VOLUME 58 ISSUE 17 APRIL 27, 2021 P77
Suspension
First, when it comes to vehicle
dynamics, Harley-Davidson's Vehicle
Loading Control and Adaptive Ride
Height (ARH) steal the show.
First, Vehicle Loading Control
auto-adjusts suspension preload
based on laden weight. Rider, rider
plus passenger, rider after dinner,
rider after dinner plus cases of beer
for the campground—whatever load
is applied to the motorcycle, the
system automatically sets 30% sag
by adjusting preload and will set itself
accordingly. You don't have to set
anything, and the bike adjusts by
itself. Awesome, right?
Well, the same set of sensors and
suspension components also acti-
vate the Adaptive Ride Height (ARH)
function. This code simply lowers
the motorcycle to the least amount
of spring preload setting possible,
dropping seat height by one to two
inches (depending on ride height/
laden weight) as the vehicle stops.
Hear that? That's the mic dropping
on seat-height complaints.
ARH is tunable so you can keep
it locked out at the preload at stops
(tall people, or ultra-slow-speed
riding) or delay the drop in long or
short duration after a stop. I highly
recommend dropping the bike when
stopped, and I used the long dura-
tion option so I could maneuver
around tight, slow terrain without the
bike lowering.
I don't have a problem with seat
height, and I still have this feature
turned on all the time. Every time
I stopped for another photo pass
or to eat a snack, the bike settled
down into a flat-foot, knee-bent seat
height—extremely comfortable for me
and hugely confidence inspiring for
shorter riders. As soon as the vehicle
starts rolling again, the system auto-
adjusts ride height to the laden weight
and you're back to ripping like normal.
Seat height is even more cus-
tomizable. Harley gives the buyer
a number of options within about a
four-inch range.
On top of this are Semi-Active
Suspension Modes. The fork and
(Right) True to
its American
manufacturing roots,
Harley-Davidson
is producing the
Revolution Max 1250
engine in Milwaukee,
Wisconsin, with final
bike assembly in
York, Pennsylvania.
(Left) Multi-surface
capability is abundant
on this bike, opening
the Harley-Davidson
brand to customers
looking to get off the
beaten path.
