2010 Harley-Davidson range

I brought to this launch my perception that Harley-Davidson has uniquely built its huge market success and its correspondingly huge brand awareness, by more-or-less continuing to do more of the same.

Each year the bikes maintain areas of strong resemblance to the bikes that The Motor Company produced for a market that included big numbers of returning serviceman from WWII and then the Korean War. We’re talking the late 1940s through to the 1960s.

Pre-war, buying a bike had largely been about practical choices - cheap to run; maybe a stepping stone to four wheels. Post-war, for many ex-GIs, riding the big twins, with a bunch of buddies, wearing a kind of uniform (often military cast-offs) was therapeutic - easing the adjustment to civilian life from the adventure/comradeship/danger/trauma of military service.

Then, when the need for therapy had passed, these ‘road warriors’ realised they were onto something good and they stuck with it – some as motorcycle club members but the vast majority as ordinary folk who nevertheless knew that having a powerful bike in the garage alongside the Ford or Chevy was now part of the American way. 

These days as well as maintaining links with the bikes that came off the showroom floor, Harley-Davidson reflects in its model line-up some of the flavour of the aftermarket variants of those days: the customs, the choppers, the bobbers, the racebikes.

But the linkage is only skin-deep. Sure the bikes are still big, solid, air-cooled, V-twin-powered machines. But in the specification details and beneath the surface there is little in common but the concept.

What H-D has been beavering away at under the surface is on-going evolutionary change. Today’s machines are state-of-the-art in terms of engineering and quality control. Their fuel-injected twin-cam engines, helical-gear/belt-drive transmissions and bi-modal, electronically-controlled, exhaust systems are a showcase for technology.

The best way for a rider to understand the quality of a modern Harley is by test-riding one. The on-road dynamics of these machines that visually honour the past are securely-rooted in the present. 

Included in the price for all models are a security system, 24 months Harley Assist and 12 months International HOG membership.

On the launch ride we got to sample a good selection of bikes from the H-D range - the chopper-style got a nod from the new Dyna Wide Glide. The Fat Boy Lo was the custom-cruiser offering. The basic Sportster design had two variants for us to assess: the latest version of the ‘flat tracker’ tribute, the XR1200X, and the all-new, stripped Sportster custom, the Iron 883.

The tank is a slender ‘Street Bob’ style that leads the eye to the two-piece seat and the low black sissy bar. A neat feature is the way all the wiring has been carried inside the handlebars.

: The Wide Glide is powered by the Twin Cam 96 sitting in rubber mounts to compensate for its lack of counter-balance shafts. The six-speed overdrive transmission hooks up through the usual belt drive to the rear wheel.

There are single front and rear discs and twin-shock rear suspension. Dry weight is a relatively trim, for a Harley, 295kg.

: Cruiser seats that control exactly where you sit bring a bike’s overall ergonomics into sharp focus. For me the Wide Glide was perfect in that respect. I slipped into a comfortable seat and my hands fell to the bars with ease and my feet found the forward pegs without effort.

Underway the Harley clutch is light and easy to use and the generous torque of the Twin Cam 96 launches the bike easily. For a raked-out cruiser it handled the demands of Victoria’s Great Ocean Road with aplomb, turning in without great effort and holding a nice line at quite brisk speeds.

It’s a cruiser so the pegs deck easily but overall I regard it as a competent handler. The twin-shock rear performed well. Braking power is adequate if not outstanding. Sixth gear is a true overdrive so plan for a downshift or two for rapid passing at highway speeds.

: The Dyna Wide Glide looks good and is a very comfortable and capable bike. It has a lively, quite responsive feel to it both in cornering and throttle response.

Its $26,495 (plus ORC) price tag should prove very attractive. Can I please have one for a trip to Darwin?

An American custom bike designer once revealed his secret: “Keep it low and style it so you can’t spit through it.” The Fat Boy satisfies his recipe perfectly.
The cast wheels give a kind of continuity to the bike’s substance. As on the Wide glide the Fat Boy Lo’s handlebar wiring is carried internally. Nice. The ’bars are ruggedly good looking. And there’s a handsome new tank medallion.

