Hog Wild Road Test!
2002 Ford Harley-Davidson F-150 SuperCrew
By: Michael Levine © PickupTruck.com, 2002
Posted: 08-23-02 20:00

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The 2002 Ford Harley-Davidson F-150 SuperCrew is damn near a perfect pickup.

Having recently driven the Harley for a week it's hard to believe a truck this good could get any badder but Ford has taken the third iteration of this truck to the next level, successfully pumping up power and attitude in an extremely fun and practical package.

From the moment you spot it parked on the street to starting it up to stepping on the accelerator, it becomes readily apparent that this year's truck is certainly worthy of wearing the hallowed Harley-Davidson badge.

In fact it's almost a shame to consider this a pickup truck when it's really a piece of art meant to be displayed and admired cruising on the highway. Granted, it's a 340-horsepower piece of art that can do 0 to 60 in 6.22 seconds, according to Truck Trend magazine.

The black Harley I drove sported 20-inch chromed 5 spoke wheels skinned with low profile 45 aspect Goodyear Eagles, a beefy billet grille, chrome side nerf bars and orange flame pattern pinstripe running the length of the truck. The flame was personally created and hand-drawn by Harley Davidson's famous stylist Willie G. on the pilot truck and captured for reproduction on the 2002 model.

Lowered one-inch with the larger wheels and tires nicely filling out the wheel wells, this truck drew plenty of admirers on the freeway and in parking lots with its clean aggressive looks.

Turn the key and the Harley SuperCrew rumbles to life with a Hog-worthy exhaust note that always penetrated the cabin as a constant reminder of the heritage this truck carries.

Step on the accelerator and the throaty exhaust is supplemented with the high pitched whine of an Eaton supercharger riding atop the Harley's 5.4-liter Triton V8.

The supercharger is a brand new addition for 2002 that finally gives the Harley the performance boost it desperately needed to back up its bad boy image. It adds 80 more horses over last year's truck and 75 more ft-lbs. of torque, for a grand total of 340hp and 425ft-lbs. Top speed has been boosted to 125-mph.

Merging onto the highway or passing other vehicles is a breeze because 6,700 pounds won't move any quicker than this truck. Don't expect to get the best handling in the world though on twisty roads. You definitely feel the forces of physics causing moderate body roll in tight S-turns.

The Harley SuperCrew still has 40 less horsepower than Ford's reigning performance champ the SVT Lightning, currently the fastest production pickup in the world, but it's plenty fast for everyday driving or exploring the darker side of your nature.

And for those who can't resist, you could always swap out the larger pulley on the Harley's supercharger to bring it more in line with the Lightning's capabilities.

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