Martin Child•23 Sept 2011

REVIEW

2012 Harley-Davidson Dyna Switchback

Do you want to feel the soul of a bike through every kilometres travelled, complete with a tonne of old world charm?

Harley-Davidson and Vegemite. Now I’m not suggesting that you start spreading the brown gloop on a chromed fuel cap and start licking... More that these two, strong, iconic brands have a very similar core value. Love or hate Vegemite (and there is no middle category here), the company is clever enough not to mess with the ingredients in order to pander to a wider market.

And it’s exactly the same philosophy at Harley D. Never have riders been so divided over a brand. You either buy in to the whole Hog experience, or you head East. And as such, writing a report on the new $25,995 Dyna Switchback to the leagues of riders that already love the brand seems to be missing the point somewhat. After all, if you’ve ridden a ‘big’ Harley, you already know what the Switchback’s ride is like.

So let’s talk to the unconverted. Maybe that sports bike has got just too damn quick, maybe the riding position too uncomfortable? Time for a change? Now don’t get me wrong here – if you like fast corners, powerful acceleration and great, sports-inspired handling, then stay well away from the Harley, man.

Because, unlike many Japanese and European bikes that are marketed as tourers but also cut it when the pace ups, the Switchback can’t. It’s not all things to all men (or women). And that’s not a criticism. Harley is honest with its labelling of this bike as a ‘custom touring’ machine. If you want to go faster, get a VMax. If you want to lean further, get a Jap cruiser. But if you want to buy into motorcycling’s largest family, then get a Harley.

And that’s the key difference between the Milwalkee iron and the rest of the world. With a H-D, you buy into the whole experience. It’s not just about the bike.

And it’s the bike that idles before me. It vibrates with a life of its own, Harley’s own heartbeat in every machine it sells. The saddle is low, the running boards long. Leathers and a full-face are replaced by jeans and a piss-pot. It’s Live to Ride rather than Ride to Work. If we don’t get too giddy here, this could be fun…

As I’m on the official launch of the new model, the assembled press peel out onto the smooth roads of the Sunshine Coast. But we’re Men of Media rather than Sons of Anarchy, the acceptable face of cruising outside the box.

It’s not long (okay, first corner) that the limitations of the bike’s lean angle are found, as the metal foot boards kiss the tarmac with a shower of sparks. I think I’m relaxed but it’s clear I need to relax more.

For an engine that vibrated the bike so violently at idle, I’m impressed with how smooth it is on the move. With ‘game over’ arriving at 5700rpm, you ride the wide band of torque that the twin-cam 103 engine offers. Crazy horses? Nah, the 1690cc engine offers more like powerful pit ponies.

As we glide out of the city, the six-speed box gets a run through until we settle on a 100km/h cruise. This comes at a relaxed 2200rpm in top gear and the ride is smooth, supple and plush. But then we’re riding over some damn smooth roads as we head up into the hills that overlook our coastal base of Mooloolaba. It’s a beautiful day and very easy to connect with the Switchback. For a new model, it has a tonne of old-world charm.

As the midday sun reflects off the chrome headlight surround and centrally-mounted speedo glass, we rumble through country towns and in and out of valleys. We swap bikes and the most fun is to be had on the ‘naked’ version of the bike. As standard, the 2012 Switchback comes with a screen and panniers. These can both be jettisoned, without the need for tools, in about one minute flat. As a tall rider (189cm), the screen was too low for me and I preferred the ‘window fully open’ experience of it removed.

Even though it’s not a sports bike, bikers will be bikers. In the name of through testing, the pace increases. As you’d expect of something weighing 320kg (dry) and having the wheelbase of a Boeing 747, you don’t want to leave you corner entry point too late at speed. This isn’t a bike for late braking and forcing into a corner. By taking the early approach, road speed could be kept at decent levels as the bike tips into the corner, ABS brakes helping to trail it in, before opening the gas fully and driving out.

With the engine’s torque and the overall weight, highsides are never on the agenda, meaning you can get on the throttle earlier that on something more powerful and lighter. In short, the Harley really loves to go with the flow.

The end of the ride comes too soon. On the fast and flowing roads, the Switchback had given a very good account of itself in terms of speed, control and comfort.

And you could feel the bike’s soul through every kilometre travelled -- something the clever Japanese have never managed to replicate on their cruisers.

So the Dyna Switchback increases the Harley range without breaking the mould and becomes another invitation to join the biggest party on two wheels.

Check out the updates to the full 2012 Harley-Davidson range.

SPECS: HARLEY-DAVIDSON DYNA SWITCHBACK (FLD)

ENGINE

Type: Air-cooled, Twin Cam 103

Capacity: 1690cc

Bore x stroke: 98.4mm x 111.3mm

Compression ratio: 9:6.1

Fuel system: Electronic sequential port fuel injection

Emissions: Euro 3

Claimed maximum power: Not given

Claimed maximum torque: 135.6Nm at 3500rpm

TRANSMISSION

Type: Six speed

Final drive: Belt

Clutch: Wet

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR

Front suspension: Telescopic fork

Rear suspension: Twin shocks

Front brakes: Four-piston caliper

Rear brake: Twin-piston caliper

Wheels: Black, five-spoke cast aluminium

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES

Rake: 29.9 degrees

Trail: 148mm

Claimed dry weight: 320kg

Seat height: 663mm

Wheelbase: 1595mm

Fuel capacity: 17.8 litres

Claimed fuel economy: 5.6lt/100km

OTHER STUFF

Price: $25,995

Colours: Vivid Black, Ember Red Sunglo or Brilliant Silver Pear

Test bike supplied by: Harley-Davidson Australia

Warranty: 24 months, unlimited kilometres

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2012 Harley-Davidson Dyna Switchback

SPECS: HARLEY-DAVIDSON DYNA SWITCHBACK (FLD)

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