‘We had a great time’
HARLEY LOW RIDER ST 10,392 MILES Saff reflects on her time with Harley-Davidson’s Low Rider ST
How can I sum up my time with the Low Rider ST? If I had to pick one word, I’d say: ‘entertaining’. But thankfully I’ve got a few more words to play with, so let me explain exactly why I’ve found it so engaging. Even though things haven’t been perfect, I’ve had a great time on nearly every ride, and what more can you ask for in the grand scheme of things?
When I first got the ST, what immediately threw me was the riding position. The mid pegs seemingly pushed my knees into my chest while simultaneously stretching my arms towards the handlebars. After 10,000 miles together, I’m still not convinced that this is the perfect position for a tourer, but after fitting a new seat (H-D Sundowner seat - £385), I happily rode for hours at a time.
But the 1923cc Milwaukee-Eight 117 engine has more than made up for any oddness of seating position, or anything else that may have niggled me. It’s a great engine; smooth, powerful and has plenty of grunt (124lb.ft of torque at 3500rpm) and has surprised plenty of other riders with its acceleration.
The ST also creates a buzz wherever it is parked. I’ve had numerous people come up to me and ask how it is as they were keen on getting their own Harley, wanting to buy into one of the biggest brands in the world (both in motorcycling and in general) and hoping the Low Rider is the place to start. And in some ways, I think it’s the perfect first Harley.
Before I bought my personal Harley-Davidson (a Heritage Softail) I watched as everyone I knew got older Sportsters to start their Harley journey, but quickly wanted more grunt from the engine. Although modern Sportsters are vastly different from the earlier models, it proves that slightly bigger might be slightly better for a longer-lasting motorcycling relationship. With the Low Rider ST you’ve got the happy medium of it being small enough to manhandle, but not so small as to give you the itchy feeling of needing to step up again right away.
But as much as I’ve enjoyed the cross-Euro and UK journeys I’ve done on the bike, I haven’t had time to get it perfect for me, which I know is a point of passion for Harley enthusiasts, and if money was no object, I could see a Low Rider ST in my garage. But that will have to remain an empty space because at nearly £21,000 I can’t quite put my money where my mouth is – but if you can, you should.
‘The ST creates a buzz wherever it is parked’