10,000 kilometers with the new Harley-Davidson Heritage Classic 114cui
The Harley-Davidson Heritage Classic 114 model year 2019 is standing in front of me in the new military style and is supposed to accompany me on an exciting tour to the southwest of Europe. We set off on the journey with my buddy Hermann and his E-Glide Screamin Eagle.
And somehow the Heritage fits like a glove, because it's supposed to go south via the east coast of Spain. Afterwards we drive to the other side to Portugal to spend the weekend in Cascais at the Harley-Davidson Portugal Rally. The tour continues along the west coast north to the Picos de Europa National Park in northern Spain. Afterwards we go to France, Brittany and Normandy to Omaha Beach.
Video report on the Heritage Classic
With the Heritage Classic on Omaha Beach in Normandy
This year is the 75th anniversary of D-Day in Normandy and we want to see this place of history. Appropriately, I set out on this special tour Harley-DavidsonHeritage Classic 114cui
The Harley-Davidson Heritage Classic 114cui in front of a Sherman tank at the Omaha Beach D-Day Memorial
The travel report will follow later, now it's about the experiences and the touring suitability of the Harley-DavidsonHeritage Classic model series 2019 . I drove the Heritage Classic for 4 weeks at the beginning of June for around 10,000 kilometers and can say that it surprised and thrilled me.
The LED light is a new benchmark
Shows the LED headlight on the Harley-Davidson Heritage Classic on the road at night
I was particularly excited about the light output; I know the LED lighting technology and light output from the Road Glide, which really impressed me. Harley-Davidson has given it the new reflector LED headlights, the additional fog lights give it the military look that is very successful at Harley and give it a certain camouflage look. Camouflage is a keyword that particularly applies to them.
Beware of wildlife crossings – deer on the side of the road
Deer In The Headlights Of The Harley Davidson Heritage
10,000 kilometers with the Harley-Davidson Heritage Classic
The model from the Softail series is listed at the bottom of the list, but it performed so successfully in the 10,000 kilometer test that it should definitely be represented in the higher touring class.
The Harley-Davidson Heritage Classic 114 on Omaha Beach in Normandy
At a price of €24,690 (as of July 2019), it is not the cheapest Softail, but then again it is not an expensive tourer either, for what the Heritage comes with as standard.
The Harley-Davidson Heritage Classic 114 on Omaha Beach in Normandy
It has the powerful 114cui engine, a touring screen, side bags and the new reflector LED headlights. You can't buy this in the next larger class at the Road King.
Only the Road King Special had the 1.9 liter engine installed, but no touring screen and no additional reflector lighting. You could retrofit it, but that would be too easy and would cost extra.
Why the comparison between the Heritage Classic and the Road King series?
The Road King is a proven tourer that can be used to cover long distances, something I didn't exactly expect from the Heritage.
The previous model, the Harley-Davidson Heritage 2016
The beautiful previous model from 2016 has its territory more on country roads and beyond 120 km/h it gets thirsty.
The new Heritage Classic 114cui is in a completely different class in the 2019 model year. Anyone who drives them during test drives will be able to confirm this.
Understatement – Being underestimated is also an advantage
With its 94 hp, the Milwaukee-Eight engine has plenty of power in every situation.
155 Nm is present at 3000 rpm
Anyone who enjoys straight-line running on long journeys at 120 km/h and 2700 rpm and needs a little pressure to overtake can calmly request the 155 Newtons from the torque cellar in 6 gear, which is immediately available via the electric throttle cable.
The new Heritage Classic 114cui can run on E5 and E10 petrol
Compared to the previous model, the tank also has 18.9 L, with the only difference being that, depending on driving style, more than 300 kilometers can now be driven.
If you push it harder, you will still be able to drive around 250 kilometers to the next refueling stop.
Very low fuel consumption
According to the Euro measuring method EC134/2014, Harley-Davidson states a consumption of 5.6L per 100 km, which is more than realistic. Despite driving quickly, I used even less. My consumption on the tour was between 5 and 7 liters per 100 kilometers.
Everything is set for touring
Harley-Davidson Heritage Classic 2019 saddle
The biggest surprise for me is the comfortable seating position. On our tour to Spain we drove 800 kilometers on the first day and over 1000 kilometers on the second.
When everything was run in, including the driver, we drove over 1,400 kilometers in the third day. You only do that with a real tourer, otherwise you'll be completely exhausted by the second day at the latest and I was still feeling great in the evening.
