2018 Harley-Davidson Softail Cruiser Lineup

Harley-Davidson has completely revamped its Big Twin cruiser model lineup for 2018, folding Dyna and Softail model lines into one all-new 2018 Harley-Davidson Softail range of motorcycles. 

The entire new 2018 Harley-Davidson Softail cruiser lineup gets an all-new chassis, new underseat "hidden" single shock, and the new Milwaukee-Eight V-twin engine in 107ci displacement or, in select models, 114ci. The 45-degree, four-valve-per-cylinder Milwaukee-Eight V-twins now have dual counterbalancers. This means Dyna models, which previously had rubber-mounted Twin Cam 103ci and 110ci engines, will now have solid engine mounts, just as previous Softails had enjoyed since the introduction of the Twin Cam 88B (*B* for balanced) in 1999 models. All 2018 Harley-Davidson Softail cruiser motorcycles use an all-new frame that, as part of the larger redesign, reduces weight by up to 35 pounds and improves handling and ride quality.

The new frames offer three steering head angles in 28-, 30-, and 34-degree rakes, a "standard" and "high" ride height and "wide" or "narrow" swingarm, depending on model. With the parts commonality among eight new models (12 if you count the four 114ci variants), this will mean unprecedented parts and component interchangeability for a new level and ease of customization potential.

Below you'll find various articles on this radical move by Harley-Davidson. There is a technical First Look by Kevin Cameron, a First Ride by Peter Egan following his brief test impression on all the new and old models back-to-back, Editor-in-Chief Mark Hoyer's essay regarding the Death of the Dyna, and model overviews for each of the all-new cruisers in Harley-Davidson's 2018 Softail line. The latter are grouped, "Foundational Standards," "Modern Classics," and "Revolutionary Design DNA," by the Harley-Davidson design team, and so we present them here to demonstrate the thinking behind this new direction for The Motor Company.