I’d stopped at Danny’s Lookout, just past Mount Hotham, to take in the view. It was simply stunning. Victoria’s high country, along with the Snowy Mountains region in New South Wales, is a motorcycling paradise. The roads are sensational, the views spectacular, and you can literally smell the fresh alpine air.
And so it was on this occasion. I’d struck a window of opportunity in a week of miserable Melbourne weather when the sun gods smiled briefly. In fact I couldn’t have wished for a better couple of days. Sometimes spur of the moment rides are the most memorable, and this turned out to be one of them.
SMILING GODS
With a couple of top-end Harley-Davidson test bikes lobbing unexpectedly in the Motorcycle Trader garage, it was an opportunity not to be missed. I grabbed the key to the FLSTC and headed for the mountains, my route via the Princes Highway to Bairnsdale, the southern kick-off point for Victoria’s B500, the Great Alpine Road (GAR) .
From there it’s a 307km ride to Wangaratta at the northwestern end of the GAR – and what a 307km it is – and then 230km back to Melbourne. The GAR is a ‘must do’ ride for every motorcyclist, whether you’re a nose-down, bum-up type, or a rider who prefers the bells and whistles of a full luxo tourer. Or whether your preference lies somewhere between the two extremes, be it naked, sportstourer or retro.
The FLSTC, or Heritage Softail Classic to give the model its full title, was an opportune steed for my ride, as it sits on top of the Aussie sales charts in the Touring Category (January 1 to May 31, official FCAI figures).
That’s right – an air-cooled V-twin with oodles of sparkling chrome, polished alloy, wire-spoked wheels and studded leather saddlebags with the model name ‘Heritage’ is Australia’s top touring motorcycle.
The FLSTC is more popular than BMW’s K 1200 LT, Kawasaki’s 1400GTR, Yamaha’s FJR1300 and Honda’s ST1300 and GoldWing. In fact it outsells Harley’s own touring icon, the Electra Glide, as well as the Street Glide.
What you get with the FLSTC is a Harley that can be a big-distance tourer on the weekends, but a bike that can still carry off the café latté ‘look at me’ act should an owner prefer to remain within the city confines. The FLSTC is more manageable in everyday use than its Electra Glide big brother, helped by the fact it’s some 80kg lighter.
The FLSTC lacks the bells and whistles of the Electra Glide, such as hard panniers and topbox, cruise control, sound system, heated grips and big fairing. But it’s also around $7000 cheaper – $32,830 for the two-tone FLSTC (ride away).
Its closest competitor in the Harley line-up is probably the Road King, a long-time favourite of mine.
KING OF THE ROAD
The 283km route from Melbourne to Bairnsdale is what can best be described as a relatively boring transport section along the Princes Highway, with the big Softy burbling along at a licence-preserving 100 to 110km/h.
The FLSTC’s quickly-detachable Lexan screen did a good job of keeping the early morning chills of the Latrobe Valley at bay, through the area around Trafalgar to Morwell where thick pea soup fog can often turn a rider’s extremities to icicles in a matter of minutes. No worries this time around.
Breaking the Melbourne-Bairnsdale journey at the bakery at Rosedale for a quick refuelling of coffee and pastries is an essential personal treat. The bakery has two wooden Harley sculptures on display, giving a whole new meaning to ‘wooden brakes’ or ‘plank-like seats’. No such concerns on the FLSTC though.
The Great Alpine Road commences on the eastern side of Bairnsdale and winds through the Tambo Valley to Omeo, 118km away and the kick-off point for the climb skywards to Dinner Plain and Mount Hotham.
The stretch of bitumen that runs alongside the Tambo River is a motorcyclist’s dream, with the FLSTC providing a less frenetic pace than some of my past sportsbike fangs. It was an opportunity to sit back in the big comfy saddle, grab hold of those high ’bars, and enjoy the view.
With 1584cc and 95Nm of torque there’s no need to be tap dancing on the gear lever – short shifting and riding the torque curve is the recipe for relaxed riding.
Sixth gear is more of an overdrive though – ideal for steady throttle on the highways, but not so good for quick overtaking or acceleration out of tight corners.
The motorcycle-friendly Creekers Café at Swifts Creek was a chance to grab a coffee and stretch the legs, before moving on to nearby Omeo for fuel – both towns capturing memories of Australia’s early pioneering days, with their building architecture and friendly, down-to-earth locals.
OVER THE TOP
Omeo to Wangaratta is 190km, but with the late start to my ride I planned on staying overnight at either Dinner Plain or Mount Hotham. In snow season accommodation is hard to come by and the room rates are sky high – just like the area itself. But outside ski season there are plenty of options, with Dinner Plain’s Currawong Lodge coming up trumps with a room for $75 just as the sun disappeared below the horizon.
Dinner Plain had looked like an abandoned town from an American movie set when I’d rolled in as most of the lodges are left unattended outside ski season. But some quick work on the mobile phone soon had a bed organised, with a hearty feed at the pub rounding out a top day.
Next morning it was up early to catch the sunrise, and then a ride across Victoria’s rooftop before plunging down through the twisty bits to Harrietville, Bright and on to Myrtleford. The scenery was stunning, the brekkie at Morrie’s Café hearty and filling, and the FLSTC was winning me over with every kilometre.
The ‘bias’ that exists against Harleys from non-Harley riders is stronger than with any other brand. The V-twins seem to be a love it or hate it proposition – although once sampled by a non-Harley rider quite often those views change.
Such was the case with FLSTC, with photographer Stephen Piper tagging along on the Electra Glide to keep me company. A BMW R1100 RT owner, the last Harley he rode was a couple of decades back, and he’d been reticent about tagging along with me on this trip.
However, he soon warmed to the big Softie – so much so that for the return trip to Melbourne from Myrtleford via Lake Buffalo, Whitfield and Mansfield, I couldn’t lever him out of the saddle.
If a Harley can top Australia’s Touring Charts, win favour with a BMW owner, and make my 1000km ride through the High Country a truly memorable one, then the FLSTC must be doing something right. Don’t knock it until you’ve tried one.
SPEX
ENGINE
Type: Air-cooled, SOHC, four-stroke, 45-degree V-twin Bore x stroke: 95.2 x 111.1mm
Displacement: 1584cc
Compression ratio: 9.2:1
Fuel system: Electronic fuel injection
TRANSMISSION
Type: Six-speed Final drive: Belt
CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR
Frame type: Tubular steel with rectangular section backbone Front suspension: 41mm conventional fork, non-adjustable
Rear suspension: Hidden horizontal coil over shocks, adjustable for preload
Front brake: Single 292mm disc with four-piston caliper
Rear brake: Single 292mm disc with twin-piston caliper
DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES
Dry weight: 326kg Seat height: 690mm
Fuel capacity: 19.7lt
PERFORMANCE
Max power: N/A Max torque: 95Nm (70ftlb) at 3250rpm
OTHER STUFF
Price: $32,330* (two-tone $32,830*) Test bike supplied by: Harley-Davidson Australia
Warranty: 24 months, unlimited kilometres
Colours: Solid colours:
Vivid Black, Scarlet Red, Brilliant Silver Pearl, Flame Blue Pearl, Red Hot Sunglo; Two-tone colours: Flame Blue Pearl/Brilliant Silver Pearl *Ride away