’Twas the day before Christmas in Southern California, and the sun was shining. A 2022 Harley-Davidson Heritage Classic 114 was sitting in my garage, and it was begging for a ride.
It had been a cold and stormy December, limiting my riding options. I had a touring review of this dual-purpose Softail in mind, but there were a couple of problems. The ride through the mountains was frigid, and my California Central Valley destination had highs in the low 40s. The predicted low-70s high in Los Angeles with a cloudless sky was enough to change my plans—a city ride test, it shall be.
The 2022 Harley-Davidson Heritage Classic 114 I was aboard is a head-turner. The iconic design of the Heritage Classic—windshield, triple headlights, leather saddlebags, valanced fenders, and fat tires—always gets positive attention. Add in the Redline Red/Vivid Black two-tone paint scheme, and you’ll hear lots of “Nice bike” comments whenever someone has a chance to offer an opinion.
I mapped out a route in my head, and set out eastward from northern-most San Fernando Valley on historic Foothill Boulevard. Although touring capable, the Heritage Classic is built on the Softail cruiser platform. That doesn’t preclude it from touring, as the Low Rider ST can attest. Still, it’s a chassis built with a street focus, rather than being highway oriented.
The Milwaukee-Eight 114 rumbled along with authority. The 728-pound motorcycle is pushed along by 119 ft-lbs @ 3000 rpm, which you can feel in all the best ways; the rumble is as pleasure-inducing as its grunt. There is plenty of power at any speed in any gear—just twist the throttle, and it will muscle its way to whatever velocity you have in mind.
One of the nice things about a Christmas Eve ride, which I’ve done numerous times, is the lack of traffic. Congestion on Southern California streets continues to get more oppressive, with no let-up in sight. There are few days when you get the combination of light traffic and good weather, so 12-24-22 was special.
Foothill Blvd. served as a good shakedown. There are a couple of fast segments—crossing Big Tujunga Creek is one of them—and I let the 114 stretch its legs a bit. East of that, there’s Tujunga, which is the land that time forgot. Foothill Blvd. spills into more contemporary La Crescenta and, finally, tony La Cañada Flintridge, where I have to keep my eye out for housewives texting in their Land Rovers.
Just inside Pasadena, Foothill Blvd. comes to an abrupt, though temporary, end at Hahamongna Watershed Park. I pull into La Cañada High School to admire its mid-century splendor and take a few photos. Designed by the renowned firm of Smith, Powell and Morgridge in 1962, it worked perfectly as a modern backdrop for the industrial Heritage Classic. Of course, while shooting the bike, I was fielding questions about it.
Remounting, I worked my way toward California State Route 19—a combination of Rosemead and Lakewood Boulevards that takes me south to Long Beach. The 2022 Harley-Davidson Heritage Classic 114 makes short work of the Pasadena traffic. With the Rose Parade coming, I checked out the construction of the grandstands on Colorado Boulevard. Old Town Pasadena was pretty crowded with last-minute Christmas shoppers and pre-holiday revelers.
The Heritage Classic served as a momentary distraction as I cruised through the trendy strip. The V-twin sound from the staggered exhausts gets the attention, with the paint job and design earning that additional appreciative scrutiny.
The traffic lightens up as I approach Rosemead Blvd. for the ride south. It’s crowded on Rosemead Blvd. through the San Gabriel Valley, until it opens up south of the San Bernardino Freeway and heads into industrial South El Monte. I exit through the Whittier Narrows Recreation Area, where the 114 winds the Heritage Classic up to over 80 mph. No one was around, so why not—the road is built to expressway standards.
A high-speed sweeper gave me no reason to slow down, and I didn’t—I never looked down at the tank-mounted speedometer and had no idea how fast I was going until I got home and reviewed my Relive video. When it came time to decelerate, the 10.5:1 engine compression braking aided the lone 300mm disc on the 16-inch front wheel.
Back into suburbia, I pass through Pico Rivera and into Downey, where Rosemead Blvd. becomes Lakewood Boulevard. I am greeted by the historic McDonald’s at Florence Avenue. This isn’t just any McDonald’s. It’s the oldest operating Mickey D’s—it turns 70 in August.
