Harley-Davidson

A little sparse, a little spare, and an exercise in understatement describes the new-in-2016 Harley-Davidson Roadster, at least in appearance. Performance-wise, it’s agile with a greater lean angle than the Sportster stable is used to having. Not just a cut-down Sportster, the Roadster features a different frame and enhanced suspension along with the tried-and-true air-cooled Evolution engine.

After a revamp for the 2018 model year, Softail underpinnings are all radically different than the originals, but the overall classic look of the Heritage Classic remains largely unchanged for the requisite historical tie-in. Harley put a new emphasis on the Softail lineup with plenty of performance-driven custom designs for the fiery-eyed pegdraggers out there, but for someone looking for an old-school cruiser and tour bike, the Heritage Classic is your Huckleberry.

Electric-powered bikes are at the cutting edge of technology as the world grapples with its fossil-fuel dependency and seeks viable alternatives, and the LiveWire represents the MoCo’s contribution to that effort. Harley-Davidson teased us back in ’14 with the Project Livewire prototype, but at the EICMA “Milan Show” this year the production version finally saw the light of day. This machine brings a slew of features to the table that shows that Milwaukee is not as mired in the past as its detractors would like to have you believe with safety and comfort amenities that qualify as top-shelf by anyone’s standards. This is a thoroughly modern ride with up-to-date equipment, and even though it’s operating within a still-niche genre, there’s no problem at all in finding a suitable competitor, so let’s get to it.

Continue reading for my look at the Harley-Davidson LiveWire.

The EICMA bike show is in full swing, and so far, fans of the burgeoning EV sector have a lot to be excited about. Besides its limited range, one of the biggest challenges for the EV bike builders is the lack of diversity, but this year at the Milan show, it’s clear that issue has been addressed. I’ve picked out six interesting models that cover three genres, so let’s get to it.

Continue reading for my picks among the electric bikes at 2018 EICMA.

Harley-Davidson’s Fat Boy survived the Great Purge of 2017 that saw so many models eliminated from the Softail and Dyna lineups as the former absorbed the latter. The FLSTF joins the rest of the all-new-in-2018 Softail range with a completely reworked frame and a choice between the 107-inch and 114-inch Milwaukee-Eight powerplant. New design features add to the aesthetics and clearly mark these Fat Boys as members of the New Guard.

Continue reading for my review of the Harley-Davidson Fat Boy.

With the Softail Deluxe, Harley-Davidson brings a strong dose of nostalgia and antique design and with it comes H-D’s Big-Twin powerplant — the Milwaukee-Eight 107 — and its 109 pound-feet of stump-pulling torque that turned in a stronger top-gear roll-on than any previous engine family before it with the same 45-degree V-Twin. The charm and engine lope that even the oldest fans of the brand would recognize wasn’t lost and ABS, security and oodles of laid-back, classic vibes are included in the standard equipment package, so this is truly a melding of two technologically-distinct eras.

Continue reading for my review of the Harley-Davidson Softail Deluxe.

Powered by the Milwaukee-Eight engine with a total of 110 pound-feet of torque, the agile Softail frame brings heretofore unseen performance to the Low Rider. Harley-Davidson is digging deep to give us better handling and more power and the Low Rider is a prime example.

Continue reading for my review of the Harley-Davidson Low Rider.

Lots of Harley-Davidson’s lineup hit the cutting room floor this year, but the top-shelf Ultra Limited and Ultra Limited Low remains a constant, at least through the 2019 model year. This pair represents the pinnacle of the MoCo’s standard, non-CVO tourbike development, and they come with all the bells and whistles you’d expect on top of the largest, most powerful Big Twin powerplant ever to see the full-dresser lineup. As its ingeniously clever name suggests, the “Low” comes slammed to the max, and that opens it up for use by inseams that are a skosh short for the regular “Ultra.” I expect a full spectrum of comfort-related geegaws on these bikes, and it seems as though Milwaukee, once again, does not disappoint.

Continue reading for my review of the Harley-Davidson Ultra Limited and Ultra Limited Low.

Minimalism and understatement do not always go hand in hand. In this case, it is the whole point of the design. Bringing the designs from their history books and fusing them with cues of early performance models, manufacturers catered to the ’bob-job’ from the 1930s through 1990s custom scene.

