Harley Davidson FXSTC 1340 Softail Custom

The Harley-Davidson Softail Custom doesn't lend itself to easy, logical explanation on paper. Simple numbers describing performance and size don't adequately communicate the bike's character. The best example of this comes in the perusal of the wet weight: here's an air-cooled V-twin that weighs a whopping 651 pounds. Look only at black figures on white paper, and you'll never grasp the effect the Milwaukee-based company intends.
The Softail and the Wide Glide continue as Harley's leading sellers. Motorcyclist anticipated testing the Softail to see exactly what true H-D enthusiasts want and expect from their favorite bike; we planned to look beyond the spec sheet to see the attractions enabling this bike to lead the Wisconsin firm's sales tallies.

But, frankly, none of us expected to like it much.
Our Softail has the Custom package, consisting of a color-matched frame, extra chrome here and there, a black engine with aluminum highlights, a plusher seat and integral passenger backrest and a solid disc rear wheel. Painted in a stunning candy red and burgundy with gold lettering, the first impression is of unrestrained opulence. Dazzling chrome looks good next to red, and the black engine adds a real-world touch to the glittering Custom. This is the cruiser so many accuse Japan of copying.

Our staff feared major adaptation would be needed to slip into Hog-think, but we were right in only one regard: seating position. The pegs just aren't where they should be if the rider plans to use his legs to support his weight. Getting used to putting your feet up in Bar-ca-lounger position takes more than a few stoplights but becomes habitual, if not overly comfortable or practical. The rider's feet end up ahead of his or her hands, and this sometimes awkWard position dominated much of the office discussion about the FXSTC.

We had been lulled into thinking the 1340cc Harley engines had to be rubber-mounted to be livable; the FXSTC proved us solidly wrong with its rigidly mounted and more than tolerably smooth engine. The bike feels tight-much more so than the FXRD with rubber-mounted engine that we tested last month. Only at engine speeds just under redline (5200 rpm) did the bike become busy and buzzy. The mirrors were blurry almost constantly, but due to their poor design not so much because of the engine's vibration. At high revs the foot-pegs jangle, while the handlebar stays surprisingly smooth. We went on two-and three-hour freeway jaunts without our hands or feet numbing, and our butts stayed awake longer than expected thanks to the thin but well-shaped seat padding.

Adding to the solidity of the engine is the positive shifting mechanism, revised slightly since last year. The tranny still clunks loudly when shifted, but lever throw is precise and controlled, neutral
is found easily, and the bike snicks into first from neutral without even a click. The clutch has a light pull and shouldn't be forgotten during shifts—the H-D won't tolerate clutchless shifts. It also refuses to shift into neutral from second gear, always clunking down into first. From first, neutral is an easy half prod away.
In contrast to the light-pull clutch lever is the high-input front brake lever. Two strong fingers do not lock the single disc front brake, so emergency stops require some planning.

The almost-vertical rear brake pedal was praised by a few staffers because it falls easily to the rider's right foot with a minimum of foot movement. The rear brake proved strong and consistent and helped out the weak front brake.
We cast doubting eyes at the front tire. Mounted on a sparkling 21-inch chrome-spoked wheel, the low-profile Dunlop Front-Rib looks skatey and resembles the bicyclelike tires used on the front of Shirley Muldowney's rail. If our testing had involved a racetrack, the front tire would have been replaced by democratic vote. This skinny front tire is a mild disappointment after the premium rubber Harley provided on the FXRD, but it fits the image.

The Softail is not without high-tech features. A quick glance at the frame from either the right or left side shows no visible means of rear suspension, and
not until you crawl on your belly to look under the engine is any apparent. Under the engine and transmission and between the lower frame rails are two nitrogen-charged shocks providing 3.4 inches of rear-suspension movement.

