The Harley-Davidson Cruiser That Feels Worth Every Dollar
Harley-Davidson is a brand that has always been premium. It isn’t just the fact that it is American, and it would be unthinkable for it to use anything other than an expensive V-twin engine; it has built its reputation over more than a century of putting desirable products on the market. Now if you look at luxury products, the phrase ‘value for money’ doesn’t usually pop into anyone’s mind, because a luxury product delivers value via intangibles like the way it makes you feel as an owner and user, and the perception of you it helps build with other people. And Harley-Davidson is smack in the center of discussions about luxury or premium cruisers.
There Are Other Brands That Try To Compete On The Same Terms
Anything to do with luxury or premium products has fat profit margins, there’s no question about that. It is little wonder, then, that everyone wants a slice of the luxury pie. Harley-Davidson has an enviable leadership position when it comes to premium cruisers, which is why others want to try and get a slice of the pie. There is America’s other cruiser manufacturer, obviously, while a couple of European manufacturers have also thrown their hats in the premium cruiser ring.
The Answer, More Often Than Not, Is A Harley-Davidson
However, the answer isn’t as easy as it seems on the surface. There is not much difficulty developing a premium cruiser when you have the freedom to price it any way you want, but if you’re going to make it feel like it is worth the money and garner sales numbers as well, there needs to be a cap on the price. Which is why, despite the Ducati XDiavel V4 and Triumph Rocket 3 being such great products, they can’t get to Harley-Davidson’s combination of great pricing and premium brand cachet. Some of the products out of Milwaukee are a near-impossible combination of great pricing and premium features and feel, with a great example being the Softail range.
The Harley-Davidson Low Rider S Is The Harley-Davidson Cruiser That Feels Worth Every Dollar
The Low Rider S sits in the middle of the Harley-Davidson Softail range, so it should come as no surprise that it’s being touted as the cruiser from Milwaukee that feels worth every dollar. A look at the spec sheet and options list will show you that the Low Rider S offers incredible performance and tank range for the money. It offers the best version of the Milwaukee-Eight 117 engine, unique performance-oriented front suspension and brakes, and safety that is on par with anything else in the business. It has even aged better than its rivals. With a new lower base price, is it any wonder that it is our selection?
The Base Price Makes It Eye-Popping Value
Over the last couple of years, the base price of the Low Rider S has hovered around the $19,999 mark. This year, however, it has been reduced to $18,999—this really does sound expensive without costing a fortune. That makes it eye-popping value considering the brand, the product, and the performance it offers, coupled with the reliability of the platform and driveline. However, adding options to it to make it look like you see in these images here will drive up the price in a hurry.
Considering the value, you’d expect compromises somewhere. The engine is not one of them — in fact, Harley gave the Low Rider S a special high-output version of the Milwaukee-Eight 117 that’s designed to be wrung out.
You Get The Best Version Of The Milwaukee-Eight 117
The Milwaukee-Eight 117 engine powers the entire Softail range, but it has different versions. In the Low Rider S, the High Output version has water-cooled heads coupled with air-cooled cylinders that offer a great balance of performance and character. The figures on the spec sheet look the same as any of the other Softails, with the 45-degree angle between the two cylinders, a displacement of 1,917 cc, and a compression ratio of 10.3:1.
This is a long-stroke engine, which is why the horsepower figure might feel a little low for the displacement at 114 horsepower at 5,000 RPM, but it makes up for it with an impressive torque figure of 128 pound-feet at 4,000 RPM. This is put through a six-speed gearbox with an assist clutch and a belt drive to the wheel.
The Traditional Chassis Is Paired With Modern Cycle Parts
This is a Softail cruiser, so it gets a cradle frame like all of the other Softail cruisers, but the Low Rider stands out because it runs a set of 43 mm cartridge-type inverted front forks that surprisingly have linear-rate springs. The rear monoshock is hidden under the seat as always. We suspect that the new lower base price is one of the reasons Harley has eliminated the tool-free preload adjustment of the rear shock that used to be available; still, you can always upgrade to the optional Öhlins shock. The suspension travel available is 5.9 inches at the front and 3.4 at the rear.
Another unique feature of the Low Rider S as far as the Softail range goes is that it has twin front brake discs of 300 mm diameter each; they are paired with four-piston fixed calipers. At the rear, a two-piston floating caliper is paired with a 292 mm disc. An alloy wheel rim combination of 19-inch front and 16-inch rear is used, and they are fitted with tubeless tires. There’s no doubt that with this upgraded hardware that it is the best Harley cruiser under $20,000.
This Is Both A Power Cruiser, And A Full-Size One
The Low Rider S is definitely American-sized at 92.9 inches long, 35 inches wide, and with a wheelbase of 63.6 inches. That wheelbase is longer than most motorcycles in the full-size segment, which should bode well for high-speed stability and pillion accommodation, although this is one of the best cruisers if you prefer to ride alone. The laden seat height is 27 inches, and the unladen ground clearance is 5.7 inches. The five-gallon fuel tank is quite large for a cruiser, but we appreciate it because, coupled with the great highway efficiency of this engine, it gives the Low Rider S excellent tank range. The Low Rider S weighs 670 pounds wet, which feels incredibly high when compared to other cruisers that use non-cradle frames, but is a standard figure for those that do.
The Feature Set Is Another Reason It Feels Worth Every Dollar
Since we’re discussing the base model, we’ll start with that. You get a by-wire throttle, and a six-axis IMU was introduced last year despite a drop in the base price. That means you get cornering-enabled ABS, traction control, and drag-torque slip control added to the ride modes and standard tire pressure monitoring. Other standard features include cruise control and an adjustable front brake lever.
Harley-Davidson has kept the instrument cluster analog with the small reverse LED display at the bottom that shows you information like the odometer, trip meter, and fuel level. This is in keeping with its traditional look.
However, the options list is as long as they come. You can make the Low Rider S chrome-laden or blacked out, add different luggage, handlebars, footpegs, air filters, seats, and a quarter fairing that is fork-mounted. You can also change the rear shock to an adjustable Öhlins shock. If all of this endless customization from the factory isn’t enough, the aftermarket will be happy to supply you with exactly what you need.
The Low Rider S Is The Pick — But Harley’s Entire 2026 Lineup Offers Surprising Value
With Harley-Davidson cutting prices on a lot of the base models in its lineup, it’s quite difficult to come up with the best cruiser when it comes to value for money. There is the base model Nightster, which costs under $10,000 now; it makes for a perfect beginner-friendly motorcycle. There is also the Nightster Special, which at the price offers far more equipment and performance than any of the equivalent premium cruisers.
The entry to the Softail range, the Street Bob, has a price that makes it sensible as your first big bike. It also helps that you can upgrade everything in it from the engine to the looks; there’s a whole world of customization available for it. If your goal is customization, you can’t do better than the Street Bob.
If you like touring, there’s the light touring version of the Low Rider S called the Low Rider ST, which has a frame-mounted fairing and hard luggage. Despite its positioning, it is equally good at daily rides as well as the freeway. It is possibly the best cruiser if you want to do some touring with pace on a cruiser, irrespective of brand.
Source: Harley-Davidson USA
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