Harley-Davidson Heritage Softail Classic : Roadtest

The Harley-Davidson Heritage Softail Classic epitomizes the bygone era of leather chaps, leather vests and chrome. Adil Jal Darukhanawala takes to the open road astride this charmingly crafted motorcycle but sensibly dressed for India of course!rnPhotography: Kunal Khadse

Harley-Davidson motorcycles are the embodiment of American rolling art in its truest form, crafted out of shining chrome and heavy metal. These machines bring along with them over hundred years of tradition and legacy that remains unchallenged and undeterred thanks to the nostalgic design and the noticeably charming exhaust note of these big-twin cruiser bikes. After having ridden Harley Davidson’s entire range for India, the bike that pasted the biggest smile on my face was the Heritage Softail Classic with its elegantly drawn design lines and silken smooth power delivery coupled with exceptional road-manners.

Peculiarity of the Softail Classic lies in its styling as well as its chassis design. The frame mimics the clean lines of a vintage hardtail (no rear suspension) frame albeit with a modern-day rear suspension that is not visible externally. The hardtail look was especially made popular in the 1970s and the 1980s by custom chopper bike-builders. The Heritage Softail Classic endorses the hardtail design but with the comfort of a longitudinally mounted twin rear suspension located underneath the transmission. Simple design elements like the fully-covered front and rear fenders as well as the ‘horse-shoe’ tank and white-walled tyres, go a long way in multiplying the Softail Classic’s old-school charm and retro-appeal.

The twin stubby exhausts finished in polished chrome and the large detachable windshield add oodles of character to its stance and poise. Feet-forward riding position coupled with the touring handlebar carved out of stainless steel, comprises a remarkably good ergonomic design on the Softail Classic and the masterfully sculpted saddle offers ample space for your derrière to be seated comfortably at any given point of time.

Harley’s 1584cc Rigid-Mounted V-Twin 96B Twin Cam engine propels the Softail Classic via a six-speed Cruise Drive Transmission. When we are talking about munching miles astride a Harley Davidson, it is less about horsepower and more about torque. The motor has a decent power output of 65 horses but the 117Nm of torque does an exceptional job of hauling this rolling sculpture that weighs 341kg! And in Harley parlance this is just middle of the road weightage!

Even with all that heft and mass, the Heritage Softail Classic felt astonishingly neutral in handling and extremely easy to maneuver even at crawling speeds. This facet has to be largely attributed to the bike's mass centralization and low centre of gravity, which presents it with such exceptional handling and maneuverability. Riding over the twisty roads from Delhi to Jaipur, the Softail Classic’s chassis gave precise feedback about what was going on between the road and the tyres and nor once did I feel challenged leave alone being intimidated by the bike’s vastness and sheer bulk. The Softail Classic leaned into corners with utmost ease and precision and then straightened up with equal simplicity. Of course, getting used to a platform instead of a foot rest took some getting used to as also the fact that you had to grab a near one kilogramme switch on the headstock to get the engine's electrical juices flowing. Of course on such idiosyncrasies is the Harley legend built on and it seems that we unsuspecting Indians are just going to love it! Of course love in this form would come at a price.

Built for long hauls, the Heritage Softail Classic confidently does the tightrope walk of balancing handling and ride quality. This mile-muncher has everything going for it, for example – its extremely appealing retro-styling, the torquey V-Twin motor with solid grunt as well as sorted out chassis and suspension setup that makes it an ideal tool for long distance touring. Add to that the OEM-supplied detachable studded saddlebags made out of pure leather, the large Lexan removable windscreen and a removable pillion seat for that single-seater look, this will be one steed to complete your dream garage. With a price-tag of Rs.19.45 lakh (ex-showroom, New Delhi), there is no doubt that for many it will only remain a dream machine but for those who can afford this retro-styled  massaging masterpiece, there won’t be any disappointment.