Speedee, the original McDonald’s mascot, still tops the corner sign with a single golden arch. The building is the original walk-up design that is flanked by golden arches. The 2022 Harely-Davidson Heritage Classic 114 fits right in here, and a gentleman in a truck offers to take my picture while noting my cool Trans-Am jacket from Cortech. I unwisely declined, so you’re stuck with a selfie.
I continue south, enjoying the ride that the Heritage Classic provides. It’s a soothing experience, feeling the throb of the M8 114 while in a comfortable, relaxed position. The grips are where I want them to be, and the floorboards are a reassuring platform. The seat caresses my rear like a catcher’s mitt. The bags carried camera equipment and base layers, just in case I got caught out late and the temps dropped.
I made a quick stop at Outlet Tile in Bellflower, simply because I love the sign over the building. They know how to make tile look like fun. Enough details of the mid-century building have survived to retain some character, including the welcoming arched roof at the entrance.
Still southbound, Lakewood Blvd. takes me past the Long Beach Airport, and I can throttle up again. Unlike nearby LAX, this isn’t an airport that causes traffic jams.
Just past the San Diego Freeway, I hit the huge traffic circle (American for “roundabout”), which signals the end of California Route 18. I do a couple of laps to test the cornering clearance of the 2022 Harely-Davidson Heritage Classic 114—it passes—and then it’s eastward (technically northbound) on California Route 1 (aka Pacific Coast Highway).
Traffic returns on PCH through Long Beach, evaporating again as I cross the Long Beach Freeway and into the Port of Long Beach Area. The ports are pretty much closed, so no one is around. On a weekday, this same stretch of road is choked with semis pulling trailers filled to the brim with bric-à-brac from China.
When I pull off the main road for a photo, the area is eerily quiet. I’m expecting a zombie attack at any moment, but none comes.
Shortly after passing the Harbor Freeway, I make a right on Normandie Ave. and start heading towards home. Extraordinarily empty, a stretch of Normandie Ave. with few intersections provides another safe throttle-up opportunity. Again, I’m not looking down at the speedo—I’m just riding. I’ll take the 5th on the speed Relive revealed as I passed under a railroad crossing, but I did impress my dad, a Harley-Davidson owner in the 1950s. He allows that things have changed quite a bit in the interim.
Riding up Normandie Ave., I start to realize it’s late afternoon, and I haven’t eaten since breakfast. Typically, when I have a choice between eating and riding, saddle time gets the nod—hey, it’s my job.
Given it’s Christmas Eve, my dining options are limited, unless I want corporate fast food. I work past the San Diego, Century, and Santa Monica Freeways as the hunger pangs get more pronounced. Knowing that Normandie Ave. gets a little tricky as you cross Wilshire Blvd., I turn left on Pico Blvd., another colorful Los Angeles street.
Pretty much everything is closed as I approach San Vincente Blvd., where I plan to head northwest. Out of my peripheral vision, I see a burger joint on my right that I had never noticed. It’s set back from the street, so I’m not surprised it hadn’t caught my eye before.
I pull into the parking lot of Tom’s Five and take a few photos. Perusing the menu, I opt for my go-to patty melt. Just a few minutes after I order, some kids go to the same window and get turned away, “Sorry! Closed!” Fortunately, I got my order in just in time. The kids notice the 2022 Harley-Davidson Heritage Classic 114, smile, and I hear exactly what I expect: “Nice bike!”
A few minutes later, I’m summoned to pick up my food. The patty melt and fries hit the spot, especially after a seven-hour mid-day fast while riding through town. I note that my left hand isn’t the least bit fatigued. While it gets plenty of work on a regular basis, riding for as long as I did on city streets is serious business. I’ll give full credit to the assist function that Harley-Davidson engineers gave to the clutch—thanks, guys.
Finishing up supper, I wasn’t quite done yet. San Vicente deposited me on Sunset Blvd. at the Whisky A-Go-Go, a rock ’n’ roll venue I first visited in 1976. A right turn off Sunset Blvd. at the iconic Beverly Hills Hotel put me onto Benedict Canyon Drive, where the beautiful people live.
