MY18 Harley-Davidson Softail range

Ever since Big Arnie jumped a Harley-Davidson Fat Boy off a freeway overpass into a Los Angeles storm-water drain in Terminator 2 – Judgment Day, the Fat Boy model in question has been hot property.

Over the years, it’s been one of the best selling Harleys in Australia and, along with the more recent Breakout model, has helped ensure that the H-D brands continues to do well Down Under. So when Harley-Davidson replaces the entire Softail range – the Fat Boy and Breakout included – you better believe the eyes of the H-D faithful are upon the Milwaukee-based manufacturer.

And not everybody seems entirely happy about the move.

Why all the hand wringing?
It’s not that the Softail line-up wasn’t ready for a freshen up; the range could trace its direct lineage way back to 1984, which is an awfully long innings for any sort of motorcycle. But as well as deliver a whole new Softail platform, Harley also took the opportunity to merge the Softail with the Dyna model line-up.
And that’s what’s causing the most hand-wringing in Harley-owner circles right now.
The Dyna wasn’t as fashionable as the Softail, but its devotees were a passionate bunch and it’s arguable that, as a rider’s bike, the Dyna was a better mouse-trap than the Softail.
However, we’ve just ridden the new Softail range along some of California’s best riding roads, and we’re here to tell you that you have nothing to worry about.
The new Softail is a vastly improved machine and as well as making huge strides compared with the old Softails, the new bikes are also a bunch of rungs up the ladder compared with even the best of the old Dynas.

Better than before:
They mightn’t be called Dynas any longer, but the new bikes are fundamentally better machines in pretty much every way.
That starts at the very basics where Harley has developed an all-new frame (still in steel) which shaves anything up to 15kg from the overall weight of the bikes. The frame now also has improved geometry, yet still uses the single shock-damper unit that is hidden under the bike to give it that tough, hardtail look.
Harley has introduced two different swingarm widths to allow for a range of rear tyre sizes and there are three distinct steering-head angles to suit the various bikes and their intended personalities.
And to counter the argument that killing off the Dyna was reducing freedom of choice, the new Softail is available in no less than eight distinct variants.
And with those running gear options and specific tanks, guards, trims, colours, lighting, seats, handlebars and instrumentation differences, each of those eight is very much its own bike.

But it’s all about power
Power for the new range comes in the form of Harley’s new Milwaukee 8 engine which retains the H-D trademarks of air-cooling and a 45-degree vee-twin layout. Now, however, it’s a much more powerful unit than previous Harley V-twins and Harley claims these are the fastest, most powerful Softail models it has ever made. And despite being solidly mounted in the frame, the new motor is smoother, so doesn’t contribute any bad vibes.
Electronic fuel-injection and the more recent move to a four-valve-per-cylinder layout are the secrets, and the new motor can be had in 104 cubic-inch (1750cc) or optionally in 114 cubic-inch (1870cc) in the more expensive Softail models.

This is a big family…
The range kicks off with the Street Bob which is the entry-level bike and costs $23,495 and then moves all the way up to $31,750 with a different model every few hundred dollars. Other variants include the Fat Bob, Softail Slim, Low Rider, Deluxe, Heritage Classic and those headliners, the Fat Boy and Breakout.
There’s a big range of themes and styles going on, too, and whether it’s the classic looking Deluxe with its footboards and whitewall tyres, or the Fat Bob with its “zombie apocalypse” styling, the Softail range covers a lot of stylistic ground.

