controls by tilting the bars forward a bit,
which would straighten out my back,
but the seat is a non-starter for me. My
tailbone was screaming in under 50
miles. Other than that, well suited to my
moderately aggressive riding style.
I LOW RIDER
Harley's other sub-$15k model is the
one designed for the smaller rider. Like
the Street Bob, it sports a 19-inch front
wheel, straddling the line between the
21 of a custom machine and the 16 of
a classic. In many ways they are similar,
this one appealing to smaller riders or
those who like bright colors and lots of
chrome, while the 'Bob is blacked out
and stretched out.
Trading badassery for beauty, on the
Low Rider, H-D's designers didn't feel
the need for a thin, unsupportive seat.
Also, instead of the small, unadorned
3.5-gallon tank, the Low Rider gets the
larger five-gallon classic-style unit, with
a generous gauge set atop it. Though
none of these motorcycles has a dedicat-
ed tachometer, they all have the option
of switching the LCD display to tach
along with dual tripmeters and range.
Side note, this bike (along with it's
Street Bob twin) is the first time H-D has
put a 19-inch front wheel on a Softail, or
had midmount controls, or (in the case
of this machine specifically) had a Sport-
ster-style "eyebrow" headlight mount. In
other words, they were trying really hard
to preserve the Low Rider's Dyna and
FXR heritage.
The reason I've rattled on so long about
how it compares to the Street Bob, is that
it's functionally the same motorcycle.
Same wheels, engine, brakes and
steering geometry. The wider bars give
the front end a different feel, but it's the
same bike.
2018 HARLEY-DAVIDSON SOFTAILS First Test
CYCLE NEWS CRUISER BUYERS GUIDE
