Harley-Davidson’s Low Rider S is back with a bang for 2020
Harley-Davidson’s Low Rider S is back with a bang
O ‘Peak torque is a vast 114ftlb at a lowly 3000rpm’
If you’re familiar with deciphering HarleyDavidson’s range, you’ll know the Low Rider S name from the short-lived, muchloved musclebike lost when the Dynas folded into the Softails. And if you don’t recognise any of the words in that sentence then fear not, because this 2020 reincarnation shares nothing with its predecessor. So, let’s start from scratch.
The new Low Rider S is a stripped-down, street-hugging custom built with a generous serving of West Coast cool (think California, not Blackpool) and a modest slice of sporting intent. Want a relaxed retro to lie back and chill out on, an opulent twoup mile-muncher, or a gentle crosstown cruiser? Look elsewhere in Harley’s brochure. The Low Rider S exists so you can head off into the hills and batter twisty roads into submission, all while feeling like a complete badass. Its blacked-out engine finish, combined with your choice of black (£15,825) or silver (£16,175) paint, helps enhance the sense of mean and moody.
The brawny image is backed up by the biggest, most powerful motor in any of Harley’s regular road bikes; the Milwaukee-Eight 114. In plain English that’s an air-cooled, undersquare, 1868cc V-twin with fourvalve heads.
But for all its extreme dimensions, it’s surprisingly civilised. Fuelling and throttle response are smooth, the gearbox clunks a bit but shifts cleanly, and vibration at tickover is a charismatic, characterful chug rather than the shake, rattle and roll of previous Harleys.
Peak torque is a mammoth 114ftlb at a lowly 3000rpm; although, with a redline at just 5500rpm, that’s still halfway through the range. Tall gearing and a 308kg kerb weight means the titanic torque doesn’t translate to shoulder-dislocating acceleration on the road, but it still pulls with purpose and delivers a plentiful 93bhp top end. It sounds genuinely glorious on full throttle too, a rich, rounded racket of thick, gloopy bass pulses.
The chassis sits at the sporty end of Harley’s spectrum. Shorter, steeper and sharper than the regular Low Rider, this S version has the same tighter head angle, reduced wheelbase and longer-travel shock as Harley-Davidson’s Fat Bob. It also shares that bike’s upside-down Showa forks, pulled through the yokes to compensate for the Low Rider S’s 19in front wheel (the Fat Bob has a 16in front).
The S steers easily and obediently, at least within the limits of its 33° lean angle. Turnin isn’t quick but is intuitively smooth and tracks accurately, holding a line mid-corner without protest. The bolstered brakes (twin front discs are double the Low Rider’s set-up) have impressive power, and the forks offer decent support when you’re stopping hard.
But the riding position takes a lot of getting used to. As the name suggests, this is a short bike with a tarmac-scraping 690mm seat height. Combining that with mid-mounted footpegs makes for cramped legs, knees packed in high and tight, and thighs pointing up towards wrists. The handlebars are also updated from the regular Low Rider and are fairly flat, but sit high on a four-inch riser. The result is arms locked straight and level with your shoulders.
It’s like having your legs up in birthing stirrups while holding a snooker cue horizontal in front of you!
There are other frustrations, too. The small, tank-mounted clocks are awkward to glance at – they’d be better positioned on the wall of unemployed black plastic inside the headlight cowl. The various fixings and fasteners across the bike are a multitude of sizes, shapes and styles, with several bolts and clips looking particularly industrial. And there’s not a lot of luxury for your £16,000: a solo seat, minimal suspension adjustment and no electronics other than a basic ABS set-up and keyless ignition.
O ‘It sounds genuinely glorious on full throttle’