By
Rick Barrett
Harley-Davidson
Inc. has unveiled its 2016 model year lineup, which includes the
company's most powerful cruiser bikes ever and the return of the Road
Glide Ultra.
The new bikes will begin arriving at dealerships immediately, the company said Sunday night.
New Fat Boy S and Softail Slim S
cruisers will have the company's Screamin' Eagle Twin Cam 110 engine,
with power once reserved for the Custom Vehicle Operations motorcycles.
The rest of the Softail lineup will have the High Output Twin Cam 103
engine as standard equipment.
The Softail Slim S will be available in a new olive-gold-denim color with military- inspired styling.
"While the olive gold paint and
star graphic are reminiscent of the WLA military models Harley-Davidson
built during World War II, the Softail Slim S pays homage to the postwar
chop-ups made from those bikes after the war," said Brad Richards,
Harley-Davidson director of styling.
"
Those garage customs started the bobber era that continues to inspire our styling team," Richards added.
Harley stylists gave the Fat Boy a darker, more menacing look in the S series.
"When we started styling the Fat
Boy S, we took it completely black, and then we pulled it back a little
until our gut told us it was right. We kept the highlights on the
wheels and the tank badge, but this is still the darkest Fat Boy ever,"
Richards said.
For the first time, electronic
cruise control is available on all Softails. And after a two-year
absence from the touring bike lineup, the Road Glide Ultra is back.
"Since its introduction in 2011,
the Road Glide Ultra has been the bike of choice for Harley-Davidson
owners who ride the hardest and longest," said Paul James,
Harley-Davidson motorcycle product planning director.
"In fact, our research shows
Road Glide Ultra riders rack up more miles per season than owners of any
other Harley-Davidson model," James said.
The new Forty-Eight motorcycle
has a burly 130mm front tire suspended by 49mm forks. It has chopped
fenders to expose the tires and a classic 2.1-gallon peanut fuel tank.
"The low handlebar and forward
foot controls put the Forty-Eight rider in an aggressive posture, so we
picked up on that with the styling," said Ben McGinley, the lead stylist
on the project. "The big front wheel is like a steamroller coming down
the street, and we went with the smaller round steel air cleaner and
some chrome on the exhaust to draw your eyes to the engine, which looks
larger under the peanut tank. I'd describe the theme of this bike as
functional muscle."
The new Iron 883 has clipped
fenders, blacked-out powertrain and exhaust, drag-style handlebars and a
solo tuck-and-roll seat cover. Bullet-hole details on the belt guard,
exhaust shields and front fender brace recall a racer's effort to
lighten the bike.
Colors and finishes for the Iron
883 were selected to help hide the grit and grime of riding and living
in an urban environment, for riders who don't own — or care to own — a
garden hose and a driveway.
"It's always been my vision that
this bike will look better with some dirt or patina," said Senior
Stylist Dais Nagao, who led the Iron 883 design project. "It's quick and
nimble and encourages the rider to be aggressive. As it's ridden, it
may get some scuffs, scratches or other character marks. We can't do
that at the factory."
The 2016 CVO Limited model
features an all-new paint scheme and new tank badges. The new CVO Road
Glide Ultra is available in three new paint color combinations with
revised comfort and technical features. The new CVO Street Glide has
four new color options.
"Each year we work to make the
new CVO motorcycles even more exclusive with content not available on a
regular-production Harley-Davidson, along with an extreme level of
attention to detail in design and finish," said Brian Nelson,
Harley-Davidson principal stylist.
The CVO program is often used to
introduce new technologies, custom components and paint and graphic
techniques before they're offered as original equipment or accessories.
For 2016, three new technical features debut on each of the CVO motorcycles:
■A tire pressure monitoring
system integrated into the valve stem on each wheel provides a warning
of lower-than-optimal pressure. Tire pressure can be viewed anytime
through the odometer or the information screen of the infotainment
system. The warning alert is displayed as a pop-up screen.
■A new integrated key fob
combines the functions of the electric luggage locking system and the
proximity-activated security system, replacing two previous fobs with a
single device.
■New LED front turn signals combine modern style and long bulb life with increased light intensity.