Last year the Softail bottomed too easily, especially with a passenger aboard, so for '86 the shocks have higher compression rates to avoid this, but have no preload or damping adjustability. One staffer did manage to get the rear to bottom a few times, but all riders gave high marks to the rear suspension.
Updates to the rear suspension brought it to the performance level of the front fork. The 41mm tubes are set 10 gaping inches apart, giving the 5.8-inch headlight the illusion of being tiny.

The fork responds nicely to freeway ripples and other small inconsistencies and has 5.1 inches of travel waiting for more pressing matters. The suspension works well on the Softail, mainly because the focus of the bike isn't as broad as that of several of the performance cruisers from Japan whose suspension designers have to figure in a spottiness quotient when matching spring and damping ratios. Banging through a canyon won't be high on the things-to-do-on-my-Soft-ail list, so the suspension could be tuned cruiser plush.

Harley incorporated 33 degrees of rake and 5.0 inches of trail into the Sof-tail's frame, stretching the wheelbase to 66.3 inches and giving a decidedly long feel. The skinny front tire helps lighten the steering because of its small contact patch on the asphalt. At parking-lot speeds the handlebar wants to flop to one. side due to the copious amount of rake, and the long reach to the far-forward pegs makes things a little awkWard. The combination of thin front tire and long trail is a good one for general cruising, though it keeps the steering light, but the long rake keeps the bike stable. While the 21-inch front wheel fits the image Harley wanted, the narrow ribbed tire doesn't inspire confidence.

The choke is needed only on very cold days. The starter turns the Big Twin over in spurts but never fails to rouse it to life, and the choke, if used, can be eliminated almost immediately; all '86 FXs have 10 percent more cranking power due to the deletion of the starter relay. Also missing
from the '86 Softail is the kickstarter mechanism to make room for the new five-speed transmission.

The accelerator-pump-equipped, butterfly-throttle, 34mm Keihin carburetor has excellent throttle response except just off idle. In other words, when a very small throttle setting is used, as when rolling along a level freeway, the pilot circuit is too lean to provide smooth combustion. This leanness isn't apparent at more aggressive throttle settings because the accelerator pump masks it with a shot of gasoline. This peccadillo
surfaces as the only flaw in the excellent performance of the Keihin.

The FXSTC exceeded every staffer's expectations fn both appearance and performance. Seating position and high-effort front brake aside, the Softail functions better than any stock Harley ever tested at this magazine and several staffers named it their favorite big-bore, V-twin cruiser. Engine-vibration control is superior than on any of the rubber-mounted FX twins we've tested, shifting was slick, and the Softail gave a solid, confident performance. Acceleration and top speed were never important issues, and they shouldn't be with this bike.

The famous Harley-Davidson torque, claimed at 84 foot-pounds at 3600 rpm, motivated the bike so nicely that higher revs were rarely needed and downshifts weren't a part of the passing regimen. The controllable clutch and muscular low-end allow you to leave a stop smoothly in fifth gear (kids, don't try this at home). However, it also comes off the line quite strongly in first. This is the first stock 1340cc H-D on which the torque could be appreciated without the accompanying uncontrolled vibration, and the gear ratios are nicely tailored to the power available. It seems the combination of frame and engine available in the Softail is the one Harley has been shooting for all these years. After riding it, we understand why the Softail is Har-ley's leading seller.

The Harley Softail musters the same real look successfully tapped by the Suzuki Intruder. The parts on the bike appear strong and tough, yet are finished with great attention to detail, as evidenced in the exceptional paint and clear coat. If honesty can be a descriptive trait in motorcyle parlance, the FXSTC is honest; from the wide, strong front fork to the solid disc rear wheel, the Softail imparts merit and value.

Away from the black and white of the spec sheet, the Harley takes on a Technicolor existence that can't be summed up in figures. After testing the Softail, only one specification holds back the majority of the Motorcyclist staff from agreeing with the number one choice of America's Harley enthusiasts: the $9299 retail price. M

Source MOTORCYCLIST 1986 4