Bring Back the Real Sportster: Why Harley-Davidson Must Return to Its American Roots

By Bobby Darvish, Conservative Biker & American Patriot

There was a time when Harley-Davidson stood for freedom, grit, and the rebellious spirit of the American road. Now, under the misguided leadership of German-born CEO Jochen Zeitz—a liberal globalist more focused on appeasing European regulators than honoring American tradition—Harley risks losing its soul. The most glaring example? The death of the classic Sportster, especially the iconic 2009 model, which represented everything that made Harley the legend it is today: raw power, minimalist design, air-cooled reliability, and a rebellious edge tailored for real American riders.

The 2009 Sportster was the last of a breed: simple, customizable, and unmistakably American. It didn’t care about Euro 5 emissions standards or woke corporate image campaigns. It was built to roar down Route 66, not to sip fuel quietly through the French countryside. But since Jochen Zeitz took the reins, Harley has pivoted away from its base—real American bikers—and started chasing electric bikes, overpriced touring models, and overseas environmental regulations. The Motor Company is no longer being run by someone who understands the American spirit of freedom—it’s being run by someone who wants Harley to be a “sustainable mobility brand.” Newsflash: no one buys a Harle
y to be "sustainable." We buy Harleys to feel alive.

Under Zeitz, Harley killed off the true Sportster and replaced it with watered-down, liquid-cooled, tech-heavy knockoffs designed to satisfy Brussels, not bikers. They even dropped the Iron 883 and the Forty-Eight—two of the most beloved Sportster trims by young riders and veterans alike. What we need is not another EV experiment or overpriced bagger—we need a permanent return of the classic air-cooled Sportster, preferably modeled after the 2009 line with minimal electronics, a throaty exhaust, and American steel.

Harley-Davidson didn’t become a global icon by bending the knee to regulators and ESG investors. It became legendary by building bikes for blue-collar Americans who love God, guns, and the open road. If Harley wants to survive—not just as a company, but as a symbol of American freedom—it must bring back the classic Sportster and send a clear message: Harley-Davidson is for Americans, not European bureaucrats.

It’s time for Harley-Davidson to stop apologizing for being American and start embracing it again. Bring back the real Sportster. Keep it in the permanent lineup. And fire the liberal globalists who are trying to turn our bikes into silent scooters. Long live the rumble of the V-twin. Long live Harley. And long live American freedom.