HARLEY-DAVIDSON’S design gurus must be flat out lately, each year coming out with a new take on the current line-up. For 2008 we have the Rocker and its derivative the Rocker C, both a gorgeous mix of Art Deco, retro and hardtail looks. And there’s also the Street Bob, a chunky beast that has two things over most other foot-forward bikes we’ve ridden – it’s actually comfortable and it handles.

FXCW Rocker (Softail family)

As you walk towards the Rocker the main visual impact comes from its rear fender which sits just millimetres above the huge 240mm tyre, mounted on an 18 inch rim. It recreates the look of a hardtail design without the obvious real-world negatives of such a set-up. The fender and rear wheel move up and down together in what could only be described as a harmonious display of parts interaction.

There’s a scant 8.6cm of travel on offer from the rear shock and just as minimalist is the rear seat height, only 62.2cm from the tarmac, making it one of the lowest on the market.

The chassis is a tubular steel affair cradling the Twin Cam 96B V-twin engine. Its low and lean, stretched out 36.5 degree forks help extend the wheelbase to 1760mm. 49mm Showa forks hang off the front and smick looking alloy five-spoke rims set off the look nicely.

There’s loads of subtle design touches which turn the Softail based machine into arguably one of the most custom of factory choppers ever made.

Many of the bits would-be chopper builders seem to favour are already here, detail pieces like the clam shell shaped handlebar risers, the sculpted oil tank, the ignition coil which is shaped like a hand grenade and the bullet shaped headlight.

On looks alone the Rockster is a winner from the get go.

Like a bigger brother with a bit more cash the FXCWC Rocker C is the same as it’s sibling, just with a bit more flash. Where the Rocker has the low sheen look, with silver powdercoated wheels, engine covers and forks, the ‘C’ goes up another notch or 10. Chrome abounds on the ‘C’ and the paint is a lustrous metallic shade (blue and red on the launch bikes) with silver flames running along the stretched 19 litre fuel tank and rear fender. Looking at the Rocker C you’d think she’s solo only, but there’s an ace up its sleeve. By lifting up the single seat, a fold out pillion perch is revealed. Now it’s not for those with ample rear ends and even passengers with tiny bottoms wouldn’t want to go too far on the back; looks good though.

On the road there’s enough power on tap to keep most happy, the Twin Cam engine has bucket-loads of torque and the six-speed box’s ratios are well suited to the big twin. Top gear is very much an overdrive, and really only likes to be brought into action over 100km/h. Under that it will do it but it’s not happy Jan.

Cornering clearance is the biggest downside to the Rocker. The long and low design struggles to cope with slightly racy lean angles but the bike can be punted along pretty quickly if you try a different tack. By hanging off the side to keep the bike more upright, using a bit of back brake and squaring off corners you can attack a set of corners with verve, safe in the knowledge the scenery isn’t likely to get a personal visit from your good self. Mind you, if you want to retain any of your street cred perhaps these hijinks should be left for when it’s just you and the road.

Finally the seat was OK, for a six footer I found it pushed you too close to the tank and my tailbone started to reject its new home after a 100 kilometres or so.

FXDF Fat Bob (Dyna family)

While the Rocker concentrates on looks the Fat Bob’s main objective is to do the job. In many ways it’s a similar platform to the Softail, with its steel chassis and fuel injected 1584cc Twin Cam 96B engine. The main difference here is the Dyna family of machines has its donk rubber mounted for vibration free excitement, whereas the Softail family has a balancer shaft inside the motor to help achieve a similar result. The Fat Bob’s sort of like an old style bobber in looks, there’s nice dull paint – you can opt for shiny stuff if you want – and no extra bits you don’t need. This bike is made to ride, not to look pretty in the shed.

Most Dynas don’t use forward controls but for some reason the Fat Bob does. This gives the impression it’s not made to punt hard, but first impressions are very wrong in this case. During the launch it won a few hearts because of its on-road prowess and it was the bike most were looking to be on for the afternoon sprint to our overnight accommodation.

The Fat Bob’s suspension struggled to give the same ride quality as the Rocker, which was more supple despite its hardtail look. But when the road turned bendy it was a different scenario, the extra ground clearance, twin disc/four piston caliper front end and the balloon tyres (130/90/16 & 180/70/16) really opened up my eyes to how good a cruiser can be when you are having a go.

I also found I could actually do some decent kilometres without feeling like my rear end and back was going to give up the ghost.

An acquired taste is how you could describe the looks, overall pleasing to the eye but I’d ditch the rear fender if it were mine, a smaller cut down item would suit the bike much better. The twin beams up front look good but seem somewhat out of place on the bike, maybe they are a little too small for the bulkiness of the bike, but that’s plucking at straws really; you’ll make up your own mind whether you like its stance or not.

Two very different bikes looking to attract distinctly different buyers. I loved the look of the Rocker, especially the Art Deco touches which especially strikes a chord with me. Everything on the bike yells, “look at me”, so if you want to blend in with the crowd you might want to look at another of Harley-Davidson’s products.

As for the Fat Bob, it’s not so pretty to the eye but it more than makes up for it with its capabilities on the road. It’s an awesome bit of kit made to rack up plenty of quick miles, all day long.

The Rocker retails for $30,250 the Rocker C $32,250 and the Fat Bob $25,500. Both have a two year unlimited kilometre warranty.

I wonder if they could customise me a Fat Bob with those Art Deco highlights.