A twist in the tail
For 30 years, the Harley-Davidson Softail series has combined classic rigid frame looks with contemporary chassis technology
• Aesthetic design features cite eras long past
• Triangular swing arm and concealed spring struts offer comfort
• Great stylistic variety through six models and two limited editions
“Form should not only follow function, but also emotion,” says Willie G. Davidson, responsible for Harley design from 1963 to 2012. His passion was always for the “hardtails”, classic machines from the 1940s and 1950s with no suspension at the rear, and the resulting custom bikes with their clear proportions, the straight lines that slope sharply towards the rear and the low seat. But such machines naturally lack any driving comfort due to the rigidly installed rear wheel.
At the beginning of the 80s, the idea of using a triangular swing arm to recreate the lines of a rigid frame and at the same time provide contemporary suspension comfort with two shock absorbers concealed underneath the engine promised to help.
In the Orwell year of 1984 the time had come: Willie G. presented the first Softail, the FXST model. Their V2 was also something special, because the then new 1340 cubic centimeter Evolution engine generation made its debut in the Softail.
The defining design features included the classically styled gasoline tank and the horseshoe oil tank in the shape of a horseshoe - a look that Harley-Davidson created back in the 1930s. Since the quintessence of the aesthetic design of past motorcycle eras and contemporary chassis and engine technology proved to be extremely successful, the FXST laid the foundation for a new series. The engineering and design teams created numerous other models, including the Heritage Softail, whose nostalgic design in the style of the 1949 Hydra Glide has been turning heads since 1986, the Springer Softail, which heralded a revival of the classic Springer fork in 1988, and the Fat Boy, which In 1991 she made her film debut in the movie “Terminator 2” with Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The second generation of the Softail series appeared in 2000 - with a completely new frame, new braking systems and a new engine, and the fourth V-twin generation has now found its way into the Softail chassis: the Twin Cam 103B with 1690 cubic centimeters, active intake and Exhaust system and Cruise Drive six-speed transmission.
A drivetrain that perfectly matches the extremely relaxed driving experience in the low seat of a Softail.
Stylistic diversity is traditionally very important for Softails. The members of the family are currently called Slim, Breakout, Deluxe, Heritage Classic as well as Fat Boy and Fat Boy Special.
V-twins are strictly limited Willie G. can rightly be proud of the series, after all, all Softails are descendants of his great model from 1984.
If you want to experience the eight successful syntheses of form, function and emotion, you can find information at www.Harley-Davidson.de and book a test drive at your nearest authorized dealer.
Text and image credits: Copyright Harley-Davidson Germany GmbH