And what are they like on the road?
When it comes to the actual riding, our preference is for the models with the steeper steering-head angle and the skinnier rear tyre. The fat, 240-section rear tyre on the Breakout and Fat Boy, seems to make the bikes less inclined to tip into a corner, and less happy to hold that line once you have initiated it.
The big front tyre on the Fat Bob seems at odds with conventional bike-handling wisdom, but models like the Deluxe, Street Bob and – our favourite – the Softail Slim are relatively precise, natural steering bikes that feel lighter on their feet and sweeter than any previous big Harley. They still reward precision when tipping into a corner as their weight makes them less flickable than a sports bike, but that’s missing the point.
And if you do decide to have a crack on the new Softail, you’ll discover that this is one Harley-Davidson that can cope with corners. Where the previous generation Softails would dig their footpegs in to the road at small lean angles, these new bikes allow a lot more latitude from the rider. Beyond even that, the new bikes have a togetherness, and a feeling of the front end finally being on speaking terms with the rear end.
The looseness from the front-end of old H-Ds is gone, and the largely ornamental rear suspension of the old Softail has been replaced by a rear end that actually works and feels connected to the front.
The brakes are probably still an area that could do with improvement, but at least now, with the Softail’s new-found handling and cornering clearance, you don’t need to slow down as much before committing to a bend.
And while the 104 cubic-inch engine will be fine for most, the 114-inch version has more crack up top and a fatter mid-range.

A good bike, is a good bike
A previous-gen Softail won’t see which way the new bike went, particularly if there’s a corner involved. But it’s equally true that neither would the old Dyna models have been able to stay with these new machines.
And that’s Harley’s challenge right now; to get people riding the new bikes and discovering that it doesn’t matter whether it’s called a Softail or a Dyna: If it’s a good bike, it’s a good bike. The H-D faithful are, of course, a stubborn lot, but even the most hard-headed will have to come around eventually.

Fat Boy

. Aggressive, steamroller stance and front end design; 

. Modern-day interpretation of the classic headlight nacelle; 

. A 160mm front tyre, the widest-ever on a Harley-Davidson production model, wraps the solid Lakester front wheel;

. 16kg weight reduction to previous model;

. Standard ABS;

. 240mm rear tyre with solid Lakester rear wheel;

. Optional: Milwaukee-Eight 114 Engine; and

. Priced from $30,995 rideaway. 

Heritage Classic 

• New detachable windscreen; 

• New rigid, lockable, sealed, water-resistant saddlebags; 

• Taller suspension with increased passenger and cargo payload capacity; 

• 17kg weight reduction to previous model;

• Optional: Milwaukee-Eight 114 Engine;

• Standard cruise control and ABS; and

• Priced from $31,750 rideaway.

Low Rider

• Throwback-style dual tank-mount speedo and tachometer gauges, headlight visor and fuel tank graphics;

• 19-inch front and 16-inch rear Radiate cast wheels;

• 2-into-2 Shotgun exhaust; and

• Priced from $24,250 rideaway. 

Softail Slim 

• Dark finishes adorn the laced wheels, Hollywood handlebar, and all-new front-end design;

• Low-slung tuck and roll seat
Bold and smooth new front nacelle and fork cover styling;

• 17kg weight reduction to previous model; and

• Priced from $26,250 rideaway.

Deluxe

• Signature all-LED lighting from front to back: headlight, Tombstone taillight and blade-like turn signals;

• Signature pull-back handlebar;

• 17kg weight reduction to previous model; and

• Priced from $29,495 rideaway.

Breakout

• New smooth-top 13.2 litre fuel tank;

• Long and wide with low-slung raked out 49mm front forks;

• 18-inch rear (240mm tyre) and 21-inch front (130mm tyre);

• Gasser-style gloss-black powder coated cast aluminium wheels;

• Distinctive Daymaker Signature LED headlamp;

• Low-profile riser-mounted digital instrument screen;

• 17kg weight reduction to previous model;

• Optional: Milwaukee-Eight 114 Engine; and

• Priced from $31,250 rideaway. 

Fat Bob

• 2-1-2 upswept performance exhaust with a custom finish;

• Largest aggressively treaded tyres from the Motor Company: 150mm front and 180mm rear;

• Dual disc front brakes;

• 13.2 litre fuel tank;

• 15kg weight reduction to previous model;

• Inverted 43mm cartridge style front forks;

• Optional: Milwaukee-Eight 114 Engine; and

• Priced from $27,495 rideaway. 

Street Bob

• Smooth-top 13.2 litre fuel tank;

• Black spoke wheels with chopped fenders;

• Low-profile riser-mounted digital instrument screen;

• 7kg weight reduction to previous model;

• Lowest rideaway RRP in Softail range; and

• Priced from $23,495 rideaway.