THAT Jack Sparrow’s got a lot to answer for. While the shops are still full of Pirates of the Caribbean paraphernalia, even Harley have got in on the act. Their latest creation, the Cross Bones, may have no direct link to Disney’s blockbuster, but you can certainly see the swash-buckling connection.

You see, the Cross Bones is all about the attitude: about living life the wrong side of the tracks. Motorcycle names are supposed to be evocative, and Harley has gone straight for the jugular with this one. But this old-school battle galleon is actually a breath of fresh air. It’s mean and moody, but it’s also fun and quirky, not taking itself too seriously along the way.

Based on the Softail variant, meaning its rear suspension is tucked out of sight, the Cross Bones takes many of its styling cues from Pans and Knuckles of yesteryear. Those mini ape-hangers look great and are far less daunting than they appear. With quite a rake on them they actually fall sweetly within reach and help keep this bike a comfortable ride. The Springer front end looks fabulous, too. No other bike on the market comes with such a system -- mostly because it’s both heavy and old-fashioned -- but it really helps to smooth out even the roughest of Bristol’s B-roads.

There’s a whole host of other post-war era bobber features, too. The sprung solo seat, chopped front fender and half-round rider footboards being the main ones, with extra little touches like the gloss black round air cleaner cover and the bucket headlamp lending to the overall look. I’ve also seen versions sporting a skull and cross bones logo on the side panel for that extra Captain Jack effect.

On the road, the Cross Bones is a joy to ride as long as the pace doesn’t get too hot. The tried and tested 1.6-litre engine is matched with perfect fuel injection and six-speed Cruise Drive transmission to make sailing along a pleasure. The chassis works really well to reduce vibrations from the big V-twin. While some Harleys can feel ‘bouncy’ at standstill, the Cross Bones has rubber mountings in all the right places to keep the bike almost stock still at the lights. Then, when they turn green, drop the clutch, pin the throttle and feel the huge 200-section rear tyre bite as you’re shoved forward with customary Harley grunt.

But as with all custom motorcycles, practicality and performance is often traded in the name of looks, and the Cross Bones is not without its flaws. If you’re a fan of cornering, you’ll be dragging the footboards more often than not. Struggling to hit 27 degrees of lean before decking out, that’s a full six degrees less than the Road King I tested last month, and really not very much at all. It’s down power-wise on the Road King, too. Given that they share the same twin cam 96B power train, the Road King pumps out 97 lb ft of torque at 3,500rpm, while the Crossbones offers a rather less beefy peak figure of 88 lb ft. On the up side, of course, the Cross Bones is £1,500 cheaper, and a quick session at the tuners will soon unleash that extra muscle -- if you feel you need it, that is.

Other neat touches we’ve not mentioned so far are the graphics set deep within the custom paintwork. My demo model was finished in dark blue pearl (as opposed to Black Pearl!) with black steel laced wheels. The raised console is met halfway down the tank by a hand-laced leather panel to match the lacing in the seat while standing out against the dark components are the polished rocker box covers and the classic straight shot exhaust system with chrome slash-cut mufflers.

The Cross Bones, then, is a welcome addition to the Dark Custom range and sits neatly alongside the Night Train, the Nightster and the Night Rod Special. And if you have loot to spare, there’s plenty of accessories for you to customise it further still. Drink up me hearties, yo ho!

Article written: August 13, 2008

The Harley-Davidson Cross Bones was kindly loaned through Riders of Stockwood Road, Brislington.

OUR STEER ON THE CROSSBONES

Price: £12,975

Engine: 1,584cc air-cooled V-twin

Torque: 88 lb ft @ 3,300 rpm

Transmission: Six-speed, belt drive

Weight: 318 kg

Fuel capacity: 18.9 litres

Top speed: 110 mph

Seat height: 676 mm

by Jon Bennett