--- product_id: 49155894 title: "Harley-Davidson Sportster: Sixty Years" price: "€ 196.54" currency: EUR in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.pt/products/49155894-harley-davidson-sportster-sixty-years store_origin: PT region: Portugal --- # Comprehensive Sportster history Stunning high-res photography Detailed model evolution insights Harley-Davidson Sportster: Sixty Years **Price:** € 196.54 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Summary > 🏍️ Ride Through History: Own the Story of the Legendary Sportster! ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Harley-Davidson Sportster: Sixty Years - **How much does it cost?** € 196.54 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.pt](https://www.desertcart.pt/products/49155894-harley-davidson-sportster-sixty-years) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Key Features - • **Accessible Yet Detailed:** Perfect for newcomers and enthusiasts craving clear, engaging technical insights. - • **Authoritative & Friendly Tone:** Enjoy a narrative that balances expert knowledge with approachable storytelling. - • **Iconic Harley-Davidson Legacy:** Dive deep into 60 years of Sportster evolution and culture. - • **Collector’s Quality Hardcover:** A premium edition that looks great on your coffee table or bookshelf. - • **Visual Storytelling Masterclass:** Experience vivid, high-impact images that bring every model to life. ## Overview Harley-Davidson Sportster: Sixty Years is a richly illustrated hardcover book by Allan Girdler that chronicles the iconic Sportster motorcycle’s six-decade evolution. Combining expert technical explanations with captivating photography and a friendly narrative, it offers both newcomers and seasoned fans an immersive look at the models’ origins, design changes, and cultural impact. Highly rated for its engaging style and visual appeal, this book is a must-have for anyone passionate about Harley-Davidson’s enduring legacy. ## Description Go on a 60-year ride with Harley-Davidson's Sportster Things got a little weird in the American motorcycle industry after World War II. People hungered for new motorcycles, buying just about everything manufacturers could build. But on rare occasions a manufacturer produced a machine that nobody wanted. Such was the case with the Harley-Davidson Model K. The Model K had most of the features buyers wanted in a modern machine, like hand-operated clutches, foot-operated shifters, and cool-running aluminum heads, but it lacked perhaps the most important technological upgrade: a modern overhead-valve valve-train design. The Model K retained the antiquated side-valve design because of arcane AMA racing rules written when Harley-Davidson and Indian competed head-to-head on American racetracks, but by 1952 Indian was on its last legs. This should have made the Model K a massive sales success. What nobody counted on was the British bike invasion. Thanks to their modern overhead-valve engines, the lightweight British bikes humiliated the side-valve Harleys on the track and on the street. Upgrades to the Model K didn't help; Harley finally relented and introduced a new overhead-valve middleweight for the 1957 model year. Dubbed the Sportster, it was everything the Model K was not. More importantly, it was faster than the British competition. Thus began the Sportster's sixty-year reign. Harley-Davidson Sportster: Sixty Years tells the complete Sportster story. Noted Sportster expert Allen Girdler covers all the bikes--the XLCH, Café Racer, XR1000, XLX, 883, Iron, Forty-Eight, Seventy-Two, and Nightster--that have made the Sportster one of the most iconic motorcycles on earth. Review: Great Intro to the Sportie - I have many more riding years behind me than ahead, never had or even ridden a Harley and the Sportie is pretty and affordable so might just cross that t. This book is much more than a picture book, though the photography is excellent and the pics pop off the page, being a chronicle of the origins and evolution of the Sportster models. From being a complete ignoramus I do now feel as though I have some idea of what these bikes are supposed to be about and how the different varieties of each model fit in. I'm not an engineer but didn't find it too technical though of course technical development is properly and patiently explained. Far from being cold and factual though, the author's friendly style certainly gets across the allure and mystique of the Harley-Davidson brand. I only have two very slight misgivings. 1) Like so many books these days this needed a thorough proof-reading. Some pages have as many as 3 or 4 printing/spelling etc errors. 2) I'd have liked a bit more about how the riding experience was affected as the models evolved. Neither of these is serious enough to detract from 5*. Incidentally, the quality of my hardback copy (which cost a lot less than the cover price) is superb. Review: Sportster book - Good book ## Features - MOTORBKS ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | 1,880,281 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) 240 in Pictorial Motorcycle References 466 in Motorcycles History 145,453 in Sports, Hobbies & Games | | Customer Reviews | 4.7 out of 5 stars 121 Reviews | ## Images ![Harley-Davidson Sportster: Sixty Years - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/911K9Kxur2L.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Great Intro to the Sportie *by S***S on 6 May 2020* I have many more riding years behind me than ahead, never had or even ridden a Harley and the Sportie is pretty and affordable so might just cross that t. This book is much more than a picture book, though the photography is excellent and the pics pop off the page, being a chronicle of the origins and evolution of the Sportster models. From being a complete ignoramus I do now feel as though I have some idea of what these bikes are supposed to be about and how the different varieties of each model fit in. I'm not an engineer but didn't find it too technical though of course technical development is properly and patiently explained. Far from being cold and factual though, the author's friendly style certainly gets across the allure and mystique of the Harley-Davidson brand. I only have two very slight misgivings. 1) Like so many books these days this needed a thorough proof-reading. Some pages have as many as 3 or 4 printing/spelling etc errors. 2) I'd have liked a bit more about how the riding experience was affected as the models evolved. Neither of these is serious enough to detract from 5*. Incidentally, the quality of my hardback copy (which cost a lot less than the cover price) is superb. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Sportster book *by A***R on 8 April 2024* Good book ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Definitely for the Sportster *by A***J on 26 April 2017* A lengthy 4 month wait for this pre order with the date brought forward then date set back and out of the blue delivered. As the owner of a Sportster my husband loved it. Value for money for the enthusiast as Sportster specific books are hard to find. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.pt/products/49155894-harley-davidson-sportster-sixty-years](https://www.desertcart.pt/products/49155894-harley-davidson-sportster-sixty-years) --- *Product available on Desertcart Portugal* *Store origin: PT* *Last updated: 2026-08-31*