Harley Davidson 1200 Custom review, test ride

The 1200 Custom, like most Harleys, is best enjoyed on the highway with near-perfect road conditions and minimal traffic. The comfy seating posture and the supple saddle make this a potential long haul machine. However, the suspension setup does affect this promise. Our Indian highways are not always in the best of conditions and the stiffer suspension setup of the Custom makes the going painful. Harley claims to have improved the suspension setup on the 2016 line-up, but it still needs to be fine tuned further.

What’s surprising is that despite having a heavy front end, the motorcycle does feel easy to manoeuvre; the fat front tyre does not affect flickability much. However, the suspension setup also impacts the fun potential as the Custom tends to gets unsettled even over slight mid-corner bumps; that makes holding a line an unnecessary trial. Let’s not forget, that’s 268kg of motorcycle you’re throwing around.

The Michelin Scorcher 130/90 front tyre and 150/80 back tyre also have to shoulder some of the responsibility. While these made-for-Harley tyres look great, the grip levels fail to give you a sense of confidence. The desire for more grip is intensified by ample evidence of ABS missing on the Custom. Kudos to Harley for offering new, improved brakes that offer great stopping power with a light lever feel. However, the strong brakes, the lack of ABS and less-than-ideal grip levels make emergency braking quite a nervous affair. Any sudden braking causes the front tyre to protest extremely loudly as the wheel heads toward a lockup.

So, for all the die-hard Harley fans out there, the 1200 Custom is a handsome-looking motorcycle for a decent amount of money. At Rs 8,90,000 (ex-showroom Delhi), the 1200 Custom sits Rs 50,000 shy of the Forty-Eight and is the more practical of the two. That extra range while out touring is definitely a bonus for all the highway aficionados. Its classic styling and low price-tag are what make this motorcycle so appealing. However, mechanically the Custom falls short on fronts that sit at the very core of this motorcycle and genre. Also, the lack of ABS makes the Custom less appealing. Yes, the Custom offers something different from the other Sportsters in the line-up, but clearly, this isn’t the Sportster to ride, or arrive on.