The Sportster XR1200 was released in the United States in 2009, in a special color scheme including Mirage Orange highlighting its dirt-tracker heritage. The XR1200 had an Evolution engine tuned to produce 91 hp, four-piston dual front disc brakes, and an aluminum swingarm. But then it was discontinued on the United States Market for the 2013 lineup since it was sold in insufficient numbers.

Now, Harley Davidson has announced its future plans for at least the next five years, and has the XR1200 soul coming back in an all-new avatar. Called the ‘Custom’ for the moment, this new cruiser model might be the third new Sportster (after – Iron 1200 and Forty-Eight Special) from HD’s 100 new models in the coming decade.

As part of its brand new “More Roads to Harley-Davidson” growth plan through 2022, HD has showcased multiple concepts under electric motorcycles, adventure-tourers, streetfighter, and this Customer being the prominent ones. Surprisingly, Harley is also developing a more accessible, small-displacement product for the Asian markets.

The Custom is a modern take on the Sportster series that is all brute and brawny. Making use of a flashy new liquid-cooled 1,250cc, 60-degree, V-twin motor, the Custom borrows cues design from the past, present and the future models. See the front end and tell me you don’t see the Fat bob there. The swingarm is shared from the company’s future, the LiveWire electric motorcycle.

Then, of course, there are the XR1200 inspired panels, which surprisingly is just the tank and the under seat cowl. All of this along with the high-mounted shotgun exhaust, tracker handlebar and forward set footpegs give the Custom a raw stature, and we hope Harley will retain most of it when it comes into production in 2022. This could also just be an all-new platform for future Sportster models.

All of this comes in as a surprising change in the corporate stance where Harley Davidson has gone on record showcasing its future plans over the next five years in great detail. Blowing the door wide open, HD gave us a peek at all their new products coming in the next five years including new internal combustion engines (500cc, 750cc, 975cc and 1,250cc) that will go onto 16 new models.

The first to hit the streets will, however, be its first electric motorcycle, LiveWire, in 2019. It will be the first in a broad, no-clutch “twist and go” portfolio of products that will put the company right in the center of the electric race.