Car Gazing
Bad to the bone – Ford partners with Harley-Davidson to make fast, stylish truck
By Derek Price
Harley-Davidson motorcycles are about power, style and freedom. So are
pickup trucks.
With that in mind, Ford partnered with Harley-Davidson to create a special
edition F-150 pickup that embodies the spirit of the open road. It's quick,
it's fun, and it's got lots of chrome – just like anything with the Harley
badge should be.
More than anything else, it's built for cruising with Steppenwolf cranked up
and windows rolled down. It's not meant for off-road excursions, and it's
definitely not a work truck.
Instead, it's all about style and speed.
Start with 20-inch chrome wheels, which are among the most eye-catching
metal on the road. Harley engineers worked for months perfecting their
design, and the results are astonishing. Wrapped in low-profile rubber,
they're the flashiest of Harley's touches that combine to say, "I'm one
baaaad truck."
Painted flames are an attention-getting tradition on hot rods, but the ones
on this F-150 are – dare I say it – tasteful. What starts as a pinstripe
near the hood slowly widens and transforms into a dark red series of little
flames that emerges near the tailgate. It's not as flamboyant as the
enormous wheels, but it's a nice touch nonetheless. A big Harley-Davidson
logo looks like an award plaque plastered on side panels, and chrome
tailpipes and running boards complete the tough-guy look outside.
Inside, it's all variations on the leather-and-chrome theme. Comfortable,
deep bucket seats are covered in – what else – black leather, and
motorcycle influence is seen virtually everywhere. Front and rear center
consoles have embossed lids with flames and the ever-present H-D logo, while
switches and buttons have a terrific, driver-friendly layout. Little Harley
emblems adorn the headrests, as if you couldn¹t notice them elsewhere in the
truck.
Chrome accents are peppered throughout the cabin in places like door
handles, a column-mounted shifter and rings around the gauge faces. Overall,
it's a nice cabin that isn't too showy.
Just like Harley motorcycles, this Ford offers impressive performance with
its good looks. A tire-smoking 340 horsepower comes courtesy of a
supercharged 5.4-liter V8, a monster powerplant that replaces last year's
260-horsepower engine with the same displacement. It's more power than
anybody needs, but it sure is fun.
Point the Ford down a straight stretch of highway and stomp on the
accelerator. You wait for a split second without much response, but then –
POW! – the supercharger spools up and plants you in the back of your seat
like an amusement park ride. The exhaust note is enchanting as it mimics the
"potato-potato" burble of a Harley.
The suspension is tuned more for performance than hauling ability, and it
feels more taut and controllable than other versions of the F-150. It also
slightly lowers the whole truck to give it a more aggressive stance.
All this performance and style costs around $35,000, making it the most
expensive of Ford's F-150 trucks. But, if you like Harley style and
jaw-dropping performance in a truck, it's worth every penny. No other truck
was born to be this wild.
(Derek Price is a newspaper editor and freelance writer living in Texas.
Contact him at dprice@cargazingonline.com)
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