2007 Harley-Davidson Motorcycles: New 1600cc 6-Speed Engine for All Big Twins, 50th-Anniversary Sportster, Reloaded Fat Boy, Hotter and Darker Rods, New Softail Custom

Harley-Davidson has announced an all-new 1584cc engine for all its 2007 Softail, Dyna, and Touring model big twin motorcycles. Harley describes the new motor as "the biggest new-engine program in the history of Harley-Davidson." The 96-cubic-inch powerplant has over 700 new parts. The only uncharged parts are some top-end components: cylinders, rocker arms, rocker boxes, and some related parts. Both versions of the engine — the counterbalanced Twin Cam 96B version for Softail models and the non-counterbalanced Twin Cam 96 version that rubber-mounts in the Touring and Dyna series — mate to the Cruise Drive six-speed transmission introduced for 2006 in the Dyna family. All 2007 Harley Big Twin models are fuel-injected. The TC96 retains the look, style and layout of the previous Twin Cam engines, with air-cooling, a 45-degree V angle, and pushrod valve operation.

In addition, Harley-Davidson announced several new or reconfigured 2007 models others with updates that extend beyond the new power train.

A limited-edition 1200cc model celebrates half a century of Sportsters, which were first produced in 1957 as the K series with 883cc engines. The 50th Anniversary Sportster gets a traditional peanut fuel tank, special badges, and additional touches to mark the 50th anniversary of this motorcycling icon. Suggested price is $9795, and production is limited to 2000 motorcycles.

The 2007 Sportsters join the rest of the line by incorporating Harley's ESPFI fuel injection as standard equipment, a move no doubt required by impeding emissions standards. However, fuel injection also brings more immediate benefits. The four Sportster XL 883 models have about 15 percent more torque at 2500 rpm as a result of the changes made with the new induction. To accommodate the new system, which will doubtless bring improved driveability as well as cleaner exhaust gases, Harley-Davidson redesigned the Sportsters' rear fenders, seats, fuel tanks, coils, stators, exhaust pipes, wiring and induction system, and revised the frame. Oxygen feedback acts independently on each cylinder, so the system "learns" and adjusts to changing conditions to deliver optimal performance. Also new this year are new gauges with a clock included in odometer LCD, a low-fuel warning light and two tripmeters. It also gets an eight percent reduction in clutch lever effort and an 11 to 14 percent reduction in front brake lever effort, depending on model. Two-inch lengthening of handlebar wiring make bar swaps easy.

For Softail aficionados, the reborn FXSTC Softail Custom brings back a familiar name and little else from the past. It provides a classic chopper-like style incorporating a Chrome Profile Laced Aluminum 21-inch front wheel and tire, a meaty 200mm rear tire on a slotted disc rear wheel, a new king-and-queen saddle, stainless steel ape-hanger handlebar, a little bullet-style chrome headlight, a traditional Bobtail rear fender and a Fat Bob fuel tank adorned with triple-laid custom decals and embossed leather tank strap. There's lots of chrome and 10 color choices, which take MSRP from $16,895 for black to $17,700 for the three-tone color options.

The tremendously popular Softail Fat Boy enjoys not only the new engine and six speeds, but gets updated with new versions of its traditional Silver, Bullet Hole Disc Cast Aluminum wheels — mounting a hefty 200mm rear tire in the back with a 17-incher up front. Harley describes the restyled rear fender as "extra chopped. His Fatness retains that traditional style with that oversized chrome headlight ahead of a wide chrome front fork nacelle and giant bare knuckle risers and a wide, fat custom internally-wired handlebar. For 2007, the Fat Boy gets a new two-tone dual saddle, and the traditional Fat Bob fuel tank wears a laced triple bullet detailed tank strap and new customized graphics matching those on the fenders. You can choose from 11 solid and three two-tone custom color options, which raise the price from $17,095 for black to $17,900.

The V-Rod family is welcoming two new models based on the 1130cc VR engine. The VRSCDX Night Rod Special, which Harley's release calls "the evil twin brother of the Night Rod," is easily distinguished with a wicked style set by an almost totally blacked-out finish. Its dark side is apparent almost everywhere, including the 120-horsepower engine, the hyrdoformed frame, back fork sliders, black triple clamps, swingarm, color-matched black screen visor, brushed Straight-shot Dual exhaust with black end caps, black exhaust shields, black Machined Slotted Disc cast aluminum wheels with orange pin-striping and a black on (you guessed it!) black paint scheme. The seat has been restyled slightly. Suggested price is $16,495.

The other new V-Rod, the limited-edition VRSCX, pays homage to the scorchingly successful Screamin' Eagle/Vance & Hines NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle dragracing team with more than just radical drag-race styling and components. It's also armed with a 1250cc, 123-horsepower version of the VR double-overhead camshaft engine. Race-inspired touches include drag bars, forward foot controls, a Profile Laced Aluminum front wheel with a cast rear wheel mounting the same 240mm tire as the Night Rod Special, drag visor and paint and graphics featuring a redesigned version of the Harley's tradition Number 1 logo. Only 1,400 units will be produced at a suggested price of $19.995, and wheelie bars are not standard equipment.

The power upgrade offered by the new 1584cc engine might be most welcomed by purchasers of Harley's Touring series motorcycles, since they may load their machines enough to fully employ the additional torque and horsepower. No doubt incorporating the six-speed Cruise Drive transmission will also be appreciated most by riders of Electra Glides and the rest of the Touring familiy because the new ratio set lowers rpm by about 11 percent in top gear on the highway. Our experiences with this drive train also promise much lighter clutch pulls and far smoother, more controllable clutch engagement, features that you don't fully appreciate until you have ridden the bike in traffic or turned around in a tight spot.

In the Dyna family, the FXDC Dyna Super Glide Custom has been massaged with a new two-up, ribbed seat, a Fat Bob fuel tank with a Wide Glide-style tank-mounted speedometer and ignition console, additional chrome and other custom touches, including a mini-pullback handlebar. It starts at $14,645 in black and $14,970 in Black Pearl, Black Cherry Pearl, Deep Cobalt Pearl, Pewter Pearl (a new color), or Yellow Pearl. You can add the new security system on any of the new models for $325, and putting the optional Profile Aluminum Laced wheels on your Dyna Super Glide Custom instead of the cast wheels will add $450.

For 2007, Harley's Custom Vehicle Operations (CVO) has four models: the Screamin' Eagle Road King ($28,495), the Screamin' Eagle Ultra Classic Electra Glide ($33,495), the Screamin' Eagle Softail Springer ($24,995), and the Screamin' Eagle Dyna ($24,995), all of which get a new high-performance Twin Cam 110-cubic-inch powertrain with the six-speed gearbox.

Other product announcements include the new Harley-Davidson Smart Security System, which features a hands-free fob and auto arming/disarming. It's an available factory-installed option for all models. The company has 17 new color combinations for 2007.

We expect to ride the new bikes in the next week and will have reports then.

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