The Harley-Davidson Screamin Eagle 110 from Hermann
By the way, my buddy Hermann rode a 97 Screamin Eagle E-Glide with the 110 engine. Our journey was perfect, the E-Glide has a larger tank but more weight and our range until the reserve light started to light up was pretty much the same.
The Heritage Classic 114 has plenty of reserves
With the Heritage Classic through the curves in the Picos de Europa National Park, Spain
The Heritage is limited from around 175km/h, but that is not the speed for the classic Harley rider. Your area is the 120/130km/h at 2700 rpm and plenty of reserves.
She wants to be broken in and used!
After a mileage of around 5,000 kilometers, it increased in performance and from around 7,000 not only did the exhaust slowly take on a different character, but also the engine. The new Milwaukee-Eight engine sounds noticeably nicer after a few thousand kilometers.
Driving around corners is really fun with the new Heritage Classic.
The chassis is also firmer and gives a great impression in all situations. While in the previous series you were a freeloader in every traffic roundabout, the issue has now been resolved.
The new Heritage can now boast an inclination of 27.3 degrees on the left side and 28.5 degrees on the right side.
I've only now caused it to drag in curves when I was driving in a very sporty manner.
Harley-Davidson Heritage Classic 114 Saddlebags
The saddlebags have a mind of their own.
I couldn't get used to the saddlebags at first, they almost drove me crazy at the beginning because the clasp only wanted to close directly with a twist.
Lockable saddlebag from the Harley-Davidson Heritage
But that has changed. After using it intensively for four weeks, the lid now falls straight into the lock at the end of the test when I close it for the first time.
The surface of the saddle bags has a leather design, with applications that can also be found on the saddle. The days of rivets and leather fringes are finally over.
Lightning and thunder joined the monsoon rain
On my journeys with the Heritage I experienced an extreme ride; I was caught in a storm with heavy rain on the motorway. The rain had no effect on the saddlebags; the inner hard shell remained dry, as it did on other trips in the rain.
The name of the Heritage is still the same, but the technical changes and the chassis in particular set a milestone in the era of the Heritage Classic.
And that's also part of it, while the armed alarm system watches over the Harley, we enjoy the evening after the beautiful tour with a special Cuban cigar Cohiba Behike in Laredo / Spain.
Keyless go and alarm system
The Harley-Davidson Keyless Go system is very simple, as long as the FOB is always with the driver, you don't have to worry about anything. As soon as you get close to the Harley, the alarm system and immobilizer are automatically deactivated so that you can drive off straight away.
It works the same way when parking, just always pay attention to the FOB. If it gets lost, there is an emergency function to unlock the machine manually with a number key. This is described in the manual.
The new fat 130 tire size on the front wheel
At the front, the Heritage Classic has a 130 Dunlop tire , which is quite powerful. This ensures that the Softail pulls straight across the track. Nothing can upset her so quickly, but she is still very easy to control when cornering. The 150 mm tire from Dunlop is installed at the rear of the Harley-Davidson Heritage Classic.
The front wheel of the Harleye-Davidson Heritage 114 model year 2019
I know the feeling of the Forty-Eight, which also shines with the wide tires at the front.
The Dunlop tire with the Harley-Davidson lettering on the side fits her perfectly in every situation, whether in the rain, corners or driving on the highway, the tire provided a lot of safety and good contact with the road in every situation.
USB is finding its way into the Softail class
The USB port and the Harley-Davidson Heritage
Well, the Heritage also wants to meet the requirements of modern times.
Fortunately, in times when the government thinks we don't need internet at every milk jug, Harley-Davidson is taking a more innovative approach.
On the front left of the frame, the Heritage Classic has a USB port that is powered by the new 48 amp alternator.
If you put a holder on the handlebars, you can power your cell phone or mobile navigation device.
(Observe the legal requirements of the respective countries)
This small, inconspicuous connection is worth its weight in gold, especially on long tours.
The flexible navigation solution
Navigation tip for the Harley-Davidson Heritage Classic
Even when driving in the rain, I had no problems with water and the USB port, which is protected behind a cap when not in use.
There are different ways to use the navigation; the maps are already integrated in Apple and Android. There is also the option, for example, of installing TomTom GO Navigation (Apple)(Android) The subscription can be canceled monthly, the software has current data and also provides information about speed cameras. It is particularly interesting for trips abroad because it can be used offline.
Inspection intervals
The first inspection should be done at around 1600 kilometers and the next major inspection is at 8000 kilometers. In my case it was later because I was still on the road.
The clutch cable lost some tension
After about 5,000 kilometers of mileage, the clutch cable weakened slightly; this is usually tightened by the service department during the second inspection.
