#LowRiderS

With the exception of the Road Glide Limited, none of the other Road Glide and Street Glide variants have been confirmed as yet. Considering the significant updates to the 2023 CVO Road Glide and CVO Street Glide (which earned them the runner-up nod for our Motorcycle of the Year MOBOs), it’s a no-brainer to expect some of those changes to trickle down to the non-CVO models. Indeed, Harley-Davidson released a teaser image for its Jan. 24 announcement, showing three models and the tagline “The Dawn of a New Era”. Two of the models are equipped with the new Road Glide and Street Glide fairings with the integrated lighting. The image of the Road Glide has relatively basic-looking mirrors compared to the CVO Road Glide, so very likely the teaser shows the non-CVO Street Glide and Road Glide.

Harley-Davidson turns 120 next year, which naturally means we’re getting some special Anniversary Edition models. Thanks to new vehicle certification data from Australia, we can confirm that the Heritage Classic 114 and the Fat Boy 114 will be receiving 120th Anniversary Editions.

Earlier this year, Harley-Davidson revealed a new Low Rider ST featuring a FXRT-inspired fairing. Initial reaction to the Low Rider ST was very positive, with Jochen Zeitz, Harley-Davidson chief executive officer, claiming in Harley-Davidson’s Q4 earnings call “demand was so high for this bike that we sold out our first consumer allocation in 10 minutes.”

Perhaps no other manufacturer harnesses the power of its history better than Harley-Davidson. But more than being able to tap into the company history, Harley is equally in tune with the custom scene and unique builds its loyal fan base has pumped out over the years. The 2022 Low Rider and Low Rider ST are perfect examples of Harley blending its heritage with the custom scene, all while adding modern twists.

Last week, Harley-Davidson announced its first batch of 2022 models, listing several models that are returning mostly unchanged, except for new paint and graphic options. A few models were conspicuously absent from the announcement; most of them, like the Iron 1200, were discontinued. The lone exception was the Low Rider S, which we reported would be announced on Jan. 26 with some updates.

Harley-Davidson announced its 2021 Softail lineup, highlighted by a new Street Bob 114 and a slightly refreshed Fat Boy 114. Joining them for 2021 are the Softail Slim, Softail Standard, Fat Bob 114, Heritage Classic, Heritage Classic 114, Low Rider S and Sport Glide. Confirming our earlier reporting, the Softail models being dropped for 2021 include the Low Rider (non-S version), Deluxe and FXDR 114, while the Breakout 114 will only be offered in some markets (but not the U.S.). We also expected the Street Bob to be discontinued, but that turned out to be half-true, with the Street Bob 114 replacing it.

That’s “S” for Sport. The last one of these we rode was a 2016, when it was built upon the now-defunct Dyna platform, ie., twin shocks out back. This 2020 Harley-Davidson Low Rider S is new from the nubs up. It’s now built upon the new Softail frame that debuted in 2018, with a single shock cantilevered under the seat, and joins ten other 2020 Softail models.

Well that didn’t take long. Yesterday, we reported on 2020 Harley-Davidson models receiving certification from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and today, Harley-Davidson has officially announced its 2020 lineup. As the certification documents suggested, Harley-Davidson announced a new Road Glide Limited, Low Rider S and a CVO Tri Glide for 2020. Also announced was a “re-styled” Heritage Classic.

Harley-Davidson doesn’t ask for much, says U.S. PR Manager Jen Hoyer, only to: “1. Lead in every market. 2. Grow the sport of motorcycling in the U.S., in part by growing the number of core customers and growing U.S. outreach at a faster rate. 3. Grow U.S. retail sales and grow international retail sales at a faster rate. 4. Grow revenue and grow earnings at a faster rate through 2020. 5. Outperform the S&P 500.”

In a year that sees Harley-Davidson list a total of 38 motorcycle models, the Motor Company has decided to add two more muscular choices to the list. The 2016 Low Rider S enters the fray as the the most powerful non-CVO Dyna cruiser ever offered by Harley-Davidson. Similarly, the exclusive CVO line gets a new stylishly aggressive (or is that aggressively stylish) member in the form of the 2016 CVO Pro Street Breakout, delivering drag-bike performance to discriminating Harley customers.