2018 Harley-Davidson Softail Lineup Revealed

Harley-Davidson has released details about its plans for the Dyna and Softail model ranges for 2018. The two ranges will be combined into one all-new 2018 Softail range, with extensive changes to all the motorcycles that fall in the new category.

First off, two of Harley’s three new Milwaukee-Eight engines will make their way to the entire 2018 Softail lineup. The most common of these will be the ‘114,’ an 1868cc mill that produces 101PS of peak power.  Then there’s the 92PS, 1746cc unit, also known as the ‘107’, its codename reflecting its capacity in cubic inches.

The third, and the largest, Milwaukee-Eight variant will be a 105PS, 1923cc ‘117’ derivative, to be used exclusively in Harley’s CVO model lineup.

Introduced this year in the company’s Touring and trike models, Milwaukee-Eight is an all-new engine that also stands as one of the most important steps in the evolution of Harley’s engine history. Combining traditional elements like the 45-degree V-angle and pushrod valve actuation with modern technology, the engine has four valves per cylinder while some ‘Twin-Cooled’ versions have water-cooled cylinder heads. This means Dyna models, which previously had rubber-mounted Twin Cam 103ci (1688cc) and 110ci (1803cc) 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.

The 2018 Softail lineup will also employ an all-new chassis and a ‘hidden’ underseat single shock. The new frame, part of the larger redesign, reduces weight by up to 16 kg and is claimed to improve handling and ride quality as well.

Apart from spreading out the new engines across its range, Harley-Davidson will also augment its ‘S-Series’ lineup next year with higher-spec versions of some bikes. At present, Harley sells three ‘S-Series’ machines: the Low Rider S, Softail Slim S and Fat Boy S. Come 2018, these motorcycles will be joined by the Breakout S and the Heritage Classic S. These new bikes are expected to have the larger, 1868cc ‘114’ version of the Milwaukee-Eight. An additional new model, the Fat Bob 114, will also use the larger engine. It will be sold alongside the current Fat Bob.

Next year will also mark the company’s 115th anniversary since its birth, back in 1903. To commemorate the occasion, Harley-Davidson will launch a range of ‘Anniversary’-branded models, which will include the Breakout S Anniversary, Fat Boy S Anniversary, Tri Glide Ultra Anniversary, Heritage Classic S Anniversary, CVO Ultra Limited Anniversary and Ultra Limited Anniversary. It will also produce two special versions of the Fat Boy S: the Anniversary V and Anniversary X.

While we know the names of these Anniversary-edition models, their engine specifications haven’t been divulged yet. Expect a formal announcement on the same before this month ends.