out of every lens, and wide whitewall
tires riding on spoked 16-inch rims; the
Deluxe lives up to its name.
Born as the flashier cousin to classic
cruisers like the Heritage and the Fat
Boy, it's the epitome of a boulevard cruis-
er. It's only missing a long set of fishtails
that extends past the rear tire. It's also
missing a back seat, if you plan on pick-
ing up a passenger. And a heel shifter,
if you're used to floorboard-equipped
bikes having those. Actually, all of the
floorboard-equipped Softails sport just a
single shifter now.
This is a fun bike. It's basically a
stripped and chromed version of the
Heritage. Not to be confused with the
Slim, which is not chromed and even
more stripped. The wide seat is moder-
ately supportive, the footboards make
for a few riding positions, and the wide,
low bar looks good and works great.
For me, I'd probably get a slightly more
supportive seat.
I HERITAGE CLASSIC
Introduced in 1988 ('86 for the base
Heritage Softail), the Heritage Classic
soldiers on as the oldest model in H-D's
Softail line. Now on its third frame and
engine set, the Classic still has roughly
the same profile it cut three decades
ago. With a removable windshield
and bags, it's also the only Softail that
passes for a light touring rig. It was also
the first with a 114 engine that I had a
chance to try.
Also available on Fat Boy, Breakout and
Fat Bob, the 114-inch Milwaukee-Eight
is a $1300 upgrade that improves power
across the board. It doesn't change
power characteristics much, it just gives a
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