H-D Forty-Eight Special: Road test review

reddykrishnayad · 发表于 2019-05-13 10:58:23

[br]

[br][br]For Hollywood movies buffs, the retro-styled cruisers on the screen would be a common memory. The bold and muscular Harley-Davidson Forty-Eight Special with a bull dog-stance will surely revive those memories. With a tall boy handlebar, beefy tyres and gleaming chrome finish, elegance is written all over it. [br][br][br]The US two-wheeler major has riden in the 2019 edition with the change in ergonomics of handlebar, new graphics on body panels and slight updates in the built. Enjoying and entertaining to ride, here's our first take on the H-D Forty-Eight Special: [br][br][br]How does it look? [br][br]

[br][br]The peanut-shaped tank and the optimised solo-style seat has always been a key highlight for the Forty-Eight. The 1970's-inspired tank graphics and badge on the fuel tank throw light on the bike's retro roots. [br]Something that continues throughout the body is the well-balanced usage of chrome and black-out finishes. Especially, the dual-barrel chrome exhausts on the same side along with the glittering black fenders form a perfect aesthetic match. [br][br][br]

[br][br]The tallboy handlebar is a recent upgrade from its predecessor. This has improved the entire ergonomics, making it comfortable for the rider to reach the handlebars. The dashboard is simplistic, where H-D doesn't overshoot read-outs. The speedometer is in the form of a single analogue dial. Tachometer, gear shift indicator and 2X tripmeter can be toggled on a small digital display. [br][br][br][br]What fires the powermill? [br][br]

[br][br]The Forty-Eight Special gets a 1202-cc, air-cooled, evolution V-twin engine, tuned to deliver 97Nm torque at 4,250 rpm. An advanced fuel injection system firing the powermill has high compression ratio (10:1). As a result of which, the bike doesn’t require gasoline for propulsion.[br][br]EngineAir-cooled, EvolutionDisplacement1,202 ccTorque97 Nm at 4,250 rpmGearbox5-speedFuel tank7.9 L[br][br][br]The fuel tank is striking in terms of looks, however, it’s capacity would disappoint you. Hosting a 7.9 litre tank, the cruiser offers a distance range of about 100 km. Frequenting the refuelling station, by no means, would be to your liking especially if you are on a long-route travel on the Forty-Eight Special. [br][br][br]Mated to a 5-speed gearbox, the retro-looking motorcycle can give any bike run for its money on the highways. The free-revving engine is capable of notching the 100 kmph-mark at 4,000 rpm in second gear. With a sleek throttle response, the bike has a claimed top speed of over 150 clicks. [br][br]The picture turns dramatically when it comes to city riding. Application of heavy clutch levers to bring the bike to rest at every other traffic signal would leave you with sore fingers. The heat radiated from the V-twin engine adds to the discomfort. [br][br][br]Most of its competitors offer modern touches in the form of traction control and riding modes. These are absent in Forty-Eight Special. Only dual channel ABS (anti-lock braking system) is equipped as standard on dual piston brakes. [br][br]How is the ride quality? [br][br]

[br][br]The retro cruiser feels nimble in the city, planted on the highways and agile on the twists. Tipping at 252kg, one would wish to try out extreme cornering on the Forty-Eight Special. Barring the race tracks, the limited cornering abilities of bike wouldn’t always disappoint you at sharp turns. A low ground clearance of 110 mm causes some trouble at uneven stretches. [br][br]Front tyre130/90B16 [br][br]Rear tyre150/80B16 [br][br]Kerb weight252 kg[br][br]Seat height710 mmGround clearance110 mmFront and rear wheelBlack, split 9-spoke cast aluminum [br]BrakesCaliper-type dual-piston front, dual-piston rear[br][br]Set up with 9-spoke cast aluminium wheels, the bike shod with beefy 130/90 and 150/90 Michelin tyres at front and rear, respectively. The spring coil suspensions (49mm cartridge-type forks) are quite stiff and may pop you mid-air if the bike hits a speed breaker or pothole at high speed. Having said that, riding is comfortable due to a short seat height of 710 mm. The feet-forward type footpegs are placed high and wide, rendering the hipster look. [br][br][br]Pricing and verdict [br][br]

[br][br]The price tag attached to the US-made motorcycle is surely on the higher side. Available in five-colour scheme, the vivid black variant comes at Rs 10.98 lakh (ex-showroom, India) and the top-end dual-tone custom colour variant at Rs 11.52 lakh (ex-showroom, India). [br][br]The immediate rival to the H-D cruiser is in the form of Triumph Speed Twin, which starts Rs 9.46 lakh (ex-showroom). The Fort-Eight Special can be in your bucket list if you always wanted to own a Harley-Davidson with intimidating looks and if you love to go on occasional long rides. [br][br][br]

[br][br]