Harley-Davidson FXCW Softail Rocker
They are big and they are clever
"Counting the cars on the New Jersey Turnpike... They've all gone to look for America..." Simon and Garfunkel's words are playing in my mind as I paddle the Softail Rocker C slowly forward in the toll booth queue, waiting to exit the stretch of New Jersey Turnpike (toll highway) made famous by that old America song from the late Sixties.
Suddenly my thoughts and the Harley's engine rumble are drowned by the scream of a jet airliner passing close above as it comes in to land at Newark Airport, right alongside. The noise transports me straight into one of the opening scenes of Easy Rider, where Captain America and his buddy Billy make a drugs deal as the planes roar overhead, before the duo hide the profit in their choppers' gas tanks and head for New Orleans.
There's nothing quite like riding a Harley-Davidson on its home territory to get a kaleidoscope of American sights and sounds swirling inside your head - and that's especially true of the new FXCW Rocker and its derivative the Rocker C. Almost four decades after Easy Rider popularised two-wheeled custom style, choppers are big business in the States. Now Harley has upped the stakes with the Rocker which, with its kicked-out front forks, aircooled V-twin powerplant and minimalist rear end, is arguably the most radical, chopper-like bike yet from Milwaukee.
Harley claims the Rocker is the most significant evolution of the Softail line since its inception in 1984. It's certainly that rare machine: a production model with a look so distinctive and eye-catching that it has the air of an exotic custom creation from the TV shows American Chopper or Biker Build-Out. Above that big, heavily finned V-twin powerplant is a stretched-out gas tank, a low-slung single saddle, and a swept-back, V-shaped handlebar on curved risers. The forks' length and radical 36.5-degree rake puts the slim, five-spoke front wheel waaaay out front.
At the back, the contrastingly fat, 240mm rear Dunlop's width is emphasised by a tight-fitting hugger. Harley's new Rockertail rear end is a variant of the familiar Softail design, giving a rigid-framed look while absorbing rear wheel movement via twin shocks located beneath the engine. The Rocker is seriously long, low and lean, with a gigantic, 1760mm wheelbase, allied to a seat height of just 622mm that is the lowest in Harley's range.
Even the Rocker's finish is distinctive. Its frame colour matches that of the tank and fenders, which on the standard model come in black, blue or dark red. Numerous other parts - including the front wheel, fork lowers, headlamp, bar riser, tank console, swing-arm, engine cases and the new aluminium oil tank - have a grey satin finish that contrasts with the chrome of the staggered twin pipes.
Those who prefer more bling for their buck can opt for the Rocker C, whose finish swaps the standard model's understated grey satin for shiny chrome, plus painted swing-arm and oil tank. The three colour options remain, but the Rocker C adds pinstripe flames on the tank and front fender. The C-model also features the ingenious Trick Seat pillion pad, which fits onto a strut that unfolds from beneath the rider's hinged saddle, without the need for tools. The rest of the time the whole assembly folds neatly out of sight. (The bad news is that the Rocker C is expensive: £14,255 against the standard model's £12,755.)
That claimed seat height of just 622mm is measured with an 81.7kg rider in place, so it's not quite as close to the ground as the figure suggests, but the Rocker still felt mighty long, low and laid back as I climbed aboard in New York's Central Park to start the test ride. The view over the small, bullet-shaped headlamp and tank-mounted speedo was enhanced by the clean lines of the handlebar, which encloses the wiring. Footrests are set well forward but for such a radical looking bike the Rocker felt relatively normal as I fired up the big V-twin, clicked into gear and let out the light-action clutch.
I was never in doubt that Harley's latest engine would do a good job of powering the Rocker. The Twin Cam 96B, introduced last year, combines the traditional 45-degree, aircooled, pushrod-operated layout with the extra punch of the biggest yet 1584cc capacity. It also incorporates a six-speed gearbox and a balancer shaft that allows the lump to be rigidly mounted in the frame.
What that all meant was effortless low-rev grunt, plenty of V-twin character, a soft but appealing potato-potato sound from the exhaust, plus a fair turn of speed when I reached the open blacktop of the New Jersey Turnpike and finally got to twist the throttle right back. For a big, 300kg bike the Harley surged forward with satisfying enthusiasm, staying pleasantly smooth and feeling effortlessly long-legged when I clicked the sweet-changing box into the overdrive sixth and accelerated to 80mph.
Better still, my initial doubts about the Rocker's levels of handling and comfort had by this time been left far behind in Central Park. If that smooth-running engine was one reason for the Harley's relatively comfortable ride, the other was the improbably efficient performance of those raked-out 49mm Showa forks and apparently rigid rear end. There's only 86mm of rear suspension travel, but in conjunction with the reasonably well padded saddle that was enough to cope with all but the very worst of New York's bumps and potholes.
Handling, too, was much better than I'd expected of a bike so long that its front wheel reached New Jersey while the rest of the bike was still in New York. Inevitably, the Rocker needed care and a firm hand on its bars for low-speed manoeuvring. But its low centre of gravity and reasonably generous steering lock made it more agile than I'd expected, and the low seat allowed a reassuring foot down when necessary. Cornering clearance was modest but adequate. Although the bite from the single front disc's four-pot caliper wasn't exactly fierce, the rear disc's help meant I never felt short of stopping power.
If the Rocker's chassis performance was a pleasant surprise, its detailing was equally impressive. The C-model's fold-out pillion seat is a brilliant innovation that keeps the rear-end looking cuter than J-Lo's. (It can't be ordered with the standard Rocker; there's an accessory luggage rack that accepts a pillion pad.) A small accessory wind-shield and a pair of panniers can be clipped on in a few seconds, transforming this ultra-cool chopper into an improbably promising two-up tourer, complete with generous range from its 18.9-litre tank.
The relatively short launch route, which involved frequent swaps between several different models, meant I'd need a longer ride to be convinced about the Rocker's long-distance capability. But I certainly rode it far enough to be hugely impressed by its all-round performance, as well as by its stunning looks. I can't recall any other bike with similarly spectacular chopper styling that is as practical or as much fun to ride.
Roland Brown
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