Readjust the clutch: This is a great solution if you know it.
Shows where the clutch can be adjusted on the Harley-Davidson Heritage.
What I haven't seen yet is that with the Heritage Classic you can quickly adjust the clutch even as a layman; there is a tensioner installed on the building cable that is located on the frame. Now remove the protective cap and you can quickly make fine adjustments.
As already written, the chassis of the Heritage is almost perfect, and you also have the option of adjusting the damper, although not as easily as with the other Softail models.
The damper adjustment is under the saddle
I couldn't really understand that, because we're looking at a real tourer, and it would be nice to be able to adjust the central spring strut to the desired hardness with just one movement.
To do this, the 3 screws from the saddle must be loosened; the damper is accessible under the seat and can be adjusted with a hexagonal key. But in the end I found something that wasn't perfect.
Harley-Davidson Heritage Classic 114 instruments
The speedometer is modern and shows the most important information, with the switch on the handlebar on the left side you can type through the menu.
The information system is no-frills
The tank contents and the gear selected are always displayed, other displays include kilometers driven, stages A and B, range (standard for me), speed, time.
The readability of the digital display is good, it still works in sunshine and wearing sunglasses, but the display is best viewed when it gets a little darker, then the beautiful lighting of the speedometer unit comes into its own.
The cruise control is easy to use
Cruise control on the Harley-Davidson Heritage Classic
For me one of the most important features is the cruise control, which is not installed in all of the new Softail models, but the Heritage Classic still has it on board.
He is a very good companion, especially on long tours. Its working range is from 40km/h to 140km/h, after which the pilot can pull the throttle himself if necessary.
If you only accelerated briefly, it doesn't need to be readjusted; as long as you don't brake, it remembers the last set speed.
We were at the port of Cascais in Portugal in June
How does the cruise control work?
Activate: Press the switch once. In the range of 40km/h / 140km/h press the switch down once and it stays at that speed.
The cruise control icon in the display changes from orange to green. If you press the switch upwards, the Harley-Davidson accelerates up to a maximum of 140km/h.
Deactivate: Press the switch or apply the brake briefly and it switches off.
With the Harley-Davidson Heritage Classic in the mountains of the Picos de Europa National Park in Spain
The Heritage Classic and the ABS braking system
In general, I can only recommend that everyone try out the braking behavior of their machine on a suitable route. Especially if you have previously come from a machine without an anti-lock braking system.
Freshen up re-entry courses!
At this point I would like to point out the re-entry courses offered by many Harley-Davidson dealers and also the ADAC, which are particularly suitable for this purpose.
Your braking behavior
Shows the disc brake of the Harley-Davidson Heritage Classic 114 2019
The Heritage Classic has ABS and it brakes very well. However, anyone who thinks that just wanting to brake at the back in an emergency situation is enough will be in for a nasty surprise.
It slows down the journey, but it doesn't block, which used to happen quickly when you braked hard. Breaking out at the back, like in old times, is history. This means that uncontrollable skidding when braking no longer occurs. It can be braked very safely and quickly with ABS, but you should definitely have done this at least once, because the rear has significantly less braking power than the front.
You should be able to brake correctly.
However, it is essential to fully include the front brake, it has a strong, perforated four-piston fixed caliper disc brake at the front and a perforated two-piston fixed caliper disc brake at the rear, so this behavior is intended from a safety perspective.
The anti-lock braking system regulates a lot, so it remains controllable even during emergency braking. The myth that a Harley-Davidson doesn't brake properly is a thing of the past and the really big Harley tourers in particular slow down the machine enormously when the brakes are stopped with their electronic brake force distribution.
The conclusion to the Harley-Davidson Heritage Classic 114
This Harley-Davidson is at home in all classes! They are characterized by long tours, sporty, strong, very cultivated running and easy handling.
With the Heritage Classic on the Portuguese Atlantic coast
Only taste will decide here; if you don't like it at first glance, you should give it a chance and test drive it at least once.
The Heritage is the best entry into the tourer class
In my experience, it is the best entry into the tourer class. But with the powerful 114cui engine, which has so far only been available in the touring class from the special models onwards.
The engine, its lightness, the window, the good fit and especially the strong LED light are very good reasons for the Heritage Classic 114cui!
Features: LED headlights and fog lights, USB connection, electronic cruise control system, cruise control, fog lights, removable windshield, security system (key fob for immobilizer and alarm system), keyless ignition, remaining range display, driver running boards, two covered hard-shell cases (total volume: approx . 43 l), connection for battery charger, maintenance-free AGM battery 12 V/17.5 Ah.
