Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126294
By John Ulrich Harley-Davidsons are what they are, do what they do, and make no apologies. The XLCR Cafe Racer is like every other Harley-Davidson in that respect. ' That the XLCR isn't suited for touring is easy to see'at first glance. And the fact that the XLCR cannot be a competitive cafe or road 6 racing machine is obvious after the first attempt at a brisk mountain canyon ride. Nor is speed the XLCR's forte . It's Harley-Davidson's first stock. 1000cc street bike capable of finishing the standing-start quarter mile in 12 seconds . But th e XLCR is still a full second behind the new breed of bigbore, I I-second street burners - the Yamaha XSll , the Suzuki GSIOOO , the Honda CBX , the Kawasaki ZI -R. In its favor , the XLCR is the fastest , most outrageous Sportster ever to roll off the American assembly line. The huge, 997cc cast-iron. push rod . 45 -degree v-twin engine dominates the XLCR. And the feeling of a giant twin thudding out power in slightly uneven blasts dominates the sensation of riding the black beast. The bike has power. It isn't' the same kind of arm-stretching, necksnapping lunge that the faster Japanese superbikes deliver. It is pure fun power. At , any rpm , any speed. any gear, more throttle gets the rider more power. There isn't any lunge, any surge, any feeling that the engine has come on the cam. There is just forward motion in harmony with ever louder, ever-quicker drum -roll from the big twin. It isn't spectacular, but it is strong. The XLCR doesn't hurl itself down the road like an XSll , but rather moves out with a feeling of infinity - power that doesn't start and doesn't end, but is just there. Its unique sound has as much to do with the feeling of power as does the force itself. The XLCR is audible both near and far. The clattering mechanical sound is loudest when the bike is first not iced by a spectator, but the exhaust note booming obscures all to the rider's ears . The HarleyDavidson is designed to fire unevenly , and the exhaust note is thus slightly staggering to those used to the turbine 'whine of a four or a six-cylinder motorcycle. The XLCR makes the kind of sound that can be quite appealing while cruising the boulevard on Saturday night , or when trying to cover miles on the Interstate. There aren't any dead spots in the power, thanks to the single 38mm Keihin Oapanese) carburetor with accelerator pump. The carburetion is near perfect , ideally suited to the engine. What 's more , the bike averages over 50 miles per gallon in all types of riding, the highest of any big bike. Of course the engine vibrates (it's a Harley). It trembles the handlebars, footpegs , seat, and mirrors at every rpm , at every speed. It's always there, pulsing at a rate low enough to be tolerable in all cases 'a nd even sometimes - enjoyable. It takes a long foot to shift the XLCR, but the transmission engages positively and smoothly. With its remarkably broad powerband, the engine copes easily with the four-speed transmission . Downshifting in mid- turn doesn't cause any problems. The clutch works without complaint, but it is difficult to find neutral if the bike isnot rolling. Shifting into neutral before stopping takes care of that. Unlike other motorcycles, the XLCR has little drive train snatch. When the bike is idled along in first gear in the middle of a traffic jam. the jerking felt is less a function of drive train slack than of the XLCR's large, well-spaced power explosions at very low rpm. The piston moves down, the bike springs forward. The other piston moves down, the bike jumps forward, and so on . Wonder of wonders , the XLCR starts quickly and moves off instantly even when it's cold outside. Pull out the choke knob (loca ted next to the ignition switch on the left side of the engine) , hit the starter button , move the choke knob halfway in . and listen as the big twin roars to life . Then, simply kick it into gear, push in the , choke and ride away. No stagger, no delay. It only takes 3800 rpm to keep the XLCR moving along at , an actual 65 mph on the highway . But our test bike 's tachometer indicated only 3200 rpm when the speedometer said 65 mph. When the speedometer said 60, the bike was actually moving along at 55 mph. The odometer and resettable tripmeter built into the speedometer face are not very accurate, either. The XLCR's instruments (made in Japan) gain 0/.. of a mile in every actual five miles. That means that the odometer reads 106 miles after an actual 100 miles. Everything about the XLCR seems to shout that the machine isn't meant for touring comfort. The racing seat, a piece of foam and a snapped-on vinyl cover located over the oil tank, doesn't do much for the rider's butt after 20 or 30 minutes in the saddle. The bars are flat and stubby, like drag bars, and conspire with the rear-set footpegs to put the rider into a racing crouch. ('l There is no room for a passenger. The ) short fairing directs a blast of wind lz right up the rider's nose. The small headlight does a better job of spotting the bike for other traffic than 0 sr lighting the rider's way. l? The horn button isn't where it is 08 other bikes - the left turn signal . button occupies that hallowed spot. So' n! the horn button is inboard an inch. A,la car cuts in front of the Harley. The' X test rider grabs the brakes. jabs for the:~' horn while watching the errant 5l motorist .. . and flashes the left turn ~ signal. ,~ As for the brakes, they're visible, all "Tll right. Big and shiny, business-like triple discs . Impressive to see, but "" almost useless. If the rider should be so ', unlucky as to be caught out in th rain , you might as well drag your feet .sq Applying the brakes in a downpour at an indicated 60, hand steady on the throttle . doesn't slow the bike, doesn't compress the fork, doesn't doanything. Fortunately, the motorcycle has enough engine compression to almost make the XLCR stop, and if the Harley god is watching over you, the traffic signals will be green when you arrive at intersections. All the time, as the rider sloshes along in rain, the rear tire sends a flood washing over his boot heels. searching out any seam or stitch not waterproofed. The tires - in spite of what you might have read elsewhere - give the distinct impression that they don't like to stay on course on wet pavement. It's enough to make a guy wish he were riding an Electra Glide, with real fenders and big, fat tires. Of course, the XLCR isn't meant to slog through rainstorms like a mundane beast of burden. The XLCR is more at home in the mountains a lot of fun in the twisties, a Ie'an machine with a purpose.