Motorcycle riding is a very Zen activity. There are many aspects of safe riding practices that only come to you when you are ready. If you disagree, we challenge you to think back on your own journey through the ranks, and think about how and why certain things occurred to you when they did. Ringing any bells? With that in mind, we wanted to find a Harley-Davidson model best suited for experienced riders , and conversely, not a good bike for beginners , and nothing seems to embody that sentiment quite like the 2025 Low Rider S .
The factory goes full-on power cruiser with this machine and took great pains to avoid adding superfluous weight, even as it muscled up. This leaves it lean as a snake and ready for action with scarcely an ounce of fat. A massive Milwaukee-Eight engine delivers the goods and completes the dragster chops of the Low Rider S with gobs of power ready to go. H-D also packs on all its top-shelf ride-control electronics to round out the package and give you the tools you need to keep it all under control. Tools aren’t enough for a beast like this, and this is where experience comes in.
To give you the most up-to-date and accurate information possible, the data used to compile this article was sourced from the manufacturer’s website for each model. The information given, including prices, is current as of this writing.
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Along with a more powerful engine, all the Softails now have modern rider aids as standard
Self-adjusting hydraulic lifters actuate a quartet of poppets per jug, hence the “Eight” component of its name. It delivers ample flow and excellent exhaust-gas scavenging for the naturally-aspirated engine to get the most out of each air-fuel charge. A mechanical Slip-and-Assist clutch couples engine power to the six-speed Cruise-Drive® transmission for a measure of backtorque mitigation, plus a broad friction zone with a light clutch-lever pull weight for excellent slow-speed control. Cornering-Enhanced Traction Control and Drag-Torque Slip Control come stock for excellent control over this monster mill.
| Engine | V-Twin |
| Displacement | 1,923 cc |
| Compression | 10.3 : 1 |
| Power | 114 HP @ 5,000 RPM |
| Torque | 128 LB-FT @ 4,000 RPM |
| Claimed Fuel Economy | 47 MPG |
| Tank Range | 235 Miles |
| Top Speed | ~120 MPH |
The current Low Rider is built on the relatively new, second-gen Softail frame that addresses many of the shortcomings of the original. Handling is better right along with comfort. The frame comprises roughly half as many pieces and parts as before. So it’s lighter and less complicated, resulting in a more refined structure than the previous generation. Tubular-steel members make up the double-downtube/ dual-cradle skeleton that fully supports the engine without using it as part of the frame. The overall geometry also remains the same to mimic the look of the old rigid frames, and the triangular swing-cage completes the illusion.
| Frame | Steel tubing, double-downtube/ cradle |
| Front Suspension | 43 mm inverted cartridge |
| Rear Suspension | Coil-over monoshock |
| Rake/ Trail | 28°/ 5.7 Inches |
| Lean Angle | 31.3° |
| Wheels | Cast-alloy, radiate |
| Front Tire | 110/90-19 |
| Rear Tire | 180/70-16 |
| Front Brake | 300 mm Dual disc, four-piston calipers |
| Rear Brake | 292 mm Disc, two-piston caliper |
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The most powerful 2025 Harley-Davidson cruiser gets a cozier suspension setup for no price bump!
It still carries the classic bullet-housings for the blinkers, and the taillight is a dead-sexy LED unit that is sure to be most visible to following traffic. H-D offers its 2025 Low Rider S in a choice of five colors over a blackout trim package for lots of classic custom yummygoodness. A solo saddle joins with middle-forward controls that are sure to accommodate shorter riders who might be less comfortable on full-forward controls, while tall riders will find more legroom than they would with a more rearward mount.
| Length | 92.9 Inches |
| Width | 35 Inches |
| Height | 47.4 Inches |
| Seat Height | 27 Inches, Laden |
| Wheelbase | 63.6 Inches |
| Ground Clearance | 5.7 Inches, Static |
| Fuel Capacity | 5 Gallons |
| Curb Weight | 670 Pounds |
| Dry Weight | 644 Pounds |
The very next-best bike from H-D’s cruiser lineup that new riders should stay away from is the Breakout . Like the rest of the current cruiser range, it comes built on the new Softail frame for that classic faux-rigid effect that emulates the builds typical around the middle of the previous century. The Breakout is clean as a whistle, lean as a snake, and carries some old-school performance-custom vibes.
Engine displacement is the same as the Low Rider S, but instead of a High-Output version, it’s a “Custom” version that puts out 104 ponies and 126 pounds o’ grunt. The electronics suite is the same across the board. Honestly, the only reason the Breakout wasn’t the main subject for today is that the Low Rider S is just a little more powerful, so here we are.
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Power, performance, and innovation–you name it and the Milwaukee-Eight has it!
Let’s also add the Street Bob as a near-peer bike with its proper Bobber looks that are supported by a number of custom goodies. The tins are both pared down quite a bit, and are accompanied by bellow gaiters on the Showa DBV front forks and some blackout coverage to complete that classic-custom connection.
Power comes from a Milwaukee-Eight 117 Classic with 98 horsepower and 120 pound-feet of torque to fall just shy of the other two, but not by too awfully much. Cornering-Enhanced ride-control systems all come stock to match the others, at least in that category. This engine is considerably less threatening in its power delivery, and so isn’t as much of a risk for a non-salty rider.
The Low Rider S In A Power-Cruiser Showdown: Suzuki Boulevard M109R B.O.S.S. Vs Indian Sport Chief
High-performance V-twins built for experienced riders
Top-end power cruisers aren’t quite as plentiful as some of the other genres, precisely because they are appropriate for truly experienced riders only, which represent a fairly narrow slice of the riding public if for no other reason than it takes a certain amount of time and miles to gain the experience needed to be considered “experienced” in this context.
Suzuki Boulevard M109R B.O.S.S.
Let’s start with the Boulevard M109R B.O.S.S. from Suzuki’s cruiser lineup. This is a proper power-cruiser with a peaky V-Twin engine that cranks out 128 horsepower and 118 pound-feet of torque with a 7,500 RPM redline and a top speed of around 110 MPH to make it comparable to the Low Rider S. The bodywork makes it a showroom custom with an almost Ness-like stretch and swoop throughout the build. Naturally, the Blacked Out Special Suzuki comes with an absolute dearth of shiny bits due to the widespread blackout paint. It comes with a nice tail cover for solo riding, but just pop the cover off, and you’re ready for two-up riding.
Indian Sport Chief
Closer to home, we find the Sport Chief from the resurgent Indian Motorcycle marque. This is an interesting cruiser for a number of reasons, but the part that makes it a non-noobie bike is the massive, 116-cubic-inch (1,890 cc) engine with its 120 pound-feet of torque that maxes out at 2,900 RPM. The engine does a lot of heavy lifting by serving as part of the overall aesthetic. It’s even more so than usual due to its faux flathead affectation in the false cooling fins on the rocker box covers and parallel pushrod tubes.
Indian trades heavily bobbed fenders front and rear for a small bullet fairing that smooths out airflow for improved penetration and reduced drag. The rest of the build is both clean and muscled up. The electronics are extensive. ABS joins a trio of Ride Modes and Cruise Control, plus the factory chucks on its RIDE COMMAND infotainment goodies to actually place it head and shoulders above the other two in that respect.