Harley-Davidson is doing a lot right now to right its ship. It's bringing new models to its lineup, adding things that aren't cruisers, righting its relationship with its dealerships, returning overseas manufacturing to the US, and, very soon, bringing a new entry-level motorcycle to market. But it's not here yet, and the cheapest Harley-Davidson to wear the iconic "Bar and Shield" logo is the Nightster which still costs $10,000+.
That, however, is changing. Well, sort of, as while the latest Harley-Davidson may be considerably cheaper than the Nightster, it's also one you cannot ride. Hell, if you sat on it, it would break. Not that you'd want to sit on a very expensive record player to begin with.
Yep, Harley-Davidson recently announced a partnership with Pro-Ject, a high-end audio company that specializes in turntables and hi-fi stereos and has been doing that for nearly 40 years. So what sort of music are we crankin' out of the Harley turntable? I'm thinking Dire Straits' "Money for Nothing" but only the intro, as the rest of the song just falls apart.
The turntable's base shape is actually Harley's logo and looks as if it was pulled off a Harley tank, with its chrome metal design. According to Pro-Ject, "The collaboration between Pro-Ject and Harley-Davidson brings the 'mechanical soul' of the open road to your living space. The turntable‘s design is a tribute to iconic motorcycle craftsmanship, featuring a silhouette inspired by the legendary Bar & Shield logo."
As for specs, unlike some other collaborations, it's got the goods.
The site Ecoustics states, "Pro-Ject uses an Aluminum-MDF sandwich chassis designed to combine rigidity with internal damping, with the sculpted MDF structure topped by precision-machined metalwork," adding, "A diamond-cut aluminum sub-platter sits beneath a heavy 300mm glass platter, while a massive 915-gram Harley-Davidson record puck holds the LP against the platter and adds additional damping. Total moving mass for the drive system is 2.75 kilograms, which Pro-Ject says contributes to improved rotational stability." Pro-Ject also included a switch so folks can swap from 33s to 45s, no belt swapping required, and that the legs of the turntable have also been dampened so there's no interference resonance to be had from wherever you place the record player.
Ecoustics also highlighted that the turntable features a, "hand-polished 8.6-inch S-shaped aluminum tonearm using an SME-style removable headshell, high-purity copper internal wiring and a TPE-damped counterweight," all of which go to the actual real-world, high-end nature of the turntable and it not being some weird-ass gimmick gift that's in Harley's logo shape. And its price definitely denotes the high-end nature of the collaboration.
Costing $3,299, it ain't cheap. It is, however, considerably cheaper than any current on-sale Harley-Davidson. And the audio quality is probably better than any in-bike speakers, despite leaps in motorcycle audio technology lately. What isn't known is how many Pro-Ject will produce, as the company is remaining mum about the run. But if you're in the market for a Harley-Davidson, but also love music, maybe this is your way into the brand?
