2018 Harley-Davidson Softail range launch review

The announcement of Harley-Davidson's 2018 motorcycle line-up a few weeks ago certainly created some massive headlines, with the biggest being the "consolidation of the Big Twin cruiser platform".

The custom revolution not only amounted to a complete chassis and engine overhaul of the Softail line-up, but the axe also fell on the Dyna family as well. But that didn't spell the death knell of three Dyna stalwarts, the Street Bob, Fat Bob and Low Rider, which have now been welcomed into the Softail fold to make it an eight-bike affair.

But why the seismic product shift? According to Kevin Hintz, the senior product manager for the Softail range, Harley-Davidson's product line has in recent times been "too bunched".

"So what we've done is stretch and pull the vectors apart and pitch to customers on their terms," Hintz said at the 2018 Softail launch in California.

2018 HARLEY-DAVIDSON SOFTAIL SPECS AND PRICING

Raising the bar
The Softail styling manager, Kirk Rasmussen, says the project is Harley-Davidson's "most modern and advanced motorcycle program we've done".

"We've always relied on look, sound and feel, but we needed to raise the bar with this project," Rasmussen said.

And that what's Harley-Davidson did, with the new Softail range not only receiving the updated and dual counterbalanced 107 Milwaukee-Eight engine as standard fare (and the 114 version as an option on four others), but there's also better suspension, lighter and stiffer steel tubular frames, LED lighting, new instrumentation and a 'cleaner' production – serving both a functional and aesthetic purpose. There's a new side stand as well!

The frame is 65 per cent stiffer than the outgoing Softail design, while weight has also been lopped off all the bikes. As a result, power- and torque-to-weight ratios have both improved dramatically – the elimination of the old Twin Cam 103 engine obviously adding to the substantial performance gains.

It was also a massive styling exercise, with all eight bikes getting unique tyre and wheel combinations, and the LED lighting configurations are also diverse as well. Other standard features include keyless ignitions and steering head-mounted USB chargers, while there's new instrumentation – including digital riser gauges on the Street Bob and Breakout.

The new monoshock rear suspension also preserves the classic hardtail look, while the frame is now 34 per cent stiffer with 50 per cent less components. Preload adjustment on the monoshock rear suspension is also an easy affair, while lean angles have been improved.

Customisation is also a Harley-Davidson staple, and the company has over 300 accessories dedicated to the Softail range, in four broad categories: style, comfort, function and performance. Click here to take the Harley-Davidson customisation experience.

The whole brood
We've already mentioned four of the 2018 Softails: the Breakout, Street Bod, Fat Bob and Low Rider, which leaves the Softail Slim, Deluxe, Heritage Classic and Fat Boy to complete the revamped lineup. The Heritage Classic, Breakout, Fat Boy and Fat Bob are also available with the 114 version of the Milwaukee-Eight engine.

The lighter, faster and better handling refrain was a common one at the media briefing for the 2018 Softail range, but only a gallop on some twisty roads would provide the ultimate endorsement.

And the start of that fact-finding mission was only 10 miles up the road from our hotel in Pasadena as we began traversing some beautifully cambered, smooth and grippy mountain roads – bliss so close to the fringes of LA. Three days later parts of our route would be under threat from some of the worst fires in the city's history. And we're not surprised as it was a tinderbox waiting to happen: dry terrain, a nasty northerly, low humidity and a searing ambient temperature.

Over two days we knocked over 300 miles of magnificent twists and turns, and I've never had so much fun on a family of Harley-Davidsons. This wasn't artificial pleasure – procuring a grin under less than palatable circumstances – but a satisfaction from riding bikes that were a more than a comfortable match for their environments. And for that the real pats on the back go to the new chassis and Milwaukee-Eight powerplant.

Of course, some machines handled the terrain better than others, but with the sheer diversity of the range that was always going to happen. Eight bikes and eight different personalities – isn’t that what it should be about?

Two at a time
We had ample opportunity to sample all the models over the two days – two in each morning and afternoon session. Day one saw us make our way from Pasadena to Lake Arrowhead, with Bikesales riding the sporty Fat Bob, Softail Slim, Heritage Classic and Fat Boy. And we were spoilt as well, riding the 160Nm Milwaukee-Eight 114 versions of the Fat Bob, Heritage Classic and Fat Boy.

I am not one for 'hero' bikes, but if there's one in the new Softail range it's probably the Fat Bob.

According to Harley-Davidson, the machine "encapsulates all that is great about the new platform" – and that's just about spot on.