Stripping excess bodywork from a motorcycle, shortening the fenders and having a bob-tail, here is our list of the top seven Bobbers of 2018 that run on huge engines yet harks back to a different time – ostensibly the post-WWII era when returning servicemen stripped their bikes of all unnecessary weight for the sake of going faster.

Full dresser, full dress tourer, or dresser are jargons for machines that love to hit the asphalt covering some major miles in the most sumptuous comfort. With complete sets of saddlebags and top box to carry all your and your passenger’s belongings, dressers are the ultimate cruising weapons that give you creature comforts like no other on two wheels.

Coming in hot with full fairings to protect you from the elements, large engines, navigation systems, an all-important music, and connectivity options and by far the most comfortable seats, here are our top ten dressers of 2018 that does all of it in luxury:

Baggers are nothing but motorcycles with large motors with plenty of low-end torque, forward set footpegs, and a laid-back reclined riding position defining any modern-day cruisers, with an addition of saddlebags. Meant for long distance travel, baggers maintain agility, an open feel, and classic motorcycle styling. In addition to the bags, they will often have windshields, partial fairing, a more comfortable seat, better suspension, larger tank, and forward controls.

Touring is synonymous with motorcycles; it’s an integral part of the riding experience. No other feeling satisfies a man’s desire for freedom, to head in a direction unknown. And if you don’t have the right tool to do it, the whole feeling just becomes uncanny. Here is our list of top ten baggers of 2018 touring the roads of the world:

Harley-Davidson’s “Limited” has always been a top-shelf machine, so how do you improve on something that already comes with all the bells and whistles? Why, you turn it over to the Custom Vehicle Operations division, of course. The CVO Limited represents the pinnacle of Harley’s tourbike development with all the gadgets and gizmoes of the Ultra Limited, plus the pure-D awesome-sauce that comes with “CVO-ification”. An updated infotainment system joins the brushed-up, year-model specific design details to boost curb appeal, and the MoCo shoehorns in the largest production mill it has ever built to drive it all. Like the rest of the CVO line, the Limited comes with three distinct paint packages with varied levels of bling, so without further ado, let’s dive into Harley’s premium two-wheeled performance tourbike.

Continue reading for my review of the Harley-Davidson CVO Limited.

Harley-Davidson rolled out the newest generation of its hot-rod bagger, the Street Glide, last year when it shoehorned one of its brand-new 107 cubic-inch Milwaukee-Eight engines into the frame, and that more or less carries straight over into MY2019. Updated suspension components join the new powerplant and recently-revised bodywork to make this latest boulevard bruiser one of the most popular models to come out of Milwaukee right now. Today I’m going to dive into this newest version and see what other yummy-goodness the MoCo has in store for us.

Continue reading for my review of the Harley-Davidson Street Glide,

Being the closest thing to flying without leaving the ground, Cruisers have been the incarnation of the ‘30s to ‘60s American lifestyles. Large motors with plenty of low-end torque, forward set footpegs, and a laid-back reclined riding position define any modern-day cruisers. Traditionally, large V-twins ran under the hoods, but inline engines have become more common these days.

Here is our list of the cruiser motorcycles of 2018 that gets us to simply cruise, at one with our bike, taking in the sights and smells, the cool air washing over, and supposedly cleansing the soul. Basically defining the concept of motorcycling, cruisers keep us wandering off with just a twist of the throttle to the unknown.

Harley-Davidson’s Custom Vehicle Operations division always turns out the best toys, and this year is no exception as it sees a number of improvements and new options for its fixed-fairing boulevard bruiser; the CVO Road Glide. The “CVORG” features new body panels with model-year specific paint details and paint packages that present you with a choice between three levels of brightness (or the lackthereof). On top of all that, the MY2019 CVORG boasts the largest displacement (and most powerful) production engine currently made by the MoCo, and Harley’s latest Infotainment system spreads some power to the audio system as well. Since the CVO range serves as H-D’s top-shelf product line, it’s safe to expect the best Milwaukee has to offer. Let’s see how they did.

Continue reading for my review of the Harley-Davidson CVO Road Glide.

Traffic-carving performance wasn’t the first thing I think of when hearing the name Harley-Davidson, but the MoCo started changing that perception with the new-in-2017 Street Rod 750. While it is, in fact, based on the current Street 750, multiple changes in the setup and equipment turn it into another animal entirely. Shorter steering geometry, a more aggressive rider triangle and a more powerful engine come together in H-D’s decisive push into the sport-standard market.

