New Car: 2011 Ford F-150 Harley-Davidson

The branding alliance between Ford and Harley-Davidson—barring Lee Greenwood marrying a bald eagle, possibly the most American alliance in history—has yielded eight F-150s and seven Super Duties to date. The latest Ford to roll out for the H-D crowd is the 2011 F-150 Harley-Davidson. Like its predecessors, the 2011 Harley F-150 is festooned with a healthy dose of unique interior and exterior modifications.

The biggest news for the 2011 H-D F-150 is that it’s the second F-150 to receive the company’s brawny new 6.2-liter V-8. Output in the Harley truck matches that of the F-150 SVT Raptor 6.2, at a stout 411 hp and 434 lb-ft of torque, and, as with previous Harley F-150s, the exhaust has been tuned to deliver extra rumble. A six-speed automatic is standard, but a version of the gearbox that offers manual gear selection is available.

Painted only in silver or black, the 2011 H-D F-150 wears a billet-style six-bar grille with headlamps trimmed in black. The body graphics are meant to evoke engine-turned aluminum and “speed scallops” on hot rods. The chunky, satin-finished wheels are sufficiently huge at 22 inches in diameter. Power-deployable running boards are once again included and a power sunroof has been made standard for 2011.

The interior is basically that of the F-150 at full specification; no surprise there, as Harley folks are really sybarites at heart. Black leather upholstery is standard, of course, and the seats are adorned with Harley-Davidson cloisonné badges, as is the center armrest, which states the truck’s VIN and production number. Also standard for 2011 are a navigation system, a 4.2-inch LCD within the instrument cluster, ambient lighting, heated rear seats, and remote start. A rearview camera is again included, helpful when hooking up a trailer with, say, a Harley or two on it. And that trailer can now weigh more; since the Harley truck no longer rides on a lowered suspension, it retains a respectable 9300-pound towing capacity. We’re glad to see that the Harley F-150’s relative towing weakness, which we pointed out in our review of the 2010 H-D F-150, has been corrected.

Pricing is still being finalized, but we expect Harley lovers will have to pay 50 grand or so for this gem when it hits dealers this winter.

Thanks to: Car and Driver