Harley, we have a problem. The signature feature of the 2025 Low Rider S is a seat that is so low it feels like you’re squatting on it rather than sitting. Was the bike modelled for a different species of primate? Sometimes, “Low” is simply too low.
This flaw in machine-to-human tailoring is mostly the result of good intentions. Harley’s layout for the 2025 Low Rider raises the engine and footpegs for better ground clearance when leaning through corners, while keeping the rider’s seat located just 715mm above terra firma permits easier maneuvering and mounting/dismounting.
However, this shrinking of seat-to-peg real estate means you ride with your knees flying at a higher altitude to your hips. It’s not a bad position to assume for short round-town trips, but add the more intense oncoming wind pressure that comes with increased speed and highway riding over any decent distance can become more of a chore than a pleasure.
If I was buying a $37,995 FXLRS Low Rider S, the bike wouldn’t leave the showroom without the Tallboy double seat that is one of 48 optional extras for the model.
I’d also add the adjustable hand levers, the quick-release saddlebags, and the rear floorboards and sissy bar in case Madame Pillion deigns to grace the bike with her presence.
While many will consider that such selections inhibit the spectacular sculptural appeal of the LRS, I’d distract the nay-sayers by ticking the box for the Mystic Shift bluey/purplely paint. This may cost an extra $2850 (cough, cough) but it magically changes hue in concert with shifts in ambient light intensity and would instantly mesmerize any apprentice critics into bedazzled silence.
As for the test bike, it looks a total bad-ass in Vivid Black, which costs a more budget-friendly $320, and the colour sets the stage for raw, visceral performance of Harley’s new Euro 5+ version of the 1917cc V-twin engine.
For the Low Rider S and the better-dressed Low Rider ST, Harley’s latest 117 cubic-inch big block twin comes in High Output tune, which puts a spicy 114bhp and 173Nm on the riding menu. Ignore the top end power figure, the comparative wealth of riding force at lower revs makes it totally irrelevant.
What really matters is that the 304kg LRS develops seven more newton metres of torque than a Yamaha V-Max and weighs six less kilograms.
The 199bhp V-Max is one of the quickest production motorcycles on earth in 0-100kmh terms, lighting up the road from rest to 100 clicks in 2.8 seconds. Given the grunt-to-mass ratio of the Low Rider S is slightly more athletic on paper, it likely also reaches three-figure speeds from rest with similar alacrity.
Dial up 4000rpm, release the beefily-sprung clutch with an optimal amount of slip and the resulting slingshot launch will leave no doubt that this is at least a three-second bike 0-100, if quite not two and change. You feel like a ball that’s just been bowled by Matt Henry.
There’s more to this HO Harley engine than forceful acceleration. It’ll deliver 5.6 litres/100km fuel use and a rubber engine mount-damped level of vibration that feels pleasurable rather than intrusive.
The intake and exhaust systems appear to have been tuned by audiologists, the former huffing in air to charge the jug-sized cylinders with plenty of explosive oxygen; the latter puffing out reduced toxins and noise post combustion. There’s no mistaking the usual Harley aural signature when the bike is on the move; it’s refreshing to hear that iconic sound properly muffled for a change.
It would be fitting if the six-speed gearbox matched the motor’s refinement, but it’s still got the long lever throws and crunchy ratio engagement that have long possessed it. Still, it does the job it needs to do, and the belt final drive helps smooth out the shifts.
As for the chassis, it’s the most improved player on the Softail team, the longer suspension travel allowing better bump absorption, the lighter wheels quickening the steering of a large, long bike that now feels miraculously agile. You get three powerful disc brakes with the LR-S where most Softies get two. With the help of the grip of the Michelin Scorcher tyres, they deliver serious powers of arrest.
But back to that seat: perhaps it’s unfair to judge a muscular streetbike for its limited rider comfort when touring longer distances on the open road. The LR-S is a bike built to instantly impress both when parked and ridden. Something it does rather well.
