The Morning Call and Mcall.com's view

The warm days are finally fading; the leaves have dazzled us with their Technicolor brilliance. Even the cruise nights are over.

Time to tuck away those fun-mobiles.

But, I wasn’t quite ready to relinquish my love affair with fair-weather vehicles. So I called Ford Motor Co. and asked for a Ford F-150 Harley Davidson Super Crew.

To some, this vehicle will seem more like a “Hardly” Davidson than a Harley Davidson, but its intent is clear: this is one mean truck.

Ford takes a rear-drive, SuperCrew F-150 truck and goes to work. The truck is lowered by an inch and is given a unique 5„-foot bed.

The truck is painted black — the only color available, (Henry would be so proud) — with orange stripes. A unique grille, front valance and chrome side bars, along with many Harley Davidson badges, grace the exterior. Sewer-pipe-sized chrome-tipped dual-exhausts sound this vehicle’s intent.

Under the hood, Ford’s 5.4-liter Triton V-8 is good for 260 horsepower and 350 foot-pounds of torque fed through massive P275/45R20 Eagle GT II tires and special chrome aluminum wheels. Power is very strong, yet refined, with a linear feel to the torque curve. As the engine sounds its burly note, you realize this is the type of power that usually is the realm of muscle cars. Consider this a muscle truck.

Going in a straight line? This Harley hustles with an unruffled demeanor and ease that will bring to mind the old axiom “There is no substitute for cubic inches.” Just like an old muscle car, this truck does very well in a straight line, although going through corners does call for some slowing down. The tires grip with tenacity and there was little tail hop from the empty bed. The truck stays relatively flat through twisting, turning roads.

Some details will disappoint. You can’t spin the tires, no matter how you try. And while power is plentiful, it doesn’t have that real kick-in-the-pants feel that awesome gobs of power from a V-8 usually provides. So don’t pick a fight with an F-150 Lightning, you’ll lose big-time.

Even if you don’t own the fastest truck on the block, you’ll not only look real good, you’ll also feel good inside this Harley’s all-black cabin. The dash is standard F-150, modern and easy to use. Comfy captain’s chairs make it easy to cruise for long stretches of blacktop. Of course, the interior is festooned with Harley Davidson badges to remind you of why you spent the extra bucks in the first place. The rear seats are good for quick hops and the rear doors open suicide-style to provide easier access. Distressingly, when closing the doors, the whole door skin flexed.

Standard equipment includes remote keyless entry, side-mirror-mounted turn signals, power-adjustable pedals, a bed extender and cargo-box mat with the appropriate Harley logo is included.

Options include a 6-CD changer, which is mounted in the center console, a sliding rear window, engine block heater, moonroof and heated seats.

When it comes to fuel economy, this hog is less of a hog than you might think, returning 18 mpg in a 60/40 split of highway and city driving.

Overall, I was entranced by this blatant bit of marketing. It’s a hard truck to hate (unless you’re a Chevy truck zombie). It was a last blast of high-output fun before the flakes fly. With good power, mean looks and a price tag in the low 30s, this Harley has captured my heart whole hog.