HARLEY-DAVIDSON International Test Ride Day 1: Softail Family

Table of Contents

I have been quiet for a long while.
I went to Spain for the HARLEY-DAVIDSON International Test Ride!
The first half of the first day of the test ride: lets ride the Softail family!
Photography at the shooting spot
Low Rider S
Fat Bob
Street Bob

I have been quiet for a long while.

Hello everyone. I am OGA, a stunt rider. I have been quiet for a long while.

Recently, I have been focusing on YouTube, not only stunts, but also various things such as off-road, product introduction, and test ride review. While doing such activities, my channel also continues to grow progressively, and I was finally invited to participate in the HARLEY-DAVIDSON International Test Ride! I'm really surprised because I did not expect it.

I am going to post articles that I have been tested a ride. Please check out the video too.

I went to Spain for the HARLEY-DAVIDSON International Test Ride!

I got this offer last month.

I went to Spain to participate in the HARLEY-DAVIDSON International Test Ride event.

Honestly, I have no HARLEY knowledge, and no experience. I couldn't agree immediately because I was worried that if I will participate in the test ride event, would I be able to give proper information to those interested in HARLEY? So, I decided to participate after making various adjustments. It would be helpful if you read this article as a report from a HARLEY beginner.

The venue for this global test ride event located in Malaga, Spain. Spain is located in the south of the European continent, and Malaga is located further in the south of Spain, near the Strait of Gibraltar. Malaga is relatively warm even in the Northern Hemisphere in winter, with temperatures exceeding 20°C during the day. I have visited Europe many times, but it was my first time in Spain for a long time and I was surprised at the ease of winter.

The first half of the first day of the test ride: lets ride the Softail family!

The test rides I had on that day were the 3 models of Softail family Low Rider S, Fat Bob, and Street Bob. The Softail family is the hottest motorcycle series now, fully redesigned in 2018 and featuring a new Milwaukee-Eight engine and a lighter carbon steel frame. Among the 3 models, I was able to ride on the Low Rider S, which is a very popular motorcycle model and is a standard Harley that everyone would like to ride.

I left the hotel immediately and started touring to the shooting point. I was surprised at the athletic riding performance that I was able to ride on the mountain pass. When I heard HARLEY, many people will think "it's a cruising motorcycle that rides slowly with a heavy motorcycle", and I thought so too. But the review of Low Rider S was completely different. It is possible to attack in cornering, and even switching back can be handle without difficulty. Above all, the Low Rider S with inverted front fork, dual brake disc, and 114ci (1868cc) large engine displacement helped make it more enjoyable.

Spain's wilderness was overwhelming. I was able to cruise through the vast wilderness with its lovely greenery where meadow spreads in front of the magnificent towering rocky mountain. The road is pretty clean, there were some slippery roads, but overall it was a beautiful road where it is comfortable to ride.

Since I am a stunt rider, I rarely go touring, and when I ride a motorcycle I often use a motorcycle to do stunts and climb off-road mountains. However, Low Rider S reminded me that touring is a fundamental way to enjoy a motorcycle. I was happy since it's been a long time that I was impressed by looking at the scenery. Moreover, touring Spain with a fashionable HARLEY-DAVIDSON was a very luxurious time for me.

Photography at the shooting spot

I arrived at the shooting spot after a day of cruising for 30 minutes with the Lowrider S. A camera crew provided by HARLEY-DAVIDSON filmed the scene. First, the film was taken from the Low Rider S. The quality of the photos taken by the professional is not odd, but it is lovely! These photos will be featured in the media and will reach all of you.

I switched to the Fat Bob and took a photo after riding the Low Rider S. In this way, riding a motorcycle at once were clearly communicated the differences between each model. The Fat Bob has the most distinctive feature with its fat tires creating a unique ride. When leaning the motorcycle, a repulsion is felt and it becomes a habit. In addition, the handlebar position is close to the rider's body, the foot pegs position is also in the front forward, and the position, foot pegs, and handlebar position triangles are grouped together in small pieces. It's a motard-like position that gives control of manipulating the motorcycle under your body. It was fun riding at winding road in the combination with its unique tire.

By the way, I love the Fat Bob so much that I want it as a private motorcycle. As a stunt rider, I would like to customize the Fat Bob to a drift machine.

Next, I took a test ride on the Street Bob. The first impression I felt was that the handlebar position was high and slightly narrow. Looking specifically, the iconic handlebar was about the height of my shoulder and I enjoyed the chopper style. The seat is low and has good foot grounding, and the high point is that even a heavy HARLEY can make a U-turn while swaying your feet. The brakes and fork performance are inferior when compared to the previous 2 motorcycles, but this is more like the HARLEY standard. The style-oriented and fashionable Bobber style is a motorcycle that can be ridden in a fashionable way. By the way, the engine displacement is 107ci (1745cc).

I thought I was riding on 3 Softail through photography, and the basic design of the frame and engine (114ci and 107ci) are the same, but it was very interesting that they all seemed to be different styles, did not feel like the same design, and had different rides and looks. My interest in the Softail family is deepened where I want to ride a variety of motorcycle models more than I thought. If you are interested or are considering buying one, please try many test rides. You should see the difference.

I will summarize the features I noticed in each model with a bullet point.

Low Rider S

・Equipped a high power with inverted front fork, dual brake disc, and 114ci (1868cc) engine
・A high-grade model with a standard HARLEY style undercarriage, enhanced braking, and a larger engine displacement than the standard model (without S). Riding performance can be ridden with fun even in the mountain pass.

Fat Bob

・Equipped a high power with inverted front fork, dual brake disc, and 114ci (1868cc) engine
・Thick tires provide its unique repulsion and a comfortable ride
・Sport-oriented motorcycle with a compact position and quick response to rider input

Street Bob

・Equipped with 107ci (1745cc) engine, chopper style handlebar, low seat with good foot grounding
・A style-oriented motorcycle that can be worn fashionably with its styling.

I also published a video of this article on YouTube. I tried to edit the trip comfortably along with music in the video. Definitely, please also refer here. Coming up next is my hill climb challenge with HARLEY!