorcycles for Sport Bike Riders

For Harley Davidson fans, it has always been a wish to ride a sports bike made by Harley. The company has always remained in line with its usual building and branding policies. This American motorbike maker is renowned worldwide for its classic cruisers and touring bikes.

For those riders who always hoped for Harley sports motorcycles, they got the Harley Sportster in 1957. The first Harley Sportster model was considerably agile, lightweight, and slightly sportier to compete with the faster British motorbike of its time.

The Harley Sportster bikes are the only Harley Sports motorcycles the company makes today. Unlike the usual-style, giant-looking, heavy Harley Davidson tourers and cruiser motorbikes, the Harley Sportster models are considerably low-weight, agile, and active.

Due to such features, Harley Sportster motorbikes became a go-to option for all those Harley lovers who wanted a starter Harley bike that is ideal for city traveling and easy handling.

Other than the Sportster bikes, Harley only attempted once to make a proper Harley Sports bike, known as the Harley VR1000. There are also a few Harley models that ensure a bit sportier stance and abilities.

Continue reading this article to learn more about the 5 best Harley sports motorcycles that are loved by sport bike riders.

It was in 1994 when the American motorbike producer stepped into the sports bike arena. It was Harley Davidson’s first time to make a proper Harley Sports bike designed for sports racing.

The Harley VR1000 was a decent sports bike with fairings for smooth design and sleek vibe. Only 50 VR1000 models were made before it disappeared from the racing world.

The Harley VR1000 received a 1,000 cc V-Twin engine that could produce 135 hp of horsepower. The bike was capable of revving at a maximum of 10,000 to 11,000 rpm. With Öhlins suspension toward the front and Penske single rear shock, the Harley sports motorcycle ensured a decent sportier stance.

However, the Harley VR1000 couldn’t perform well in the racing world and was, therefore, stopped before the year 2000. Due to being rare, it is a collector item.

The Harley Sportster S is among Harley Davidson's latest offerings in the Sportster category. It is usually referred to as a Harley Sportster model that reaches closest to a sports bike when it performs. Though it doesn’t come with fairings or other sleek features, the Sportster S is still quite lightweight, nimble, and quick.

The Harley Sportster S has a simple design. It is quite small compared to most Harley-Davidson motorbikes. Due to its quite odd and unique design and shape, the Sportster S can be referred to as a decent Harley Davidson sport motorcycle, ensuring a true sporty vibe.

There are no extra parts and heavy fenders installed on the Sportster S. It features a simple flat solo rider seat with a tail cowl. The fat tires, scrambler-style high-mounted exhaust pipes, and easy riding stance make the Sportster S a great Harley sports motorcycle.

The latest 2025 Harley Sportster S features the most sportier liquid-cooled Rev Max 1250T engine ever produced by Harley. This 76.4 cu in (1,250 cc) V-Twin engine is specifically produced for the Sportster model. This engine is tuned for a perfect blend of horsepower and torque. This engine also makes the bike rev at high rpm levels thanks to its sportier features.

The Sportster S’ 1250 cc engine can produce a peak horsepower of 121 hp (90 kW) at 7,500 rpm and a torque of 93 lb-ft at 6,000 rpm. This Harley Davidson sport motorcycle is recorded to reach a top speed of 143 mph (230 kmph), which is good. For quicker top speeds, certain tweaks can be made to the Sportster S, including the speed limiter installed in this bike.

The Sportster S offers a riding stance that is slightly uncommon. It doesn’t offer a true sporty riding style. The rider has to lean slightly forward to grab the handlebars. However, at the same time, the foot controls are forward-mounted, which ensures a slightly awkward riding position for riders. However, the riding position can be made slightly natural, sportier, and comfortable by shifting the foot control towards the mid position.

The Harley Davidson V-Rod VRSCX is by far the most strange Harley sports motorcycle. It was a muscle cruiser designed ideally for quick rides. The V-Rod was introduced in 2007 with an oddly long wheelbase, thanks to the highly raked-out front fender.

The Harley V-Rod also featured a very low seat height of only 26 inches, ensuring a low ground clearance. The gas tank on this bike was installed below the seat. The V-Rod also featured a 1,250 cc liquid-cooled engine, ensuring a peak horsepower of 123 hp at 8,250 rpm and a torque of 116.6 Nm at 7,000 rpm.

