10 Reasons Why We Will Miss The Cheapest Harley-Davidson Softail

2025 started with some eventful launches from Harley-Davidson. The price of the cheapest cruiser in the Harley lineup was slashed, and it is currently being sold for under $11,000. The Softail cruiser line got a much-needed muscle makeover, with the more powerful Milwaukee-Eight 117 V-twin becoming the new norm. But amidst all this, there was disheartening news as well. Many iconic Harley-Davidson bikes have been discontinued for 2025, one of which was the axed Softail Standard.

This is more impactful than any other discontinuation because it was the most affordable Softail cruiser bike available. It was also the cheapest air-cooled V-twin-powered Harley with a Milwaukee-Eight engine. Along with these desirable reasons, here are ten reasons why the Harley-Davidson Softail Standard will be greatly missed.

To ensure accuracy, the information in this article was compiled from authoritative sources, including the respective manufacturers' official websites.

Rider next to a 2024 Harley-Davidson Road Glide Limited

2024 MY Starting Price: $14,999

Harley-Davidson

In 2025, the most affordable old-school Harley-Davidson cruiser starts at $17,199. But that wasn't the case last year, and you could get a no-frills air-cooled Harley cruiser for under $15,000. As the cheapest offering in the 2024 Softail family, the Standard was the go-to choice for people who wanted to enjoy classic American V-twin charm on a budget. The impressive pricing was because of the Softail Standard's barebone construction, which actually also elevated its riding experience. Sadly, that's not the case anymore, as the cheapest Softail bids adieu for 2025.

Minimal Old-School Design

Harley-Davidson

Harley-Davidson has nailed the nostalgic old-school charm of the Softail Standard. Its biggest visual attraction is actually its big twin. But the gorgeous teardrop fuel tank, along with its trimmed front and muscular rear bobber fenders, adds a tinge of drama to the overall package. The engine has subtle chrome elements that go well with the classic theme with the two-to-two exhaust also chromed out.

Harley-Davidson

The "shiny" bits stand out further with the Vivid Black paint job, elevating the contrasting red "Harley-Davidson" logo on the tank. There were only two colors on offer—Biliard Gray (standard shade) and the aforementioned Black (for an additional $350). Despite being modern, the Softail Standard's cool six-spoke design goes well with the old-school charm. It had 19-inch front and 16-inch rear wheels.

Notable Design Features

Solo seat
Dog dish air filter
Mini apehanger handlebar
Round Daymaker headlight
Generous dose of chrome all-around
Two-into-two chrome exhaust system

Urban-Ready Dynamics

Harley-Davidson

This barebone Harley-Davidson is designed to be a capable urban runabout, which is impressive for a big twin cruiser. Its dimensions play a vital role (which we will get to later), but the frame design, suspension, brakes, and tarmac contact points complete its city-friendly character. The Softail Standard has a mild steel tubular frame that cradles the big twin. The swingarm is also composed of tubular mild steel sections.

Its 49 mm forks with dual-rate springs are vital in diluting varying road imperfections. The famous hidden rear monoshock has a 43 mm stroke and offers less travel compared to some other cruisers. But it's ample to ply on urban roads. The braking setup comprises single discs at both ends with a 4-piston caliper at the front and a 2-piston at the rear. This biting setup is deemed ample, given its slim dimensions and comparatively lighter heft. The front tire is slim, with a width of 2.5 inches. But thanks to the 3-inch-wide rear wheel, the Softail Standard has a lean angle of 28.5 degrees.

Hardware Specs

Frame	Mild steel, tubular frame
Swingarm	Mild steel, tubular sections
Front Suspension and travel	49 mm telescopic forks with dual-rate springs with 5.1 inches of travel
Rear Suspension and travel	Coilover monoshock with 43mm stroke with 3.4 inches of travel
Front Tire And Wheel	100/90 wrapped around a 19-inch cast aluminum alloy wheel
Rear Tire And Wheel	150/80 wrapped around a 16-inch cast aluminum alloy wheel
Front Brakes	4-Piston fixed caliper clipped onto a uniform expansion 300 mm rotor
Rear Brakes	2-Piston floating caliper clipped onto a uniform expansion 292 mm rotor

Rider and passenger on a 2024 Harley-Davidson Ultra Limited

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Accessible Height

Seat Height: 25.8 Inches

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The Softail Standard had the second-lowest seat height among Harley-Davidsons. The Softail's low seat height was a huge deal, and it turned out to be one of the major deciding factors for its purchase by many riders. Not only did it make the rider triangle a lot more relaxed, but it also helped shorter riders enjoy American muscle without tip-toeing. In case you're curious, the dashing Breakout117 holds the first spot at 25.6 inches.

