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Retro Modern
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Harley-Davidson Screamin’ Eagle Softail Springer
Don Williams
11/01/2006
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Photography by Kevin Wing
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When drinking in the cool Screamin’ Eagle Softail Springer, the latest
creation from Harley-Davidson’s Custom Vehicle Operations (CVO), one can
appreciate just how inventive a company can be, even as it relies on its own
customers creativity for its products ultimate success. Typically,
Harley-Davidson’s strategy is to provide its customers with the platform, then
let them personalize their motorcycles with either Genuine Motor Parts and Motor
Accessories, or any number of countless third-party alternatives. In the case of
the CVO machines, however, Harley-Davidson gets the customer moving in the
right by offering a factory customized bike.
 RIDING STYLE
Helmet: Bell Apex Yakuza
Jacket: Cortech DSX Denim
Gloves:
Icon Pursuit
Pants: Icon Anthem
Boots: Red Wing 968 (Click image to enlarge)
The magic of any
personalized bike lies in the builder’s inspired execution of disparate
elements. In the case of this Softail Springer, the majority of the parts are
sourced from Harley-Davidson’s own accessories catalog, which weighs in at
around three pounds and 900 pages! The exclusivity of the Softail Springer—a
limited production run of 2,500—comes from the items that are not available
sepa-rately: the deeply detailed hand-painted Tribal Flame graphics, CVO-branded
parts, the CVO logo storage cover and a commemorative barrel key. Each of the
three color combinations—Amarillo Gold/Candy Tangerine, Canyon Copper/Candy
Red, and Abyss Blue/Blue Pearl—is enhanced by color-coordinated powdercoating
treatment for the frame and swingarm.
 As much as the Softail Springer is
about its visual allure, the Screamin’ Eagle portion of its name refuses to be
inconsequential. The bike is propelled by a new 110 cu in Twin Cam 100B motor
that dispenses a muscular 105 ft lbs of torque at a mere 3,000 rpm; it is the
largest displacement production powerplant in the Motor Company’s history. In
contrast to the nostalgia-tapping springer front suspension system, the engine
claims such modern advances as Electronic Sequential Port Fuel Injection and
impressively efficient internal counterbalance shafts that reduce 90 percent of
the primary engine vibration. Complementing the smooth, upsized motor is a new
6-speed Cruise Drive transmission that lowers the cruising rpm in top gear. With
this powertrain, the Softail Springer does not hesitate to exceed the speed
limit on the fastest of interstates. (Click image to enlarge)
The CVO experience comes into more
precise focus as you approach the bike. Under direct sunlight, the luxur-ious
paint assumes a three-dimensional appearance that demands closer inspection. The
air-cooled cylinders, boasting imposing four-inch bores, excrete testosterone as
the right side brazenly displays a Screamin’ Eagle air filter assembly,
something previously available for off-street racing only. The Springer invites
you to swing a leg over.
Ergonomics on the Softail Springer benefit from the
new Centerline accessory collection. The oval grips, pegs and foot controls
achieve the functions of comfort, performance and style in chorus. They provide
the necessary tactile response, devoid of fatigue, with a contrasting
combination of chrome and rubber. This, of course, means nothing if the pieces
are not properly placed. For foot-forward cruising, the domain of the CVO
Springer, your hands, feet and seat fall exactly where you would expect them to.
The internally wired 1.25-inch handlebars sweep back gently, establishing a
riding position that is both stylish and comfortable for the short hauls this
bike was built to enjoy. The CVO Softail Springer is a motorcycle that turns the
art of cruising into something more appealing than a test of your patience and
sacroiliac.
Certainly, you give nothing away to any other production
motorcycle when eyeball-harvesting is the goal—Harley-Davidson’s design engineer
teams clearly worked overtime on the CVO Springer’s lean lines and tasteful
tones. The sound is subdued to satisfy the bureaucrats, but Harley’s management
of decibels gives the Screamin’ Eagle’s shotgun, slash-down mufflers a
satisfying rumble that does not exhaust the rider, or anyone else within
earshot.
Handling is agreeable for a custom cruiser, as Harley-Davidson’s
combination of a 200mm rear tire and 21-inch front wheel strike a satisfying
balance between the boulevard and the back road. So, too, does the Screamin’
Eagle motor. The hydraulic clutch reduces the strain on your left hand for those
high-profile rides in heavily trafficked areas. With a choice of six gear ratios
and a motor that pulls convincingly from idle, cruising the twisties is a matter
of selecting a gear that feels comfortable and letting the throttle do all the
work. Engine braking is good, which is fortunate, as the rear brake requires
significant effort to retrieve an effective result. The single front disc
produces more pronounced deceleration, and the amenable damper-assisted springer
front suspension has virtually no dive during straight-line braking. Caution
should be exercised when operating the front brake in turns, as the springer
system does not have the same secure feel as a set of forks.
Buying the CVO
Screamin’ Eagle Softail Springer is not an end in itself. Although it is highly customized from the factory by skilled designers, the bike still depends on the
rider to personalize it to his needs and taste. Fortunately, there is an entire
industry devoted to making the task of making your bike yours as enjoyable as
the ride itself.
www.harley-davidson.com |
414.343.4056
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