Harley-Davidson ' s air-cooled Sportster range finally reached the end of the road in 2021 / 2022 , but hardcore fans of the engineering and appearance of the old 1200 cc ( it was also built as an 883 cc ) machines might find the launch of the SWM V1200 interesting - a bike so similar to the old Sportsters that you ' ll have to look twice to spot the differences . SWM stands for Speedy Working Motors according to the company itself , but the name ' s roots appear to be in the |
initials SVVM , for Sironi Vergani Vimercate Milano . The company ' s founders were Piero Sironi and Fausto Vergani , based in Vimercate near Milan when the brand was established in 1971 . It isn ' t one of the better-known of Italy ' s myriad motorcycle brands , and the original company folded in 1984 before being revived 30 years later by Ampelio Macchi with backing from Chinese brand Shineray , using the old Husqvarna factory on the shores of Lake Varese . While several of SWM ' s initial models were based on Husqvarna machines , the new V1200 is hugely different , marking the brand ' s first venture into twin-cylinder bikes and its first cruiser , with a capacity more than twice as large as any other SWM model . The bike has also been shown in China under the Shineray name , but SMW ' s |
parent says the engine was developed in Italy to meet Euro 5 rules , something that the old Harley-Davidson Sportster 1200 didn ' t achieve . The similarity to the Sportster extends to its 1202 cc capacity , and visually there ' s barely a difference between the SWM engine and the old Harley- Davidson 1200 Evo twin . It would be no surprise if Harley-Davidson parts could bolt straight to the SWM V-twin . The only notable technical difference is a lower compression ratio , dropped |
from 10.1:1 in the Sportster to 9.1:1 in the SWM V1200 , probably to help meet emissions limits . The change is reflected in a slight performance drop , with peak power of 45 kW ( 60 hp ), down from 48.5 kW ( 65 hp ) for the last of the Harley Sportster 1200s . Torque is also down a fraction , peaking at 90 Nm rather than 99 Nm . The transmission is also near-identical to the Harley five-speed box , and the V1200 ' s frame and styling are very much in the Sportster mould , with the same overall dimensions to the old Harley-Davidson Forty-Eight . Only the SWM ' s sloping headlight and larger fuel tank really set it aside . At the moment , there ' s no word on the bike ' s price or when it will be available , but it ' s likely to appear in the Chinese market under the Shineray name first , with SWM-branded versions for international markets following later on . |