A left turn on Mulholland drive provided me with a bit of quality twisty time. Even though Mulholland Drive was rough in spots after the rains, the generous suspension travel—5.1 inches in the front and 4.4 out back—and the high-profile rubber keep hard jolts at bay.
Stability is enhanced by 30 degrees of rake and the fat footprint of the Dunlop Harley-Davidson Series D401 tires. There’s also enough cornering clearance to enjoy the sensation of leaning. The brakes are adequate, especially when using the rear brake, and non-obtrusive ABS is standard. Keep in mind that while I’m going at an entertaining speed, thanks to the encouragement of the Milwaukee-Eight 114, I’m not pushing any envelopes and the Softail chassis handles it all with aplomb.
I take Mulholland Drive west until it hits dirt Mulholland—a public road closed to the public. The impressively steep Encino Hills Drive lets me test the engine compression braking, and it does the job of keeping my speed in check all the way down to Hayvenhurst Avenue.
When Hayvenhurst Avenue Ts into Burbank Blvd., I make another left. This swooping stretch of Burbank Blvd. along the edge of the Sepulveda Basin Recreation Area is notoriously rough. Built in the flood basin behind Sepulveda Dam, it constantly suffers from earth movement underneath it, yet it’s a fast divided highway. The Heritage Classic 114 retains its composure under fire yet again.
A right turn on Balboa Avenue takes me from the southern edge of the San Fernando Valley to the northern point, where I started. Once home, Relive gives me credit for 117 miles in five hours and 16 minutes, not a single mile on the freeway.
Although it has bags and a windshield, the 2022 Harley-Davidson Heritage Classic 114 holds its own as an all-day urban traveler. The seat remained comfortable the entire ride, and my left hand was no worse for wear. I’ll have to hold off on a touring ride on the Heritage Classic until the endless winter leaves Southern California. Or, maybe I’ll just go on a springtime urban ride—this time without the easily removed windshield. Heck, why not both?
Photography by Don Williams
2022 Harley-Davidson Heritage Classic 114 Specs
ENGINE
- Type: Milwaukee-Eight 114 V-twin
- Displacement: 114ci
- Bore x stroke: 4.016” x 4.5”
- Maximum power: 94 horsepower @ 4750 rpm
- Maximum torque: 119 ft-lbs @ 3000 rpm
- Compression ratio: 10.5:1
- Valvetrain: Single-cam w/ pushrods; 4 vpc
- Exhaust: 2-into-2; catalyst in muffler
- Cooling: Air and oil
- Lubrication: Dry sump
- Transmission: 6-speed
- Clutch: Web multi-plate w/ assist function
- Primary drive: Chain
- Final drive: Belt
CHASSIS
- Frame: Tubular mild steel w/ rectangular section backbone
- Front suspension; travel: Non-adjustable Showa Dual Bending Valve 49mm fork; 5.1 inches
- Rear suspension; travel: Spring-preload adjustable shock; 4.4 inches
- Wheels: 9-spoke cast aluminum (wire-spoke optional; $400)
- Front and rear wheels: 16 x 3.00
- Tires: Dunlop Harley-Davidson Series D401
- Front tire: 130/90 x 16
- Rear tire: 150/80 x 16
- Front brakes: 300mm disc w/ fixed 4-piston caliper
- Rear brake: 292mm disc w/ floating 2-piston caliper
- ABS: Standard
DIMENSIONS and CAPACITIES
- Wheelbase: 64.2 inches
- Rake: 30 degrees
- Trail: 5.5 inches
- Seat height: 26.8 inches
- Fuel capacity: 5 gallons
- Estimated fuel consumption: 47 mpg
- Curb weight: 728 pounds
COLORS
- Vivid Black
- White Sand Pearl
- Midnight Crimson
- Reef Blue/Vivid Black
- Redline Red/Vivid Black
2022 Harley-Davidson Heritage Classic 114 Prices
- Vivid Black: $20,799 MSRP
- One color: $21,249
- Two-tone: $21,574
- Vivid Black w/ Black Finish: $21,649
- One-color w/ Black Finish: $22,099
- Two-tone w/ Black Finish: $22,424
Add a $750 Surcharge to all models