Continue reading for my review of the Harley-Davidson Street Rod.

Harley-Davidson revamped its Street Glide Special yet again for the 2019 model year in an effort to keep it “special.” First, the factory stuffed the largest non-CVO engine into the frame. Then it boosted the infotainment potential with the new Boom! Box GTS system. Color choices span the spectrum so there should be something for everyone on the palette. What else makes the “Special” so special? Let’s find out.

Continue reading for my review of the Harley-Davidson Street Glide Special.

The new-in-2017 107-inch, Milwaukee-Eight engine from Harley-Davidson delivers nearly 114 pounds o’ grunt along with improved suspension components and other, comfort-related improvements over the MY2016 units. Naturally, this is in addition to all the tour-tastic yummy-goodness that made the Ultra Limited such a touring staple in the first place. Today I’m going to take a look at this pair to see what else is new and exciting, then we are going to see how it measures up against the Indian Roadmaster that I reckon will be its most direct competitor.

Continue reading for my review of the Harley-Davidson Ultra Limited and Ultra Limited Low.

Harley-Davidson has released its 2019 lineup, and it looks like the newly revamped TriGlide Ultra is the hot ticket to debut all the new tech to come out of Milwaukee this year. The TriGlide combines the stability of a traditional trike platform with all the same tour-tastic goodies that makes H-D’s two-wheeler tourbikes such a success. New this year, an updated infotainment system gives you better touchscreen performance along with better sound system options, but the real performance boost lies in the engine area as Harley beefed up its already massive mill. Attention was paid to the suspension components as well to make this generation of trike smoother than ever before, so as you can see, the MoCo did its homework and gave the people exactly what they want, and more of it. Or, did they? Let’s find out.

Continue reading for my review of the Harley-Davidson TriGlide Ultra,

Harley-Davidson advances its 100-new-bike agenda in 2019 with the new FXDR 114 that turns the nearly-new Softail into a drag race-inspired stoplight burner. The factory went outside the envelope for design inspiration, with some interesting results that head in an unexpected direction to say the least. A 114 cubic-inch engine delivers the goods to make the FXDR the most powerful production Softail up for grabs so far this year, so you can be assured that it’s by no means an all-show/no-go machine. Plus, an effort was made to shed some weight to improve handling- and ride-quality, and that translates into even better acceleration to make this a rather sporty, non-Sportster ride. Let’s dive into the details.

Continue reading for my review of the Harley-Davidson FXDR 114.

Once again, Harley-Davidson takes what’s old and makes it new again with its revamped-in-2018 Softail lineup, and the drag-tastic “Breakout” is one of the models that made the jump and carried into 2019. Harley offers this bobber-burner with the 109 pound-foot, Milwaukee-Eight 107 and the Mil-8 114 that boasts a total of 119 pounds o’ twist. The ground-up Softail-family rebuild contains myriad changes from the remarkable to the mundane that go way beyond a handful of re-arranged trim packages. We’re talking about the re-invention of the whole range with capabilities meant to offset the loss of the Dyna family, and technology that is more in line with the current industry standards. We’re talking a renewed focus on the Softails as H-D’s sole (or should it be soul?) cruisers. This is it; the drag-tastic sub-model of the range that Harley hopes will attract the younger buyers.

Continue reading for my review of the Harley-Davidson Breakout.

The Milwaukee brand will enter a new phase in 2019 with its brand new “More Roads to Harley-Davidson” growth plan through 2022. Harley Davidson has showcased multiple concepts under the LiveWire bandwagon including the 2019 production ready LiveWire motorcycle.

The production-ready model is out and we have the flesh sleaze of images in a bright orange getup. And honestly, this is arguably the most forward-thinking machine to have ever come out of the gates by Harley. A huge leap into the unknown for a brand with 115 years of vintage heritage.

Harley-Davidson’s Custom Vehicle Operations division is at it again with a revised CVO Street Glide model for 2019. The newest “SG” sports a new Boom! Box infotainment system with some serious speaker packages, and it comes with a choice of three distinct finish categories; bright, dark and really dark. Power comes from the Milwaukee-Eight 117 that makes its sophomore appearance and brings its “guns” to the table with oodles of torque and a new color band as a model-year identifier. There’s plenty more to see, so let’s get into the details of Harley’s top-shelf custom-tour bike.

Continue reading for my review of the Harley-Davidson CVO Street Glide.