The Low Rider S now sits on the Softail platform, as against the old Dyna bones, and chassis performance is boosted by a 43-mm inverted cartridge fork from Showa. While the Milwaukee-Eight 114 is the heart of the Low Rider S, and what a lovely heart it is, there is more to the bike which makes it special. Meters are right out of view while riding. I am kinda getting the California vibe, you know. An empty road, a roaring Harley, and an engine that does triple digits with ease. And once you get used to it, it is a lot of fun. I’m a fan of the Milwaukee-Eight motors with 1868cc and 16.1 rpm, there is no shortage of grunt, and the Low Rider S is always ready to leap, something you don’t often say about a Harley. The Low Rider S gets an upgrade to the larger Milwaukee-Eight 114, over the 107, and that’s what literally sets the tone for proceedings. The blacked-out bits aside, what is genuinely special about Harleys which wear the S badge is they get a bigger engine than their normie siblings. More on the riding position later, but as far as looks go, the Low Rider S will definitely work for Harley fans. The riding position seems to be inspired by Sons of Anarchy, with mid-mounted footpegs and a wide handlebar that sits on top of a 4-inch riser. Harley says the Low Rider S is a hat tip to the Californian custom scene, and the low fender at the rear with a low single seat makes that clear, too. An all-black theme replaces much of the chrome, though on the Low Rider S there are minor touches of chrome on the exhaust tips and engine fins complimenting the blacked-out look. Most Harley models, when they are suffixed with this S, lose a lot of their chrome and bling. Well, at least sportier than what’s associated with a Harley, and that had my full attention. As you may know, the Low Rider S is kind of special (pun intended the S does stand for Special), with a big engine and a sporty stance. I'm a little disappointed that the new tech items didn't make it on this ride, but will concede that the factory is making progress on that front, and ya' gotta' crawl before you can walk.”Įlectronic Sequential Port Fuel Injection (ESPFI)Ģ-into-2 offset shotgun catalyst in mufflerġst: 9.311, 2nd: 6.454, 3rd: 4.793, 4th: 3.882, 5th: 3.307, 6th: 2.Despite the uncertainty around Harley-Davidson in India these days, a chance to ride one which almost everyone has been raving about is always welcome. Could it be even hotter with the Mil-8 117? You betcha', but I understand why the MoCo wants to reserve its biggest mill for the CVO models. “Yes indeed folks, the Low Rider S has always been a rather hot item, but I'm proud to note the efforts to increase handling performance. Read our full review of the Indian Chieftain Dark Horse. You'll have to test ride each to decide which is more to your liking. Neither marque are famous for using price as a selling point, so it's unsurprising that the Chief Dark Horse fetches $18,499 in Thunder Black Smoke as the only finish, so price is a wash. If there's an advantage for Indian, it's in the engine's aesthetics 'cause great lengths were taken to emulate the look of the old sidevalve/flathead engines. Indian definitely scores in the engine department with its 111 cubic-inch “Thunder Stroke” mill, and even though it falls short by a couple of inches, it breaks even on the torque. Cruise control also makes it onto the Indian, but as far as higher electronics are concerned, neither really showcase much in the way of fandanglery. Brakes pretty much break even with dual front anchors and ABS protection across the board. The steering geometry on the Chief Dark Horse definitely points to a more stable ride with a 29-degree rake and 6.1 inches of trail, which is great for low-stress cruising, but a bit more reluctant in the corners than the sharpened up Low Rider S. Oh, and you can't miss that classic war bonnet fender ornament that takes you back to the middle of the last century. Indian relies on its own deep roots for design inspiration, and it shows in the headlight nacelle, tank console, and rear sheet metal. That's okay, 'cause the result is dead sexy in my humble opinion. Like the Low Rider S, the Chief Dark Horse rocks some serious blackout treatment with only a handful of saddle studs and polished cooling-fin edges to break up the blackness. With that in mind, I went to America's oldest manufacturer and grabbed the Indian Chief Dark Horse for my head-to-head. There really isn't anything quite like the Low Rider S from the foreign manufacturers, and the Asian-made Charlie-Davidsons just won't cut it for this bike.
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