Harley worth it
IMG stretches Harley FXR’S legs at the recent Cadwell Morini trackday. Go figure…
T’S WHAT TRACKDAYS are for isn’t it? Taking stuff that shouldn’t be anywhere near a track – on a track. Despite plenty of friendly advice ranging from, ‘rather you than me,’ to ‘you cretin,’ me and the hog appeared at The Morini Riders Club trackday at The Cadwell Park and had something resembling fun. The major plus was that we didn’t get in too many people’s way and no one felt compelled to call me a wanker (not to my face at any rate).
The fact is even ‘light’ Harleys like this 1984 Evo-engined FXR are just too damn heavy to have proper fun on. At 275kg (that’s 610 lb in the old money) it’s like riding a mini-skip full of concrete. Avon Road Riders are great all round tyres, but after three laps of the long Woodland circuit they were sending signals to suggest they might not be able to guarantee consistent levels of grip. Fair play to them though, they hung on in there. And a fresh EBC floating disc manfully did its best to slow the thing.
The biggest issue was cornering clearance. The FXR is the sportiest big twin of its pre-twin Cam generation, but that’s relative. On track it graunches footpegs with ridiculous ease – and after the footpegs come exhaust on the right and primary cover on the left. Dot those down and you’ll be on your ear frolicking through the grass with a quarter a tonne of Milwaukee iron.
So, with a degree of common sense, and much restraint in the turns, the old hog got through the day. Once the amusement value had worn off, it was simply a waste of decent track time at a great place in lovely weather. We live and learn.