| 2008 Harley-Davidson FLSTC Heritage Softail Classic |
 I have to confess that I am not such a big cruiser fan, because of my slight addiction to speed. I always thought that only senior citizens would truly appreciate a cruiser and all that it stands for. I was sadly mistaken.At first sight the big Heritage Softail looks a bit daunting. In fact I was really worried if I would be able to handle such a big motorcycle seeing as I am relatively short and lightweight. I was pleasantly surprised to find the seat height is only 648mm and the Heritage is much narrower than I expected for a motorcycle of this magnitude. Keeping all 326kg upright when in a stationary position was a breeze even with a passenger.  As with all Harley-Davidsons, the attention to detail is amazing. From all the shiny chrome to the effortless way in which everything just works, this example of HD engineering is no different. You get a round headlight with a running light at either end which seems to work quite well together. Another thing you might appreciate is the enormous police-style screen which ensures you do not swallow any bugs when you wear your open-face helmet. The panniers on either side are genuine leather and are capable of holding some serious volume. The riding-position is relaxed and very comfortable, even with my short arms I could easily reach the handlebars. There is very little engine noise whilst still retaining HD status which in my opinion is excellent for a long distance cruiser such as this. The power plant is an air cooled, four stroke, V-Twin, 'Twin Cam 96', with Electronic Sequential Port Fuel Injection (ESPFI) which produces 117Nm at 3200rpm. All of this, is just fancy jargon to tell you that although you aren’t going to break any speed records, you will still be able to cruise effortlessly at 120km/h all day long, only gearing down one gear for the occasional hill and possibly to overtake a long truck. Overall the riding experience is a pleasant one, this is a bike on which I would like to do some distance. Be sure to pencil in the Heritage Softail into your bucket list, and experience this magnificent machine before you die. 
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