Harley-Davidson Street Bob
And it has that unmistakeable engine roar that only a Harley can deliver. But despite looking drop-dead gorgeous, I must admit I was terrified when I first saw this machine.
The sheer size of the thing made me wonder if I could ever ride it. But I need not have worried. Despite an engine which is bigger than those in most family hatchbacks, the Street Bob was remarkably easy to ride, even in traffic.
In fact, it became so easy, you couldn't help being lulled into a laid back riding style which goes hand in glove with the Harley ethos.
Take the riding position for starters. Those mini ape-hanger handlebars, the low and wide leather seat and mid-mounted footpegs made you feel as though you were sitting in an armchair. I soon discovered that you can munch up the miles without any aches in the arms or neck and I never suffered from a numb bum.
Then, of course, there's that engine – all 1584cc of it, coupled to a six-speed gearbox and beltdriven powertrain which gave instant response from the throttle. There's enough torque to pull a transit van up the side of a house so it's hardly surprising you can lazily ride this bike as though it's an automatic, pulling away from standstill in nearly all the gears.
If I owned one of these, I would never get fed up with that Harley engine roar. It burbles away good naturedly at slow speeds and then, when you twist that accelerator grip, wow! The engine just bursts into life like some erupting volcano. I just couldn't resist gunning that throttle in tunnels and under railway bridges. The sound was as sweet to me as a symphony orchestra. And then, on the overrun, the exhausts would crackle and spit...Lovely! Despite the constant blipping on the throttle like a kid with a new toy, I was getting 48mpg from this machine.
One Friday night, I found myself riding along a slip road onto the M5 at rush hour, only to be confronted by a massive traffic jam. No matter, the Harley threaded itself between the traffic, with most car drivers moving to the left or right to give me room to filter past. I say "most" drivers; some didn't and for those you just had to give a few blips of the throttle and hey presto! they moved over (even Beemers and Mercs).
It never occurred to me this bike was such a showstopper until I took to the road. Even hardened riders gave me a nod or looked up from roadside snack bars. Youngsters at garages would say, "Cor! I like your bike!" And I loved it at the Second Severn Crossing toll – just a big thumbs up from the man in the booth and straight through. I'm sure car drivers pulled to the left to let me filter past and so enjoy the engine sound.
There are lots of Harley derivatives with this Street Bob being the smallest of the bigger models, if you see what I mean. I loved the minimalist design and matt black finish on the bulging 18-litre fuel tank. You're paying £9,135 for this machine but all you get in terms of instrumentation is a dirty big speedo which I thought was a very cool statement. The fuel tank gauge is neatly incorporated in a dummy filler cap on the left and that's about it except for a button on the left of the speedo which gives some read-out information. No pillion seat, no ABS, no frills. But man, who cares when you've got shorty exhausts with twin mufflers and enough chrome to dazzle at 500 paces.
I couldn't work out why they bothered to make this a six-speeder – the only time I used top gear was on the motorway and I could hardly tell the engine was ticking over, even at the legal limit. There wasn't much point going any faster than 70mph, to be honest. The bike stays as steady as a rock but wind buffeting with this riding position made me feel as though I could be blown off.
This machine was never designed for speed, however. It was built for posing in town and chasing that sunset for mile after mile on Route 66. Bring it on!
For further information on Harleys, visit the website at www.harley-davidson.com.
by Ian Onions
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