Harley Davidson Softail Deluxe Cruiser
The Harley Davidson Softail Deluxe is a heavy dose of nostalgia and classic design with a powerful Milwaukee Eight 107 engine. Its 147 lb-ft of torque translates into the fastest top-gear acceleration of any of the company's 45-degree V-twins. The charm and ragged rhythm of the engine, which even the brand's oldest fans will easily recognize, has not been lost, and ABS and an old-school feel are included as standard, so it truly is a fusion of two different eras.
Harley Davidson Softail Deluxe Design
By 2022, Harley Davidson has changed everything possible in the Softail family. The Softail line was not only completely redesigned, but also absorbed key models from the defunct Dyna line, becoming the only cruiser family among baggers, Sportsters and Streets.
Today's Softail Deluxe traces its lineage back to 1949, when Harley Davidson first installed a hydraulic fork on a motorcycle, replacing the springer front suspension on a dry FL frame, marking the beginning of the Hydra-Glide. The essence of the nature of Softails is that they retain the original geometry of “dry” frames, starting with the upper contour, a continuous line running from the steering column to the rear axle, ending with a triangular pendulum, imitating part of a rigid frame in appearance, but, fortunately, not in feel from driving.
The front fender is a nod to the old FL series, with a chrome lip at the front and a small trim at the lower end reminiscent of the old deep fenders that covered half the wheel. But today's fender doesn't have a deep skirt at all, revealing a spoked wheel and a gangster tire with whitewalls. The chrome cover masks the hub on the right side, where there is no brake disc, and the motorcycle, like a fashion model, has a “working” side and an “ugly” side.
The standard non-upside-down cruiser fork is covered with classic chrome “beer can” shrouds, like the triple clamp, adding visual weight to the front of the motorcycle and masking the “ugly” mechanical elements. The manufacturer abandoned the large headlight housing in favor of a simple classic design with a super-bright LED headlight surrounded by running lights, under which there are LED turn signals. The rear turn signals follow the design of the front ones, also located on curved chrome “whiskers”.
The low, wide, and swept-back handlebars are mounted in long, similarly swept-back spacers, providing an upright (and for tall riders, somewhat slouched) position, while forward platforms with foot controls complete the classic American cruiser riding position.
The 68cm seat height (unloaded) is comfortable for all but the shortest riders, and while a two-person seat is available in the accessories catalogue, the stock solo seat has a great, classic look that almost replicates the hardtail seats of bygone eras. The original seat of the old models was folding in the front and had a spring suspension, partially compensating for the lack of suspension on the rear wheel, but nowadays “frogs” are already a styling element that is not installed in stock.
Review of the Harley-Davidson CVO Softail Deluxe 2015 motorcycle
The coolest Softail and a great lightweight tourer.
Harley-Davidson recently announced its 2015 models, including four CVO ( Custom Vehicle Operations ) models that proudly represent the manufacturer's most sophisticated and high-quality motorcycles. HD have prepared three models based on the touring chassis ( CVO Street Glide , CVO Road Glide Ultra , and CVO Limited ) and one model of the Softail family - CVO Softail Deluxe . Obviously, these are all four touring motorcycles, but the Softail is the lightest tourer of them , from which you can easily remove the windshield and panniers, turning it into a touring bike.
For the 2015 model year, the manufacturer significantly updated the Softail line, improving the front brakes. Previously, the system used a single four-piston caliper compressing a 292mm disc, but the decision was made to improve all components. Firstly, the disc diameter was increased to 300 millimeters. Secondly, the caliper is still a four-piston caliper, but the pistons are now 32mm and 34mm. Harley-Davidson didn't go into detail, but this multi-size design is often used to ensure equal pad pressure and wear for maximum braking performance. The pistons also received a special coating to reduce static friction. In addition, the hydraulic brake master cylinder has a higher gear ratio. And of course, the designers carefully worked on all the new parts so that they not only work properly, but also look beautiful.
