Source: MotorcyclistOnline.com
What pavement saw in 1984: underside view of the 1984 FXST Softail. Note the twin shocks that extend instead of compressing. Their placement under the frame and gearbox helped preserve the hardtail aesthetic while offering good suspension and much-improved handling. (Harley-Davidson/)Harley-Davidon’s nomenclature is its own language. Do you know why the FXST represents a revolution over the FLH? Thankfully, The Motor Company also uses naming conventions that refer to ordinary language used by loyal riders. The Softail name has been applied to virtually every type of motorcycle imaginable. But every Softail has one thing in common: They have rear suspension designed to look like a hardtail, or rigid-framed bike. After that, anything’s possible.In 1982, in the midst of negotiations to buy itself back from AMF ownership, Harley-Davidson needed modern motorcycles that threaded the needle between heritage and innovation. Bill Davis, a St. Louis–based enthusiast and engineer, had designed a cantilever swingarm, similar to classic Vincent motorcycles. Attempts to sell it to H-D failed in 1976, but in 1982, a new Davis design was sold to H-D featuring a top-mounted pivot point and shocks mounted under the frame. Instead of compressing, the shock would extend while the springs would compress via transverse mounts on the spring ends. In 1984, the FXST Softail debuted with a new Evolution V-twin motor tucked inside.Related: Harley-Davidson Twin Cam V-Twin Motorcycles – HISTORY OF THE BIG TWINThe 1984 Harley-Davidson FXST Softail. Forward controls, pulled-back bars, and hardtail lines. You got a lot to like right off the shelf. (Harley-Davidson/)It’s all to preserve the mythical hardtail triangle with its distinctive apex at the rear wheel axle. In other words, make it look custom and old-school, but with modern suspension and rideability. The Softail is arguably one of the reasons Harley-Davidson cruisers exists today. Paired with the Evo motor, it helped make H-D relevant (and profitable) again. You didn’t have to choose between hardcore and civilized. You could have it all. What’s more American than that?Now that we’ve gotten the history lesson out of the way, let’s talk about the Harley-Davidson Softails available today. Here’s your 2024 Softail lineup.Your Softail journey starts here. The 2024 Harley-Davidson Softail Standard. Shown here in Billiard Gray. (Harley-Davidson/)It all begins with the Harley-Davidson Softail Standard, or FXST. Dealership materials would never say this, but it’s the entry-level Softail. It’s the price of admission, but that said, it’s the perfect template to start building your customized Softail. At just $14,999 MSRP, you get a Milwaukee-Eight 107ci V-twin engine, a solo seat, and adjustable rear suspension. And you get money left over to make it into your Softail. Did you think you were leaving the dealership on a bone-stock Softail? Saddlebags, mirrors, sissy bars, engine covers, you name it—start a shopping list. However you build your masterpiece, you get a classic cruiser. Or as dealer materials might say, a boulevard cruiser.The only Softail available in Baja Orange ($525 extra): the Harley-Davidson Street Bob 114. (Harley-Davidson/)The Harley-Davidson Street Bob 114 is next level. Gone is all the chrome and understatement, replaced by menacingly blacked-out accents and trim. While the wheels are cast and six-spoked like the above Standard, they’re blacked out and now have a name—Annihilator Wheels. A pillion seat and pegs, digital riser gauge, and LED lighting come standard, but the main differentiator is the bigger 114ci Milwaukee-Eight engine. In the spirit of upgrades, there are four color and livery options—Billiard Gray, Vivid Black ($350 extra), Baja Orange ($525 extra), or Blue Burst ($650 extra). And of course, there are myriad options for everything. Vivid Black quarter fairing, anyone? MSRP is $16,999. Oh, and the technical name for the model is the FXBBS.The Harley-Davidson Low Rider S. Dig the headlight nacelle. But you can call it a mini-bullet fairing if you like. (Harley-Davidson/)The Harley-Davidson Low Rider S brings a West Coast style to the Softail game. The $19,999 MSRP is a clue that options aren’t optional anymore. On top of the Milwaukee-Eight 117ci engine, you get cruise control, a bullet fairing, black trim, different tank logo treatment (similar to 1977 Low Riders and 1917 racers), and lower, more aggressive bars mounted on risers. Speaking of 1977, that’s when the first FXS Low Rider debuted, based on the Dyna