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Not the Hardtail
40 years of Harley-Davidson Softails – a
quick overview
These
days it's part of the motorcycling furniture, but
back in 1984 the release of a new Softail was big
news in the world of American motorcycles
(June 2024, Guy
'Guido' Allen)
The
announcement of the Softail series, seemingly
moments after of the launch of the new-generation
Evolution engine series back in 1983-84 was a
pivotal moment for Harley-Davidson. Thinking back,
it was more than likely a make-or-break effort for a
company that was at the time wading its way out of a
perilous financial situation.
It led to an incredible run of models, through (so far) three major engine series: Evolution, Twin-Cam and Milwaukee Eight. Here's a quick overview of some highlights.
The whole idea was to hide the
rear suspension so your cruiser carried that 'classic'
hardtail look, without the ongoing punishment to you
kidneys dealt out by a real hardtail. Back in the
1960s-70s, there was a custom chopper movement that
favoured a low-slung rear end look with zero rear
suspension. Frame makers such as Santee would cheerfully
sell you kits for a big range of Brit, Japanese and
American bikes.
Harley's visual replica involved twin
shocks slung under the frame (above). The concept was
purchased from independent customiser Bill Davis who had
come up with two versions of the idea: one running the
underslung shocks and another version with the shocks
running more or less where today's monoshock is situated
on the Milwaukee Eight series – under the seat.
See the
background story at American Rider
The first iteration was the FXST, at top,
with other variants soon to follow.
In 1986 the Motor Company launched the Heritage Softail
(above), a huge attention-grabber. At the time, no major
maker was doing retro models and this was arguably at the
cutting edge of the whole 'heritage' theme that was, over
the coming decades, adopted across the motorcycle
industry.
Move on two years (1988) and we were
presented with another very retro idea, the Springer
Softail (FXSTS) with a distinctive and at the time alien
front end boasting a strong 1930s vibe.
From a marketing point of view, by far
the most influential early Softail was the 1990 Fat Boy.
The disc wheels (made in Australia) and kinda Bau Haus
looks were enough to get people's attention. However it
was the 1991 starring role in Terminator
2, the movie, which really put it on the
cultural map.
See the YouTube
compilation of its appearances, in the capable hands
of star Arnold Schwarzenegger (who rides) and his stunt
stand-ins.
Early Fat Boys, by the way, are very much
in demand as collectibles.
While the Softail name has endured, the
structure of the frame changed with the 2017-18 launch of
the Milwaukee Eight engine series, where it is now running
something closer to a conventional monoshock though still
hidden out of sight.
Though some people mourn the old 'underslung' series, the
handling benefits are significant. Along the way, the
range has expanded with more capable machinery and
continues the often quirky naming culture, such as Fat
Bob...
See our 2023
Heritage Classic review
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