Riding groups have been around for a while. Being part of a brotherhood is such a draw that all over the world, riding groups are being promoted, sometimes down to models with 150 cc. But hey, it’s not what you ride, but how hard you ride it, right? However, the whole “riding group” shtick can get tiring—it’s no wonder it has been parodied in pop culture, with movies like ‘Wild Hogs‘ and an episode of South Park showing us the funny side of the biking brotherhood. It is ironic that the bigger the riding groups become, the more rules you need to follow. Sometimes true freedom is going it alone.
Riding Alone Is Probably The Closest You’ll Get To True Freedom
While there is something to be said for the camaraderie of a group of people on the same wavelength, riding by yourself offers a different kind of joy. You don’t have to stick to a schedule, you don’t have to worry about anyone else, and you can do as you like—as long as your motorcycle allows it.
And therein lies the crux of the matter: you need a bike that will allow you to do whatever you want to on a ride without worrying. The best kind of motorcycle for those laid-back rides is a cruiser. So we went hunting for the best cruiser for riders who prefer to ride alone.
The Harley-Davidson Low Rider S Is The Best Cruiser For Riders Who Prefer To Ride Alone
The Low Rider S sits at the top of Harley-Davidson’s cruiser range. You’d think that for a company that promotes the group ride as much as Harley-Davidson does, it would be an odd thing to say that one of its products is the best at it. However, the Low Rider S, being the premium Softail model, does everything that the Softail range does, and does it best. Whether it is rumbling down a boulevard or hitting the highway, it is up for anything. It only helps that the Softail range has gotten really reliable now, so you can go for days without meeting another soul except at gas stations, and you’ll still be okay.
Another Price Cut For 2026 Makes It Even Better
It wasn’t too long ago that we were waxing eloquent about how theLow Rider S is actually turning into a good value despite being a premium Harley product, because its price was cut to under $20,000. It has got another price cut now, and it costs $18,999. This is eye-popping value for a Harley – although there is the caveat that if you want the $650 blue paint job that you see in these images (or the $450 orange one) then you’re going to have to compulsorily opt for the $1,000 optional black paint on the bits that would otherwise be chrome, like the exhausts and most of the engine. You could leave them chrome, but then you’d be limited to monochromatic colorways. All said, the blue colorway will cost you $20,649 before you add any other options to it.
The Motorcycle That Makes Solo Riding Better
The Harley-Davidson Sportster S turns quiet roads into your playground, blending laid-back cruising with bursts of controlled madness.
The Most Powerful Milwaukee Eight 117 Powers The Low Rider
The Low Rider S has the same Milwaukee Eight 117 as the rest of the Softail range, but here, there are a few marked differences. It is the only one with water-cooled heads, but retains air-cooled cylinders. Its 45-degree V-twin displaces 1,917 cc and has a compression ratio of 10.3:1, which is relatively low for a performance engine.
Other quirks are its pushrods and long stroke design, but there are four valves per cylinder. It generates 114 horsepower at 5,000 RPM and 128 lb-ft at 4,000 RPM. It is fed through a six-speed gearbox and a final belt drive to the wheel. This is a performance engine in its genre, even if it doesn’t have big power along with its big displacement. It is also fairly efficient, giving the Low Rider S a very good tank range.
The Traditional Chassis Has Modern Touches
This is a traditional cradle frame, but it serves its purpose well. Most modern motorcycles have moved on from these downtube frames because they are heavy, but you cannot deny that they are strong and are so much easier to customize. The Low Rider S has some modern touches, however, like inverted front forks and a single rear shock. The rear shock has preload adjustment that used to be tool-free but has recently been removed—considering the fact that the shock is hidden under the seat, this is a convenience we would have liked. Still, the Öhlins rear suspension upgrade does exist, and this makes us want it more. The front forks have a 43 mm diameter, are single cartridge, have single-rate springs, and offer 5.9 inches of travel. The rear shock has 3.4 inches of travel.
This is the only Harley cruiser with dual front brake discs, and they’re large ones at that, at 300 mm across. They are paired with four piston fixed calipers. At the rear, a 292 mm disc is paired with a two-piston floating caliper. A 19/16-inch wheel and rim combination is used, with tubeless tires.
10 Best Bikes For Comfortable Couple Touring And Solo Adventures
These bikes balance long-distance two-up comfort with a sporty character
This Is A Big Twin, So It Is A Big Bike
The Low Rider S has the dimensions of a big twin cruiser, at nearly 93 inches long, 35 inches wide, and a wheelbase of 63.6 inches. That long wheelbase should ensure great stability on the highway. The seat height is a low 27 inches when laden, and the ground clearance is 5.7 inches when unladen. The fuel tank is quite large, at five gallons – it is one of the largest fuel tanks among all cruisers. It weighs 670 pounds wet, which is really heavy compared to cruisers that use trellis frames and the engine as a stressed member, but in the ballpark for a full-size cruiser with a cradle frame.
It Has Great Features At The Price
We know, we talked about how you’ll need to add nearly $2,000 to the base price to get to a decent-looking Low Rider S. However, even the base model sports some very modern electronics. There is a by-wire throttle and six-axis IMU by default, so the analog speedometer and reverse LCD multi-information display are quite misleading. You get ride modes, cornering-enabled ABS, traction control, drag-torque slip control, and a tire pressure monitoring system. Cruise control is standard, as is an adjustable front brake lever.
This is a premium Harley, so the accessories list is understandably long. There is a choice of chrome or blacked-out bits, different colorways, different luggage, handlebars, footpegs, air filters, more comfortable seats, and we’ve mentioned the Öhlins rear shock upgrade. You can also specify a quarter fairing, although this will still be a fork-mounted one and not a frame-mounted one like the Low Rider ST.
This Harley-Davidson Cruiser Offers The Longest Riding Range In 2025
It is also the most badass-looking Harley-Davidson cruiser available today.
Only One Real Option To The Low Rider S
If you’re looking for a cruiser to ride alone with, there aren’t too many options because you need a combination of excellent reliability, at least a modicum of safety, and decent tank range. Most cruisers can do one thing out of these three well, and a few manage two out of three. The Indian Super Chief does manage all three quite well – it might run the wholly air-cooled Thunderstroke engine, but it has a by-wire throttle and features like rear cylinder deactivation. It also steals a march on the Harley by offering a four-inch TFT display with Bluetooth and connected features.
Source: Harley-Davidson USA