Harley-davidson Low Rider S
Right badge, looks, sound and feel, and also the cheapest bike here. Harley’s unmistakable big V-twin is the rumblin’ benchmark that the new BMW needs to overpower
Walkers make crisps, Dr. Martens make boots, and Harley-davidson make cruisers. That’s it, that’s what they do. There might be bikes with huge fairings and panniers in their line-up, and they might categorise models as Street and Touring as well as Cruiser. However, all Harley’s bikes are designed for a laid-back ride with plenty of show and a signature rumble (apart from the electric Livewire, but we’ll gloss over that).
You only need to glance at the new-for-2020 Low Rider S to see where BMW’S glistening-fresh R18 is aimed. With their identical seat heights, indistinguishable footpeg positions, matching wheel sizes and just 66cc and two pound-feet separating the huge air-cooled pushrod twins (loose change when we’re talking almost two litres), this American bike is what the German firm wants to beat.
Perhaps surprisingly, the Low Rider S is lighter than the BMW – not just by a few grams, but a significant 37 kilos (308kg next to 345kg). You notice it immediately just wheeling the bikes around – and it makes the Triumph feel like an oil tanker when pushing it round a garage. It’s also obvious that the Harley is more compact as well, the stealthy V-twin clearly the slimmest bike here. Trim appearance is aided by the two-into-one Vance & Hines exhaust on this spotless demonstrator from Sycamore Harley-davidson (sycamorehd.co.uk, 01572 823296), also adding to the XLCR1000 feel of the bikini-clad Low Rider.
The pipe also turns the already deep soundtrack into the distinctive rumble associated with H-DS. ‘We get maybe 30 Harleys turn up at my local meet in the summer, and they’ve all got loud exhausts,’ smiles Dom. ‘This bike’s blasting, edgy, slapping-piston noise is good, but it’s the racket on the overrun that’s great.’ Of course, not everyone agrees. Harley’s narrow-angle 1868cc V-twin punches from idle. Out with the weighty, chunky clutch lever and it lumps forward hard – the initial impact is perhaps the greatest here. On paper its power, torque and revs are like-for-like with the BMW, but the Milwaukee-eight 114 eightvalve unit also has a revvier and more eager feel; the din from this bike’s race pipe is enhancing the sense of acceleration, but the V-twin definitely has the edge over the opposed twin. It can’t rival the avalanche of deep torque from the Triumph, of course, though makes up for this with far more character and connection than the sanitised triple. On the H-D it feels like the twistgrip is connected directly to the end of the crank.
The ‘S’ on the end of the name indicates a bike from the sporty end of the Harley scale. Shorter and with a steeper head angle than the regular Low Rider, its chassis geometry is also sharper than the R18. Handling isn’t exactly quick, in fact the American iron is heavy and unresponsive after the British aluminium. However, it swings cleanly and easily, and follows lines with more accuracy and greater control from its upside
‘It’s the racket on the overrun that’s great. It sounds brilliant’
down Showa forks than ye olde Harleys. Like the BMW its low-mounted footpegs start surfing tarmac early, keeping you to a laid-back flowing pace while the up-on-its-toes Triumph scurries into the distance.
So far, so good. But there are grumbles. Harley’s quality, reliability and finish are light years from the creations that limped out the factory under AMF control. Their modern bikes don’t break down, have robust finishes and the features work as they should. Next to the classy R18 the Low Rider S isn’t as impressive, though. ‘I know it’s the cheapest but it’s still sixteen grand, yet doesn’t always feel like a premium product,’ muses Dom, tapping the plastic tanktop clock housing. ‘The switchgear looks like something off a 20-year-old Korean car, and the seat is like sitting on a car-wash sponge wrapped in gaffer tape. And I don’t get on with the riding position.’ Perhaps worse, it’s the bike that requires the most rider input. Yes, we know, it’s all about sensations and feel, but the Low Rider S is not an overly easy bike to ride. Hand controls are heaviest, handlebar grips are needlessly thick, the gearbox is clunkiest and has the longest lever throw, and the chassis is the least balanced at low speed – you can do full-lock feet-up U-turns on the BMW where the H-D has you dabbing. Then again, it’s a Harley. And if you want a Harley, nowt else will do.
‘Cruisers are back, and finer than stereotypes and prejudices would ever have you believe’