![]() ![]() After that, the important thing is which of four frames the model uses. The F implies an 80 cubic inch V-Twin, and the X is used for the smaller, unit construction 61 cubic inch engine. The first clue is the first letter of the model designation. how do you distinguish between all these different but similar looking models? Just two engines and all those letters! FLH, FLHT, FXRS, FXWG, XLX, XLS. When confronted with the 1 1 bike Harley-Davidson range, the non-Harley expert is left with the impression of alphabet soup. What was in evidence in Milwaukee was the continued change of the Harley V-Twins as the company strives to bring its performance into the motorcycle mainstream without diluting those qualities that make them Harley-Davidsons. While there is some truth to that impression, it’s neither fair nor totally accurate. In comparison with some other motorcycle companies, which sometimes seem to belong to the engine-of-the-week club, the Harley show might seem anticlimatic. There wasn’t a street legal XR750 flat tracker. That’s what could be seen at Harley’s new model show in Milwaukee. Oh well, the painter's kids have to eat, too.Įlectronic Sequential Port Fuel Injection (ESPFI)ġst: 9.315, 2nd: 6.653, 3rd: 4.948, 4th: 4.102, 5th: 3.Evolution in action. Yeah, I know that Harley has long been the benchmark for spectacular paint - a well-deserved reputation, I might add - but the color selections on the Seventy-Two are as cheese-to-chalk by comparison. While the Bolt is undeniably the more economical of the two at $7,990 - well under the 11k-plus sticker on the Harley - color selection is something of a yawn with a blue or black tank over a blackout chassis and engine. Price and color availability is a mixed bag. Bottom line here is: any rider capable of riding anything bigger than a scooter, more or less, should be able to manage either bike and neither enjoys any significant advantages here. Though Star gives up no dyno data, I promise it doesn't put out torque like the H-D.Īs far as rider suitability, both are low and light, with easy ground access when it's time to deploy your training wheels. Additionally, the Star runs with a SOHC valvetrain, which is arguably a better setup than the pushrod-driven alternative, but it lacks the same charm. The Bolt runs a 58 cubic-inch (942 cc) mill, placing it a little shy of the H-D's 73.4 cubic-inch (1,202.8 cc) plant, but at least it too is air-cooled, so there is no radiator to wreck the looks. Footpeg brackets pull the forward controls back just a skosh from the “usual” position even with the turn of the downtubes, but the front exhaust pipe prevents that truly forward position, and the revised position is more comfortable to shorter riders, and ones unaccustomed to riding in a feet-forward windsock position.įirst, let's look at the engines. A coil-over rear shock comes with emulsion technology and a screw adjuster for quick and easy changes to the damping action. It's fairly low too, with 5.2-inches of ground clearance and a laden seat height just shy of 27 inches good news for riders requiring a short trip from seat to ground.įront forks come right-side up for that traditional look, and the beefy 39 mm tubes keep the front wheel stable and prevent the front of the bike from looking too skinny. The bones are typical Harley, with thick-walled steel tubing forming a double-downtube, double-cradle frame with a stiff and heavy backbone running under the tank and seat. A classic 2.1-gallon peanut tank, chopped rear fender and forward-ish controls complete the ensemble. That aside, the mini-apes add to the height at the front end, and bolster the really stretched look. Yeah, I know the factory was going for a certain vibe and not necessarily a faithful reproduction, but c'mon Harley, would it kill you to actually give the downtubes a few inches of stretch and really make it look like a proper chopper? (What can I say, I'm something of a perfectionist.) But it's just an illusion that dies as soon as you notice the minimal clearance between the rocker boxes and the tank. While not really a chopper, the 30.1-degree rake and front forks combine with the front wheel diameter to raise the front of the frame a bit higher than the back, leaving the suggestion of having been stretched. The look starts with the front end, where the 21-inch laced rim, cut down fender with drilled supports and skinny whitewalls set the tone for the rest of the bike. Much like the Forty-Eight->ke3618, the Seventy-Two doesn't follow any specific historical model, but instead captures the vibe of an entire era when choppers->ke2288 were central to the custom culture prevalent at the time. ![]()
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