Steering the Deluxe was fairly easy, thanks to the wide handlebar’s leverage. Although I never touched the preload, its hydraulic adjuster is easily accessible under the seat for riders who are lighter or heavier than the standard preload was set for. Larger suspension hits were attenuated much better – even in those couple of times that the rear suspension bottomed.

The dual-bending valve fork combined with the single shock under the seat to give a controlled ride over pavement ripples. The Deluxe exhibited none of the hinge-in-the-middle sensation of cruiser chassis flex. In the tighter sections of corners, the additional ground clearance was nice, but it was the higher-speed sweepers where I could really experience the increased torsional stiffness.

My time on the winding California backroads only increased my appreciation for what Harley-Davidson had done with the Deluxe in the conversion to the new frame. From the first corner on Blackhawk Raceway, I was pleasantly surprised at how much more ground clearance the 2018 Deluxe had. The first time I rode the Deluxe, I’d ridden the 2017 model immediately beforehand. Harley clearly wanted the media to notice the improved ground clearance of the Deluxe – and all of the Softail line – since the vast majority of the roads we traveled over the two days of the Softail introduction were serpentine playgrounds for motorcyclists. That’s a change that can be appreciated each time the throttle is twisted. The Milwaukee-Eight’s exhaust is much throatier than the Twin Cam’s while still meeting EPA limits. When it comes to sound, though, it’s hard to ignore one of the biggest benefits of having an engine that is mechanically quieter than the one it replaces. The transmission shifts smoothly though shifting into first gear from neutral elicits the Big Twin Clunk. At all rpm, in all situations, the EFI tuning remains super slick with nary a hiccup. However, at higher rpm, some vibration makes itself known but is not objectionable. While the M-E loves being trolled along riding the torque curve, the engine feels equally at home with a higher-rpm, more sporting approach, too. In my two chances to ride the Deluxe (one in Wisconsin and one in California), I’ve been impressed with how well the dual balancers quell vibration. Acceleration is brisk and is a claimed 10-percent faster from 0-60mph – a figure I don’t doubt. The wet sump facilitates the 2017’s under seat oil tank removal, which achieves the dual goals of relocating a heat source away from the rider and centralizing the mass of the engine.įrom the moment the torque-assist clutch is released, the Milwaukee-Eight engine outshines the Twin Cam. The second counterbalancer allows for the engine to be solidly-mounted to the Softail frame for a more tightly packed engine bay and a stiffer chassis. In its transition from the Harley touring line, the M-E gained a second counterbalancer and a wet sump.

The 2018 Deluxe receives a heart transplant in the form of the Milwaukee-Eight engine of the 107 cubic-inch variety.

Test photostory deluxe 2018