Harley Davidson Softail Low Rider S 2022. Details and first test

Harley Davidson Low Rider

The series has been a commercial success since its introduction in 1977 as the FXS Low Rider, featuring alloy wheels, dual front brake discs and a low seat height of just 66 cm. The Low Rider was then transferred to the Dyna platform in 1993 and released as the FXDL. , having gained a new portion of people's love.

When the newest version of the Softail platform was introduced in 2022, the shocking news was that it had absorbed the Dyna platform, causing some panic among fans of the series' twin rear shock absorbers. The new Harley Davidson Low Rider, created on the Softail platform, was considered by fans of the brand to be an impostor, unworthy of attention. Aftermarket prices for the Dyna Low Rider S immediately went up, even though the new Softail-based Low Rider is an all-around better bike.

What's with the comfort of the Harley Davidson Dinah Love Rider?

The developers have modified the handlebars, seat and footpegs for a better ride for bikers of medium and small stature. Now it is possible to move the steering handles closer to the steering wheel by as much as six centimeters, and to move the saddle forward by 3 centimeters. Any problems, of course, cannot be avoided, but this has greatly improved the ergonomics. Using a similar method, the footrests themselves can be adjusted, so customers can find the best position.

But, regardless of the rider’s height, the knees are too high at the elbows, and the saddle is too low. When purchasing, you need to test the bike; not everyone will like its unusual fit, and for some even it will be uncomfortable.

This bike looks out at the track beyond its small fairing and is easily recognizable. For fast driving at a low landing, you need a fairing. The designers placed the canopy deeper into the windshield - this moment gave the bike an aggressive look. This motorcycle is quite powerful and easy to control. The motor is air cooled. The bike has Premium Ride suspension components at the front and rear, which provide better handling and high comfort.

Nice rack-mounted handlebars, an updated saddle and mid-mounted controls give the biker's riding position some aggressiveness. The braking structure is equipped with ABS. The “base” includes a Harley-Davidson cruise control system and alarm system, equipped at the enterprise. The motorcycle is quite easy to control, equipped with all the devices that should be in modern motorcycles.

The bike is light and mobile, superbly assembled. The Harley-Davidson Dyna Low Rider includes all the hallmark street custom features that define its segment. The basic equipment includes exceptional paintwork, giving the brand an original look.

Harley Davidson Softail Low Rider S 2022

Design

In the 2022 lineup, we will see the new Harley Davidson Softail Low Rider S, which will become a more powerful version of the Softail Low Rider with a larger engine, a sportier front end and a more hooligan character.

Harley Davidson Softail Low Rider S 2020

The look of the new Low Rider S builds on the heritage of the world's revered Low Riders from the '80s and the latest Dyna-based Low Rider S, says Brad Richards, vice president of styling and design at Harley Davidson. We've built a motorcycle with traditional styling and bold character on a Softail chassis, and our new Low Rider S is more powerful, agile and cool than ever.

Additional cool was achieved with a black finish covering almost all of the Low Rider's metal parts, reminiscent of the Dyna LR-S.

The list of black elements includes:

• The engine, final drive cover and tank stem are painted in textured Wrinkle Black
• Clutch cover, intake and valve cover bottoms are gloss black
• Mufflers and covers - Jet Black
• Fork, triple clamp, spacer, handlebars and rear fender mounts - matte black

The S version differs from the current Low Rider version by the increased cubic capacity of the Milwaukee-Eight engine (1868 cc versus the previous 1753), the peak torque is increased from 149 to 161 Nm (both by 3000 rpm).

The front of the motorcycle has become more sporty: in addition to the second brake disc, the motorcycle has acquired an inverted 43rd Showa fork. Thanks to a sharper fork offset angle (28 degrees), which slightly shortened the wheelbase from 163 to 161.5 cm, the motorcycle began to steer sharper. For comparison, the Dyna Low Rider had a laid-back fork with a 32-degree offset angle.

Performance lovers will undoubtedly appreciate the beefy fork and larger brakes of the 2022 Harley Davidson Softail Low Rider S, but you need to understand that they have also increased the weight by almost 6 kg according to official information. However, it’s unlikely that the extra pounds will be noticeable with such a cubic capacity, and with a slight movement of your hand you direct this monster to cut through the wind, which is helped by a new small windshield, another element that refers to the Dyna LR-S.

Landing in the spirit of the Sons of Anarchy - leaning forward with outstretched arms to a narrow one-inch handlebar on a 10-centimeter spacer. Harley dealers have repeatedly informed the factory that platforms are no longer in trend, and here is the answer - pegs with a neutral or even sharp knee angle.

The 2022 Harley Davidson Softail Low Rider S Solo Seat with High Backrest sits 67.3cm off the ground—only slightly higher than the standard Low Rider. It is quite soft and helps smooth out those bumps that the excellent Showa suspension with 86 mm of rear wheel travel cannot cope with. The spring preload of the monoshock absorber is set with a convenient hydraulic adjuster.

