20 March 2020

Softail Standard: lean bobber, lean price

The good people at the ‘Motor Company’ have slotted another machine into their Softail range.

The new Softail Standard is a motorcycle that Harley-Davidson describes as being a bike that offers the essential Harley-Davidson cruiser experience.

The new machine is a lean bobber with just a touch of attitude.

Black is the new black

The bike is topped with Vivid black paint and highlighted with gleaming chrome and polished bits.

The clever thing about the colour scheme is that the contrast of dark and bright components gives the Standard a look that’s at the same time both classic and minimalist.

It also comes in any colour you like… as long as it is Vivid Black.

A solo seat that exposes the cooler-than-cool chopped rear fender ensures that you won’t be bothered by any overly controlling pillions.

All heart

The smooth, 3.5-gallon fuel tank presents the frame and engine to the eye in a way that lets that big-twin stand right out. Or as Harley would have it, “draw attention to the beating heart of the motorcycle.”

That heart is a Milwaukee-Eight 1,746cc twin highlighted with polished rocker, primary and timer covers. A centre-bolt, round air cleaner is minimalism at its finest.

H-D’s descriptive for the motor includes “the unrelenting power of the Milwaukee-Eight V-Twin powertrain.”

That use of the word ‘unrelenting’ is probably pushing the truth a bit, but it is a whole world ahead of the older engines and offers a surprising giggle with the throttle pinned.

Comfort zone

It has the look, sound and feel that is classic Harley-Davidson, but without all the damn shaking thanks to dual counter-balancers.

These cleverly reduce the primary vibration at idle for improved rider comfort which in turn can lead to a significantly better rider temperament.

Chrome shields and mufflers of the 2-into-2 shotgun underline the bike’s long, low profile.

The best plan for that piece of government approved/ environmentally appealing/ relatively quiet piece of control surrender is to replace it with something shorter, louder and so much better looking.

Looks like you’ll be turning over another page in the official Parts & Accessories book.

The steel rims consist of a dazzlingly cool 19-inch on the front and a standard 16-inch rim on the rear.

Mini-ape – could we call these chimp? – handlebars put the rider in a classic fists-in-the-wind posture that ramps up the attitude points. There’s a tidy, compact electronic instrument cluster and that clever digital display which is set into the handlebar and riser to leave the front end clean and uncluttered.

The new Softail Standard is, wait for it, only €15,995. You may well be shocked at how cheap that is for a large capacity H-D.

For the full Softail Standard sales pitch contact either Alan at Waterford Harley-Davidson (051 844 200) or Derek from Dublin Harley-Davidson (01 464 2211).

Call our specialist bike team on 1890 945 950 for your Harley-Davidson insurance quote.

 

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