Harley-Davidson representatives claim that braking has become 40% easier. Calculating a percentage improvement in braking force per unit of force applied isn't easy, but the new 2015 Softail definitely drops speed better. This means that the driver doesn't just have more front-brake power, the Softail already had strong enough brakes to stop the front wheel. Interaction with the brake lever now requires less effort, so that it is easier to adjust the force of pressing the brake. Rear brakes remain unchanged for the 2015 model year, but the entire Softail line minus the Softail Slim gets ABS as standard (it remains an option on the Slim).
The gloss and depth of the paint make it clear that this is a custom with a high-quality finish.
Another change affecting the entire Softail line is the side step. Shorter riders of Softail motorcycles complained that it was too far to reach. Harley-Davidson designers have changed the design of the footrest and made it easier to install, for everyone, regardless of height.
The CVO Softail Deluxe, like all custom CVO series, is the most “pumped up” base model. The solid-mount Twin Cam 103B engine is replaced with an air-cooled Screamin' Eagle Twin Cam 110 V-twin. In addition to the increased displacement (1,801 cc), the engine features a factory boost tune and additional high-performance parts associated with the Screamin' Eagle brand.
The Screamin' Eagle Twin Cam 110 engine is available standard on CVO models only.
The CVO Softai lDeluxe oozes chrome, from the 9-spoke cast aluminum wheels to the removable luggage rack and rear seat handle. In addition, there is a set of additional chrome and rubber parts Harley-Davidson Slipstream Collection, which includes: narrow handles, foot shifter, rubber brake pedal padding, platform pegs, passenger pegs and rubber padding on the footrests for upper protection engine. Next up are a few things we typically see on the Softail Convertible: a removable windshield (with built-in Road Techzumo 660 GPS) and detachable, lockable leather-covered saddlebags. The seat has a removable passenger part, which can be easily removed when traveling alone. The Daymaker LED front headlight and fog lights ensure optimal visibility at night.
The Daymaker LED headlight and fog lights provide bright white light.
Having spent some time behind the wheel of the new CVO Softail Deluxe, we can say that it is a typical Softail motorcycle, with the exception of the powerful 110B engine, the rugged character of which matches the bold design of the bike. Despite the increase in displacement, the engine is as smooth at all speeds as its smaller brother; except that at the lowest speeds there are sometimes “sneezes”. As is the case with all Softails, the ground clearance is quite low, but this can also be found in its advantages: it is very cool to turn, sparkling the pegs on the asphalt. The main thing is that the chassis itself does not come into contact with the road. The small rear suspension travel means the ride isn't plush on uneven pavement. But unless you take this custom tourer outside of its “habitat”, the smile will never leave your face.
Chrome wheels with white lining.
Is the CVO Softail Deluxe worth the money ($28,999 in the US)? Each buyer decides this for himself. Softail fans will be hard pressed to find a better member of the line than the CVO Deluxe. Harley-Davidson has a clear idea of the ideal buyer for such a motorcycle: someone who wants an expensive Harley, but is not eager to bother with customizing it on their own. In that case, the CVO Softail Deluxe is just what you need.
Harley Davidson Softail Deluxe Chassis
Harley Davidson has been making Softails since 1984, but last year they made their biggest design changes ever. The manufacturer has improved the handling of not the most nimble vehicles, making their frame lighter and at the same time more durable. As before, the frame consists of welded sections made from sections of steel pipes, but the smart guys behind the electronic drawing boards managed to reduce the number of components by 50% and the number of welded joints by 22%, resulting in a weight gain: almost 6 kg for wide models FL series and more than 8 kg for narrow FX series models. Added to this is the fact that the new frame is 65% stiffer than the previous one, and it turns out that the new models steer much better and “walk” less in corners.
