Harley-Davidson has taken inspiration from the drag strip for its latest offering, the all-new FXDR 114.
The new power cruiser combines the unrelenting torque of the Milwaukee-Eight 114 engine with a bunch of weight-saving applications, including the use of aluminium and composite components.
The FXDR 114 is the tenth Harley-Davidson based on the Softail platform introduced in 2018 and the latest in a line of 100 high-impact motorcycles the company plans to introduce by 2027.
“The look of the FXDR 114 expresses its performance potential and highlights the technical features that set it apart from the rest of the Softail line-up,” said Brad Richards, Harley-Davidson Vice President of Styling and Design. “The drag-bike influence is strong with the raked and inverted front end, massive intake and exhaust, proportional contrast between the wheels and the clipped tail section. But we made sure that purely technical elements like the aluminium swingarm, fully integrated digital instrumentation within the rider controls, and exposed external suspension adjuster are highlighted as well and help define this bike’s mission, which is pure performance – not just straight-line performance.”
The FXDR’s aluminium swingarm weighs 4.62kg less than the normal steel Softail swingarm. As it’s unsprung weight it has a significant impact on rear suspension performance, and is enhanced further by a lightweight 18-inch aluminium disc rear wheel. The 19-inch forged aluminium Ace front wheel is also a lightweight design that features very thin spokes.
The seat and tail section are supported by a subframe of welded aluminium tubing, and the tail section is composite. This replaces the steel subframe, steel rear mudguard and aluminium mudguard supports used on other Softail models, for a weight saving of approximately 3.17kg. The front and rear mudguards are also constructed of lightweight composite material.
Now all you need to do is find yourself a drag strip and let it loose.
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