2008 Rocker C: Harley-Davidson’s telling tail
Baltimore -- THESE days, it’s hard to know who’s following whom. Harley-Davidson may be the undisputed market leader in the cruiser world, but the new models it’s wheeled out for 2008 show exactly how influential small custom shops have become.
Take the Rocker C, one of three new models the company has unveiled, the other two being the Fat Bob (an addition to the Dyna family) and the Rocker (a Softail sib to the Rocker C).
The Rocker C is a long and low power cruiser, with a tank that has been stretched and fork tubes that have been kicked out an extra 6 degrees compared with Harley’s other Softail models. Most significant, the fender has been pressed toward the fat 240-millimeter rear tire, with only a knuckle’s distance to spare.
As seen from behind, the bike’s rear moves more or less like a bunny tail while the saddle stays put. I know this because I was traveling behind the bike for about 50 miles, watching some other rider have all the fun while I waited my turn at this week’s Harley-Davidson 2008 model launch. It wasn’t such a bad place to be, since the most interesting aspects of the Rocker C are about the rear end -- not just the bike’s, but the rider’s.
There’s the “Rocker Tail” that gives the bike its name. The fender is attached to the swingarm, not the frame, which allows it to move, or “rock,” with the suspension. Then there’s the saddle, which houses a hidden passenger seat that can be pulled out from under the seat and set up in about 10 seconds. It doesn’t rest on the fender but levitates over it.
Even the back tire is interesting, not because it’s 240 mm, which has become fairly standard, but because it’s a customized Dunlop: The Harley-Davidson logo is stamped into the rubber.
Once I got in the saddle, I found the most interesting aspects of the bike continued to be cosmetic. There’s a lot of nice detailing on the bike -- from the raised, tank-mounted speedo and slash-cut pipes to the color-matched frame/oil tank and V-shaped handlebars.
Oddly, the handlebars are one of the coolest aspects of the bike. Made from two separate pieces that form a V in the center, they create a fascinating optical illusion. Because they’re chrome, they act like a mirror, reflecting the rider’s image and the scenery whiz- zing by as I wheeled down the street.
Performance-wise, the Rocker C uses the same fuel injection system and counterbalanced, 96-cubic-inch twin-cam engine Harley rolled out last year.
On the lush, back-country roads between Maryland and Pennsylvania, the power was linear, smooth and instant, but the cornering felt compromised by the bike’s length (95 inches) and the beefy back tire.
During turns, it didn’t feel so compromised that I was going to fly out of a corner and into a cornfield, but I was definitely cautious about my speed -- doubly so after the Maryland sky opened up, pouring rain, hail and tree bits onto the street.
That’s when anti-lock brakes would have come in handy. In a shocking embrace of modern technology, Harley-Davidson now offers anti-lock brakes as a factory option on its big tourers and V-rods -- more proof that the company’s checking out the competition in its rear-views. Anti-lock brakes aren’t exactly custom-shop fare, but they’re a hallmark of another manufacturer with an aging demographic -- BMW.
susan.carpenter@latimes.com
