Newest motorcycle gives Canadian riders another reason to celebrate Friday the 13th
PORT DOVER, ON, May 13, 2016 /CNW/ - Bare to the essential elements of a pure riding machine and shaped by nearly 60 years of heritage, it's only fitting that the new Harley-Davidson® Roadster™ was unveiled today by the Davidson family at PD13, Canada's largest motorcycle rally, which takes place every Friday the 13th, in Port Dover, Ontario. Bill and Karen Davidson – great-grandchildren to company co-founder William G. Davidson – gave Canadian riders the first look at the Roadster™, priced at $12,999 and at home in urban landscapes and on twisting roads alike.
"With 75 per cent of Canadians living in urban environments, we are thrilled to be adding the Roadster to our roster. We now offer eight city-friendly Harley-Davidson motorcycles priced under $13,000, making our line-up more accessible than ever before," said Anoop Prakash, Managing Director, Harley-Davidson Canada. "The Roadster will be a natural fit for riding in the city, with the added performance to get out of town and experience the many epic summer events across the country, like PD13."
The new Roadster model joins the Dark Custom lineup with a minimalist design inspired by classic racing motorcycles and current trends in stripped-down, naked custom bikes and a profile reminiscent of racing Sportster motorcycles from the 1950s and 1960s.
The bike was launched amid fanfare, including a Live Mural Experience, painted by artist David Arrigo and given away as a grand prize. The canvas wasn't the only thing getting inked, though, as The Black Pearl tattoo parlour team was also on-site.
The star of the show, however, was the all-new Roadster, unveiled at noon.
"The Roadster is a new chapter in the Harley-Davidson story," said Bill Davidson. "And a new chapter in the Sportster story as well. The Roadster is a mash-up of styling genres, but the intent was to build a rider's motorcycle, a Sportster that's lean and powerful and connects the rider to the road."
The Roadster delivers modern performance with a combination of new wheels and tires mated to premium suspension components and an air-cooled 1200cc V-Twin engine that delivers a strong pulse of mid-range torque. The 19-inch front and 18-inch rear Offset-Split 5-Spoke cast aluminum wheels were designed specifically for the Roadster and contribute to its balanced, athletic stance.
"We wanted to give the Roadster some DNA from the high-performance KHR models of the mid-50s, and later Sportsters tuned for the drag strip," said Ben McGinley, Industrial Designer, Harley-Davidson, also on-hand for the launch. "Those bikes had fenders cut to the struts, the small fuel tank, and were stripped to their bare essentials to achieve a singular performance purpose."
The Roadster's suspension is enhanced by new 43mm inverted single-cartridge forks with tri-rate springs, gripped in robust triple clamps and rear suspension featuring gas-charged emulsion coil-over shocks and tri-rate springs with adjustable pre-load and offers greater suspension travel than any other Sportster model – 4.5 inches in front and 3.2-inches in the rear. Outstanding stopping power is achieved with dual 11.8-inch floating rotors on the front wheel. The Roadster is available with optional ABS brakes.
The Roadster puts its rider in an aggressive posture with a new low-rise handlebar and mid-mount foot controls that center the rider's weight over the classic profile of the 3.3-gallon Sportster fuel tank. The Harley-Davidson Roadster model will be offered in four color choices: Vivid Black with a charcoal denim pinstripe; Black Denim with a red pinstripe; Velocity Red Sunglo with a red pinstripe; and two-tone Billet Silver/Vivid Black with a burgundy pinstripe.
About Harley-Davidson Canada
In August 2015, Harley-Davidson Inc. took over distribution in Canada as part of a global strategy to establish subsidiary units in its most important markets. The new entity, Harley-Davidson Canada, has focused on bringing the full Harley-Davidson ownership experience to Canada. Harley-Davidson® motorcycle parts, accessories, general merchandise, riding gear and apparel are available in 69 independent dealerships across Canada. Harley-Davidson plans further expansion in 2016 with the appointment of three new dealers in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal. For more information, visit www.h-d.com.
About Harley-Davidson Motor Company
Since 1903, Harley-Davidson Motor Company has fulfilled dreams of personal freedom with cruiser, touring and custom motorcycles, riding experiences and events, and a complete line of Harley-Davidson® motorcycle parts, accessories, general merchandise, riding gear and apparel. For more information, visit www.h-d.com.
SOURCE Harley-Davidson Canada
Image with caption: "Today at PD13 Canadas largest motorcycle rally which happens in Port Dover, Ontario every Friday the 13th the Davidson Family unveils the Harley-Davidson Roadster, a bike at home in urban landscapes and on twisting roads alike. The Roadster is priced at $12,999 and is the eighth city-friendly bike the company is offering under $13,000. From left: Anoop Prakash, Managing Director at Harley-Davidson Canada, Ben McGinley, Industrial Designer at Harley-Davidson, Bill Davidson VP at Harley-Davidson, Karen Davidson Creative Director at Harley-Davidson. (CNW Group/Harley-Davidson Canada)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160513_C6928_PHOTO_EN_690125.jpg
Sophie Shin, Weber Shandwick, [email protected], 416-642-7949; Rachel Cogan, Weber Shandwick, [email protected], 416-642-7922
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