Also, new Harley Davidson products have parted ways with the long-familiar, simplest suspension, replaced by a Showa Dual Bending Valves fork , which has a type of automatic damping adjustment depending on the frequency of suspension vibrations. This suspension, of course, is not a full-fledged replacement for custom forks, but it works much better than the previous generation, and we hope that in one of the next updates we will have tuning of the front suspension.
The rear suspension consists of a monoshock absorber with an external spring hidden directly under the seat, on which a special pendulum of a characteristic silhouette is suspended. The monoshock absorber has a spring preload setting that ensures comfortable suspension operation when the load changes in the range of 110 kg. The headset geometry features a 30-degree reach angle and 144mm of trail, providing stability on straight sections, even in strong crosswinds.
A single four-piston caliper is mounted at the front, while a two-piston caliper is mounted at the rear. With a weight of 316 kg, I would like to have two brake discs at the front, but here the situation is somewhat smoothed out by ABS, which allows you to squeeze the maximum out of the existing braking system.
Hello Bikepost! Harley has already written about this here, more than once. But my story will probably be the most detailed. As always, I offer two versions of the review - video and text with beautiful photographs. I hope you will enjoy!
The Harley-Davidson Heritage Softail series first appeared in 1986, and by 1990 it acquired all the features of modern Heritage Softail Classics - large glass, saddlebags, and a chandelier. And, to be honest, over the past 25 years, that motorcycle has changed only slightly: the engine size has grown, modern gadgets like ABS and injection have appeared, new tires, a six-speed gearbox, the palette of colors has become wider. But overall, this motorcycle was and continues to be one of the most classic Harleys, a kind of keeper of traditions. Even if you teleport him to the 70s, there will still be few specialists there who can discern modern technologies in Classic.
This big iron motorcycle is unlikely to surprise you with anything at first glance - the seat is as wide as it is soft, and all the controls are extremely familiar to motorcycles from Milwaukee. Hefty bearded men will appreciate thick grips, which are not so comfortable for an ordinary person to hold on to. On each there is a button for the corresponding direction indicators. The buzzer, light control, and cruise control, by the way, are very clear and convenient - on the left. In general, everything is as usual. Even the speedometer is in a traditional saucer on top of the gas tank. The only thing that stands out from all this is the iron toggle switch for turning on the side lamps of the chandelier. It can be found far ahead, under the steering wheel. It’s difficult to reach there while walking, so it’s easier to turn on the entire chandelier at once and just forget about the toggle switch.
After reviewing the Heritage Softail Classic's specs, I began to get nervous and worried about how I would cope with this 347-pound bison in a hellishly congested metropolitan area. But within the first 50 meters of the ride, this motorcycle completely changed my idea of how a truly large motorcycle could handle. He is balanced, he is understandable, he is calm. All this helps you quickly forget about the heavy weight and sizeable dimensions and crawl between cars even at a snail’s pace! I really, probably for another half hour, could not believe that this was even possible. And not because I’m a super cool rider, but because over so many years the engineers have gradually brought the balance of the motorcycle to perfection.
But all this applies to the Softail only at speeds up to 100 km/h... On the first day I tried to rev it up to the limit - after all, a 1.7-liter engine requires the motorcycle to have decent dynamics, top speed and indecent fuel consumption. And if everything is clear with gluttony - 8 liters of gasoline for every 100 kilometers, then with the first point the Classic frankly surprised me. On the “autobahn” it can be done by any normal road four hundred like Sibikha or Khyzher! Why? Firstly, it frankly turns sour after 150 km/h and then hardly picks up speed. And secondly, it’s really scary to drive it on this “first space mission”! For example, this is how the process of changing lanes from lane to lane happens: I make a slight counter-movement with the steering wheel, but before the maneuver the motorcycle first shudders with its whole body from the front to the rear wheel, then it wobbles a little and only after that it turns where it should. Feels like you're riding on a huge jelly 
The second factor limiting the speed potential of this beautiful Harley is the brakes, which are frankly sluggish for a 350-kilogram carcass. Yes, there is ABS, although it allows for micro-blocking and squealing of the tires, but it does not correct the situation. You have to constantly work with both circuits. And all the time mentally check yourself: “Dude, slow down, we’re not on a V-Rod!”
