2016 Harley-Davidson Dark Custom review, test ride

In the Sportster line-up, the Iron 883 has received some upgrades for 2016. The motorcycle now has clipped fenders, a blacked-out powertrain and exhaust, drag-style handlebars and a solo tuck-and-roll seat cover.

The new Forty-Eight motorcycle has a burly 130mm front tire suspended by 49mm forks. The suspension mount has also been revised by Harley-Davidson, and the overall set-up actually works well, in comparison to the previous one. Damping is good, but this is based on the few minutes I got with the motorcycle on some smooth roads. The handlebars have also been revised to improve the manoeuvrability  of the Forty-Eight, but to be honest, the riding position still leaves a lot to desire and this Harley is not as easy to manoeuvre as an Iron 883, which actually felt much more comfortable, and went around bends with far better poise.

The Forty-Eight has chopped fenders to expose the tyres, and new cast wheels, in place of the spoke ones in the previous models. These are not just visually better, they also helped the motorcycle lose three-odd kilograms, further helping the improvement in manoeuvrability. It also has a classic 7.9-litre peanut fuel tank.

Upgrades are always a welcome thing, and the brakes on the Street 750, and the suspension on the Sportster line were much needed. The Street 750 even needed the nip and tuck treatment, but still has a long way to go before we give it the thumbs up as a premium motorcycle. The other two new Harleys are beautiful and safer options to consider in the 2016 line-up.

Arpit Phillips