The V-Rod was the first-ever Harley model to feature the fuel injection and liquid-cooled engine. Thanks to the water-cooled engine installed on the V-Rod, the Harley riders were happy with its heat-management abilities.

The Harley V-Rod was a great step forward towards the modern Harley Davidson bikes. However, it couldn’t attract many Harley riders, so it was finally stopped from being made in 2017. All the V-Rod features, including the extended front end, long wheelbase, low stance, and wide rear tire, called for a great liner stability.

The fastest top speed of a Harley V-Rod ever recorded is 145.41 mph (234 kmph). It is among the bikes most Harley Davidson sport motorcycle lovers love. The V-Rod is still a widely popular Harley motorbike among custom motorcycle builders.

The Harley Davidson FXDR 114 was another bold Harley sports motorcycle, similar to the Harley V-Rod and H-D Breakout. It was released in 2018 as one of the fastest Harleys ever produced to attract young sports riders.

Despite being designed for a quick pace and top speed, the Harley FXDR 114 was a Softail model. It featured one of the most powerful Milwaukee-Eight 114 V-Twin engines. The displacement size of 1,868 cc could ensure a maximum power output of around 90 hp at 4,500 rpm and a peak torque of 160 Nm at 3,500 rpm.

Being a muscle cruiser, the Harley FXDR 114 featured a simple solo rider seat, a tail cowl, and a small nose fairing. It also had an extended front end and a long wheelbase like the Harley V-Rod VRSC.

The Harley Davidson FXDR may not be the fastest bike in terms of top speed, but it is considered the fastest Harley for its top acceleration. The FXDR can reach the 60 mph speed mark from the rest in only 2.5 seconds, which is the fastest from a Harley motorbike. Such a great top figure made it one of the best Harley sports motorcycles.

The Harley FXDR also featured carbon fiber parts to keep the weight low. On top of it, this bike also has a wide rider tire, ensuring a stable and quick linear ability

No one ever expected that Harley Davidson would step into a totally new mode of motorbikes, unexpected from a classic bike maker. However, to secure its future, Harley stepped into electric bike making in 2014. However, it took the company years to start the production of electric motorbikes in bulk.

The first Harley LiveWire One electric motorbike was released for purchase in 2021. Harley may not have been a very flexible bike maker since its beginning. However, it has proved to go against its normal making styles, especially with the start of the LiveWire electric bike range.

The LiwWire One is the most decent, standard, sports-style electric bike by Harley. It is among the most ideal-looking and performing electric motorbikes on the market. The LiveWire One is new, modern, sporty, and quick enough to be included in the list of best Harley sports motorcycles.

The LiveWire One can complete the 0-60 mph mark in only 3 seconds. It can also reach a top speed of 110 mph.

The H-D LiveWire One features a lightweight cast aluminum frame to ensure an agility and sporty vibe. This electric motorbike is good enough to be ridden on long distances on highways and open roads. However, make sure to charge before the battery dies.

The LiveWire One is marketed as an Electric Sport Tourer motorbike and is the most expensive in the whole LiveWire One lineup, costing $22,799. It provides a city range of 146 miles and can charge in only 1 hour with the DC fast charger.

The LiveWire One also has a unique pulse generator installed to provide a sense of riding an internal combustion engine-powered motorbike.

Another top-of-the-line sporty bike in the Harley lineup is the H-D Pan America 1250 Special. This Harley dual sport motorcycle is another successful experiment by the company to make a mark in the dual sport category. Though it is a pioneer in the ADV touring category, it also features great off-road capabilities.

What makes the H-D Pan America 1250 Special sportier and bold is the Rev Max 1250 V-Twin engine. The Pan America 1250 Special is considered to be the most powerful Harley Davidson motorbike with its 150 hp of horsepower at 8,750 rpm and 129 Nm of torque at 6,750 rpm. Such powerful figures make the Pan America 1250 Special a blast to ride.

The powerful engine makes the Harley Pan America 1250 reach a top speed of 141 mph (227 kmph). It can also complete the 0-60 mile sprint in only 3.4 seconds. Apart from its sportier and bold stance, the Pan America 1250 Special is more of the best Harley Davidson dual sports motorcycle.