Harley-Davidson celebrates its 110th with 10 models in its 2013 motorcycle line offered in anniversary editions. We took a ride up to beautiful British Columbia while sampling Harley’s 2013 models including the restyled 2013 Dyna Street Bob. Read all about it in our 2013 Harley-Davidson Street Bob First Ride review.
Harley-Davidson marks 110 years in the motorcycle business with the release of its 2013 model line, which includes special anniversary editions. The Motor Company invited MotoUSA to test out its latest offerings by heading north… way north, sampling the 2013 lineup on three-day tour of the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia.
The 110 anniversary is big news, obviously, and H-D presents special anniversary editions of seven popular models. These all feature 110 branding, including a bronze tank badge with aged patina as well as special Bronze & Black, or Pearl Coat colorways. The Anniversary models also benefit from standard factory upgrades, depending on model, including ABS, security systems, and optional wheel combinations. Production runs will be serialized and limited, with only 2-3 offered at each dealer.
The only bike in the 2013 model line with any substantive changes is the Street Bob, which gets only a modest refresh. Highlights include cleaning up the rear fender with new taillights and license plate holder. Up front the distinctive mini ape handlebars remain, but are mounted on new triple clamps. H-D also relocated the key ignition from the steering head to the fuel tank console.
Harley changed things up, but retains the Street Bob’s $12,999 pricetag. This is important, as the Bob represents H-D’s most affordable entry into its Big Twin lineup.
The 2013 line sees Harley debut its Hard Candy Custom campaign. Featuring bright metal flake paint colors, the HCC line is the flashy doppelganger to the Motor Company’s popular Dark Custom series. The Street Bob figures prominently in the HCC plans, offering all three metal flake colors, two of them through the H-D1 factory customization program.
And that’s the other big news for 2013, expansion of the H-D1 program. H-D1 allows consumers to order their bike from the factory with optional ergonomic and performance upgrades.
Simple changes like handlebar and foot controls completely transform the Street Bob, so much so that after riding one with the apes swapped out for the $180 pull-back bars we mistakenly thought we were on a different model bike (YELLOW BIKE TR3-8709 – 8849). The same can be said for swapping mid controls for the more cruiserly forward controls.
Another H-D1 upgrade is the 103 Twin Cam engine. It delivers a little more bite from the 45-degree V-Twin, with H-D opting to retain the 96 Twin Cam stock – to keep MSRP under the magic 13K.
The Bob does an admirable job tossing its weight around the bends, with slender, for a cruiser at least, tire profiles. It feels lighter than its fellow Big Twin siblings, and seems to enjoy more ground clearance too, though it will quickly be scraping on spirited rides to be sure.
Braking isn’t anything to write home about, particularly the single disc front. Thankfully ABS comes as an H-D1 option, packaged with a security system at $1195 (could H-D be politely nudging their ridership into ABS…)
Aside from the new Street Bob, we tossed a leg over a host bikes from the H-D lineup during our tour – including several of from the Touring family and the special Anniversary models.
But our favorite touring rig just might have been the Anniversary edition Road King, which feels a bit lighter on its toes than the broad fairing tourers like the Electra Glide and Road Glide, but included many of the touring extras like ABS and cruise control.
All told the 2013 H-D line hews to tradition. Anniversary models and one minor revision aren’t earth-shattering, but 110 years of success is hard to argue against and The Motor Company keeps plugging away.
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