Why The Low Rider S Is The Best Harley-Davidson Cruiser Under $20,000

Harley-Davidson has quite a wide range of products available today. A few short decades ago, you’d have found just large full-dress tourers, and chrome-laden cruisers in the lineup. Today, there is an adventure tourer, a sport tourer based on that ADV, and two genuinely sporty cruisers at the budget end of its portfolio. It hasn’t ignored its bread and butter; it still makes some of the best tourers in the business, and some of the most iconic cruisers.

Smack in the middle of its Softail range of cruisers lies the Low Rider S. It is one of those sneaky products that you don’t really think about until you start looking at it closely. Then you realize that there is more to it than meets the eye. This is a cruiser that has a personality that can range from easygoing to raging bull – and even can double as a light tourer, given the opportunity.

Here’s Why The Low Rider S Is The Best Harley-Davidson Cruiser Under $20,000

Price: $19,999

Harley-Davidson

Some Harley-Davidson models got a recent price correction, and among those were the Street Bob and Low Rider S. This price cut hasn’t been substantial, but coupled with the Trump tariffs, it has suddenly made products with the Bar And Shield on them more attractive to buyers. The Low Rider S sits, price wise, second from the bottom in the Softail lineup, but it occupies the role of the performance cruiser.

It has the most powerful engine, the best brakes, and the safety suite includes absolutely everything Harley has in its arsenal. The Low Rider S also has a light-touring version called the Low Rider ST. This has a quarter fairing mounted to the frame, matching hard luggage, and costs $4,199 more. This hints at the performance and comfort capabilities of the Low Rider, and that is why it is the best Harley-Davidson cruiser under $20,000.

Harley-Davidson Low Rider S Engine: High Output V-Twin Oomph

The Most Powerful Milwaukee-Eight 117 In The Lineup

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The entire Softail lineup is now powered by a single engine, the Milwaukee Eight 117, but there are many different variants of this engine as well. The Low Rider S gets the most powerful tune, thanks to various things, including water-cooled heads. The liquid cooling is well-thought-out, going first to the exhaust valve of the rearward cylinder, to help extract maximum heat from the engine. The valves are pushrod actuated, but there are four per cylinder.

Output stands at 114 horsepower and 128 pound-feet, and with the six-speed gearbox, offers enough punch to put a smile on your face. The Low Rider S is also equipped with a six-axis IMU, and H-D has given it the full electronics suite. So you get ride modes, cornering enhanced traction control, and cornering drag-torque slip control. Cruise control is standard on the Low Rider S.

Harley-Davidson Low Rider S Engine Specifications

Harley-Davidson Low Rider S Chassis: Traditional But Capable

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The Low Rider S has a traditional downtube frame that might be a little heavier than more modern solutions, but it serves its purpose well. Those purposes include commonality and modularity within the Softail series, ease of customization, and the ability to swap out parts if upgrades are desired. As it is, though, it reads a little like a sport bike, with inverted front forks, and a hidden rear single shock. The wheel sizes are a little more traditional cruiser, with a 19/16-inch rim size combination. The brakes are decidedly modern, with a twin 300 mm disc setup gripped by four piston fixed calipers at the front.

Negative points include the fact that the tool-free adjustment for the rear preload is available on the Fat Boy but has been removed from the Low Rider S for this model year. In addition, the front brake calipers are axially mounted and not radial ones. The six-axis IMU does help, though, with its cornering-enhanced ABS. A tire pressure monitor is also present.

Harley-Davidson Low Rider S Chassis Specs And Dimensions

Harley-Davidson Low Rider S Features

Good Features At The Price

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Having gone under the magic $20,000 mark, we can’t be too picky about the features available on the Low Rider S, especially considering how much performance you’re getting for that price. The feature set begins with the 4-inch analog/reverse LCD instrument cluster that provides information like the fuel level, odometer, and even speed in a small digital cutout at the bottom, but is dominated by a large analog speedo at the top. You also get an adjustable front brake lever, cruise control, and the tire pressure monitoring system.

The options list is fairly long, and has things like luggage and a fork-mounted quarter fairing on it. You can’t upgrade to the Low Rider ST’s frame-mounted fairing easily, it is too complicated to be worth your while.

Harley-Davidson Low Rider S Notable Features

• Analog/reverse LCD
• Front brake lever is adjustable
• Cruise control
• TPMS
• Six axis IMU
• By-wire throttle with ride modes

Harley-Davidson Low Rider S Competition

Surprisingly Good Competition

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We’re going to limit ourselves to that $20,000 mark, and that leaves us with two Harley-Davidsons that are comparable: the Street Bob and the Sportster S. The Street Bob, as the name suggests, is a stripped-down version of a cruiser, and has its own charm. However, it is expected to be a blank canvas for customizers, and as such does not have the performance that the Low Rider S has. It gives up quite a few horsepower, but is lighter as well and has all the safety features. That makes it quite the bargain for $15,999.

The Sportster S retails for the same price, down to the last dollar, and is a different interpretation of what a sporty Harley cruiser should be. It offers a fully liquid-cooled high-revving engine with 123 horsepower, XR750-style looks, and a trellis frame that uses the engine as a stressed member to cut down on weight. That also means it won’t be as customizable, meaning you can’t drop a Screamin’ Eagle crate engine into it, for example. However, you do get a color TFT screen, and if you want a sporty cruiser, it is difficult to argue against the nearly 170 pounds lighter curb weight of the Sportster S.

Harley-Davidson Low Rider S Vs Rivals