By the way, about revolutions. This motorcycle has a tachometer, but only an electronic one - in a small window in the center of the speedometer. There you can also track the number of the gear engaged, time and mileage.
After driving around Yaroslavka and the Moscow region, re-reading the description on the press site and admiring the flakes of paint beautifully shimmering in the rays of the setting sun, I gradually realized that this motorcycle should be assessed not by dry numbers of characteristics, but solely by the emotions that it gives in the process operation. With your heart, if you like.
Just take the torque, on paper – 129 Nm. A lot of! But in reality this means that the motorcycle can start moving even in 4th gear! Yes, barely. But the fact itself is possible!
How did I find out? Oooh, this is a separate interesting story! I’m not used to torturing the equipment and I wouldn’t deliberately start in a higher gear. But it so happened that one day during the test I noticed a little late the red traffic light ahead, and since at such moments I always try to follow the letter of the traffic rules, I immediately began to brake intensively and click down the gears. Click, click, click, click, click! So, it seems, the first one. But the gear counter on the dashboard went out, what a nuisance! I stopped and tried again to shift into a lower gear. Well, stopudov already the first! The green light turns on, I start to move away and instantly realize that the motorcycle is about to choke. I gradually add speed, press the clutch a little at a time, and the chrome-plated ship gradually comes to life. A few more seconds pass and the number 4 appears on the screen. Yep, this is fourth gear!
Yes, this is not a sportbike, but a cruiser, so you shouldn’t expect rifle-like precision from its box. Even if it is a six-speed one. And this is a Harley, so catching neutral when pulling up to a traffic light is almost impossible. Last year's Street had exactly the same feature.
This motorcycle is designed for traveling around sunny California. With a couple of clicks you set the cruise control to 100 kilometers per hour and admire the landscapes passing by. You can’t drive quickly on the plain, because after 110 km/h the air flow coming off the edge of the front glass begins to hit the helmet unpleasantly. In the forehead area, and not to press, but to hit with pulsations of pressure, which causes a headache after an hour. This is with my height of 183 cm. Short drivers will be more comfortable. True, this drawback can be cured by purchasing even higher glass from the company’s parts catalog. But it costs as much as a new 125 cc pit bike . Therefore, I would prefer another, simpler method - use the quick-release windshield mounts and simply leave it in the garage. In general, I like the Heritage Softail Deluxe version much better, because it is uncompromising and more stylish. Nothing extra. But the problem is, I'm in the minority. Because, judging by the sales sites, 99% of Deluxe owners equip their motorcycles with parts from the Classic - panniers, glasses, bars, that's all.
The classic is a philosophical motorcycle. Immerses the rider in zen and calm and allows him to relax, sorting out his own thoughts and taking a break from everyday stress. Thick whitewall tires, a comfortable seat ottoman and very soft suspension almost completely isolate the rider from problem areas of the road. Let me remind you that this pseudo-hardtail has two shock absorbers hidden in the lower part of the frame, suspending the rear wheel. And glass almost completely protects from the wind, unless you heat more than a hundred. Even vibrations do not bother you, because the motor has a balancer shaft!
And this Zen is permanent. If you want to speed up and ride recklessly, the motorcycle will immediately figure out how to cool your ardor. For example, the foot platforms will begin to grind on the asphalt. He likes to do this every second turn. Or it will respond dissatisfied with vibrations to a sharp opening of the throttle.
