Cruisers don’t have to be comfortable to go the extra mile or last through a whole day of riding. However, this is a vast country, and any motorcycle that is made here is made to cope with the conditions here. That means all-day comfort, an engine that can cope with highway speeds, and a large, comfortable rider triangle. It will need to tap into American heritage, too; a large, preferably low-revving V-twin would go a long way in making it feel homemade, and a large fuel tank would be the cherry on top.
An American Cruiser Is The Answer
We’re not throwing shade at Europe or Japan, but if you want a cruiser to go on really long rides with, an American cruiser is what you’ll need. The Europeans do their own thing, and it might not be to everyone’s liking, while the Japanese simply copy what the Americans do, but usually come up with better versions. However, the Japanese haven’t developed a lot of new cruisers lately, while the Americans have been busy at work updating what they have, so an American cruiser is the answer. And who better than the leading brand to choose from?
The Harley-Davidson Low Rider ST Defines Modern American Touring
Harley-Davidson cruisers have a surprising variety of flavors today, from affordable, modern, high-revving ones to neo-retro designs that make you nostalgic. Somewhere in the middle lies the Low Rider, Harley-Davidson’s mightiest cruiser. It is designed for speed while still offering the quintessential Harley experience, and the surfeit of performance means that it can be used for touring as well, with the right additions. Additions like a fairing and luggage, which the Low Rider ST coincidentally has right from the factory!
A Premium Price, Because This Is A Premium Product
The Low Rider ST occupies a space between ‘regular’ cruisers and expensive premium European cruisers, and its price reflects that. The base price is $23,999, but as with most modern Harleys, you’re going to have to dip into the accessories to build the product you see in marketing material. Expect the price of a regular Low Rider ST to go to the $26,000 mark if you give it basic upgrades like the blacked-out look and a different paint job.
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Most Powerful Milwaukee Eight 117 Without VVT
The Milwaukee Eight 117 might just be one of the greatest Harley-Davidson engines in history, judging by the sheer variety of motorcycles it is able to power reliably. In the Low Rider ST, it is the High Output version with liquid cooling for the cylinder heads. That means that while it displaces the same 1,917 cc and has the same long-stroke design as any other Milwaukee Eight 117, it has a few differences. Here, it has a compression ratio of 10.3:1 to generate 114 horsepower at 5,000 RPM and 128 pound-feet at 4,000 RPM. This power is fed through a six-speed gearbox and final belt drive to the wheel.
Traditional Chassis With Some Modern Touches For Comfort
The Low Rider is a traditional cruiser, so it uses a traditional double cradle frame. There are a couple of modern components that offset it, though: the 43 mm front forks are inverted, and have a single cartridge and single-rate springs. At the rear, the monoshock is hidden under the seat but offers hydraulic preload adjustment. Travel stands at a good 5.9 inches at the front and a much lesser 3.4 inches at the rear.
The brakes consist of twin 300 mm discs at the front with four-piston fixed calipers, and a 292 mm rear disc with a two-piston floating caliper. It is interesting that Harley has chosen inverted forks but not radial calipers, but on the other hand, this is the only Harley cruiser with twin front brake discs, so it is still ahead of its siblings. A combination of 19-inch front wheel and 16-inch rear are used, with tubeless tires.
Long And Low, Just Like We Like It
The Low Rider ST is a typical low and low cruiser, with a length of nearly 93 inches, a width of 35 inches, and a wheelbase of 63.6 inches. Harley only quotes laden seat height, in this case, it is 27 inches, and unladen ground clearance, 5.7 inches. The 5-gallon fuel tank, combined with the claimed fuel efficiency, is enough to give it a tank range that is among the best in the cruiser segment. The hard saddlebags offer two cubic feet of storage space. Finally, it is one of the heavier cruisers around, with a curb weight of 712 pounds.
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The Cockpit Looks Simple, But A Full Safety Suite Is Present
The Low Rider ST straddles the old-school retro look and new-age tech, with a circular analog speedometer. The bottom of the speedo has a reverse LCD display that shows other information like the fuel level, tripmeter, and odometer. There is also a USB-C charging port under the tank.
The rider aids are thoroughly modern. A by-wire throttle and a six-axis IMU are present, so there are ride modes, and Harley’s full cruiser safety suite is present. They include cornering-enabled ABS, traction control, and drag torque slip control. A tire pressure monitoring system is also present. Cruise control is also present.
Accessories Up The Ante
The accessories list is huge, as expected, and can be a little confusing – not all the colorways are available with the chrome trim, you have to add the $1,150 blacked-out trim to unlock the orange and blue colors, which are another extra $700 or $900. We’d definitely want the Ohlins rear suspension upgrade, even if it is a $1,150 cost – the same price as the optional Rockford Fosgate audio system upgrade. There are many other accessories like seats, handlebars, and footpegs that can be changed to your exact liking.
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Some Great American Options If You Don’t Like The Low Rider ST
The Low Rider ST doesn’t have an easy job of keeping this crown, because there are a few other options that could draw a potential owner away. There is one in the Harley stable itself: the Harley-Davidson Heritage Classic is cheaper, at $19,999. But it doesn’t offer the same levels of power and performance that the Low Rider does. It also offers soft luggage, but the large windscreen should offer better wind protection.
America’s other motorcycle company has a little more choice: if you’d like to tour on a budget, the Scout range offers the Sport Scout RT and the Super Scout, both of which retail for $16,999. The names suggest what they are like – the Sport Scout RT has the quarter fairing and hard luggage, while the Super Scout has the Perspex screen and soft saddlebags. However, both offer a 4-inch TFT display with Bluetooth, navigation, connected features, keyless ignition, and the Super Scout has a quick-release windscreen.
If you want a full-fat Indian cruiser to tour with, then your options are the Indian Sport Chief RT ($22,499) and the Indian Super Chief ($21,999), which offer a similar features list as the Scouts mentioned above. The Scouts are powered by the liquid-cooled SpeedPlus 1250 engine, while the Chiefs use the air-cooled Thunderstroke 116 with its great torque – and rear cylinder deactivation! They make for an interesting decision: do you want a revvy engine to blast past everyone on the highway, or do you prefer a low-revving, large-displacement air-cooled V-twin throbbing away beneath you?
Source: Harley-Davidson USA