Why I bought a Harley-Davidson Edition Ford F-150

For most of the 2000s, the Ford F-150, one of the most popular selling motorcycles in North America, was available in a limited edition Harley-Davidson trim. Usually the people who bought this trim were your diehard Harley guys, with Harley t-shirts, Harley belt buckles, and Harley boots.

And then there’s me. Just you’re average motorcycle enthusiast who happens to ride a Harley-Davidson V-Rod. Once upon a very brief time I did used to work for Harley-Davidson, but I wouldn’t call myself brand-loyal to Harley. Especially since they killed off production of my beloved V-Rod.

So why did I buy an F150 Harley-Davidson Edition, well…

(just unmute it in the bottom left corner)

Let’s start with a little history. Both the Ford Motor Company and the Harley-Davidson Motor Company were founded in 1903. They’re both synonymous with Americana.

In 1948, Ford introduced the F-150 truck, nine years before the first Sportster rolled off a Milwaukee assembly line. Since then, the F-150 has become the most popular motor vehicle ever. For the past thirty years, the F-150 has been not only the number one selling pickup truck, but the number one selling vehicle in the United States.

Fast forward to the year 2000. We all thought the Y2K bug would destroy America, but it didn’t, because two heroes came together to save us all: Ford, and Harley-Davidson. The year 2000 saw the first ever Harley-Davidson Edition F-150. Since it’s introduction, the Harley edition of the F-150 has had a ton of upgrades, and it usually came with some extra goodies you couldn’t get on other F-150 trims.

You can find a full detailed list of the differences between the various years of F-150 Harley-Davidson Editions online here, but suffice it to say that I didn’t buy this truck just because of the Harley branding. No Sir, here’s why I bought it instead:

1) It’s a Supercab

A Supercab is kind of a four door, but not really. The Harley-Davidson still fits five, but the back seats are pretty small in size. I currently have a 7 seater SUV, and 90% of the time I’m all alone in it. I can’t remember the last time I had more than two passengers. So this space-saving setup is perfect for me.

2) It’s a 6.5 ft bed

With the interior being a Supercab size instead of a full on four door Crew Cab size Cabin, that saves about a foot of space in the cabin, which means that I get about an extra foot of space in the bed of the truck. Considering I’m going to be putting a lot of motorcycles in the bed of my truck, this is a major advantage.

3) It’s All Wheel Drive, not 4×4

I love 4×4, I think it’s a great system, but this truck isn’t for off-roading. I’m going to be using this truck for doing a lot of driving, year round, in Canada, where we get a lot of snow, ice, and salt. The Harley-Davidson Edition is the only F-150 to come with All-Wheel-Drive. I can still put it to 4×4 if I want to, but I really like that I have the option of All-Wheel-Drive means more traction in slippery conditions. I’ve put 40,000 km on my 4×4 Jeep and another 50,000 km on my All-Wheel-Drive Toyota, and in the winter when it gets really sketchy here in Canada, you can feel the difference All-Wheel-Drive makes.

4) Leather interior with heated seats

The interior of this truck, even though it’s over ten years old, still looks and feels really rich. You look inside and your first impression is, that’s a nice truck. Maybe a little dated now. But nice. The Harley-Davidson badging has a lot of Harley logos everywhere. There’s strong branding going on here, but you kind of don’t notice it when you sit in the cabin for a while. The real cherry on top for me was that it has heated seats. Again, living in Canada, heated seats are a big deal. I definitely made sure the heated seats turned on and worked even though it was boiling hot when I went to see the truck.

5) So many parts, accessories, and extras

The Ford F-150 is typically the number one selling vehicle in Canada, and from my understanding it usually is in the US as well. Because they sell so much, there’s a huge selection of stock and aftermarket parts, accessories, and extras out there. The same night I bought my F-150 I  found an extra set of rims that someone was giving away for free online just a fifteen minute drive away from me. There’s a lot of stuff out there and you can score some good deals.

UPDATE

Bad news: I found something wrong with the F150 before I even started driving it.

Good news: If it wasn’t for the help of people on the internet, I never would have known it has this issue until it cost me a transmission.

Conclusion

If you live in the city, but you’re looking for a respectable, premium truck for hauling your motorcycle around, the Ford F-150 Harley-Davidson Edition has a lot going for it. Even at fourteen years old, this 2006 has almost no rust, a really sharp interior, and those heated seats feel great when it gets cold.

COMMENTS: What are your thoughts on the Harley Edition F-150: Cool stuff, or too much branding? Let me know in the comments!