With a steering angle of 28 degrees, the sharpest of the new Softails, a 1615mm wheelbase, bum stop seat, dual disc brakes, mid-mount footpegs, 43mm cartridge-style upside-down forks, two-into-one upswept exhaust, flat handlebar, 16-inch tyres and a more aggressive ergonomic triangle than its colleagues, the Fat Bob is a tactile, dynamic package – and when you add the excellent 114 Milwaukee-Eight engine into the mix it really is a winner.

The Fat Bob, like most of the other bikes, has the narrow Softail frame, while the Breakout and Fat Boy get the wider version to accommodate their massive 240mm rear hoops.

It's not the lightest of the new brigade at 296kg, but the Fat Bob (priced at $27,495 rideaway) is the agility and corner king. With the rider firmly wedged into place for some spirited action, there's plenty of lean angle and ground clearance, and the weight transfer through those footpegs is quite pronounced. I reckon the pegs are a bit too small, to be honest, as my feet always felt they were on the cusp of slipping off.

The seat is quite narrow at the front, so it's easy to tuck the legs into the tank for that extra sporty experience.

The Fat Bob has cartridge-style front forks, as opposed to Showa's Dual Bending Valve setup on all the other bikes. The SDBV fork made its public debut a few years ago and is already fitted to Harley-Davidson's Touring models. It's designed to give similar performance to a cartridge fork, but at a lower cost and weight.

The twin front discs are a welcome part of the Fat Bob recipe, and the benefit is not just in initial feel over its single disc brethren but also far more impressing stopping power.

In summary, it's a seriously competent machine – but one that's not just defined by its sporty nature. The Fat Bob is also an all-day machine that's comfortable as well, with a fabulous balance of style and performance.

Slimming period
The Softail Slim holds a special place in the new family. When Rasmussen was asked what his favourite Softail was, he specified the first rolling chassis in the new range, bolted onto a pair of Softail Slim 16-inch black laced wheels and swept back 'Hollywood' handlebars.

"It was the proud parent for all our new motorcycles," said Rasmussen.

A big wrap – and the bobber-style Softail Slim was certainly one of the biggest surprises for me. The $26,250 rideaway machine, which weighs 17kg less than the previous model, has a low-slung tuck-and-roll seat as well as footboards, long chrome mufflers and a Daymaker LED headlight. The Slim also has simple but beautiful lines – one of the best lookers in the new range, alongside the Breakout. The seat height is just 648mm.

The steering is exceptionally light and sure-footed, although the inverted bars felt a little too cramped for me. Mind you, that was after alighting from the free-wheeling Fat Bob, and it didn't take me too long to get into stride – another example of more lean angle and better suspension lifting the Softail tempo to hitherto unseen heights.

Detachable two-tone windscreen, lockable, water-resistant saddlebags, staggered chrome pipes, cruise control, and 17kg lighter than its predecessor, Harley-Davidson calls it a "reinvigorated ride". It's comfortable, styled well, and rides well on the 16-inch laced wheels.

Like the Slim, the Heritage Classic (priced from $31,750 rideaway) has light steering and is supremely comfortable, and the only real incongruous part of the equation is why it doesn't have external preload adjustment – this is a bike that's ripe for it with the varying degrees of payload it will be carrying. Instead, the preload adjustment is under the seat for aesthetic reasons – form ahead of function.

Still, the pillion gets an ample seat – certainly on a par with some of the Touring bikes for its expansiveness – and the screen works well to put the rider in a touring bubble. The rigid saddlebags look really schmick, and it only weighs in a few more kilograms than its siblings.

For pure all-round enjoyment and comfort, the Heritage Classic was my pick of the bunch.

The icon lives on
Chat to any person with only a cursory interest in Harley-Davidson nomenclature, and inevitably the conversation will include a reference to the Fat Boy.

Any why not: it's an Harley-Davidson icon, and the Motor Company says it’s the most muscular version of the model in history.

It reeks of toughness: the 240mm rear tyre, solid-disc Lakester wheels, satin chrome finishes and beefy front end. Then theme continues in the saddle: the rider doesn't have a lot of fore and aft movement, so it’s a matter of digging in and getting the bike to turn with that massive 240mm rear tyre.

The front hoop also has some girth with its 160/60-18 configuration (the widest-ever on a Harley-Davidson production model), which means the Fat Boy is more at home on a boulevard rather than a sinuous canyon road. The 1665mm wheelbase also reinforced that feeling.

That's the reality, but the massive weight loss (16kg) is also a godsend – and that was felt as soon as I lifted the bike off the new sidestand.

The Fat Boy is priced from $30,995 rideaway.

Bikesales ambled into Lake Arrowhead at the end of day one on the Fat Boy – and what a majestic spectacle. The man-made but very natural-looking lake is situated in the San Bernadino Mountains at an elevation of nearly 1600 metres – so plenty of snow in winter and also a welcome respite from the 40-plus degree temperatures at our starting point in Pasadena.

