Harley-Davidson Heritage Softail Classic

Harley- Davidson is an iconic brand that invokes memories of powerful engines, wide open highways, the wind in your face and mile munching in total and absolute glorious freedom on 2 wheels.

Founded in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1903 this legendary manufacturer has kept the spirit of American motorcycling alive with its pathbreaking products. Known for the distinctive 'potato potato' sound courtesy their potent large capacity V-twin engines these bikes have made many a motorcyclist drool with the sheer auditory delight. As of today, the current product line-up has been categorised under the following categories - Sportster, Dyna, Softail, V-Rod and Touring. The 'Softail' range has been HD's trump card with the sneakily hidden suspension giving the bike more of a dedicated Hardtail look. The Harley Davidson Heritage Softail classic is then the ultimate embodiment of the fat classic look Softail Harley tourers that make the rider want to go the extra mile in pursuit of biking nirvana.

Touring Harleys demand fat torque and plump power output from a lazy engine. The Heritage Softwail Classic Special does not disappoint on that front, it gives the rider a wide amount of power & torque to play with & play really well. Powered by the famed Air cooled Twin Cam 103B V-twin unit displacing 1,690 cc the Softail Heritage Softwail Classic Special is every bit special as it seems to be.

Featuring a bore X stroke ratio of 98.4 X 111.1 mm and a compression ratio of 9.6:1 this ESPFI (Electronic Sequential Port Fuel Injection) engine manages to crank out a staggering 130 NM of torque @ a relaxed 3,000 rpm. This unit is all about torque and oodles of it courtesy the lightweight pistons which keep the refinement levels quite high without stressing out the engine. Slotting it into a higher gear at low speeds will not stall the engine, that's how this has been engineered. The super torquey engine is mated to a 6 speed 'cruise drive' transmission that helps keep the engine speeds and wheel speeds in constant balance ensuring that power and torque are available throughout the rev range as and when required depending on the road and riding conditions. Cruising at triple digit speeds at low engine rpm over longer distances is made possible due to this perfect match between engine and gearbox. This also ensures that engine internals are also not subject to unnecessary wear and tear thus helping the engine in the long run and also keeping routine service and maintenance expenses low at the same time keeping service intervals pretty far apart.

Mileage claims made by manufacturers always vary from actual figures since riding conditions, engine condition and riding style differ from person to person. The overall fuel economy on the Heritage Softwail Classic comes to 18 kmpl. In the city one can expect between 14-16 kmpl & highways will see the economy go to 17-20 kmpl.

V twins are known to be very distinctive in terms of their method of delivering output and transferring it to the road in an easy and comfortable manner. Get the Heritage Softail Classic moving and you realise there's a lot more muscles rather than blubber underneath the surface. This one is blessed by the gods of motorcycling and pulls away strong & clean. Cruisers, especially classic ones from Harley-Davidson have distinguished themselves with glory and able performance so you can imagine what a delight the heritage Softail Classic can be like on the road especially with those short, throaty exhausts heralding the might of the V Twin setup via the burble and the roar. The 341 kg kerb weight does feel like much but remember, this is a full fat American tourer with all the bells and whistles. Bear in mind though that this is a cruiser and not a sportbike so lean in too hard and you risk grounding the pegs or the exhaust.

Having said that, the lean angles at 24.4 degrees on the right and 25.26degrees on the left and is coupled with a 1,635 mm wheelbase. No one ever said this was a small bike- it's a Heritage Softail Classic l!! The classic ape hanger handlebars with mid rise 7 forward mounted controls with full footboards setup front help give a more carefree riding position. The suspension is adjustable for preload helping keep the setup free to suit individual choices. The Michelin Scorcher tyres provide ample grip and aid handling sufficiently. Featuring a huge 140/75 front on a 17 inch wheel and rear 200/55 on a 17 inch wheel, the Fat Bob Special lives upto its name. Braking duties are taken care of via a 4-piston fixed twin disc front and 2-piston torque-free floating rear brake system featuring ABS as standard. The ABS unit is discreetly hidden away in the wheel hub contributing to the aesthetics