When I was a kid, Harley-Davidson riders were hardly the kind of folk who could afford a fancy pickup. Today, many Harley-Davidson enthusiasts are businesspeople who live in the suburbs. Their bikes are as much life-style statement as transportation devices.

Going to Sturgis, S.D., for the legendary Black Hills motorcycle rally is cool, but many bikers use trucks to get their cycles across country.

Three years ago, Ford forged a relationship with Harley-Davidson as both companies prepared to celebrate their centennial anniversaries.

The first Harley-badged truck was an all-black SuperCrew whose interior was swathed with yards of black leather. The gauges had a silver metallic background, and 20-inch chrome wheels anchored the package to the road. The idea of a limited-edition truck had allure, and in 2002 the Harley-Davidson model was supercharged and offered in dark gray.

The supercharged version was very comfortable, and pretty quick because it had 340 horsepower.

For 2004, Ford’s Harley-Davidson model is a four-wheel-drive F-250 SuperDuty. This beast is big, burly and bright, particularly when it’s slathered in the Competition Orange-over-black two-tone color scheme like the test truck. Other color choices include dark gray over black and black. Numerous Harley badges are found on the outside, as well.

The Harley truck’s interior is as plush as any luxury SUV. The cabin is wrapped in yards of soft, black leather punctuated by chrome Harley-Davidson emblems, and the seats are deep and inviting. A huge center console, with a lid covered in leather, sits between the front seats. Convenience items abound, and the test truck was equipped with a power moonroof, power sliding rear window, heated seats, reverse parking sensor and upgraded stereo. The gauges have silver faces that look like machine-turned metal.

This year’s Harley truck has Ford’s turbocharged Power Stroke diesel. The 6.0-liter V-8 cranks out 325 horsepower and 560 pound-feet of torque. It can carry 2,300 pounds or tow up to 13,700 pounds. Fire up this diesel and it makes a considerable racket until it warms up completely. Get up to highway speed, and the engine becomes almost as quiet as a gasoline unit.

Diesel engines are all about torque, and this engine pulls hard the instant you step on the throttle. A key to that is an electronically variable turbocharger. A turbocharger is essentially a compressor that is driven by the exhaust gases that exit the engine. On the Power Stroke, electronic controls vary the angle of the vanes. At low rpm, the vanes close down to mimic a smaller unit, thus pumping power into the engine quickly. As the engine rpm increase, the vanes open up for an even greater boost of power. In essence, the electronically variable turbocharger functions as if it were two units: a small one for off-the-line power and a larger one for top-end power. Using a computer to control the turbo was brilliant because it can be programmed to provide maximum torque and power across a wide power band. And electronic controls mean the turbocharger can be programmed in conjunction with the all-new TorqShift five-speed automatic transmission that is such an integral part of the powertrain.

The F-250 is a big truck, and it drives like one. Wheeling it around shopping center parking lots can be a pain because the 156.2-inch wheelbase requires quite a turning radius.