Harley Davidson Softail Deuce

It's a corny start to a story, but I really was curious to check what the meaning of the word Deuce is. Knew it had something to do with gambling, maybe, but a total lack of interest in card games and the like had me heading for the Macquarie. Err, apparently it refers to the two pips found on a card or dice, among other things - cute name for a cruiser twin. Also, "A juncture in a game at which the scores are level and either player (or pair) must gain a lead of two points in order to win the game." How appropriate, given the savage battle going on in cruisedom at the moment. Our example was a customised item - show me any Hogley that isn't - and was, going on observations of HOG folk at work and play, fairly representative of what the punter is likely to end up stumbling out of the showroom with.

BYE BYE VIBRATAIL.

So what's a Deuce? A factory-generated custom. Yeah, yeah, I know. 'Factory custom' is like saying 'mass-produced individual' and there is a certain nonsense to the idea. However the Deuce already has a lot of quirks or design features - call them what you will - which a dedicated modifier might do themselves. Probably not as well. It's running a Softail platform, more appropriately known as the Vibratail prior to the introduction of the TC88 (1450cc) engine series. I've written some unkind things about Softails in the past because, in Evolution (1340cc) form, they were often a frustrating mix of the manufacturer's best styling (like the Heritage) and levels of vibration which had to be experienced to be believed - particularly when given a bit of ginger by the rider. Things have changed with the introduction of the current-gen powerplant, though the word 'turbine' is in no danger of finding its way into the same sentence as 'Softail'. It's a big improvement though.

STYLING CUES

The big styling cues are the heavily-raked front end (34 degrees) and the semi-valanced rear guard. Plus the low pilot seat, disc rear wheel and minimalist treatment of the pointy end with wire wheel, single disc and smallish chrome headlamp. Or the solo gauge mounted on the tank saddle. It works. In the flesh, the bike looks like a muscly variation on the chopper theme and, in my book, easily beats Milwaukee's own Dyna Lowrider (pitched at a similar specialist market) in the styling stakes. Paint it black, and I'd put it very close to the Sturgis models (any generation - they all looked good) when it comes to pleasing the eye.

FORM AND FUNCTION

Okay, so it's low, weighs near enough to 300 kilos and has a minimal single disc up front. It's gonna be a pig on the handling front. Bzzzzt! Incorrect answer. In cruiser terms it's surprisingly good, with more cornering clearance than you might expect, well-sorted suspension, quite good steering, adequate grip and acceptable braking. Before you get on your high horse and suggest that journos always give premium brands an easy time, let me point out that I can think of at least two current Japanese equivalents that couldnÕt keep up with this model on a corner-strewn road. Harley-Davidson may be struggling to get its corporate head around outright motorcycle performance, but it does know a thing or two about cruisers - and this is living proof. The Deuce actually corners well and brakes predictably. Faint praise for the stoppers? Because H-D's own figures say the bigger Road King will pull up about four metres shorter from 100kmh - which is a lot and questions the wisdom of the tyre/braking mix. Nevertheless the adoption of the current braking systems across the range is a huge step forward compared to the Evos, but a long way short of slapping-on-the-back stage.

KNEES UP

Another proviso - it's awkward to steer at low speeds. Blame it on the feet-forward controls and the handlebars which get tangled up with the knees of tall riders during simple 90-degree turns in the suburbs. The same could be said for many bikes (regardless of brand) of this genre. Much as I loved the look, the seating position didnÕt like me. It's simply too cramped for tall people (thanks partly to a combo of low and forward rider seat plus high pegs) and, in case you were wondering, that's Mav in the photos, which explains why he looks comfortable. Talking to a few folk who've sampled the Deuce, it seems that six-foot-one is about the breaking point. More than that and you'll be struggling.

HEAVY BREATHER

Our version ran H-D's Screamin' Eagle brand breathing and cams (see separate panel) - effectively a Stage One performance kit. It bounded about pretty well, though the cold-to-warm running needed further sorting on our example. The TC88 spins up much better in the mid-range than its predecessor, which is where you actually want the performance, and the mods added a little to that package. I'm not wild about the pipes - too fruity when you're trying to keep a low profile, and there's more subtle ways to extract performance. No Hogley is complete without some fiddling with the styling and this one had most of what you could throw at it. The Terminator-style handgrips looked the biz, actually felt good to use, and most of the other additions worked. Pillions said the rear perch needs work, I'd be tempted to try a completely different saddle set-up if two-up travel is important. Or buy a Road King, which is still the pick of the big-bore end of the range.

WINNING HAND?

The Deuce does a number of things right out of the box. Handles pretty well at normal road speeds, looks great, and feels okay if youÕre not overly tall. Even at a hefty $28,500 base price, it'll develop a following.

Story: Guy Allen - Photos: Stuart Grant