Two tourers. One is a big 4x4, and the other is the 2-wheel equivalent – only a bit more special. Let’s just say this is a grand combo!
I was just in my teens when a famous man with the title of ‘Sir’ became instantly popular in every part of the world for quite an unusual reason – he sang about big backsides, and big women in general. Of course, the title of ‘Sir’ wasn’t proof of a knighthood bestowed upon him by Her Majesty – it was just a reflection of how self obsessed Sir Mix-a-Lot was. Typical gangsta style, innit, brother?
Mr. Sir, or however you want to refer to him, sings these words, “I’m tired of magazines sayin’ flat butts are the thing. Take the average black man and ask him that she gotta pack much back.” Well, that holds true for both the motoring examples that we’ve gathered here as well.
The Harley Davidson Fatboy is nothing short of a legend. It’s been the cornerstone motorcycle for the American motorcycle maker for over 20 years now, and has become a cult name the world over. Between Jared, Kapil, Shahwar and me, we’ve ridden a few Harleys and there’s always this longing to do a road trip on bikes from their stable. It’s much the same with two more brands – Victory and Indian.
Harley Davidson, Victory and Indian, these names are not just motorcycle companies – they are religions in their own right. And just like the ridiculousness of comparing different religions, the mere mortals that we are, we’ll continue to ‘compare’ the three brands mentioned above. I’m not saying that I’m above the average Joe – just that my beliefs are different. I respect the individual space of these names, and ride them for the emotions they evoke – instead of comparing them on technical parameters like I do for other bike makers.
You tell me – what difference would it make if I told you that the Victory is slightly more nimble, or that the Harley motor has more character and that old-world charm, or that Indian is more out-there than either of them? You buy into a Harley Davidson, Victory and Indian not because of their technical brilliance, but because of their legacy and the camaraderie between their respective owners. If you want an overdose of tech wizardry, you’ve got names from across Europe and Japan. America is all about the immensity of things – big backsides, extended handlebars, buckets-load of chrome, massive engines. You know, those kinds of things.
The Fatboy, as I said, has been the cornerstone motorcycle for Harley Davidson for over two decades. It’s perhaps the most identifiable of all, and the shape is eternally beautiful. This thing is a badass, plain and simple. You could be driving a pink Audi next to it with a big penis painted on its side, but you won’t get a second look – the Harley has such a massive effect on the crowd. I had kids going berserk, and even chaps in the smaller parts of the town going crazy looking at this thing.
For me, it was a massive occasion riding the Fatboy – it’s been a wet dream ever since I saw Arnold Schwarzenegger chasing a bad guy (Robert Patrick) on a lovely black Softail in the second part of the Terminator series. Sitting on the Harley, you instantly get this inflated sense of accomplishment in life. The world looks at you in admiration, and the way you ride – arms and legs out stretched, as if you’re a King, more than affirms this feeling of completeness. You look completely unhurried and impervious once you get on that super comfy saddle. You look around, adjust the grip on the bars, and with the gear slotted in with a solid ‘clunk,’ you get going – slowly. That’s how you ride the Harley – at a steady pace. The Fatboy goes around bends like a charm, and the suspension setup is such that it tells you exactly what the front end is doing. The throbbing twin-cam 103 cubic inch (1,688cc) heart may not be symphony to your ears, but this thing offers a mountain of torque – 132Nm! There’s seldom a need to shift down. And to get any type of noise coming from the pipes that you desire, you just have to tell the chaps at Harley what sort of performance additions you’d like and they’ll happily do it for you.
The original plan was to head north and explore some unknown places that hide behind the commercial blanket of bigger towns, but the sudden showers in the region prevented that plan from materializing. But what we lost in the form of stunning landscapes was more than compensated for in the from of chai-and-biscuit sessions at local dhabas around Delhi. That was special. People here had never quite seen a bike like this, and they treated us as special guests. No one even noticed the Mercedes GL that Ishan pulled up in. I had to make way through the crowd and walk up to him to introduce him as a colleague to the new fans the Harley had gained. They weren’t interested, frankly.
But let’s not take away from the GL. It’s badass in its own right. In fact, it almost has its own sense of Americana, which is probably what makes it one of best selling premium SUV’s in the States. Of course, it’s a hugely capable tourer, and the way it eats up the miles is supernatural. It may have only a 3.0 litre diesel, but those 620 torques make mincemeat of whatever you ask of the GL. This is the hippopotamus in Merc’s model range, and it feels like one. While the ML feels adequately large and spirited, the GL feels gargantuan – yet it’s on-road manners are worthy of a salute. It’s not a nimble sportscar by any stretch, but for its size and weight it’s got very good driving characteristics. The super quiet engine – both from the outside, and on the inside – makes it a desirable long-distance tool.
The GL is an imposing machine all right, and had it not been in the company of a bright yellow Harley Fatboy, it would have attracted a lot more attention. The previous generation GL was a bit of a sofa on wheels going around the twisties, but this latest GL is actually quite capable around the bends as well. Mercedes has upped the luxury stakes on this new GL as well. It’s got every imaginable feature to make your drive comfortable, and then some. But, to tell you the truth, it doesn’t quite evoke the same feelings that an equivalent tourer on two wheels does – which the Fatboy does.
The Fatboy is always an event, an occasion. The GL is a necessary – albeit a luxurious and indulgent tool. I guess that says it all!
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