Heritage Softail

HERITAGE SOFTAIL

QUICK RIDE

Harley's high-style cruiser

THE 1993 HARLEY-DAVIDson Heritage Softail, Nostalgia, a.k.a. the Cow Glide, blew people into the pasture with a stately, 1950s style, and genuine Holstein-hide inserts on its seats and saddlebags. Only 2700 were made, and they were snapped up in a hurry. Following that success comes the 1994 Heritage Softail Special. The Holstein hides are gone, but the other styling cues remain. Big, white-side-wall tires are still there, along with one leather tassle on each

side of the seat. A tooled strip of leather covers the area between the two tanks and serves as a mini tank guard. Inserts on the seat and saddlebags are now crafted from a more lowkey black Angus cowhide, and the color scheme is white with silver panels and red pinstripes.

In the mechanical department, the Heritage and other big-engine Harleys get new starter drive gears, which are claimed to improve starting in hot and cold weather.

Along with the changes comes a $250 price increase, to $13,249. Subtle changes aside, this remains a serious meatand-potatoes motorcycle.

Switches and levers take a fair bit of effort. In-town riding with lots of clutch work does wonders for increasing left wrist strength. Brakes take a healthy squeeze, but the bike stops quickly. Our 1993 model stopped from 60 mph in 121 feet, awfully good for a 655 pound motorcycle.

Typical of the Softail breed, the 1340cc, 50-horsepower engine is solidly mounted to the frame. On the highway, vibrations get a bit severe above 65 mph. Beyond that speed, wind hits the rider at the mid-chest level, anyway, threatening to blow him off the back.

The fuel tanks hold 5.2 gal-

lons, with fuel mileage running in the mid-40s, so it’s easy to take long, leisurely jaunts down the highway. Smallish leather saddlebags might restrict journey length though, with room in each bag for a pair of jeans, a rainsuit, maybe a tube of toothpaste and not much else.

The firmly padded tractorstyle seat can also limit travel time on what is an immensly enjoyable motorcycle. The thin padding, and a seam around the edge make a break sound good after about 40 minutes.

At city cruising speeds, the rearview mirrors aren’t bothered by vibration, but some vibes are noticable through the rubber-mounted floorboards, which are big enough to handle a size-13 boot.

Around town is where the Heritage is at home, torquing about with ease and more than enough style to embarrass Georgio Armani. Craftsmanship and quality of detail and finish are extremely high.

It should be no surprise, but the suspension, with twin rear shocks tucked away out of sight, isn’t suited for hard-core sport riding. A spirited ride scrapes floorboards and other hardware, but that sort of riding on this bike is like autocrossing a Rolls-Royce.

As is the case with RollsRoyces, Harley-Davidsons are all about substantive style and a unique elegance. The 1994 Heritage Softail Special posesses those qualities in great heaping doses.

Robert Hough