Beginner-Friendly

Low Center Of Gravity And Distributed Weight

Harley-Davidson

Its short seat height and compact form factor make it a solid, beginner-friendly cruiser. Its weight of 655 pounds was impressively low for an old-school air-cooled V-twin cruiser. The barebone form factor helped trim down the overall dimensions, which has the potential to instill confidence in new riders. Its back-to-basics nature is also another huge selling point, as there aren't many air-cooled American cruiser bikes that fuse together easy rideability and raw old-school muscle.

Dimensions And Weight

Wheelbase	64.2 inches
Length	91.3 inches
Ground Clearance	4.9 inches
Rake	30 degrees
Trail	6.2 inches
Seat Height	25.8 inches
Curb Weight	655 pounds

A Popular Air-Cooled Big Twin

Powered By The Milwaukee-Eight 107 V-Twin

Although quite old today, the Milwaukee-Eight 107 V-twin still stands out because of its rooted and raw nature. It's an old-school long-stroke pushrod 45-degree V-twin. Its four-valve head and electronic fuel injection system are two of its major "modern" components. With a lazy compression ratio of 10.0:1, this big twin rumbles and shakes to its glory. Also, its performance peaks quite early at 5,020 RPM and 3,000 RPM for power and torque, respectively. This helps it greatly to be peppy during short sprints in the city.

Engine And Gearbox Specs

Engine Configuration	V-Twin; Air-Cooled
Engine Displacement	1,746cc (107 cu-in)
Bore X Stroke	3.937 X 4.374 in.
Compression Ratio	10.0:1
Fuel System	Electronic Sequential Port Fuel Injection
Transmission	6-Speed

The Highest Torque From A Harley Under $15,000

Torque: 110 LB-FT

Harley-Davidson

One of the USPs here was the impressively high torque rating of 110 pound-feet. In fact, it was the Harley-Davidson with the highest torque under $15,000 in 2024. The long-stroke nature of this engine greatly contributed to its meaty torque. Also, its early peak surge at just 3,000 RPM also translated to grin-worthy acceleration. Many owners report these things helped the Harley Softail Standard boast a top speed of over 100 mph.

Black 2023 Harley-Davidson Softail Standard cruising on the road

10 Things We Like About The Harley-Davidson Softail Standard

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Minimal Electronic Intrusion

Its Instrument Cluster Could Fit On Your Palm!

Harley-Davidson

This Harley Softail cruiser is so barebones that even the anti-lock braking system is optional. The cockpit view comprises a cool apehanger handlebar and a tiny 2.14-inch LCD that fits inside the handlebar clamp cover. Puny, we know. There is also a secondary display of vital data like fuel and neutral gear indicators. As for lighting, only the headlamp is an LED unit. Everything else on this cruiser bike uses old-school incandescent bulbs.

Features On The Softail Standard

LED Headlamp only; Other lighting elements comprise incandescent bulbs
A tiny 2.14-inch viewable area LCD.
Optional ABS (For an additional $950)

A Customization Haven

Minimal Form Factor Is The Reason

Harley-Davidson

A barebone design is the best canvas for a custom motorcycle build. This is because the custom builder needs to just add elements and create components for the bike instead of first stripping things out and then getting into the creative zone. Also, the 107 Milwaukee-Eight V-twin has been around for a long time, opening up numerous available custom add-on performance kits to bump up the muscle.

Loads Of Official Accessories

2024 Harley-Davidson Softail Standard customized

Harley-Davidson clearly knew the Softail Standard's huge customization potential and thus offered many factory custom options when it was on sale. Most of the mods are focused on comfort and styling, but there were also two specific performance upgrades. Both were thankfully designed to get rid of the only boring "stock" component on the Softail Standard—its bland and round air cleaner assembly. On the comfort and practicality front, it even has saddlebags and a tall detachable windscreen to elevate its touring capabilities.

List Of Harley-Davidson Softail Standard Official Accessories

Performance Accessories	Screamin' Eagle Heavy Breather Elite Air Cleaner Screamin' Eagle Round Extreme Ratchet Air Cleaner
Comfort Accessories	Sissy upright bar Saddlebags Detachable windshield Forward-biased footpeg kit Two-up seating Single-side swingarm bag
Styling Accessories	Quarter fairing Tall sissy bar with passenger support Two designs for two-up seats Coastal Package includes several features that transform the Softail Standard into a cooler-looking two-up big twin cruiser.