No, this brilliant trainer must be ridden steadily and without sudden changes in position and speed. And always with a beautiful passenger, so that the comfortable back seat with a backrest is not empty, and so that ordinary people drool and envy! Believe me, you can find a travel companion on such a two-wheeled chrome sofa in 5 minutes. For the first time in my life, I came on it to hang out at the Show, and while I managed to eat one glass of ice cream from a local mobile kiosk, 5 people and even one Buddhist monk took photos with Harley! What kind of joke was this? To be honest, I still don’t understand)
The Heritage Softail Classic is a premium motorcycle. Such bikes are not often found on the streets, which is not surprising given the price of 1,800,000 rubles. But if in the automotive world players in the premium segment are still somehow trying to justify the inflated cost of equipment, stuffing it with the most expensive materials and the coolest and most modern technologies, then in the two-wheeled world everything is a little different. Yes, there are individual manufacturers that offer customers technological chips, carbon gadgets and fashionable finishes. But this is definitely not about Harley! Here you pay for history, for hefty logos of the legendary brand, for beautiful pinstripe lines, applied not by a soulless robot, but by the hand of a living human artist. For hundreds of kilograms of American iron and chrome, after all!
You say this is not enough? Well, then this is definitely not the place for you. I warned you that this motorcycle should be assessed not with your brain analyzing every nut, but with your heart. And if so, then you can really blame it only for its digitization. And we’re not talking about ABS and fuel injection at all. No, the trouble is that you can’t hear the signature potato-potato from the exhaust at all! Generally speaking! Yes, the mufflers in the back rustle and gurgle somehow, but this is absolutely unacceptable for such a motorcycle! The standard exhaust, like the windshield, is asking for a landfill. And the second thing that was castrated in this motorcycle is the signature vibrations! There are practically none due to the balance shaft. This is something you should be ashamed of, Harley marketers! Do you hear? And not the power of 70 horsepower (according to tests of colleagues from Moto magazine), which you stubbornly hide from clients.
PS I also forgot to mention in the video that in this Harley his right leg gets very hot in the heat) And that his panniers are not fixed in the upper position and, thereby, complicate loading/unloading. This drawback was pointed out to me by fellow chopper drivers.
Milwaukee-Eight engine
The Softail Deluxe has received many new goodies and tricks, but the main one remains the Milwaukee-Eight engine. Harley Davidson is stubborn in its love for 45-degree V-twins, and here we agree with them. To our great joy, they abandoned the ugly Twin Cam engines in favor of a single-shaft design, time-tested and quite effective.
The engine is long-stroke, with a 100 mm bore and 111 mm stroke, a total volume of 1746 cc (107 cubic inches) and a compression ratio of 10:1. The engine has the same uneven combustion pattern as before, since the connecting rods are still on a common journal, but thanks to the addition of a balancer shaft, the engine has lost almost all of its vibrations, which are an eternal cause for disputes between fans and opponents of the brand.
The Mil-8 has more powerful acceleration than previous engines. It doesn't matter if you're in fifth or sixth gear, the engine always has something to say when you lift the throttle. In sixth gear, the Deluxe has no problem cruising at highway speeds at low revs, and although the bike may lack panniers, it has everything else to last a couple of hundred kilometers.
The engine turned out great: 147 Nm of torque puts the new Softail in the category of power cruisers , and given that this torque is already available at 3000 rpm, there is no need to rev it up to drive.
So far it doesn’t have any electronic miracles such as traction control or riding modes, but since this is not the first time that the company’s factory trikes have been testing new technologies, and this year they received new active safety equipment, we expect that in a year or two everything this will also appear on two-wheeled models.
Harley-Davidson
I apologize to the readers who were waiting for this material and expressed indignation. The fact is that at the Prague Harley Days there were no 18-year-old models! Saved for dessert for the twentieth anniversary of “Faker”. In general, Prague Harley Days 2022 was a disappointment, but that’s not what this article is about.
So, September 9, 2022, Austria, Lake Faak, test ride of the second generation Softail.
