Harley-Davidson Motorcycles
Harley-Davidson Model Explanations
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FLSTSB Cross Bones
Story by Mark Barnett, Photos courtesy of Harley-Davidson Photography & Imaging
Introduced in the 2008 line up, the new Cross Bones has proven very popular. The bike is built on a Softail chassis, meaning the shocks are hidden under the engine and the engine solidly mounted to the frame. The 96” Twin Cam B motor has twin counterbalancers for a turbine smooth ride. What separates the FLSTSB from the rest of the Softail family is the blacked out treatment, the mini ape hanger handlebars, the springer front end, and the sprung solo saddle. The goal was to re-create a post war bobber, a bike that riders use to make out of their dressers by pretty much cutting parts off with a saw. The dresser floorboards remained then and are incorporated now, though they are half-moon shaped as they were in the 1950’s.
As with all 96” Twin Cams, the motor’s performance is impressive, lots of torque, very little mechanical noise, and a general feeling of refinement. The Harley-Davidson Demo Truck stopped in at our dealership and I took the opportunity to ride a Cross Bones. While comfort is subjective, seats personal, and floorboard/footpeg position up to each rider, in my opinion, the Cross Bones was the most comfortable Softail model I had ever ridden. The seat is well-padded, the springs take the edge of any bump that makes it past the suspension, and the mini-ape bars are perfectly shaped for me. I could sit on this bike all day; riding to Maine and back wouldn’t be a problem. Even the floorboards feel more comfortable to me than those on other models. I don’t know if my height has anything to do with it, I’m six one, but this one had my name on it in the ergonomics department.
The springer front end is necessary to get the look Harley was after. They’ve been working with this modernized, springer front end since 1988, it is smooth and refined. My only thoughts on it are for straight line, highway riding, I consider as good or a little better than regular forks. The sophisticated bushings in the springer fork have less stiction than regular fork seals and seem to deliver a little smoother ride. In bumpy corners, a modern telescopic fork is preferable by a small margin, otherwise motorcycling would have never gone that direction. The springers need to break in a little before you can make a final judgment, so a quick test ride on a new bike won’t give you the information you are after. Overall, I like the springer front end.
The bike comes with a wide, but not too wide, 200 mm rear tire that looks the part without screwing up the ride. The six-speed gear box is smooth-shifting, the clutch pull light. I’ve seen customers put on passenger seats, sissy bars and saddlebags. Since they are all color matched and made for the bike, it doesn’t screw up the look that much. Overall, for what it is worth, this is my favorite Softail model by a mile.
