Harley-Davidson 2022 Low Rider S Cruisers Review Specs Price

In preparation for MY2022, Harley-Davidson repowered its Harley-Davidson 2022 Low Rider S Cruisers model with their most significant production Mil-8 engine. The overall appearance remains consistent, with the front-end configuration evoking a West Coast/club atmosphere. Blackout paint completes the image by giving the “S” a menacing undertone and a handcrafted appearance.

Harley-Davidson 2022 Low Rider S Cruisers – Features and Specs

Design

The tall uprights on the new cut-down front fender, a little café-tactic bullet fairing, and high-rise handlebar-clamp risers raise the pilot’s paws into the mini-ape zone although the not-so-high-lift handlebar is all carried over from the last year’s Low Rider S.

The first significant change from last year may be found here. To complete the package, the instrumentation was relocated from the tank console to the handlebar as a circular gauge that chains an analog tachometer including digital “everything else” and an array of idiot lights. Not only does this improve visibility without taking your eyes off the road or highway for too long, but it also cleans up the fly line since the fuel tank is replaced with a vestigial, low-profile cover with minimal impact on the top bars.

The deep-scoop solo seat stays unchanged, but it rides a half-inch higher than its predecessor this year, at 27 inches off the deck after the rear-end squats when you mount, assuming you have the necessary 180 lbs of body/gear weight to compress everything out back. The seat is 28 inches high when not compressed.

The S is devoid of passenger comforts as it stands on the showroom floor, so if you want to share the pleasure with a buddy, you’ll need to spring for a p-pad, footpegs, and probably a new front seat as well.

The only exceptions to the blackout paint are the required items like brake discs and inner fork tubes, as well as the machined cooling-fin edges that protect the engine from vanishing into the black hole beneath the tank. The rear blinkers are pretty standard, with a fender-strut attachment and a bullet form, all in LED. The Zeppelin-style taillight depends on 9 LED projectors for maximum visibility day or night.

Back in front, the cyclops lamp delivers the same performance and has a DRL ring for increased daytime visibility. It is another example of an old model name that was constructed on the 1980s FXR frame and made the transition to the new, second-generation Soft ail family. Because the FXR structure, as well as its immediate successor and newest progenitor, the Dyna-based Low Rider, are no longer in production, it is up to this new Soft ail platform to carry on the name and spirit of the construct.

Chassis

Mild steel is an excellent material for the Low Rider S’s frame design, which resembles old hardtails in the fall of its upper lines and the distinctive triangular swing arm that completes the illusion. The kingpost is the rectangular-section backbone that gives it a lot of strength and stiffness. The remainder of the frame is built in the traditional dual-downtube/double-cradle style, completely cradling and supporting the engine rather than employing the mill as a load-bearing part. The swing cage, which completes the rigid-frame appearance, is likewise made of tubular steel sections.

The manufacturer uses aluminum for the triple tree, which clamps 43 mm single-cartridge inverted forks and has a rake angle of 28 degrees, which is on the more stable end of the range, as does the 5.7-inch trail, which provides low-effort cruising even at super slab speeds.

In a rare departure from the finish’s homogenous paint, cast aluminum wheels with a Dark Bronze finish fill off the moving chassis. Michelin Scorcher 31 hoops are 110/90-19 with a 180/70-16 to connect to the concrete in an “H” speed rating that can withstand speeds up to 130 mph, which is adequate for the peak speed of 120 mph.

Yes, it has a lot of power, but it also has a lot of stopping power, thanks to dual 300 mm discs and four-bore calipers up front and a twin-piston anchor biting a 292 mm disc out the rear. ABS protection is optional, so include it if you want to gain the most out of the binders.

Drive Train

Things get wild in the engine compartment of the new Harley-Davidson 2022 Low Rider S Cruisers. For the first time in history, a non-CVO production vehicle, the Milwaukee-Eight 117, produces 103 horsepower at the top end, backed up by a monstrous 125 pound-feet of torque at 3,500 rpm. Even with a wet weight of 679 pounds, that’s lots of love.

Bore and stroke mic out at 103.5mm and 114.3mm for a 1,923 cc displacement and 10.2-to-1 compression ratio that would favor the mid-hook push line. The valve train is pushrod-actuated, with all four lifters on a single camshaft, which restores the valve shape to the old Big Twin configuration.

Electronic fuel injection and built-in exhaust catalysts work together to provide accurate emission control. Higher ride-control electronics did not transition from the CVO sector with this powerful engine, thus, the Low Rider S remains a bike for riders who do not need training wheels or safety nets beyond the standard ABS function.

Harley-Davidson 2022 Low Rider S Cruisers – Price

The MoCo, as usual, connects paint and pricing at the checkout counter. With an asking price of $18,349, the Vivid Black model is at the bottom of the pricing range. There’s no getting around the monochromatic finish on this family; the Gunship Gray finish is the only alternative option, and it’ll set you back an additional $450. ABS and the security suite are standard.

Low Rider S vs. Indian Chief Bobber

While the Chief Bobber lacks the adorable small bubble fairing seen on the Low Rider S, it does complement the bike’s rustic appearance. The Bobber, as the name suggests, has strongly bobbed fenders and a mini-ape handlebar that’s lofted even higher by tall clamp risers for a good dose of that West Coast flair.

The front end is beefier with its thick conventional forks, but it also seems more old-fashioned compared to the inverted stems offered by H-D. Along with a black and gray model to match the Low Rider’s livery, Indian gives a trio of paint packages to pick from but adds a green Sagebrush Smoke bit to the mix.

Price and paint are connected across the board, with the Black Smoke variant costing $18,999 and the other costing $19,499, respectively. Indian gains a competitive advantage in the ride-control electronics market by including the RIDE COMMAND package, which provides a more recent riding experience.

Indian’s entry is powered by a pretty massive V-twin engine, in typical American fashion. The ((air-cooled Thunder stroke 116 engine produces 120 pound-feet of torque vs. 125 pound-feet from Harley’s Mil-8 engine. Forward controls put the rider in the windsock position more than mid-mounts on the Harley-Davidson, which I prefer because it doesn’t put my jeans in the bug-scoop place, and mid-mounts are arguably safer because your heels are closer to being under your knees, allowing you to push off if necessary.

Harley-Davidson 2022 Low Rider S Cruisers – Technical Specifications

Dimensions

Engine

Drivetrain

Chassis

Performance

Electric

Warranty And Service