Posted on 08/22/2017 11:02:13 PM PDT by nralife
Harley-Davidson has completely revamped its Big Twin cruiser model lineup for 2018, folding Dyna and Softail model lines into one all-new 2018 Harley-Davidson Softail range of motorcycles.
The entire new 2018 Harley-Davidson Softail cruiser lineup gets an all-new chassis, new underseat "hidden" single shock, and the new Milwaukee-Eight V-twin engine in 107ci displacement or, in select models, 114ci. The 45-degree, four-valve-per-cylinder Milwaukee-Eight V-twins now have dual counterbalancers. This means Dyna models, which previously had rubber-mounted Twin Cam 103ci and 110ci engines, will now have solid engine mounts, just as previous Softails had enjoyed since the introduction of the Twin Cam 88B (B for balanced) in 1999 models. All 2018 Harley-Davidson Softail cruiser motorcycles use an all-new frame that, as part of the larger redesign, reduces weight by up to 35 pounds and improves handling and ride quality.
The new frames offer three steering head angles in 28-, 30-, and 34-degree rakes, a "standard" and "high" ride height and "wide" or "narrow" swingarm, depending on model. With the parts commonality among eight new models (12 if you count the four 114ci variants), this will mean unprecedented parts and component interchangeability for a new level and ease of customization potential.
(Excerpt) Read more at cycleworld.com ...
Yeah, the end of Victory was foregone, but there’s a lot of people that know Victory that don’t know Indian is back (that I’ve found.) Hence why I used both names.
I hate every change they made to the Softail Heritage Classic. The previous bike was dialed in to perfection. Now they have ruined the look of it. I know that is intensely personal, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but to my eye they have flat ruined the Softail Heritage Classic.
Such a shame. Another cure in search of a disease.
If you are important enough, people will wait for you. Might be selling a 2004 Road King Classic with less than 10,000 miles on it. Everything that is on handle bars is chrome. Footpad chrome. Also those visor over lights. Black. Stored inside. Ideas on price?
Sure wish my FLH had a reverse gear
Indian looks Italian...
My problem with Harleys is that for my tastes, they're generally overweight, slow, handle like crap and don't like to go places I like (i.e., off paved roads as well as on). If all you want is a leisurely ride down the interstate, around town or to the nearest biker bar or Harley hangout, I guess they're OK. The moniker "road sofa" fits.
What’s going on at HD is that their sales are way off, Indian’s eating their lunch.
As long as it is going fast enough to keep those jugs cool. I hate stopping at stop lights and I only have a 96".
I guess the upside of this is, by bringing the M-8 to Softail and collapsing the Dyna line into it, H-D has expanded the M-8 into most of it's lineup. (all but Sportsters and Street, right?)
With the different steering head rake angles I wonder, is H-D playing to the big front wheel crowd? Or is it actually a handling thing? Because I think the big front wheel look has about run it's course and is probably on the downhill run from popularity.
Personally, in a cruiser I lean towards the bobber look. The Fat-Bob would be my pick, but I'd probably strip that ugly exhaust off within the first week. Looks like a sport bike wanna-be. If you measure your fun in mph, get a sport bike. If the 45 deg V-twin rumble stirs your soul, get a H-D. ;-) Full disclosure, due to a truly massive amount of OT earlier this year (anyone notice I was scarce around here?) I am quite recently the proud owner of a Sportster. In fact, I've got to go climb on it and rumble off to work for another long day...
Every time I’m in a bike dealership I sit on one of the large bikes and remind myself how much I enjoy having a lightweight Cruiser. Who wants to hop on the Harley to run down to the grocery store 2 miles down the road?
I thoroughly enjoy every minute I spend on my Suzuki S40 Boulevard / Savage.
I think I’ll hang on to my three Panhead Harley’s that keep getting more valuable by the day. I doubt that any of these modern day machines will ever be worth 15 to 30 times as much as they sold for new.
[and now I’m gonna nag him tomorrow to look at the tensioners...just in case] ;D
Haha.... might as well!
” I am quite recently the proud owner of a Sportster. In fact, I’ve got to go climb on it and rumble off to work for another long day... “
Congrats! I may well be a Sportster owner later this year. Much less expensive to work on or have worked on than the big V-twins. It’s among the handful of bikes I’m considering.
“I thoroughly enjoy every minute I spend on my Suzuki S40 Boulevard / Savage.”
I had to do a search for those. Great lines and I bet they would be nice for around town. Or as a good starter bike and then maybe a Sportster of some flavor. I’m with you about the big heavy touring bikes.
“I think I’ll hang on to my three Panhead Harley’s that keep getting more valuable by the day. I doubt that any of these modern day machines will ever be worth 15 to 30 times as much as they sold for new.”
No doubt!
HD made the same mistake as the Big Three US automakers did back in the 60s and 70s, viz. marketing the same stale models to a changing market. HD has been depending on baby boomers to sustain the product. Baby boomers romanticize the HD brand from their youth, watching Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper riding cool choppers. Now baby boomers are getting to the age where many are either having to ride trikes or not at all. And trikes are ridiculously expensive.
That leaves younger riders, many of whom don't have credit to rent a television.
HD is in trouble.
Well obviously I’m going to sing its praises. Here’s some of the things that I personally like about it
When you ride it you know you are riding a motorcycle not a car on two wheels
Being a large single and essentially square with bore and stroke being the same is a very torquey engine. Peak torque is reached at 3200 RPMs. It is a very muscular feeling engine between 20 and 60.
Mikuni carburetor electronic ignition. So it is a very simple, relatively speaking, machine. No computer.
While the bike is not heavy and it is a single cylinder, and I don’t know that I’d want to do great distances on it at high speeds, the engine is quite capable of tooling along at 65 for as long as your rear end can take it.
It’s nimble and easy to swing around in traffic.
You can find some interesting owner reviews on YouTube. There is a guy who goes by the nom de plume of the rabbidHedgehog who does a review when he bought the bike for his wife and then does another review a year later.
Only the top one I posted is an Indian - the new Scout. The second one is the Motus sport-toured and the last one is the Ronin, made by a bunch of the guys from Magpul, the firearms industry giant.
Actually when I went out looking for bikes my ideal if someone would build it for me would be a nice light 750 twin. Maybe about 400 lb.
The Kawasaki w800 was close to perfect in that regard but it was never sold in the US. And they stop production recently.
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