platform. Countless riders had lowered their bikes, adding forward controls and pull-back bars themselves. But now, instead of having “a friend of a friend” customize your bike, real engineers and assembly workers from H-D did it for you. The new Low Rider S is formally known as the FXLRS.Starting to feel the West Coast vibes? The Harley-Davidson Low Rider ST with hard bags and frame-mounted fairing. (Harley-Davidson/)The Harley-Davidson Low Rider ST (FXLRST) integrates a frame-mounted half fairing and adds hard saddlebags to take the Low Rider into sport-touring territory. As such it comes with the familiar Milwaukee-Eight 117ci engine, an upgraded deep solo seat, revised air intake, and high-flow exhaust. And it also comes with ABS and traction control standard, just like its Low Rider S brethren. Three colors previously mentioned (Billiard Gray, Vivid Black [$550 extra], and Red Rock [$750]) are available, plus a notable Tobacco Fade package with pinstriping and revised tank logo for $1,900 extra. It all starts with a $23,399 MSRP.Touring, schmouring. The Harley-Davidson Breakout 117 is built to dominate the space between stoplights. (Harley-Davidson/)The Harley-Davidson Breakout 117 brings things back to chopper-ville. Chrome pipes and trim are back, as are five color and livery choices. White Onyx Pearl and Alpine Green (both $650 extra) are introduced to the mix, as are 26-spoked cast-aluminum wheels, 21-inch front and 18-inch rear. The front end gets raked out to 34 degrees, but keeps the 5.7-inch trail. All this gets paired with the top-of-the-line Milwaukee-Eight 117ci engine, with revised air intake and high-flow exhaust. Oh, and a giant 240mm rear tire. The first Breakout was a CVO (Custom Vehicle Operations) special in 2013, and migrated to H-D’s Cruiser lineup shortly thereafter. ABS and traction control are standard. MSRP is $22,499 and the correct model designation is FXBR.Heritage, updated. The Harley-Davidson Heritage Classic, with forward controls and a removable windshield. (Harley-Davidson/)That same MSRP gets you a completely different Softail—the Harley-Davidson Heritage Classic 114, aka the FLHCS. While you don’t get the Milwaukee-Eight 117, you get muted black trim, tasteful chrome, lockable sealed soft saddlebags, floorboards, and a handlebar-mounted windshield that’s detachable. And as the name implies, the Heritage Classic 114 channels ‘50s-era charm and nostalgia. The rear suspension becomes a monoshock, for easy, on-the-fly adjustment. And in another sign you’ve arrived, two trim levels are offered: Chrome and Black ($1,000 extra). Two new color/livery options join the mix as well, Red Rock/Vivid Black ($850 extra) and Atlas Silver Metallic ($650 extra).What are those distinctive fork covers called? “Beer can” covers. It says so right on the H-D site. The Harley-Davidson Fat Boy 114. (Harley-Davidson/)The Harley-Davidson Fat Boy 114 brings another variant of attitude to the lineup. Cast-aluminum Lakester wheels and a chrome headlamp nacelle give the Fat Boy its distinctive bulldog stance. Floorboards and the beloved “beer can” fork covers help the cause as well. A coilover monoshock offers toolless adjustment, and ABS comes standard. The solid (or near-solid) wheels have been a constant since the Fat Boy’s introduction in 1990 (read the These Are The Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles You Can Get For The Cheap article for more recommendations). And where was the Fat Boy conceived? In Daytona, of course. Willie G. and fellow designer Louie Netz built a prototype for the 1988 and 1989 Bike Week. Fun fact: Until 2017, the Fat Boy was officially the FLSTF, FLFB, or FLFBS. But today it’s just the FLFBS.Finally, one Softail model is notable by its absence. For 2024, the Harley-Davidson Fat Bob 114 has been discontinued in North America. Distinguished by its 2-1-2 upswept pipes, drag-inspired handlebars, and horizontal LED light bar, there’s internet speculation about its eventual return. But as of press time, there’s no word one way or the other. Once we know, you’ll know.Check out these classic Softail variations from the Harley-Davidson archives.The 1988 Harley-Davidson Springer Softail married cutting-edge rear suspension with a ’50s-era throwback—a springer front end. (Harley-Davidson/)The 1990 Harley-Davidson Fat Boy, with its solid cast wheels. It’s a design formula that survives to this day. (Harley-Davidson/)The 1990 Harley-Davidson Softail Deuce, with stretched gas tank, sleek fork sliders, and the then-new Twin Cam 88B engine. (Harley-Davidson/)
