This new, Softail-based cruiser is an addition to the Dark Custom line but, says Harley, it’s “pared to the bone”.

In other words, the Blackline shuns the current trend towards customisation, colour and chrome, opting instead for more traditional styling. Or “lean as wire, hard as iron and dark as a tar road at midnight,” as the manufacturer puts it. The two-up seat is the lowest Harley-Davidson offers, just 24 inches from the ground, with a gap between it and the smooth, low, 18-litre fuel tank with its ‘Blackline’ trim.

There are Split Drag handlebars that bolt to the top triple-clamp, while cosmetic details include gloss black powdercoat on the rocker-box covers, the crankcase, the outer primary cover, and the transmission side-cover, plus a “rear fender bobbed high-and-tight over a slim, 144mm tyre”. The cylinders are silver powdercoat with machined highlights. The derby cover and timing covers are chromed, while the black-rimmed, laced wheels enhance the Harley-Davidson look.

The bike is powered by Harley’s Twin Cam 96B V-Twin engine, rigid-mounted and counter-balanced, with electronic sequential port fuel injection, claiming 89lb ft of torque at 3250rpm.

For more details, see www.harley-davidson.com.

Text: Charis Whitcombe
Photos: Harley-Davidson