Big bikes are incredible fun. The feeling when you open the throttle wide, or simply cruise down the highway with a large displacement engine loping along easily, is difficult to match with any other vehicle. However, the same things that make big bikes awesome also make them intimidating to a rider moving up to the class for the first time.
You’ll need big muscles to move them around in a parking lot (or to pick them up when they fall), a big budget to make the purchase, and the fuel and maintenance or repair bills will be proportionally big. So choosing a first big bike can be confusing. Can you have a good ol’ American cruiser as your first big bike? The answer might surprise you.
Can A Harley-Davidson Be Your First Big Bike?
Harley-Davidsons can be intimidating. They have traditionally been big, heavy, powerful, and premium. Far be it from us to dictate what is right for each individual, but over the years, Harleys have become friendlier. This friendliness encompasses all aspects – the purchase price, the maneuverability, and the ownership costs. So it is well within reason to have a Harley as a first big bike. The entire range is now available with a minimum of traction control and ABS, and only the cheapest model, the Nightster doesn’t have a six-axis IMU. That means you get great safety if you get any other Harley. But which one should you pick?
The Harley-Davidson Street Bob Makes Sense As Your First Big Bike
The Street Bob is the entry to the Softail range – and that means it is the entry to the traditional cruiser range from Harley as well. That means a cradle frame and a big-displacement, torque-rich engine as well. It has earned a reputation for reliability while holding on to all the traits that make Harleys so popular.
At the same time, the Street Bob is meant to be a blank canvas for customization. That means that you can upgrade everything from the looks to the performance, should you feel like it. So if you want, the Street Bob can be more than just your first big bike!
Shockingly Reasonable Pricing For The Street Bob
The Street Bob has had price cuts every once in a while, and it is now listed at $14,999. That puts it on par with the competition – and not necessarily premium American competition. This is a truly competitive price, no matter the brand, and coupled with its reliability, makes the Street Bob a great option for a first big bike.
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Big Twin Power From The Milwaukee-Eight 117 Engine
The Street Bob uses the most basic version of the Milwaukee-Eight 117, called the Classic, both because of the way it looks and the fact that it is fully air-cooled. This has become Harley-Davidson’s engine of choice for much of its lineup today and is quite reliable. It generates 98 horsepower at 4,600 RPM and 120 pound-feet at an extremely low 2,500 RPM – another reason the Street Bob will be easy for riders moving up to a big bike for the first time. The six-speed gearbox and belt final drive, combined with the safety suite, should help in different conditions.
Conventional Chassis Lends Itself Well To Customization
We’re not advocating that you need to jump into customization, but it’s nice to have the option and not need it, rather than want it and not have it. The Street Bob has a traditional double cradle frame, which cruisers from time immemorial have used. It has a bolt-on rear subframe and a swingarm that makes it look like a hardtail.
Conventional Suspension And Brakes Pair Well With The Chassis
The suspension is a simple but effective choice, with dual-bending 49 mm telescopic forks with dual-rate springs, and a hidden free piston single shock at the rear. It has cam-style preload adjustment, and there is an Ohlins upgrade available with a remote reservoir. Like most of Harley’s cruisers, it makes do with a single brake disc at both ends, but a four-piston fixed caliper is present at the front, and a 2 piston floating caliper at the rear. 19/16-inch alloy wheels are standard fare, while tubeless laced rims are optional.
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Lightweight By Big Cruiser Standards
The Street Bob weighs just 646 pounds, ready to ride with a full tank of fuel. That is a light motorcycle for its class when you consider behemoths like the BMW R 18 (760.5 pounds) and Indian Chief (670 pounds) exist in its price range. The Street Bob is quite friendly in other areas too, with a laden seat height of 25.8 inches, a wheelbase of 64.2 inches, a ground clearance of nearly 5 inches, and an overall length of 91.3 inches.
No Flashy Features, But Ample Safety Where It Matters
The Street Bob has a clue in its name – it is a bobber-style motorcycle, meaning it has no extra fat. That explains the chopped fenders and minimalistic design. It also explains why, despite being a premium cruiser, Harley has chosen to give it an analog instrument cluster. However, there are clues to its premium intent: there is all-LED lighting, and a six-axis IMU offers cornering traction control, cornering ABS, and cornering drag-torque slip control. A tire pressure monitoring system is also present.
Miles Long Options List Allows Great Customization
It must be noted that if you want a pillion seat for your Street Bob, you’ll need to add $1,000 to the base price. Without this option, you cannot add other significant things like colors other than flat gray (optional colors are $650 extra), and the $850 tubeless laced wheels. Other options include different footpegs, seats, handlebars, Öhlins suspension, and even a quarter fairing.
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What Are Your Options?
We’ve already mentioned the Indian Chief ($14,999) and BMW R 18 ($15,395). The R 18 is entirely too large and heavy to be a good first big bike. This weight is also a problem with the 764-pound Suzuki Boulevard M109R. It is a very reliable motorcycle, but 123 horsepower, a cable throttle, and zero safety electronics don’t make for a good combination for a first big bike. The Chief offers a torque-laden Thunderstroke engine but has all the trappings of a modern motorcycle, like a TFT screen and rear cylinder deactivation.
Harley has its in-house competition as well in the form of the Sportster S ($15,999). This is a modern power cruiser with a trellis frame, liquid-cooled engine, and TFT display, so it is going to be a lot lighter and maneuverable compared to the Street Bob. You won’t be able to customize it as much or as easily as the Softail model, though.
Source: Harley-Davidson USA