Rider Review: 2003 Harley-Davidson Softail Classic

The first thing I noticed about this bike was its stability. It's low to the ground, though not as low as my V-Star 1100, yet it felt like a hurricane couldn't knock this bike over. I could see where Yamaha had copped this bike's profile almost to a T. It's absolutely beautiful. The bike comes with a big windshield, large, wide saddlebags, a sissy bar with a very comfortable backrest pad, floorboards for the rider, (pegs for the passenger), and passing lamps.

Having spent most of my time on a "rice burner," a term which I detest, the differences between this Harley and Yamaha's answer to this bike are clear. First of all, the engine is just louder, and I'm not talking about the exhaust system. The 1450cc engine between your legs just growls constantly. Rumbles. Vibrates. The whole bike vibrates like a giant lawnmower. According to some Harley riding friends, "that's just the way they ride. Plus, the chicks dig it for obvious reasons."

Um...whatever, dude.

My female passenger felt like the whole thing was going to explode any second. I wasn't a fan of this vibration after riding on my quiet, smooth V-Star. In terms of comfort, however, the Harley wins. The bucket rider's seat and contoured pillion seat are much better suited to long rides than what the 1100 has to offer as a stock seats. I was thinking about swapping out my stock seat on the V-Star for a Mustang seat. Now I'm going to do it for sure. The handlebars are much more up and out than my V-Star. Felt like I had to hold my arms up there to guide the bike. Here again, I prefer the lower riding position on my bike.

Other nice stock features include a gas gauge, multiple safety systems (ignition lock, fork lock, disc brake lock, and alarm), turn signals on each corresponding handlegrip, and a heel-toe shifter. One of the nice things about the throttle is that it sort of "sticks." You can adjust the tension with a fly-nut so you're not fighting the spring-loaded throttle on long rides. It's actually a make-shift rudimentary cruise control. It's also fuel injected so the choke control is automatic. It was convenient, but I guess I like to be more in control of that. It's just another thing that can break down.

In terms of power, this thing rocks, though I felt like I had more get up and go than I would ever need. On the highway, the upper power bands reacted similarly to the V-Star. Not hair-trigger responsive, but had plenty of grab when you needed it at higher speeds. It's the low speed torque that gets your attention. I lurched into traffic a few times when pulling out of parking spaces. Almost got me into trouble. You have to be very subtle with your manuevers on this bike.

The horn sounds like a Cadillac. Yikes.

Overall, I can see where Harleys are quite a draw for people that want to make a statement. They're loud and loaded with goodies. I felt like when I was cruising around neighborhoods at 20mph I sounded like I was burning rubber. Did I mention it was loud? One comment that the dealer made seemed to verify what other Harley-riding friends have said, "you should always check to see if something has vibrated loose during your pre-ride inspections." I guess I don't want to worry about things like that.

It's an extremely comfortable ride and if you get a chance to take one for a spin, do it. You might like it. I thought it was a really great bike, just not my style.

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