The new Low Rider S has an added 1.2 degrees of available lean angle, compared to the previous model. The Low Rider S is a balance of style and performance, with style dictating the measure of performance allowed. No, you’re here because you want a Harley first and a fast bike second, which is exactly what this is. If you wanted a really fast bike, you would be shopping for something like the similarly priced 2022 Yamaha YZF-R1. But designers say the balance of performance and traditional form was a styling choice. H-D could make a more performance-oriented bike if it wanted to, but major changes toward high performance tend to be major changes away from traditional form. It’s powerful, absolutely, but fast, not so much. It still scrapes too early, can’t stop all that quickly, and has limiting ergonomics. It became clear that as quick as the FXLRS may be, it’s really only fast in its class. On a morning ride, I chased friends riding Ducati and BMW sportbikes up SoCal’s Angeles Crest Highway. It is strange, though, that while comparing these “high-performance” H-D models, performance is only the second most important thing. It’s inarguably better on the road than the Dyna, both in a straight line and through turns. It has greater available lean angle on a more stable chassis. The FXLRS has a bigger engine that puts out more power than any previous Low Rider. The winding hills of Angeles National Forest have proven to be an excellent testing ground. And it’s a natural fit, because when you look at the numbers-or just ride it-the Softail platform performs better than the Dyna in nearly every way. More customers are pursuing what H-D calls “West Coast style” on their own, which means the Softail platform is genuinely being used this way. The growth of V-twin racing has stoked this trend as well, both in terms of widespread popularity and product development. Now, more than four years since the cessation of the Dyna and birth of the new line, we’re seeing more high-performance components for these new Softails in the aftermarket. When Harley-Davidson translated the Low Rider S name from Dyna design to Softail in 2020, it felt like H-D was trying to prove that the Softail was a viable platform for high-performance customization, an area where the Dyna was a cult superstar. So when Harley-Davidson stopped manufacturing the Dyna line for model year 2018, it felt a bit strange to be calling Softail models by iconic Dyna names, like Street Bob and Low Rider, and even more so when the company launched the 2020 Low Rider S.īut the new S feels different. That final Dyna S model had evolved through 45 years of research and experimentation by both the factory and aftermarket, and it showed. The first FXLRS exemplified what customers had been doing with the dual-shocked Big Twin since the first Super Glide in 1971. When Harley-Davidson released the Low Rider S in 2016 it represented a subculture. The Low Rider S has a starting MSRP of $17,530 in Vivid Black and $17,980 for the Gunship Gray seen here.
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