After H-D dropped the standard Sportster 883 from the lineup, the bottom rung on Harley's ladder was looking a little bare with just the 883 Low and 883 Custom models remaining. Never fear, Dark is here. As in Harley's Dark Custom line. Rolled out officially as a marketing device a year ago with the introduction of the Cross Bones, but going back over a decade with blacked out models like the Night Train, the Dark Custom line is coming into its own as a brand parallel to Harley-Davidson's other families of bikes.
True to Dark Custom style, the Iron 883 (MSRP $7899) is blacked the f#%k out, from the engine to the sheetmetal to the wheels, far more than the 1200cc Nightster. It features many of the same styling cues of its bigger-displacement brother with a side-mounted license plate frame, dirt-track style fork gaiters, and an abbreviated rear fender. Unfortunately, it also gets the Nightster's ultra-lowered stance, which combines a harsh ride with little (under 2-inches) suspension travel.
That said, compared to the base model 883 Low (MSRP $6999), that's an awful lot of powder coating for only $900.