Harley-Davidson Lineup Gets Darker and More Powerful for 2016

Iron 883, Forty-Eight, S Series Cruisers with Twin Cam 110s and Road Glide Ultra Lead New Models
MILWAUKEE (Aug. 23, 2015) – Two new hard-hitting Dark Custom models, the most powerful cruiser lineup in company history, and a broad range of performance and styling enhancements throughout the range highlight Harley-Davidson’s powerful new model lineup for 2016.

2016 Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Highlights

• New Iron 883^™ and Forty-Eight^® models assert Harley-Davidson’s Dark Custom leadership with motorcycles inspired by the rebellious spirit of the past updated with modern design and new suspensions that put a little extra smooth in the Harley-Davidson soul.
• New S series limited-edition cruisers feature big power and cutting-edge style. The Fat Boy^® S and Softail Slim^® S combine rich finishes with the impressive Screamin’ Eagle Twin Cam 110 engine to deliver head-turning style and performance.    
• Previously only available in Harley-Davidson Touring bikes, the High Output Twin Cam 103™ engines upgrade the power for all Softail^® and Dyna^® models (except Street Bob), rounding out the most powerful cruiser lineup in Harley-Davidson history.
• Project RUSHMORE’s touring revolution expands with the return of the Road Glide^® Ultra motorcycle.

“This is another historic year for Harley-Davidson,” said Mark-Hans Richer, Harley-Davidson Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer. “We’re introducing the most powerful collection of cruisers in our history, including the brand-new S series. We’re raising the bar on Dark Custom motorcycles with the new Iron 883 and Forty-Eight models, the purest expression of the design movement we started in 2008. And we’re extending our lead in touring with the return of the Road Glide Ultra and redesign of the popular Heritage Softail Classic.”

The 2016 Iron 883 Sportster

Dark Custom Soul
The new Iron 883 is intentionally raw and rough around the edges, with a modern design inspired by garage-built bobbers past and present. All-new front and adjustable rear suspension, lighter-weight mag wheels and improved seating increase comfort and control to smooth the road ahead. The new Forty-Eight achieves its menacing stance with a burly front tire, new mag wheels and a massive front end with new 49mm forks, and also benefits from improved adjustable rear suspension and seating. Retro styling cues and a perfect ratio of black, color and chrome give this bike a bold visual presence. Riders navigating rough and tumble urban streets on the lean and nimble Harley-Davidson Street® 750 and 500 models will appreciate the improved confidence from new front and rear braking systems.

The 2016 Softail Slim S

Most Powerful Cruiser Lineup Ever
Rear tires will beg for mercy with the most powerful cruiser model lineup in Harley-Davidson history. Powered by the Screamin’ Eagle Twin Cam 110 engine, the new Fat Boy S and SoftailSlim S cruisers deliver power and performance once reserved for Custom Vehicle Operations (CVO) models. Both limited-edition models feature dark styling for menacing looks that match their muscle. The Softail Slim S is available in a new Olive Gold Denim color with military-inspired styling, paying homage to the post-war customs that launched the bobber movement. Harley-Davidson gives more riders a dose of Project RUSHMORE performance by making the High Output Twin Cam 103 engine standard in every other 2016 Softail model. The High Output Twin Cam 103 is also the new standard engine for all 2016 Dyna models except the Street Bob® model. 

The 2016 Fat Boy S

Softail Cruise Control
There’s more cruiser news in 2016; for the first time ever electronic cruise control is available on all Harley-Davidson Softail models. The convenience of Harley-Davidson electronic cruise control, enabled by new electronic throttle control, is standard equipment on 2016 Heritage Softail® Classic, Softail® Deluxe, Fat Boy S and Softail Slim S models and available as an accessory for all other 2016 Softail models.

The 2016 Sportster 48

New Sportster Suspension
All 2016 Sportster® models will tame rough roads with all-new front and rear suspension and improved seats working together to enhance rider comfort and control. The new seats incorporate premium materials and revised shapes to provide more supportive comfort. The re-engineered Sportster suspension pairs emulsion coil-over shocks with new front cartridge forks. Nitrogen gas-charged shocks resist oil aeration and feature an internal valve stack with 36mm pistons and high-performance oil to provide superior compression and rebound damping control that reacts quickly to small bumps and keeps the tires in contact on uneven road surfaces. Progressive-rate spring pre-load is adjustable by a threaded collar using a spanner that stows under the seat. Tuned to complement the shocks, the stout forks feature a calibrated piston and valve stack and progressive rate springs for consistent feel throughout the compression and extension range of the suspension. The triple-rate spring and oil lock allows the forks to resist wheel hop under hard braking.

The 2016 Road Glide Ultra

Road Glide Ultra
A two-year absence from the Harley-Davidson Touring line was time well spent infusing the Road GlideUltra with enhanced style, outstanding aerodynamics and optimized touring ergonomics for rider and passenger– the full influence of the customer-led Project RUSHMORE product-development effort. Propelled by the unrelenting performance of the Twin-Cooled™ High Output Twin Cam 103™ powertrain, the new Road Glide Ultra will exceed the expectations of the most demanding touring motorcyclist.

Heritage Softail Classic

The 2016 Heritage Softail Classic

Combining nostalgic style with smooth, modern Softail performance, the Heritage Softail Classic receives refreshed styling for 2016 plus the High Output Twin Cam 103 powertrain, standard electronic cruise control, and a new and improved saddlebag support structure. 

