It becomes more authoritative above half-throttle and that's where its biceps-bulging 102Nm of torque comes into play, pulling this long, low 292kg custom cruiser through the gears a lot quicker than you'd expect.

It runs out of steam quite suddenly at about 5500rpm so you find yourself short-shifting to stay in the power band. Suddenly you're in fifth (top) at about 150km/h, which is where Milwaukee products used to sign off – but this is 2005; you wind it on and wait. The speedo needle keeps climbing and at about 160 a gentle headshake sets in.

You take a deep breath and unclench your fists, the weave fades but never quite goes away and this huge bike thunders up to a very impressive 188km/h with your head tucked between your hands in a very undignified crouch.

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The important part is the "B" in the motor coding; it stands for balance shafts – two of them – making the Softail run uncannily smoothly. There's just enough vibration to remind you that you are riding a Harley, but I suspect it was deliberately engineered back in.

This means the engine can be solidly mounted; all the energy that was devoted to making the rubber-mounted V-twins of previous Harleys leap about in their frames can now be directed towards forward propulsion.

But wait, there's more: thanks to a new upper gearbox mount and head-steady the rigidly mounted engine becomes a fully stressed frame member, making the Softail frame appreciably the stiffest yet on a Harley big twin.

Competent chassis

Add to that fully triangulated rear suspension with underslung shocks, boasting the highest torsional rigidity of any Milwaukee product (as well as the highest unsprung weight, but that's another story), with properly-damped 42mm front forks, and you get a surprisingly competent motorcycle chassis, capable of handling both long sweeps and short tight turns with equal precision.

Yes, by street-bike standards, it lacks ground clearance, but not as much as you'd think, looking at the huge primary case and low-slung shotgun pipes. Everything can be more closely tucked in.

The big, skinny 21" front wheel provides accurate and stable steering, especially at low speeds, and the wide handlebars the leverage needed to throw this ponderous motorcycle around

The clutch is light, the gearbox slick and positive (if intimidatingly vocal!) – seamless upshifts are not only easy, they're recommended, and the Kevlar-reinforced drive belt soaks up any lash.

In the saddle

The saddle (it's not a seat) is plough-shaped, low (663mm), wide and surprisingly deeply padded, good for a least a couple of hours on the road, while the forward mounted foot-pegs offer better support than earlier examples because (once again) they're not rubber mounted.

The pillion accommodation is skimpy but the seat is also deeply padded and slopes up to the rear, rather than down towards the tail light as on some other cruisers. The passenger footpegs are solidly mounted and low enough to be used by grown-ups; they also make good alternative rider pegs during a long, fast, solo passage.

All the bike's faults are old ones – and caused by letting styling triumph over design. The speedo and (tiny) warning lights are down on the tank, too far out of the rider's eye line, and you can't cancel the indicators without looking at your lap. But Harleys are like that because that's the way they're expected to look and you don't mess with "the look".

Cool running

The Softail runs cool in heavy traffic and is manoeuvrable enough to be ridden easily on tight city streets.

Of all the Harley big twins, it's the closest to a real motorcycle in terms of substance rather than style.