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/168405
FIRST RIDE P46 2014 HARLEY-DAVIDSONS " THE BRAKES WERE THE FIRST OF MANY NOTICEABLE IMPROVEMENTS IN TERMS OF RIDING EXPERIENCE, BUT THE NEW 2014 CRUISERS SEEM TO HANDLE BETTER AS WELL. The next day we left Beaver Creek and embarked on a long ride back to Denver with a variety of different roads and highways at our disposal. We were finally out in the country where you could really give the new Hogs a run for their money. I played around with the audio and GPS, but that's not really my game. I was there to find out how the new bikes felt and if any of the upgrades were worth it. On the back roads you will find the new bikes very edept to the conditions. The brakes really came into play in the twisty sections; I got in hot a few times, but the combination of the upgraded chassis and brakes saved me. Mind you I wasn't throwing the thing around like a sportbike, but I was surprised at how well the big cruisers held their course. In the twisty sections you are able to throw the bikes into multiple corners back and forth with relative ease. The new front fork and headset bearings are a big plus and further enhance your confidence in these kinds of conditions. I did notice the extra weight when I jumped on the Ultra Limited, but it still handled the road and all its misgivings well. The new High Output Twin " Cooled 103 powerplant was pushing me along just fine, but it seemed a little flat at times. I figured that had something to do with the altitude. But I loved the fact that no matter what gear you were in – third, fourth, fifth or sixth - you could cruise along with no real strain or loss of power. If you really rev it out then you can feel the difference, but why bother you're not here to burn up the motor and shake yourself to death. I did notice on the Road King that if you rev it out in second gear you will hit the "speed limiter." At least that's what I called as it doesn't cut the power like a normal limiter; it just goes… well, flat. As the day progressed I noticed another heat-related inconvenience with the new Harleys. Every time we stopped and I had to put my feet down I could feel the left side primary drive cover trying to burn me. Luckily for me I had a pair of Dainese's new Kevlar jeans on which helped protect my inner leg. I spent most of my riding time going between the Road King, Street Glide Special and Ultra Limited, but there are several other new models to choose from with unlimited combinations of accessories available. One model we all wanted to try was the new CVO Limited Series with its new 110 motor. CVO stands for Custom Vehicle Operations, which is the cream of the crop for the 2014 HarleyDavidson fleet. And with factory direct multi-optional customizing, you can personalize your bike in any number of ways. I wanted to see how much more power the New Screamin' Eagle Twin Cooled High Output 110 motor was capable of as they were claiming it puts out a 116.5 pounds of torque, but since there were none on hand I really can't tell you about the model. It is a bit too limited so for us mere-mortal journalists to get a hold of one was out of the question. As far as everything else was concerned, the 2014 Harley's did their job. I was having a great time flogging the Ultra Limited and the other models around Colorado and even at altitude the bike ran well. The Rushmore project hit its target and even though I am not a hardcore cruiser enthusiast I came to understand what they are going after. Sure all the bells and whistles are part of the game, even more so now with the introduction of Harley's new Infotainment system. The take away for me was the fact that I could enjoy a relaxing pace for hours on end and have the confidence and feel that I had a solid bike underneath me. What more can you want than that? CN