2021 Harley-Davidson Street Bob 114 Review

The 2021 Harley-Davidson Street Bob 114 isn’t for wallflowers – that was abundantly clear by the number of double-takes, thumbs-ups and positive comments I received over the couple of weeks this bike was in my care. But the appeal of the Harley-Davidson Street Bob 114 goes deeper than its ‘bad attitude’ bobber looks, because it sure doesn’t hang around when the talking stops, and the green light drops…

The looming 2021 Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 might be grabbing all the headlines right now (and we’re off to the media launch for Harley’s first adventure bike in just a few weeks), but the 2021 Harley-Davidson Street Bob 114 is also billed as a new model for this year’s Motor Co lineup.

Okay, so it’s not entirely new – in fact it takes over from where the Harley-Davidson Street Bob 107 left off – but it now has a mighty Milwaukee-Eight 114 V-twin slotted into its tubular steel frame. That means it packs another 10Nm of torque, while also being the most budget-friendly Big Twin to boast this 114 cubic inch (1868cc) V-twin engine.

In fact, you can get behind the Street Bob 114’s mini-ape handlebars for $23,995 ride away, which is just $1500 more than the entry point to Harley’s Big Twin range, the Softail Standard ($21,495 ride away) – although that model has the Milwaukee-Eight 107 engine.

Compared to other 114-engined siblings in Motor Co’s Cruiser range, like the Low Rider S ($27,995 ride away), Fat Bob ($29,995 ride away), Fat Boy ($33,995 ride away), and Breakout ($34,250 ride away), the Street Bob 114 offers Big Twin buyers some major bang for their bucks.

As the name suggest, the Street Bob 114 – for FXBBS, for Harley model code aficionados – is a bobber. That means it adopts a pared-back, minimalist aesthetic that pre-dates even choppers by a few decades, and was born of American Harley (and Indian) owners lightening their rides in the pursuit of extra performance. Think of it as an American prelude to the café racer culture that swept Britain in the ‘60s…

The 2021 Harley-Davidson Street Bob 114 then features chopped guards, a compact (LED) headlight, those mini-ape handlebars (internally wired for a cleaner look), and not much else to distract from the star of the show – that monster Milwaukee-Eight 114 V-twin.

In this particular model it pumps out a claimed 155Nm at 3250rpm. To put that into perspective, that’s 5Nm more than the new Suzuki Hayabusa – an icon of speed if ever there was one – even if the Hog has a slightly porkier 299kg wet weight (264kg for the Hayabusa).

Our test bike is adorned in the model’s standard Vivid Black paint job, which really comes up a treat with the orange panels on the side of the tank, complete with brand’s iconic ‘#1’ with the stars and stripes treatment.

Elsewhere you’ll find a heap of blacked-out components, like the two-into-two shotgun pipes, the handlebars, the ‘Ventilator’ air cleaner cover, and the engine itself, although the latter is accented with chromed pushrod tubes. And the whole thing is capped off with black laced wheels, with a 19-inch rim up front and a 16-incher at the rear.

There are three other colour schemes available but each command a $345 premium. Personally, I reckon this standard one is the pick of the bunch…

Typical of the breed, this is one long and low machine, with a 1630mm wheelbase and a 680mm seat height (655mm with a rider on board, says Harley). There’s a single-disc front brake (with four-piston caliper) with a twin-piston stopper at the rear, all of course backed by ABS.

As for instrumentation, you get a neat little digi display set into the top of the handlebar clamp. It has a basic trip computer too, with the all-important ‘range to empty’ feature.

That’s pretty important on a bike with a tiny 13.2-litre fuel tank, although we achieved an average fuel economy of between 5.2L/100km to 4.9L/100km, giving a safe range of between 230-250km. Now that’s not heaps, but it’s not too bad – to be honest it’s fine for a bike that’s more about hopping between bars and cafes around town, with the occasional day trip thrown in for good measure.

So what’s it like to ride? It’s a Harley Big Twin – which is to say it’s a substantial lump of a motorcycle, with excellent build quality and a beautiful finish. The handlebars are chunky, the clutch is on the heavy side and the transmission slams into first with a loud and satisfying ‘thunk’.

The big Milwaukee-Eight 114 whirrs into action at a press of a button and soon settles into a rhythmic, slightly lumpy idle. It’s a little on the sanitary side in terms of noise and note, but fear not – Harley-Davidson’s voluminous catalogue of Screamin’ Eagle performance parts is lying in wait, and will happily take your ride from mild to wild for a few more shekels.