The new 2016 Harley-Davidson® motorcycles and accessories start rolling into Harley-Davidson® dealerships immediately. Visit H-D.com to see all 2016 Harley-Davidson models and to find a local authorized Harley-Davidson dealer.

About Harley-Davidson Motor Company
Since 1903, Harley-Davidson Motor Company has fulfilled dreams of personal freedom with cruiser, touring and custom motorcycles, riding experiences and events, and a complete line of Harley-Davidson motorcycle parts, accessories, general merchandise, riding gear and apparel. For more information, visit www.h-d.com.

Disclaimer: This information was printed from h-dnet.com, Harley-Davidson’s dealer portal, and is intended only for the confidential use of Harley-Davidson, Inc., dealer network, employees, and authorized contractors, as it may contain information that is privileged, confidential and exempt from disclosure under applicable law.
© H-D. All rights reserved.

Spring at a Harley-Davidson Dealer: The Classic No-Win Scenario

OK, we were trying to take the high road here and hoping that this rather touchy subject would cool off by itself, but it doesn’t look like it will.  So, we’ve decided we might as well tackle it head-on.

For those who don’t know, here’s a quote from a review left on our Facebook page:

“Be careful where you go! This dealer quoted me a price last month to replace the broken final drive belt on my 1993 Heritage last month. Then when I just called to drop it off I was informed that they only work on models less then ten years old in the spring and summer! It may have been a good idea to mention that LAST MONTH when i got the quote! I buy all my aftermarket parts and supplies from them! Customer loyalty means nothing there I guess! Its OK tho, I'm sure the dealer that does fix it will have no problems taking my money for the new Trike my wife is going to buy!”

Now, we did respond to that with a short explanation of the reasoning behind our policy, hoping that an honest explanation would at least partly resolve the problem.  Unfortunately, this being the internet and all, it did not.  And we understand that there are probably quite a few of you out there thinking, yeah, that policy sucks!  That’s ridiculous!  But, for every one of you who doesn’t like that policy, there are probably 5 of you who don’t even realize you benefit from it.  How?  Well, read on.

This situation is a classic no-win for us as a dealership.  You have to believe that we don’t enjoy turning business away – it’s simply not something we’d choose to do under normal circumstances.  And in the winter, during non-peak season, we don’t.  As he says, he called during the non-peak season and was given a quote.  But he didn’t bring it in then.

Every winter, it’s the same thing here.  We offer incentives to bring your work in early.  We beg and plead, even offering free pick-up and delivery in some instances, to try to get your work in in early.  And every year, we go from being almost same-day turnaround to being 3 weeks out, instantly, on the first day the weather goes above 50 degrees.

Right now, for basic service work, we are more than 3 weeks out.  We are confined by the linear nature of time and space to the fact that there are a finite number of hours in a day, and of days in a week.  That dictates how many hours we can book, and how many customers we can service.

That being said, on a bike that is 20+ years old, our experience has been that the original customer concern can be the tip of the iceberg as to what’s going on with the bike.  The OP on this topic has never had his bike to our shop, so we have no experience with HIS bike.  (If, in fact, we had some service history with the bike, we’d know what kind of shape it’s in, and the conversation might have been different.) But our experience with other 20+ year old bikes goes something like this:

The bike comes in for something that seems simple.  We schedule it for 2 hours.  The tech gets it open and finds something rusted/seized/missing/broken/etc.  This leads to a bunch of other problems, and now this 2 hour job is a 10 hour job, sitting on a lift, waiting for parts that aren’t normally stocked (because the bike is 2 years away from QQ plates.)  When we do finally get the parts in, and get the bike rolling, a good portion of the time, the owner is still upset with us because it took so much longer than he was originally quoted, and we STILL have an unhappy customer at the end.

When this happens in the winter, it’s no biggie.  When this happens in the spring, it can tie up a lift and impact the scheduling of 5 or 6 other people, each of whom have waited 3+ weeks for their appointment.  NOW, we have 6 or so angry customers, all saying how much we suck.

This has led to our current policy, the one that the OP is so annoyed with.  And we understand his frustration – even share it – because as I said, it’s not our goal to create unhappy customers, and to turn away business.  But during peak season, we need to get as many people on the road as possible, and taking in a bike that may very well become a project bike during the spring is something we decided we weren’t willing to take the risk on anymore.  Does only taking in bikes less than 10 years old guarantee that the above situation doesn’t occur?  Absolutely not.  It’s a numbers game; it’s an attempt to improve our odds.

So go ahead and flame away if you must.  But at least now you hopefully understand that this policy is not an arbitrary thing we do to be mean – it’s an imperfect solution to an imperfect situation.  (And if anyone knows any technicians looking for a job, we are hiring!  Please send him or her our way!)

Daytona Bound - NJ to Daytona on a Harley

Spring is in the air, right?  Well, maybe soon.

For right now in NJ, it's a brisk 34 degrees, and there's giant snowpiles everywhere.  What's a biker to do?

Head to Daytona Bike Week, what else??

Join Liberty Harley-Davidson owner Tom as he heads down 95 to find the sun, and tests out the new Harley-Davidson Heated Gear line!  Today he suited up - heated pants, jacket and gloves, and rode south, bound for the sun - leaving in only 31 degrees.

We'll be posting updates of his trip down, and then sunny updates from Daytona Beach Florida all week to help get you in the mood for spring.  And hey - if you were lucky enough to make it down, feel free to share your Daytona pics with us on Facebook and Twitter - we love to see pictures of sunny beaches and fun!

And keep thinking warm thoughts!