 2001 Ford Harley-Davidson F-150
 GOOD STUFFHead-turning, thumbs-upsing, fist-shaking gorgeous Powerful as a hog Lots of space inside and out Leather upholstery with Harley emblems on seat backs Makes you feel good just to be driving it  BAD STUFFPoor crash test results Big bucks Not exactly what tree-huggers would call earth-friendly
 First, the bottom line
I started asking to test a Harley-Davidson Ford F-150 almost from the moment I learned that Ford and Harley-Davidson were combining efforts on a specialty truck. Ha. Get in line.
Sorry, no test trucks available. We kinda sold out faster than anyone expected. So I was left to glimpse a Harley-Davidson Ford F-150 that made an occasional appearance at some local Ford dealership, carefully trucked into town inside the trailer of an 18-wheeler, off limits for test driving, a gawk-and-gasp-and-dream machine costing $36,000 if the dealer didn't inflate the sticker even more. Until a 2001 model, a SuperCrew model new this year, unexpectedly showed up in my driveway. Whoa momma, what a looker. Grab the boots, babe. Let's ride. For a week, I was King of the Road. My passing did not go unnoticed. But let's drop back a moment. How did this headturner come about? Wasn't it supposed to be... A Dodge? Yep. Chrysler put some toes in the water a few years ago, talked with Harley-Davidson, and produced a Harley-Davidson Dodge Ram concept truck that made some car show appearances. We'll probably never know exactly what spoiled this early attempt at collaboration, but bets are that Harley-Davidson wanted more money than Chrysler was willing -- or even had -- to offer. Along came Ford. Ford has been so flush with cash this past decade that it could afford to purchase just about any other automaker on the planet. Mazda, Volvo. Jaguar. Land Rover. Aston Martin. Whatever. (And could afford to bypass Daewoo and others desperately seeking suitors.) So Ford and Harley-Davidson got together and came to terms. Scratch the Harley Ram. Say hello to the Harley-Davidson Ford F-150. Right from the outset, Harley-Davidson got elbow-deep in drivetrain and design details. Again, don't seek explanations, but Harley-Davidson vetoed any high-powered SVT engine, such as the supercharged model used in the hot Ford Lightning. Harley worked with Ford to perfect the exhaust sound, emitted from dual cutoff chrome tips with motorcycle design. The Harley bar-and-shield logo would appear seemingly everywhere -- on the sides of the truck, rear tailgate, cargo bed, each seat back, inside the instrument panel, on the massive ignition key, even as tiny dots edging the windshield. There was no arguing the color, and Henry would be pleased that this truck would be all black. Outside and inside. Harley leather would cover the seats, four captain's chairs with enough room for passengers to pass out and not touch each other It's a commodious interior, in fact, with center consoles that actually look like commodes. But more on that striking interior later. This year, Ford will produce about 10,000 of these special trucks. They'll likely sell out again, because of several givens: Harley fans are collectors; Hogs ain't cheap; and All Bikers Aren't Bums. Harley fans cover the spectrum, in fact, from carefree individualist to doctor/lawyer/Indian chief. Zippered wallets chained to belt loops may contain plastic cards with access to sizable bank accounts. The Harley-Davidson Ford F-150, for those types, will not only look fine in the driveway, but will serve transportation duties when the weather is too nasty for two wheels. VIDEO FOR BROADBAND USERS: Get ready to rock and ride, with cameras inside and outside a Harley-Davidson Ford F-150. Click here for a QuickTime movie.  Safety / Handling
NOTE: After this review was completed, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety released results of crash-testing full-size pickup trucks -- and the results are devastating for the popular Ford F-150. In one of the worst results recorded, the F-150 garnered a solid "poor" safety rating. The Dodge Ram fared little better, and the Chevy Silverado was no cause for joy, either. Only the Toyota Tundra did well. The corporate responses from both Ford and DaimlerChrysler were discouraging, attempting to demean the test, rather than pledging to correct an obvious danger to occupants. In contrast to that behavior, consider that Toyota took its bottom-rated minivan from worst to first in a single year. Volvo worked on a production line model to quickly correct a problem the Institute found during crash-testing. Sticking a corporate head in the sand, or pointing fingers wildly, does not serve consumers. As a result of those tests, the overall rating of this F-150 based truck has been lowered by one. Ford did correct the problem for 2004 models. The biggest safety factor associated with the Harley-Davidson Ford F-150 is .. bigness.
Nimble, however, it is not. It has a large footprint and large turning circle. Parking in urban areas is almost out of the question. The truck has a hefty, solid feel to it. The steering is a bit on the heavy side, but the truck never fights a driver. Braking is sure and pedal modulation is easy. There are twin air bags up front and three-point belt restraints at all four captain's chairs. Anti-lock brakes are standard equipment.  Performance
While powerful, Harley-Davidson motorcycles -- generally -- do not attempt to match performance figures posted by screaming high-revvers from Japan. Just as Americans love V8 engines for torquey power, Harley enthusiasts love the torque of their bikes. Let that Ninja with the hunched-over rider disappear. Harleys are .. unique. The base appeal here is fun, not thrills. And so it is that the Harley-Davidson Ford F-150 has an engine considerably less powerful than the one in the Ford Lightning. The Lightning is unequalled among trucks, the baddest of the bad, a truck that performs with top sports cars. But .. this Harley is more comfortable, plenty powerful, and, dare we say it, more practical. It's available only as a rear-wheel driver, with a four-speed automatic that shifts smoothly and crisply. The combination is perfect around town or on the highway. Offroad? Find yourself another truck. A work vehicle? Hardly. You will love the carefully tuned exhaust sound, by the way.