This is Slim
Street Bob
Breakout
Another Street Bob
... and here is Lowrider, like Slim, I saw him live for the first time
Given the lack of time, it was not possible to ride “everything,” so my choice was predetermined. If there is only ONE motorcycle, then it will be ... Deluxe. The most provocative and at the same time, oddly enough, recognizable design is with a “gravestone” on the rear wing. Regular 107 engine, thin wheels, just like a motorcycle should have to live. I was even more excited to learn that there was only ONE Deluxe in the entire test park, yes. Whereas the “fat bass” was brought in half a truck. Looks like it will be a bestseller.
I signed up for the test first thing in the morning, on the run, arguing that I was stuck with work. I had to beg, they didn’t want to write it down in advance, but I persuaded him. They said that in order to catch the last ride, you need to be there at 17-30. I came running at 18:03 in complete despair, but somehow managed, apparently, fate. I was the last test rider this year, and, as it turned out later, I left without documents) But first things first.
Unlike the Prague Harley Days, here the rides are individual, you ride yourself, all alone, along a route marked with arrows. This was more than fine with me, since the plan was to disassemble the motorcycle and look at the firmware version. So I put on a government-issued helmet, jacket, and vest, like a janitor from Central Asia, and I’m off to such a beautiful start. The clutch is ordinary, with a cable, it works predictably, I liked it better than the touring Assist and Slip hydraulics.
The motorcycle is really light, which is especially noticeable given its small stature. Already leaving the parking lot (left turn), I realized that the revolution had actually taken place. I drive as if on a touring car, easily and naturally. Since I don’t have time, I filmed it on the go, that is, I steered all the time with one hand and shifted without a clutch. This is noticeable in the video, so please do not throw stones)
The first ring, the acceleration, the feeling is wonderful. It drives, leans, accelerates, nothing to complain about. The landing was like they did right under me. Extremely convenient and beautiful platforms. The lever for shifting with the heel was a little missing, I'll have to install it. I took pictures, hid the phone, grabbed the steering wheel and “spurred” the motorcycle - uuuuffff! It's great. Here the first drawback was noticed - the standard solo saddle has weak support and you slide back a little. The engine pulls in any gear, the camshaft here is the same as on the Touring, and this determines the behavior. Considering the low weight, the difference in power is not noticeable; it even seems that Softie is driving a little more fun.
Here's the suspension - it's definitely MUCH softer and more comfortable than on touring models, I just enjoyed the way it handles the Austrian countryside roads. Both rear and front work in harmony and the bike feels very solid and predictable. I found a place, stopped and took off the saddle. Wow, how tight everything is. The shock absorber and its adjustment mechanism dominate here. It requires some kind of head to adjust it. There are instructions on the mechanism on how to twist and how much. It is difficult to get to the battery; it is completely impossible to get to the diagnostic connector without tools. In general, the “underhood” space is organized very beautifully and neatly, better than on any 2022 model, especially the Softail. But there is nothing to do there without tools.
I put the saddle back, I need to make up time. Fifth, sixth, 130 on the speedometer, rapidly overtaking three cars at once, and then... one of them, the black Octave, turns on the blue lights hidden in the grille. Usually I figure them out right away, but not this time, I was too excited. Okay, I have time to take a photo while the police are figuring out why the only documents I have are a black business card with an orange logo)
Having said goodbye to the police, I turn around on a narrow road easily and naturally, like in a Touring. I’m surprised and for the first time I have a desire to go to the site and spin on the Softail. The new chassis is truly progress. They definitely managed to convince me.
I returned to the site, the motorcycles were all already prepared for loading, the employee waved - go to the truck. I dismounted with regret, and this rarely happens to me. The second generation softail hooked me. The disadvantages are minimal - slightly less maintainable on the roadside, you need a tool to adjust the suspension, the saddle doesn't have much support in the back.
But I haven’t tried the USB connector yet. I think this is the best compliment to a motorcycle. You want to drive it, and not stare at your phone!
P.S. There are a lot of photos and little time, I will add more throughout the day, come back again.
