For many of
us, the Harley-Davidson alphabet code is a bewildering thicket of consonants.
FLSTSC collides with VRSCDX, causing reasonably intelligent minds to buckle.
Amid the clutter, one acronym has become a familiar badge of exclusivity in the
Harleyverse since 1999; the SE, or Screamin’ Eagle designation, is assigned to
those machines produced by Harley-Davidson’s elite Custom Vehicle Operations
unit. CVO is the Motor Company’s Special Ops, Chrome Division. Milwaukee’s Delta
Force of Soul.
Each year, Harley’s CVO division hand-builds a limited number
of bikes customized with parts from the mammoth Genuine Parts catalog,
adrenaline-boosted by key Screamin’ Eagle performance accessories and finished
with sparkling hand-painted graphics. Available through select dealers for well
below what it would cost to gather all the necessary hardware at street prices
(never mind the custom pain), the CVO machines offer customers an exclusive
package at a reasonable price, while providing H-D a thundering, mobile showcase
of what can be created with a wise use of the imagination. (Click image to enlarge)
CVO’s artisans of muscle and flash have uncaged a quartet of
beautiful beasts for 2007. Built around a snarling 110 cu in motor nestled in
leather and chrome, each model is refined for maximum style and power. This
year, the 3rd generation Screamin’ Eagle Road King returns to the CVO lineup
after a four-year hiatus to take the platform farther and faster, with more
brutish elegance than ever.
The most powerful production engine in Harley-Davidson’s
history, the Twin Cam 110 is a big-bore variant of the new-standard TC 96 mill.
Larger, lighter four-inch pistons ride the same 4.4-inch stroke as the TC 96.
Screamin’ Eagle heads with larger intake and exhaust valves, along with roomier
combustion chambers, raise compression a tad, while SE-255 cams provide
increased intake and exhaust duration. Electronic Sequential Port Fuel Injection
(ESPFI) feeds the 110’s lusty appetite. The sum of these black and chrome parts
is a claimed 115 ft lbs of torque at 3000 rpm, up 13 percent over last year’s
103 cu in CVOs. (Click image to enlarge)
Matching its high-performance muscle, the SE Road
King is majestically draped in custom flash. Three different color options are
finished in shimmering hand-painted pinstripes and leafing that absolutely
dazzles in the sunlight. Abundant with typically flawless Milwaukee chrome
accessories, the SE Road King features chrome and rubber hand and foot controls
from Harley’s Ironside collection, a spun aluminum speedo/tachometer and a
chrome-hooped tombstone taillight. Flame-stitched leather saddlebags match the
plush leather seat. The custom touches extend well into the details—a
crescent-shaped LED fuel gauge reveals itself beneath the flush-mounted,
mirrored surface for a touch of stealth-cool. (Click image to enlarge)
The starter kicks the TC 110 into a lively rumba at idle, so
keep your aviators off the tank or you’ll be plucking them off the pavement.
Pulling away from the curb, the primal thump spilling out of the crossover dual
exhaust evolves into a soulful bark as the King’s chrome luster glints off the
exposed molars of an attentive citizenry.
With a seat height of 27.5 inches and slightly forward foot
controls, the King settles you into a comfortable upright position. The
removable, pivoting lumbar backrest pivots slightly and supplies crucial lower
back support. Chrome Road Winder wheels carry 18-inch Dunlop rubber up front
under a Fat Boy-style fender.
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