2025 Harley-Davidson Softail review
Harley-Davidson bikes don’t change much from model to model. The brand claims they don’t need to despite an ageing fanbase.
On the Road
Don't miss out on the headlines from On the Road. Followed categories will be added to My News.
When you’re ready to ride a Harley-Davidson, the brand will be ready for you.
That’s the promise made to generations of riders swept up by the style and sound of American motorcycles.
If yesterday’s customers were sucked in by Dennis Hopper’s Easy Rider in 1969 or Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Terminator in 1991, today’s owners might have bought into the outlaw culture of Sons of Anarchy back in 2008.
MORE: Mastering bikes with MotoSchool
Who knows what will trigger the buyers of tomorrow.
But Harley-Davidson’s chief commercial officer, Luke Mansfield, says kids ripping around on e-bikes can expect its motorcycles to remain recognisable for years to come.
“Our customers don’t expect seismic changes in what we do and how we do it,” he says.
“Small boys grow up looking at these things and thinking ‘one day … one day, I’m going to get my Harley Davidson’.
“We owe it to them to make sure that when they get there, that we’re making the right products and that the product is the one they always dreamed about.”
Which is why the brand’s evolution is carefully considered. It’s an approach that has worked well for iconic cars such as the Ford Mustang, Toyota LandCruiser and Porsche 911.
Give the people what they want.
So Harley’s new Softail range looks, sounds and feels familiar.
But there are important changes under the surface.
Each of the six models powered by the Milwaukee Eight 117 cubic inch motor have more power than before, which is a good place to start.
MORE: Riding Ducati’s MotoGP-powered Multistrada
Revised cylinder heads promise to keep the motor cool without boiling your spuds in hot weather.
And a new electronic brain brings modern touches many customers expect, including riding modes and safety systems with cornering-sensitive traction control and anti-lock braking.
Though safety isn’t a word typically associated with the brand, it’s important to note that younger customers considering their first Harley are increasingly likely to have learned to ride on bikes with ABS, traction control and dedicated modes for regular, sporty and wet-weather riding.
So they have been added to Harley’s most popular models.
Mansfield rejects suggestions that Harley’s customer base is dying out. Just as you won’t find too many teenagers pining for cruise ship holidays or an enormous four-wheel-drive and caravan, the brand has a ready stream of customers who might be on scooters or sports bikes today.
“You age into a Harley-Davidson, not out of one,” he says.
“You get to a point in your life where it makes sense. I don’t think it’s very surprising given the price points of our bikes, and the sort of riding that we espouse, that our ridership is a little older.
“That’s to be expected – and I think it’s to be celebrated.”
As someone staring down the barrel of birthdays that start with an “F” rather than a “T”, I see his point.
Though I cherish my neon-coloured sports bike, the black and chrome Harley-Davidson Low Rider S priced from $34,750 drive-away looks like the bikes I idolised on film and TV.
The whopping, near enough to 2.0-litre engine rumbles appropriately in its frame, and a quick twist of the throttle is accompanied by a snort from its “heavy breather” exposed intake, then the roar and crackle from its low-slung exhaust.
It feels purposeful, yet the seat is the most comfortable I’ve experienced on a motorcycle, and the relaxed riding position is kind to ageing spines.
That snarling engine with its 114 horsepower (85kW) and 173Nm feels like overkill for the rainy, greasy conditions that greeted me for the first hour or so on the bike, so I’m grateful for the new wet-weather riding mode that reduces power, smooths out throttle responses and raises the thresholds for traction and braking assistance.
It makes the bike feel more approachable for a rider relatively new to the world of heavy, low-slung cruisers. It’s even better when you’re ready for sports mode.
Ripping to the redline with snarling intent, the bike’s traction control light flickers as its rear tyre works to apply surplus torque to the tarmac.
Twin disc brakes offer confidence-inspiring bite on the approach to corners, and reworked (but non-adjustable) suspension does a decent job keeping it all in check.
MORE: What I learned riding motorcycles
No, it doesn’t match the thrill of a MotoGP replica.
And I’m not quite ready to trade in my sports bike.
But it’s reassuring to know that when that day comes, Harley-Davidson will be ready.
Harley-Davidson Softail
PRICE: From $24,995 drive-away
ENGINE: 1.9-litre, 85kW/ 173Nm
WARRANTY: Two-year, u’ltd km
SAFETY: Anti-lock brakes, traction control, ride modes
Originally published as 2025 Harley-Davidson Softail review
China hammers another nail in Tesla’s coffin
A Chinese tech giant just unveiled its latest EV upgrade and it is set to change the industry and blow rivals out of the water.
Woman dead, man shot in highway chaos
A woman has died, a man has been shot, and another has been seriously injured in a wild scene that played out on Easter Monday.