HHere and there you think you hear a sob of relief. After all the things that took some getting used to in recent years, the daring innovations and forays into unexplored territory, Harley-Davidson is once again concentrating entirely on its core competencies. No more bikes for the time being, nothing electric, nothing radically modern, no additional off-road motorcycle, but instead: heavy metal in classic American style.
The Motor Company from Milwaukee is heading into the 2022 model year with eight new models. Strictly speaking, it’s four plus four. Half of the innovations are provided by the Custom Vehicle Operations (CVO) department, which is responsible for particularly exclusive and expensively prepared small series special models with special paintwork and lots of tinsel, starting at 43,000 euros. The other four are additions to existing series with beefed up versions of well-known types.
And they have it all. Because these four – Low Rider S, Low Rider ST, Street Glide ST and Road Glide ST – have the honor of being the first “normal” series machines to be equipped with Harley’s largest engine. So far, the Milwaukee Eight 117 called V-two-cylinder was reserved for the CVO types, which are always allowed to advance as technology carriers. The two-cylinder monument shovels out 168 Nm of torque from a displacement of 1923 cubic centimeters (117 cubic inches). The peak power is given as 106 hp at 5020 revolutions and thus overcomes the 100 hp mark. The 114 engine with a displacement of 1868 cubic centimeters, which is still used in the rest of the Harley fleet, has 93 hp and 158 Nm.
There was already a cruiser called the Low Rider S in the Harley-Davidson range, but so far there was neither a Low Rider ST nor a Street Glide ST or Road Glide ST. The abbreviation ST, which has not been used until now, stands for Sport-Touring and indicates that Harley-Davidson wants to breathe more sportiness into sluggish touring machines.
The most striking new product from the quartet is the Low Rider ST for around 22,000 euros. Like the Low Rider S, which is about 1500 euros cheaper, it comes from the Softail platform. While the S, as mentioned, is a puristic cruiser, the ST is a bagger, i.e. a motorcycle with side cases. Distinguishing features of the ST: its frame-mounted fairing with central headlight, ventilation slots and tinted windscreen. This construction is reminiscent of the FXRT model from the eighties, which is currently very popular again, not only in the circles of cool west coast customizers.
High chief handlebars, low solo seat, centrally positioned footrests, high-placed, tight-fitting hard-shell cases and a digital cockpit in front of the handlebars are among the features of the ST. Similarities with the undisguised sister model Low Rider S are a rear that is raised via the rear wheel suspension, more ground clearance and larger lean angles than usual. The ST, which weighs around 330 kilos, can optionally be equipped with an audio system.
Little known in this country is the fact that an equally bizarre and spectacular racing series with souped-up touring motorcycles is held on American circuits, called the Battle of the Baggers. With the Street Glide ST and the Road Glide ST, Harley orients itself to its thick-shipped factory racers. They each cost a good 33,000 euros, around 2,500 euros more than the Street Glide Special and Road Glide Special on which they are based. Conceived as a “hot rod bagger”, the 370 to 380-kilo ST variants stand out from the specials primarily because of the more powerful engine with a displacement of 117 instead of 114 cubic inches, as well as dark and bronze-colored surfaces, as well as the narrower suitcases and a solo seat .
A sensitive, sporty Öhlins chassis is available as an optional extra ex works, which quite a few Harley customers should have eagerly awaited. The standard equipment includes an infotainment system, color touchscreen and on-board loudspeakers as well as all assistants from cruise control to lean angle ABS to hill start assist. The Street Glide, as a reminder, is the one with the bat fairing and single lamp, unlike the Road Glide, which has a shark nose and dual headlights.
And the CVO’s? Everything in it, everything on it that the factory has to offer plus the most elaborate paint finishes that the cooperation partner Gunslinger brings about. Prices: CVO Street Glide 43,395 euros, CVO Road Glide 44,415 euros, CVO Road Glide Limited 47,455 euros, CVO Tri Glide (three-wheeler) 59,395 euros. In addition, as the fine print reveals, a “special surcharge” of 275 euros plus VAT will be charged due to “increased raw material and logistics costs”. This applies to all models of the 2022 vintage, which incidentally still has nothing new to offer for beginners who are looking for something inexpensive. It’s just a matter of waiting and hoping. The year is still young.
#HarleyDavidson #tinsel