Sporty Softail spied in video
Track thrasher expected soon as US firm hogs the headlines
As if a glut of new middleweights and electric bikes wasn’t enough (as seen in last week’s MCN), Harley have teased more new models in their ‘More Roads to Harley’ video. Just over halfway through, we get a fleeting glance of a new bike being thrashed around the track. Details are scarce but the label on the dash says this new model will be an FXDR. The F designation means it will have a big twin engine, which is currently the 1750cc Milwaukee-Eight. The X is a carry-over from the first sporty big twins when Harley combined their tourers with their Sportsters. The D would indicate it’s a Dyna, but since that model has been replaced by the Softail range, we can safely assume it will be a Softail. And the R means we can expect something racy. It looks to have large diameter Showa Dual Bending Valve upside-down forks, as seen on the Fat Bob but without the fat front wheel. It also has the small LED dash from the Breakout and clip-on handlebars. Seeing a new performance focused bike, as well as Harley’s promise that the new middleweights will come with a proper electronics package, leaves us wondering if an electronics update is coming for the big twins, too. These machines already have ABS and ride-by-wire throttle, so it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to add traction control or rider modes. It could be a good way in for Harley with new tech on an existing platform, rather than a brand new one. Harley traditionally unveil new products in August, so we might see these at Harley’s 115th Anniversary in Milwaukee at the end of the month, but with all this shouting now, we might not see anything official until the Milan Show in November.
‘A new bike is being thrashed on a circuit’