Harley-Davidson is a brand that has always been premium. It’s not just the fact that it’s American, and it would be unthinkable for it to use anything other than an expensive V-twin engine; It has built its reputation over more than a century by offering desirable products in the market. Now if you look at luxury products, the phrase ‘value for money’ doesn’t usually come to one’s mind, because a luxury product provides value through intangibles such as the way it makes you feel as an owner and user, and the perception it creates about you that it helps create with other people. And Harley-Davidson is at the center of discussion these days About luxury or premium cruisers.
There are other brands that try to compete on equal terms
There are big profits to be made in anything related to luxury or premium products, there is no question about that. So it’s no surprise that everyone wants a piece of the luxury pie. Harley-Davidson’s leadership when it comes to premium cruisers runs deep, which is why others want to try and get a piece of the pie. Obviously, there are other cruiser manufacturers from the US, while some European manufacturers have also played their part in the premium cruiser ring.
The answer, more often than not, is Harley-Davidson
However, the answer is not as simple as it seems on the surface. There is not much difficulty in developing a premium cruiser when you have the freedom to price it any way you want, but if you want to make it feel like it is worth the money and also garner sales numbers, there needs to be a limit on the price. This is why, despite the Ducati Some of Milwaukee’s products are an almost impossible combination of great pricing and premium features and experience, a great example of which is the Softail range.
The Harley-Davidson Low Rider S is the Harley-Davidson cruiser that feels worth every dollar
The Low Rider S sits in the middle of the Harley-Davidson Softail range, so it should be no surprise that it’s being promoted as a cruiser from Milwaukee that feels worth every dollar. A Looking at the spec sheet and options list you’ll see that the Low Rider S offers incredible performance and tank range for the money. It offers the best version of the Milwaukee-Eight 117 engine, unique performance-oriented front suspension and brakes, and safety that is on par with anything else in the business. Its longevity is also better than its competitors. With the new lower base price, is it any wonder this is our pick?
Base price makes it an attractive value
Over the past few years, the base price of the Low Rider S has hovered around $19,999. However, this year it has been reduced to $18,999—it feels expensive without actually costing too much. This makes it an attractive value considering the brand, the product and the performance it offers, as well as the reliability of the platform and driveline. However, adding options to make it look like what you see here in these images will send the price skyrocketing.
Considering the price, you’d expect a compromise somewhere. The engine isn’t one of them – in fact, Harley has given the Low Rider S a special high-output version of the Milwaukee-Eight 117 that’s designed to go bad.
You get the best version of the Milwaukee-Eight 117
The Milwaukee-Eight 117 engine powers the entire Softail range, but there are various versions of it. In the Low Rider S, the High Output version features water-cooled heads with air-cooled cylinders that provide a great balance of performance and character. The figures on the spec sheet look pretty much the same as any other Softail, With a 45-degree angle between the two cylinders, a displacement of 1,917 cc and a compression ratio of 10.3:1.
This is a long-stroke engine, which is why the horsepower figure for the displacement of 114 horsepower at 5,000 rpm may seem a little low, but it makes up for it with an impressive torque figure of 128 pound-feet at 4,000 rpm. It is fitted with a six-speed gearbox with an assist clutch and a belt drive to the wheel.
Traditional chassis combined with modern bicycle parts
This is a softail cruiser, so it gets a cradle frame like all other softail cruisersBut the Low Rider stands out because it runs a set of 43mm cartridge-type inverted front forks with surprisingly linear-rate springs. The rear monoshock is hidden under the seat as usual. We suspect the new lower base price is one reason Harley has eliminated the tool-free preload adjustment of the rear shock that used to be available; Still, you can always upgrade to the optional Ohlins shock. Available suspension travel is 5.9 inches at the front and 3.4 inches at the rear.
Another unique feature of the Low Rider S as far as the Softail range is concerned is that it has 300 mm diameter twin front brake discs; These are paired with four-piston fixed calipers. At the rear, a two-piston floating caliper is paired with a 292 mm disc. The alloy wheel rim combination of 19-inch front and 16-inch rear is used, and they are equipped with tubeless tires. There is no doubt that this is the best Harley cruiser under $20,000 with this advanced hardware.
It’s both a power cruiser and a full-size
The Low Rider S is decidedly American-sized, measuring 92.9 inches in length, 35 inches wide and with a wheelbase of 63.6 inches. Its wheelbase is longer than most motorcycles in the full-size segment, which should bode well for high-speed stability and rear seating space, although it remains one of the best cruisers if you prefer to ride solo. Loaded seat height is 27 inches, and unloaded ground clearance is 5.7 inches. The five-gallon fuel tank is quite large for a cruiser, but we appreciate it because, combined with this engine’s great highway efficiency, it gives the Low Rider S excellent tank range. The Low Rider S weighs 670 pounds wet, which seems incredibly high compared to other cruisers that use non-cradle frames, but it’s a standard figure for those that do.
The feature set is another reason why it seems worth every dollar
Since we are discussing the base model, we’ll start with that. You get a by-wire throttle, and a six-axis IMU was introduced last year despite the drop in base price. That means you get cornering-capable ABS, traction control, and added drag-torque slip control in Ride mode and standard tire pressure monitoring. Other standard features include cruise control and an adjustable front brake lever.
Harley-Davidson has kept the instrument cluster analog with a small reverse LED display at the bottom that shows you information like odometer, trip meter and fuel level. This is in keeping with its traditional look.
However, the list of options is as long as they come. You can make the Low Rider S chromed or black, add different accessories, handlebars, footpegs, air filter, seats and a quarter fairing that is fork-mounted. You can also change the rear shock to an adjustable Ohlins shock. If all this endless customization from the factory isn’t enough, the aftermarket will be happy to provide you with exactly what you need.
Love the Low Rider S – but Harley’s entire 2026 lineup offers surprising value
Harley-Davidson has cut the prices of many base models in its lineup, making it quite difficult to come up with the best cruiser when it comes to value for money. The base model is the Nightster, which now costs less than $10,000; It is an ideal beginner-friendly motorcycle. There’s also the Nightster Special, which offers far more equipment and performance than any equivalent premium cruiser at the price.
The entry into the Softail range, the Street Bob’s pricing makes it sensible as your first big bike. It also helps that you can upgrade everything from the engine to the looks; There’s a whole world of customization available for this. If your goal is customization, you can’t do better than the Street Bob.
If you like touring, there is a light touring version of the Low Rider S called the Low Rider ST, which has a frame-mounted fairing and hard luggage. Despite its status, it is equally good in daily riding as well as on the freeway. If you want to do some touring with speed on a cruiser, this is probably the best cruiser, no matter what brand.
Source: Harley-Davidson USA
