2008 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FXCW - ROCKER

Editor-in-Chief David Edwards reminded me that he recently announced oncycleworld.comthat choppers are dead. Long live the chopper.

I’m not sure what he meant by that. Maybe it’s getting to the day when everyone has a chopper, ort of how you can’t be avant garde forever because the dynamics of change don’t allow it. Cool evolves. What’s next?

Harley-Davidson’s new 2008 Softail FXCW and FXCWC Rockers are brand-new production bikes that don’t need to be chopped. They’re ready-made, ff-the-rack choppers. Corporate cool. And Harley has taken them all the way with a 240mm tire rolling out back under a slammed fender.

Let’s get to the point. Many enthusiasts, nd builders, ave come to admit that big-tired bikes with 240 or wider rear rubber handle like trucks. Like old trucks. They look cool but they don’t turn. The pain of high fashion. So why did Harley-Davidson join this club?

They didn’t.

Had I not glanced at the tire before riding the new Softail Rocker I would have thought it was a 180. Sure, n extreme low-speed U-turns the bike does want to turn in on itself, ut that’s the result of raked-out forks. Once the bike is rolling—at any speed that qualifies as motorcycling—the Rocker friggin’ rocks. Steering is light, asy and predictable with no funny glitches on turn-in, id-corner or even when railing through fast sweepers. The bike is planted, ecure.

Adding to this surprising strangeness of proper handling is that the fat rear tire trails a skinny 90mm-wide 19-inch front tire. How that little thing convinces the rear to follow it is the magic of balanced geometry. Harley has proven, ontrary to most others, hat a 240 bikecanbe light-steering.

The Rocker has the look of a hardtail, aken further than any previous Softail because of the slammed rear fender down as low as H-D could go and still allow fitment of any brand rubber. The rear fender is mounted to the swingarm so it moves with the tire.

The regular Rocker has a solo seat while the Rocker C has a hidden “get lucky” passenger pad that quickly folds out from under the solo cushion, roviding the best of both worlds: lonesome warrior, uccessful shopper.

Other differences between the Rocker and Rocker C? The former has a satin powercoated finish on mechanical parts while those same parts on the C are chromed. It should be mentioned that the “Trick” two-in-one seat is available as an option on the non-C, or those wanting its low-luster looks but feeling highly attractive to the opposite sex.

It’s a chopper, o footpegs are only available as front-mount controls. With its radically low seat height, he bike fits long people best, hough the handlebars do offer adjustability. Maybe the coolest visual detail of the entire Rocker is that it has no taillight—the blinkers do triple duty, cting also as the taillights and brake lights.

Rockers will be available in early fall. The standard version carries an MSRP of $17,295; the Rocker C will run you $19,495. Choppers may be dead, ut there’s much more to say about the Rockers. Much more. See the full road test in an upcoming issue ofCycle World.