Soft power – There’s something for everyone in Harley-Davidson 2025 Softail range
“Nothing soft”, said the iconic sportswear brand Everlast advertisement, “comes out of the Bronx”, superimposed on a photo of a teenage punk with a cigarette hanging from his mouth. You could be forgiven for substituting “Milwaukee”, world-famous for beer and motorcycles, in that slogan. And yet something “soft” but very significant came out of Milwaukee in 1984.
This was in the heyday of motorcycle customising. While no brand was safe from the cutting torch, Harley-Davidson was usually the first choice. One of the few common design elements in the explosion of custom styles was the hardtail, a fixed rear frame without suspension. Those of us who built choppers for more than milk bar posing did come to regret that loss. Attempts to overcome it – I built a chopper with a BSA jampot frame – were notoriously unsuccessful.
Fortunately, Willie G. Davidson, in charge of the Motor Company’s design department, had our back (so to speak). He remembered the work of another motorcycle designer, Bill Davis. Davis had begun working on the design of a frame in 1974 that looked like a hardtail but incorporated hidden shock absorbers. The frame had a cantilever swingarm that pivoted at the bottom and connected to the suspension at the top, with the springs and shock absorber tucked away out of sight under the seat.
In 1976, Davis contacted Willie G. and arranged a meeting, where he presented a prototype based on his 1972 Super Glide. It took six months before he got his answer: the Motor Company would not be using his concept.
Davis was not discouraged and upgraded his design. He placed the pivot point at the top of the triangular swing arm and the shock absorbers under the frame. In January 1982, after a failed attempt to go into business independently as Road Worx, Bill Davis sold his patents, prototype and tooling to Harley-Davidson. In June 1983, Harley introduced a new model with a frame based on Davis’ design as the FXST – the first Softail.
The concept was heartily welcomed, not least in Australia with its notoriously weather-beaten roads. It was not perfect; the newly horizontal suspension units had a tendency to leak. French-made Fournales air shocks fixed that.
Harley introduced a completely redesigned Softail frame in 2018. This frame used a different shaped swingarm suspended by a single rear shock absorber mounted underneath the seat. The Motor Company announced that the new chassis was both stiffer and lighter than the previous Softail. At the same time the Milwaukee Eight engine replaced the Twin Cam. Lastly, the Dyna range was discontinued but some of its models were carried over to the new Softail chassis.
In the years since, Softails have remained a vital part of the Motor Company’s range. Grouped as ‘cruisers’, the range has nevertheless offered quite a variety of riding experiences. While the bikes have received various improvements since 2018, the six-bike 2025 range that H-D introduced recently in Kiama on the NSW south coast, with its bumpy roads, offers a whole new story. Engines, suspension, lighting, controls, instruments and sound quality have all been improved, along with much else.
Six bikes, three tunes
The Softails are the cruisers of the H-D line-up. “Each model has distinct appeal to specific subsets of riders,” says the Motor Company, quite correctly. But there’s more to it than that: with these six bikes, they have tried to produce something for everybody – always within the limits of a cruiser, but very effectively. The six bikes form three groups of two, each of which gets its own variant of the new Milwaukee-Eight 117 cubic inch (1917cc) powertrains. Each has different intake and exhaust tuning, as well as ride mode programming, to match performance to personality.
All have new instruments; the Low Rider S, Low Rider ST, Breakout and Street Bob have 4-inch diameter instruments, while the Heritage Classic and Fat Boy have 5-inch ones. Hand controls have been redesigned and both look and perform nicely. The brake lever distance is adjustable. Lights are LED.
Power up
The 2025 Softails offer a substantial upgrade over previous models with improved performance across the range. The engine impresses, especially with its torque, even more especially between 1800rpm and 2500rpm. Equally impressive are the smooth, easy gear changes with a relatively light clutch action.
New four-valve cylinder heads are designed to improve performance and fuel economy. The air/oil cooled version of the engine weighs less than the Grand American Touring/CVO versions and does not require coolant system maintenance. It further optimises thermal comfort for the rider, especially at low speed and in hot weather.
Sound quality has been improved and advanced lightweight material trims high frequencies and emphasises low ones for a powerful sound. Intakes are selected to add to the specific character of each engine variant – Classic, Custom and H.O. All engine variants offer Road, Sport and Rain modes.
Proof of the pudding
The bikes all feature Cornering ABS, Cornering Traction Control, Cornering Drag Torque Slip Control and Tyre Pressure Monitoring. Just a personal note: I love tyre pressure monitoring!
The multi-rate springs in the front and rear suspension have been replaced with straight rate springs which enable better balance between springs and damping. Under hard braking, the front fork springs respond more predictably. Effective braking requires a bit of squeezing, but the brakes have plenty of feel. Seat height is unchanged and handling has been improved.
Trad Jazz: Heritage Classic & Street Bob
The Milwaukee-Eight 117 “classic” engine which equips these two bikes offers a flat torque curve for street performance. Peak torque is 163Nm and peak horsepower is 73kW (98hp). The single muffler allows for symmetrical saddle bags. It is easy to identify the engine by the round air cleaner cover.
With its obvious bow to the 1950s, the Heritage is my favourite in this range. It has lockable saddlebags and a detachable windscreen, and wire-spoke wheels are optional. It is also particularly comfortable. The Street Bob, on the other hand, is an almost playful bobber with spot-on styling – but also a small fuel tank. It’s the cheapest in the range.
Lookin’ Good: Breakout & Fat Boy
The “custom” engine that powers these two bikes provides peak torque of 170.8Nm and 77.5kW (104hp) peak horsepower. That’s a significant power increase of 11 per cent. Intake noise has been controlled to allow a rumbling exhaust note.
The Breakout is a proper chopper with a 21-inch front wheel, 240mm rear tyre, and pull-back handlebar. As such I find it terrific to look at but probably not suitable for my sedate style. Both it and the Fat Boy offer nostalgia plus with their picture-perfect historic styling – and that fat rear tyre.
Getting going: Low Rider S & ST
The most powerful engine in the range is the H.O. fitted to these bikes with peak torque of 173.5Nm and peak power of 75kW (114hp). The two-into-one exhaust allows symmetrical saddle bags. It’s a shame that these bikes do not get a slipper clutch function. The ST is a highly practical bike with its frame-mounted fairing and saddlebags, while the S is just plain fun to ride quickly.
Getting personal
I have been riding Harleys, on and off, since 1968. When I tell you that my first (and second and third) Harleys were all WLAs with the famous tractor seats, you’ll understand why I hold Milwaukee bikes to a high standard for seating. The new seats on the Softails meet my requirements: they are especially comfortable, and the riding positions make sense for long days in the saddle. My one objection would be to the high-set footpegs on the sportier Low Riders – a touch too high for my 180cm frame and 78-year-old body – but there was good cornering clearance when I got enthusiastic.
The extra power of the big engine was very welcome and completes the versatility and usability of the Softail range. And they sound nicer. While I like the Heritage – especially for its nostalgic appeal and practicality – I could see myself owning any of these bikes, with the only reservations being the high pegs on some of them. There really is a bike for every taste here.
✅ PROS – A model that underpins H-D sales Down Under, the new Softail range has an option for every cruiser buyer.
❌ CONS – High-set footpegs on Low Rider variants sacrifice comfort for cornering clearance. Slipper clutch would be good.