: The Fat Boy Lo is powered by the Twin Cam 96B engine that’s fitted with balancer shafts and therefore rigidly mounted to the chassis. Again the six-speed overdrive transmission hooks up through the usual belt drive to the rear wheel.

There are single front and rear discs and hidden Softail rear suspension. This sturdy Harley weighs 313kg dry.

: For me, settled into the comfortable seat, the reach to the bars was just that bit too far. If I had my heart set on the Fat Boy Lo, I would need a set of aftermarket ’bars.

Handling of the Fat Boy is competent but its low stance limits its cornering angle. Consequently the footboards spend a lot of time on the deck if you’re determined to push the thing through the twisties. The Softail rear suspension is predictably not as compliant as the Dyna’s twin shock set-up when surfaces deteriorate but it works just fine on smooth bitumen.

With the bike’s extra weight and the inertia of the balancer shafts to be overcome, it isn’t as lively as the Wide Glide in terms of throttle response, but despite the lack of urgency there’s no denying the torquey feel as it gains momentum. It’s probably fair to say that the Fat Boy Lo riding experience is about substance and attitude. The thing has heaps of presence.

: The Fat Boy Lo provides the full Harley custom-cruiser experience. It’s an attention-grabbing cruiser that offers a lot of Harley for the money at $27,995 (plus ORC).

: Power is provided by the standard XR1200’s fuel-injected 1202cc Evolution engine with oil-cooled cylinder heads. Braking capacity is boosted by a pair of 292mm floating discs up front, squeezed by four-piston Nissin calipers. The 43mm inverted fully-adjustable Showa fork is complemented by new fully-adjustable piggyback twin shocks at the rear. The XR’s box is a five-speed version and final drive is by belt. Dry weight is 250kg.

: You mount the XR1200X and it feels purposeful and you feel in charge. The Evo 1200 fires up with a feeling of urgency and the bike launches very rapidly. It’s a proper performance bike in that it feels integrated – the engine sits well with the frame, the suspension and the brakes. Its 90 real-world horses give heaps of real-world performance.

What you’re sampling is a gutsy free-spinning engine, firm sports suspension and powerful brakes.

My recent review of the standard XR1200 (MT issue #221) praised the bikes ability in fast cornering while pointing out that the rear suspension showed signs of stress in tight corners with indifferent surfaces. This X version test bike with its new Showa piggy-back twin shocks kept the rear neat and tidy at all times.

: The XR1200X is a great option for sportsbike riders looking for a change from fully-faired fours. It’s a good choice also for Harley devotees looking for a high performer that still wears the H-D badge.

To my taste the ‘lotsa black’ approach is overkill but the suspension and braking refinements it incorporates make it an attractive proposition at $16,750 (plus ORC). Make no mistake there’s a lot of motorcycling fun to be had on an XR1200X.

Drag style bars sit atop a front fork with distinctive rubber gaiters. The compact black headlamp leads the eye to the high-mounted 12.5 litre tank and then the line flows to the solo Sportster seat and on to the lovely chopped rear guard. The impression is one of lots of muscle in a compact package.

: The powerplant is the 883cc version of the fuel-injected Evo engine and as with the XR, it has a five-speed gearbox hooked up to the belt final drive. The seat height is a low 643mm.

Suspension is standard Sportster kit – non-adjustable telescopic fork up front and pre-load adjustable twin shocks at rear. Single front and rear discs handle the braking. Its compact look belies its 251kg dry weight.

: When you set off on an 883cc Harley you’ve clearly decided you’re not making a statement about ultimate performance or frightening the horses. It’s about wanting to have a slice of the authentic Harley-Davidson experience, though. It’s the H-D experience as defined by the lumpy beat of the 45-degree engine and the great shop window reflection of yourself on a chunk of American iron.

On the Great Ocean Road it kept the big twins honest through the tight bits. It did a lot of peg dragging but it still took to the task with gusto. As for all the H-Ds we rode the clutch was light to use and the gearchange was reliable and accurate. Its surprisingly porky 251kg dry weight is carried so low that it feels 50kg lighter.

: There are many things that appeal about the Iron 883, not least that it’s a real Harley, brand new, for $11,995 (plus ORC). It’s a fun bike that anyone can ride. In an ideal society there would be one in every garage, when the only issue would be whose turn it was to ride it.