Street Bob hits the sweet spot
Day two produced a slightly more 'brisk' pace, and the bike that kicked all the fun off was the Street Bob.

The blacked-out machine, complete with chopped fenders, is the entry-level offering into the Softail range – based on price ($23,495 rideaway) anyway. It's the lightest of the new Softails (286kg), and had me hooked from the outset.

Harley calls it a "two fists in the wind attitude", and there really is a gritty go-getting feel about the Street Bob, whether taking things easy or riding in a conga line with your mates through the twisties – that skinny 19-inch front tyre getting the workout of its life.

The mini ape hanger bars felt just right, the ample mid-mount controls a nice resting place for the feet. I didn't really want to let go of it – it was now my new favourite, seizing the crown from the previous Fat Bob and Heritage Classic co-leaders.

Now, if H-D could just offer it with the 114 Milwaukee-Eight engine…

Low Rider
A sales juggernaut in the Dyna ranks, the Low Rider in Softail guise may be a little 'daggy' compared to its contemporaries, but it's deceptive. It has similar-sized rubber to the Street Bob, but on cast wheels instead of wire, and it just loves the hustle and bustle.

In fact, Bikesales was Low Rider-mounted on day two's best offering: the ride up to the small community of Big Bear Lake. Superb cambers and a smooth and grippy tarmac were the ingredients, and the can-do attitude of the $24,250 rideaway Low Rider the ideal accompaniment. It's only a 1k heavier than the Street Bob, so there's no excess carriage to worry about either.

The Low Rider has dual gauges tank-mounted gauges, and it has an 18.9-litre tank like a number of its siblings. Harley-Davidson claims consumption of about 5lt/100km for the Milwaukee-Eight engine.

The Low Rider, as well as the Street Bob and Fat Bob, really showcase what a quantum leap Harley-Davidson has taken with the new Softail range over the old Dyna hardware. More composure, better acceleration, and cornering dexterity that once would have been a pipe dream.

Art-deco style
The Deluxe ($29,495 rideaway), complete with vintage cues and modern smarts, is the only model in the Softail family with white-wall tyres. Harley-Davidson describes the bike's styling as "art deco", and it's a boulevard machine in a similar ilk to the Fat Boy – but it steers and turns with far more deftness.

With a solo seat, the Deluxe joins the Softail Slim and Street Bob in the 'lone ranger' stakes – but I wasn't about to cut loose. In fact, I felt more relaxed on the Deluxe than any other Softail, with no real urge to crack open the throttle or shove it under the bike in front of me.

The Deluxe has a 30-degree steering angle, equal to all the other Softails other than the Fat Bob (28 degrees) and Breakout (34 degrees).

Breakout session
Which brings us to the culmination of a glorious two days as we sampled the best selling road bike (yes, ahead of the Street 500) in Australia – the Breakout.

A beautifully raked-out bike with a 1695mm wheelbase, the Breakout ($31,250 rideaway) is our pick as the Softail aesthetic king. The fuel tank is the only piece of the puzzle that doesn't quite fit – it just looks too small – but otherwise it's a styling exercise that hits the mark.

The geometry and wheel sizes – 18-inch rear (240mm tyre) and 21-inch front (130mm tyre) Gasser-style gloss-black powder-coated cast aluminium wheels – don't get the fast twitch fibres burning with anticipation, but don't be fooled – this bike can hammer.

It was a typical 'last roll of the dice' launch mentality, with the lead rider setting a serious pace on an Ultra Limited (yes, an Ultra), followed by a Fat Bob, yours truly, and then a Street Bob.

It was only about a 10-mile frolic, but with some body language injected into the equation the Breakout responds in kind. Dragster attitude doesn't necessarily mean 'straight only', and the agility it showed was yet more proof of a new chassis that simply refuses to tie itself into knots.

Summing up
Harley-Davidson is aiming big, and wants to introduce two million extra riders to the brand in America over the next 10 years, as well as growing its international business to the stage where it represents 50 per cent of volume.

Those ambitious targets are not going to be achieved in a vacuum – it's about new product, and plenty of it. Even electric.

The new Softails fall under that umbrella, and this 'big twin revolution' is an integral part of it. The Touring range has enjoyed plenty of love over the past 3-4 years, and now it’s the cruiser brigade showing its hand.

The abolition of the Dyna range may cut to the core for some – in fact some backlash is inevitable – but the streamlining of the cruiser range makes complete sense. There's modern power and sharp handling, and the rewards that come from those performance indicators cannot be underestimated.

The 2018 Softails start rolling into Australian dealerships from October 2017.