Latest Auto News Blog: Enter the Rumormill: Harley-Davidson quietly launches XR1200 in US?

Click above for high-res image gallery of the Harley-Davidson XR1200

We haven't yet gotten any official word from Harley-Davidson regarding the imminent U.S. launch of its XR1200, a thoroughly modern take on the old XR750 made famous on various dirt tracks across the United States. Oddly, despite this profound racing heritage in America, HD at first decided to send the revived XR to European dealerships only while suggesting that the U.S. may also get the bike at some point if demand proved strong. It seems that enough Americans were interested for the company to investigate its home market further, as rumors now indicate that an initial run of 750 XRs are being set aside for U.S. consumption. If you want one of these first XRs, you'll need to have your order in by December 15.

We have not been able to confirm this launch with the powers-that-be at HD, but at least one dealership in Westminster California is taking deposits for orange XR1200s with a price of $11,179 and a due date before the end of the year. Black and silver models will apparently be made available early next year. We made a quick call to Westminster Harley-Davidson and got confirmation that an email was sent just yesterday informing dealers of the news. Still, until we see an official announcement from Harley, which certainly wouldn't be entirely unexpected, this one's not quite officially official. Stay tuned... we may finally get the chance to ride the Sportster as God and Mr. Davidson himself intended.

Gallery: Harley Davidson XR 1200