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Big Dog Working Man's Special

Make Model.	Big Dog Working Man's Special
Year	2010
Engine	Four Stroke, V-twin
Capacity	1349 cc / 80 cu in
Cooling System	Air cooled
Compression Ratio	8.5:1
Exhaust	Two-onto-two, chrome
Induction	Fuel injected
Ignition	Electric
Starting	Electric
Transmission	6-Speed
Final Drive	Chain
Frame	Non-stretch rigid frame
Rake	30°
Front Suspension	Telescopic fork
Rear Suspension	Rigid, spring loaded saddle
Front Brakes	Double Ø292 mm / 11.5 in discs, chrome, 4-piston HHI calipers
Rear Brakes	Single hydraulic disc, 4-piston caliper
Wheels	60 Spoke all-chromed
Front Tyre	3.00 x 21", Avon
Rear Tyre	180/60-16", Avon
Wheelbase	1651 mm / 65 in
Ground Clearance	102 mm / 4 in
Seat Height	610 mm / 24 in
Dry Weight	225 kg / 495 lbs
Fuel Capacity	8.5 L / 2.25 US gal
Review	Chris Maida, American Iron Magazine

The Working Man’s Special is a low-cost version of the company’s flagship bike, the Traditional Bobber.

Simple and to the point: my test bike was well-built and fun to ride.

Now that that’s out of the way, I’ll tell you some of the particulars. My Special was powered by a stock 80″ (1340cc) Harley-Davidson Evo mill fitted with low-compression (8.5:1) pistons, which meant I could put 2.25 gallons (max) of any grade of gas in the thing, and it ran fine. The motor is connected to an Ultima six-speed tranny via a 3″ BDL open belt drive system. As you can see, the final drive is a standard 530 chain wrapped around a 51-tooth rear sprocket. The clutch is also from BDL and it, like the primary system, worked like a charm. As for the Ultima tranny, while it did its job efficiently, it was noisy, shifting felt a bit clunky, and it was almost impossible to get into neutral once stopped. However, by the time you read this, Ultima gearboxes are no longer used on SPS bikes. A RevTech is now standard and you can upgrade to a BAKER transmission if you choose.

The chassis for the Special, being based on the Traditional, is well-planned and constructed. Up front, the SPS-proprietary 30-degree rake, no-stretch rigid frame is held up by a DNA springer that rolls on a Midwest 60-spoke, all-chromed wheel wrapped with a 3.00-21″ Avon tire. The Special is also available with a standard tube front end, if that’s what you prefer. Out back is a 180/60-16″ Avon wrapped around another all-chromed Midwest 60-spoker. Stopping power up front is supplied by a four-piston polished HHI caliper grabbing standard issue 11-1/2″ chrome Drag discs. Out back, there’s a four-piston, black H-D caliper doing the hard work. Braking power was definitely adequate, since the Special is a light bike.

This chassis combo results in a nice handling, 495-pound (dry weight) bike with a 65″ wheelbase, 4″ of ground clearance, and a 24″ seat height. With numbers like that, you know even a short stack like me has no problem being flat-footed at all times, or reaching the forwards. The apes also put my hands in a comfortable spot, though they were a bit over my shoulders. The sprung seat was fine during all my short blasts up and down the interstate, as well as around town.

The only glitch I had during my test was a lighting issue, as in the front right blinker did not work. But that was fixed in short order by the SPS crew, and the rest of my test was pleasantly uneventful.