More power. More comfort. More control. Today, Harley-Davidson redefined touring by unveiling the all-new Milwaukee-Eight™ engine, the ninth Big Twin in its history, plus all-new front and rear suspension for its Model Year 2017 Touring motorcycle lineup. “These are the most powerful, most responsive and most comfortable Touring motorcycles ever offered by Harley-Davidson,” said Scott Miller, Vice-President of Styling and Product Development Strategy. “The unmistakable look, sound and feel of Harley-Davidson Touring motorcycles rise to even greater heights with the improvements we’ve made this year.
New Milwaukee-Eight Engine
The new Milwaukee-Eight engine, the ninth Big Twin design in the company’s storied lineage, is a clean-sheet design that combines the classic look, sound and feel of Harley-Davidson Big Twin engines with improvements in every aspect of engine performance.
“The Milwaukee-Eight engine carries the legacy of Harley-Davidson Big Twins into the future,” said Chief Powertrain Engineer Alex Bozmoski. “While respecting the essential Big Twin character, we’ve created an all-new motor. Every aspect of performance, durability and styling has been improved as a direct response to the voice of Harley-Davidson customers around the world.”
Retaining the classic 45-degree V-Twin cylinder angle, the Milwaukee-Eight engine produces up to 11 percent more torque than previous year models and features four-valve cylinder heads that offer 50 percent more intake and exhaust flow capacity. The Milwaukee-Eight engine is counter-balanced to cancel 75 percent of primary vibration at idle, retaining the classic feel of a Harley® V-Twin while being very smooth at highway speeds. A new heat management strategy for all Milwaukee-Eight engines improves rider and passenger comfort. Despite its increased power, the Milwaukee-Eight engine delivers better fuel economy compared to previous motorcycle models.
Milwaukee-Eight engines are offered in two displacements: the Milwaukee-Eight 107 (107 CID/1745cc) and Twin-Cooled™ Milwaukee-Eight 107 (107 CID/1745cc) for standard motorcycle models and the Twin-Cooled™ Milwaukee-Eight 114 (114 CID/1870cc) for Harley-Davidson® Custom Vehicle Operations (CVO)™ motorcycle models.
We don’t mind admitting that we’d like one of these. We’ve seen videos of men doing big wheelies and we want in.
New Touring Suspension
All-new front and rear suspension components enhance the comfort, control and performance of all 2017 Harley-Davidson® Touring model motorcycles. New emulsion-technology rear shock absorbers offer 15 to 30 percent more pre-load adjustment than previous standard Touring shocks, with a single knob to hydraulically adjust pre-load.
“Pre-load can now be adjusted to match the load of rider, passenger and gear without tools or an air pump,” said Paul James, Harley-Davidson Director of Motorcycle Product Planning. “Once set, the pre-load will not leak down or require further adjustment.”
The front suspension features new Showa® SDBV™ suspension technology that delivers the damping performance of a racing-style cartridge fork with linear damping characteristics and reduced weight.
Expect colour changes to the Breakout as well. This bike is way better than you think.
To experience the transformation of the 2017 Harley-Davidson® Touring models for yourself, visit www.h-d.com/discovermore to schedule a test ride.