Latest in Softail and Cruisers

About Softail and Cruisers

The Softail is Harley-Davidson's great magic trick. Introduced in 1984, it hid the rear shock absorbers beneath the transmission so the bike looked like a rigid hardtail from the 1950s while riding with modern comfort. The illusion worked so well that the Softail became the backbone of Harley's cruiser range, and names such as the Fat Boy, Heritage Classic and Breakout became shorthand for a certain kind of American motorcycle.

For years Harley sold two cruiser families, the Softail and the rubber-mounted Dyna, beloved by riders who wanted a more performance-minded bike such as the Super Glide or Low Rider. In 2018 the company merged them on a new, lighter and stiffer Softail chassis powered by the Milwaukee-Eight V-twin, a move that improved handling but upset some Dyna devotees. The Low Rider S and the fairing-equipped Low Rider ST have since become favorites of the club-style crowd.

Today the cruiser lineup stretches from the stripped-down Street Bob to the chromed Heritage Classic and the muscular Breakout, rivaling Indian's Chief family, Triumph's Rocket 3 and Bonneville-based cruisers, and the Japanese heavyweights. Special editions and blacked-out trims keep the range fresh between engineering updates. Coverage here includes new cruiser models and editions, first rides, comparisons with rivals, custom builds, recalls and the endless debate over what makes a proper Harley.