The design of the wheels evolved over months, with Harley-Davidson working closely on the final design. This is the first mass-produced truck with 20-inch wheels. But, note the lower stance. Ford dropped the F-150 an inch for this model, creating a rakish appearance, even with the tall boots. Those wheels do look striking, but you know what I think would look better? Wire-spoked wheels. And red (Harley orange?)-striped tires.  Comfort
The exterior of the 2001 Harley-Davidson Ford F-150 is striking, to be sure. This special edition goes beyond just adding a few badges here and there and upping the sticker price. The grille and front end get a different treatment from the regular F-150. The body is lower. There are chrome nerf bars the length of both sides (nuisances, actually, that can't function as running boards and serve only to dirty-up pants or dresses on entry and exit), even tiny bar-and-shield emblems ringing the windshield. Orange pinstripes break the black above each rocker panel.
Under the rear window is an oversized Harley bar-and-shield. The only option on our tester was a sliding rear window at $125. Under the right-rear fender are two exhaust tips, sliced off in true motorcycle fashion. They're big suckers, at about three-and-one-half inches each. I liked the sound, but would prefer those exhausts on the driver's side of the truck, the better to appreciate the Symphony of the Stomped Accelerator. But it's inside that the truck reaches its four-star status. The 2000 Harley-Davidson model was based on an F-150 SuperCab, which had four doors, but with the rear doors hinged the wrong way, creating suicide doors. That setup also made foot space slightly cramped for those on a three-across bench. This year, there are four captain's chairs in a SuperCrew configuration (four doors properly forward-hinged) -- and plentiful room for each seat occupant to stretch out or pass out. Between the seats are storage consoles that look for all the world like portable toilets. Make sure your whacked-out buddy doesn't toss his cookies there. The rich leather is the same as is used for Harley-Davidson motorcycle seats, rolled and pleated and festooned with a dazzling Harley-Davidson emblem on each seat back.
The instrument cluster takes cues from motorcycles, as well, with a tachometer and speedometer seemingly lifted from a bike, and a jewel-like Harley bar-and-shield on the right. For ease of entry, there are sturdy grip handles at every seated position. Everything, in fact, about this Harley-Davidson model seems sturdy beyond the norm, including the oversized chrome door handles. Controls are all big enough to be operated by gloved hands. With four people aboard, the feeling is very much like riding Harleys side-by-side, buddy-up style. 'Cept this gave me an idea for that interior. I mean, I rode cycles for six years, and I can tell you that it's some kinda great feeling to have your sweetie right behind you, all snugged up against your back, legs spread beside you, arms wrapped around your chest... Ooooo, the memories... Anyhow, wouldn't it be great to have that kind of setup in the truck? So I created it.
Instead of those car seats, use a custom Harley saddle. Put some neato foot pegs on each side. Put a moonroof on this thing and let your momma pop her head into the open road's wind. Now, that would be a setup. If you click on my custom setup here, a photobubble window will open and raucous Harley music will play. But you can put your cursor in the photobubble and move around, to examine every inch of the striking interior. Note the plentiful passenger space and the little window to the cargo bay (where I was hauling furniture as this picture was taken).  Parting Shots
As much as I like the Ford Lightning, this Harley-Davidson Ford F-150 would better suit my lifestyle.
Anyhow, I'm content with the fact that this Ford/Harley-Davidson union is likely to produce several more offspring. Both companies plan to simultaneously celebrate a centennial of production in 2003. It should be special. No word yet on what they'll add to the vehicle lineup. Maybe a Harley car, based on the T-Bird chassis? Maybe a Harley Trike with an SVT Cobra engine? Whatever, the DNA is good here. The progeny should turn out fine. 'Nuff said.
NOTE: In creating this review, JAVA was originally used to add a short audio track to each still photograph. But excessive download time -- and JAVA screwups, per usual -- forced the removal of the dual-function pictures. Not wanting to waste the effort, however, I now offer you the sound files without images. All are WAV files. They are not small, so, again, those will fast connections will have no problem, but dialup download might be slow.  Home, James |
This priciest of Ford F-150s -- the best-selling truck in America for 23 straight years and the all-time best-selling vehicle -- first appeared as a 2000 model. Ford made 8,200 of them -- and sold out the first month.
At a weight approaching three tons, this is a formidable presence on the roads.
The 5.4-liter Triton V8 under the hood is at its best when passing speed is needed. It hunkers down and does the job from about 30 to 60 (or much higher, if need be). Just like a Harley. It's strong off the line, but 20-inch wheels and P275/45R20 Goodyear Eagle GT II tires effectively kill smoky burnouts. This is .. grip and go!
In the cargo bay, a protective liner is standard, as is a cargo cage, an option last year and optional on other Ford trucks. The bed is not full-size, measuring slightly under six feet in length. (This means you can't haul your Harley Hog around in the back. Supposedly, Harley-Davidson nixed any measurement that might allow that, contending it could look like the Harleys were heading for repairs. Can't have that.)
Chrome accents set off the black.
It's more comfortable, less noisy, and far more striking in appearance. I loved it. Really hated to return it. Nothing could replace it. Not a luxury sedan. Or sports car. Certainly not any sport ute or minivan...
