When it comes to American icons, the Ford F-150 and Harley-Davidson motorcycles rank pretty high on the recognition factor. So, it should come as no surprise that Ford and H-D have partnered before to make F-150 Harley-Davidson special-edition trucks. Although not truly ‘limited’, from 2002-2012 more than 70,000 H-D-themed F-150s were produced. The latest Harley-Davidson F-150 isn’t produced by Ford, but rather by Tuscany Motor Company, who are also behind the F-150 Tonka edition. But compared to the first Harley F-150s, the newest one is more of an appearance package. And an expensive one at that. So, if performance is what you want, you can actually build an F-150 to match the Harley-Davidson edition for a fraction of the price.

Ford F-150 Harley-Davidson Edition specs

According to CNET, Tuscany’s H-D build is based on the F-150 SuperCrew Lariat. It can be ordered either with the 3.5-liter turbocharged V6 or the 5.0-liter V8. Although the engine isn’t supercharged, there is a custom Flowmaster exhaust and a functional ram-air hood. Autoblog reports that Tuscany claims the exhaust does actually improve horsepower figures. The hood does have functional heat extraction vents; Motor1 reports the bumper and grille also feature honeycomb vents, as well.

Tuscany then fits a BDS suspension kit that includes Fox shocks. The exact amount of lift isn’t given. The front bumper is also new and features an integrated LED light bar. In addition, the F-150’s running boards are lighted and powered and come with rock guard trim. Finally, Tuscany fit the truck with 22” wheels in the style of Harley’s Fat Boy bike, as well as 35” all-terrain tires.

After all that, Tuscany gussies up the F-150’s looks. Harley-Davidson badges are spread out all over. They’re on the tailgate, fender vents, door sills, carpets, seats, and even the center console and tonneau cover. The truck also features orange accents on the grille, front fender badges, and exhaust tips. The custom leather upholstery also features orange diamond patterns. The appearance upgrades finish up with tinted windows, brushed metal gauges, and billet metal pedals.

The F-150 Harley-Davidson is available in one of three colors: Agate Black, White Platinum, and Leadfoot Gray. Agate Black is the cheapest, but that’s a relative statement. The F-150 Harley-Davidson Edition starts, with the V8 and rear-wheel drive, at $84,995. That’s almost twice the base Ford F-150 SuperCrew Lariat’s MSRP of $45,925. And that’s before options: the trucks on display at the 2019 Chicago Auto Show cost close to $100,000.

Building an equivalent Ford F-150

Paying $85k for a pickup truck isn’t necessarily that far-fetched in today’s luxury pickup market. But for those interested in performance over appearance, there is a far less expensive way to upgrade your F-150. And almost everything comes from Ford’s own catalog.

Starting with the F-150 SuperCrew Lariat, the base 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 is upgraded to the 5.0-liter V8. Then we add the 501A Equipment and Lariat Black Appearance Package. The former bundles up several separate upgrade packages, such as the FX4 off-road package and power equipment package. The latter recreates the murdered-out black honeycomb grille appearance. All that remains is to add a soft tonneau cover and LED side-mirror spotlights.

Next, we turn to the Ford Performance Parts catalog. Ford’s F-150 SEMA builds didn’t feature a Flowmaster exhaust, but several F-150 cat-back exhausts are available for achieving the same effect. There are also additional 20” wheels. Ford Performance also offers a Fox shock off-road leveling kit for the F-150. However, Tuscany’s mods go a little further. And indeed, for the final pieces of our build, we have to go beyond the Ford parts catalog.

Luckily, BDS Suspension does offer an F-150-specific off-road kit, complete with Fox shocks. It can even be upgraded with dual speed compression adjusters for improved performance. Ford’s SEMA builds also featured Rigid LED light bars. Though not in the catalog, Rigid offers a wide assortment of off-road light bars, such RDS Pro Series. Several Ford SEMA trucks also came with BFGoodrich A/T tires, which can be ordered to fit a 20” wheel. And finally, a ram-air hood with functional heat extraction is available from RK Sport.

Cost Comparison

Without additional parts, the F-150 SuperCrew Lariat with 5.0-liter V8 and rear-wheel drive would retail for $55,010 before incentives and dealer fees. The total cost of the Ford Performance exhaust and wheels works out to $2,691. The Rigid LED light bar is $972, and a 6” BDS kit with DSC upgrade is $3,696. The tires are $1448 for a full set, and the hood retails at $997.

All told, this modified F-150 works out to $64,814. $20,000 cheaper than the Harley-Davidson Edition. Plus, you won’t worry so much about getting it dirty.