Harley Davidson Softail Low Rider S 2020

Our route included a long winding section, and the Harley Davidson Softail Low Rider S completed it at a good speed, taking into account the curb weight of 308 kg and more than one and a half meters of wheelbase. The narrow handlebar looks cool, but makes steering somewhat difficult: you have to control the motorcycle with a very conscious effort of your hands, and not with an “effort of thought.” The Softail's chassis is stable and doesn't wobble when cornering, inspiring confidence, and the maximum rake angle is 30.1 degrees—half a degree more than the standard Low Rider.

Brakes

The brakes are excellent for a cruiser - two four-piston Nissin calipers on 300 mm discs with steel (not rubber) lines. Feedback is crisp, if not exceptionally crisp, and the modulation is precise enough to produce a slight, controlled stall from the front wheel at will. However, stock ABS prevents all the undesirable consequences of playing with the brakes.

Engine

The Milwaukee-Eight engine continues to impress no matter what chassis it's in. The clutch is squeezed out quite easily for such a colossus, and the gearbox is soft, not counting the clunk between first and second. The Harley Davidson Softail Low Rider S engine produces excellent low-end thrust from 2000 rpm, and it increases powerfully and linearly until the cutoff of 5500.

Harley Davidson Softail Low Rider S 2020

The Milwaukee-Eight engine features two balancer shafts to reduce vibration, and rubber mounts eliminate vibration almost completely, even on a rigid chassis. It works almost as expected, minus minor vibrations that can be felt by the hands despite the fact that the steering wheel is also mounted on rubber pads. It seems that the extra volume, which gives more power, simply generates more powerful vibrations than on the 107 version.

Cons of the 2020 Harley Davidson Softail Low Rider S

Well, since we’re talking about minuses, I’ll mention that the tachometer on the remote tank is not very easy to read, because it is located practically under the rider’s stomach, and the heat from the exhaust is very felt by the right foot.

I personally would also prefer a shorter-throw throttle handle, so that I don’t have to twist my hand so much to fully open it.

Harley Davidson Softail Low Rider S 2020

Pros of the 2020 Harley Davidson Softail Low Rider S

From the cons to the pros of the 2020 Harley Davidson Softail Low Rider S: Let's praise Harley engineers for the deep velvety tone produced by the dual-barrel exhaust. It's loud enough to sound impressive, but not angry enough to be obnoxious - a great compromise in my opinion. I also liked the powerful levers that feel comfortable to squeeze with your fingertips, not to mention the excellent auto-off turn signals that keep you from looking like a crazy old man on the road, even if it's true.

Overall, I enjoyed my time in the saddle of the Harley Davidson Softail Low Rider S. It is full of hooligan character and practically devoid of flaws. If you're looking for a premium cruiser without panniers, the LR-S is definitely worth a look. The bike is available in Vivid Black and Barraduca Silver.

Specifications

Like other Harley Davidson motorcycles, Daina is valued by fans for its design space, maintainability and being one of the “real iron motorcycles for real men.” And indeed, looking at this compact silhouette, it’s hard to believe that it weighs more than 300 kg! Moreover, thanks to the ingenious work of American engineers, this mass is almost not felt, since the center of gravity is greatly shifted down.

Engine, transmission and chassis

Over the years, the Harley Davidson Dyna has been equipped with different frames, engines, transmissions and everything else. To talk about all these modifications would require writing a book of medium thickness! Therefore, we will focus on the last generation, produced until 2022, after which the line was discontinued, and the remaining models from it migrated to the Softail family, acquiring new frames.

All modifications of the latest generation bike, with the exception of the CVO, were equipped with a TwinCam 103 engine with a volume of 103 cc. inches (1690 cc). This is an air-cooled V-twin without balancer shafts (the version with a balancer was installed only on the Softail line), in fact, it is a highly modified version of the TwinCam 88, which replaced the Evolution engine at the turn of the millennium. The engine produces 87 hp. and 126 Nm of torque, and the American manufacturer always indicates “honest” parameters on the rear wheel, and not on the crankshaft. And the Harley Davidson Dyna in the CVO version even received a Screamin' Eagle 110 engine with a volume of 1802 cc. cm.! Its technical characteristics are impressive - 95 hp, 145 Nm.

The transmission of all versions of Harley-Davidson Dyna, released in 2006 or later, is 6-speed. The top, sixth, gear serves as an “overdrive”. Acceleration on it is rather sluggish, so it is needed mainly to reduce engine speed after reaching cruising speed in order to save fuel. However, the bike’s consumption is already low, about 5 liters per 100 km. He prefers to use AI-95 on a motorcycle, but many owners also use AI-92 at their own peril and risk. The volume of the gas tank varies from 17 to 19 liters for different versions.

The chassis also deserves attention. American engineers stubbornly refuse to use light-alloy frames, preferring good old steel. This massive design was equipped with a classic suspension with a telescopic fork at the front and two shock absorbers at the rear, which, it should be noted, are very rigid in most modifications. Braking is handled by one or two discs on the front wheel plus one more on the rear. Braking efficiency increased in 2014, when the large-scale Rushmore project was implemented, and all Harley-Davidson models, without exception, received an ABS system as standard.

Conclusion

Harley-Davidson is not just a motorcycle, it is a cult. If you want to get in on the action, the Dyna is a great choice. And when you can list at least three dozen existing modifications of this stylish chopper without hesitation, you can safely consider yourself a member of the “American sect.”

Specifications