Thing is, the Harley-Davidson Street Bob 114 is no slouch even in stock-standard trim. It lunges forward from a standing start and will propel to you ‘go directly to gaol’ speeds in the blink of an eye. And it’s all about the torque. Harley doesn’t even quote power outputs for its bikes, just the all-important Newton metres, and the Street Bob 114 isn’t left wanting.

It’s also a super-lazy mill if you just want to cruise. In fact, in sixth gear it’s barely ticking over at just 2300rpm, yet it will happily trickle along in first in stop-start traffic too.

Sixth gear is quite tall, to the extent that on roads with a 100km/h limit I found myself in fifth more often than not – sixth only really came into play at speeds above that. For that reason, fast highway overtakes work better in fifth, and there’s a heap of go on tap for that purpose.

Handling is well up to scratch, too. There’s enough cornering clearance for some fun through the bends (28.5 degrees either side, says Harley, so it’s no track bike), and the basic suspension (with adjustment limited to preload at the rear) does the job in a workmanlike manner. The Street Bob 114 will hold a line beautifully, but the ride can be harsh over bigger hits and dips.

Braking power is entirely adequate when both the front and rear brakes are used in conjunction, but the front doesn’t offer masses of power (or feel) on its own. That’s pretty typical of most cruisers, though.

But my biggest concern revolves around the ride position, which is similar to that of the Low Rider S I tested in late 2019. Mid-mount controls and a low seat height just don’t really accommodate my lanky frame, and there’s not a heap of distance between the seat and the handlebars.

I’m 6ft 2in tall (188cm) and it’s all just a bit cramped for me – a bit like a giraffe riding a tricycle, to paint a picture – but this wouldn’t be the case for anyone of average height or below.

The seat is, however, nicely sculpted, and unlike the Softail Standard there is a pillion pad too (for, shall we say, the more ‘compact’ pillions on your invitation list – this pillion seat is on the skinny side!).

There’s a keyless fob for the ignition (but a keyed steering lock), effective self-cancelling indicators, and an LED daytime running light, so ‘pared back’ doesn’t mean its bare-bones Spartan as far as features go.

As for niggles, the sidestand doesn't inspire confidence (sometimes, on kicking it out, it just swings straight back up again - it needs a stronger spring) and, despite the clean look, personally I'd prefer a locking fuel filler cap for a little added peace of mind.

But beyond all the individual aspects of this bike, riding the 2021 Harley-Davidson Street Bob 114 is simply a deeply satisfying experience. The edgy look, the torrid wave of grunt at your fingertips, the lustrous finish, the muted thump of that big ol’ 45-degree V-twin – to my mind, this bike encapsulates the essence of what a Big Twin Harley should be.

Harley-Davidson pushes this model as a minimalist ride ripe for customisation, and it is, but I think this is also a perfect ride for anyone considering jumping into Harley fold. If the ergonomics suit, the Street Bob 114 could easily be an evocative first step into the bold and extroverted world of Harley-Davidson Big Twins, and all for a relatively modest price…

ENGINE
Type: Air/oil-cooled, SOHC, four-stroke, four-valves-per-cylinder, 45-degree, Milwaukee-Eight 114 V-twin
Capacity: 1868cc
Bore x stroke: 102mm x 114mm
Compression ratio: 10.5:1
Fuel system: Electronic fuel injection

PERFORMANCE
Claimed maximum power: N/A
Claimed maximum torque: 155Nm at 3250rpm

TRANSMISSION
Type: Six-speed
Clutch: Wet, multi-plate
Final drive: Belt

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR
Frame type: Tubular steel
Front suspension: 49mm conventional fork, non-adjustable
Rear suspension: Monoshock, adjustable for preload
Front brake: Single 300mm disc with four-piston caliper, ABS equipped
Rear brake: 292mm disc with twin-piston caliper, ABS equipped
Wheels: Black spoked alloy – 19-inch front, 16-inch rear
Tyres: Dunlop D410; front 110/90B19, rear 150/80B16

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES
Claimed wet weight: 299kg
Seat height: 680mm
Wheelbase: 1630mm
Rake: 30 degrees
Trail: 157mm
Fuel capacity: 13.2 litres

OTHER STUFF
Price: from $23,995 ride away
Colours: Vivid Black (pictured), Stone Washed White Pearl (add $345), Baja Orange (add $345), or Deadwood Green (add $345)
Test bike supplied by: Harley-Davidson Australia
Warranty: 24 months, unlimited kilometres