S FOR SUSPENSION

Putting the Sport back in the Low Rider S …

- Chris Beattie

I don’t like being passed. Especially when I’m going hard on a new bike that I bought specifically coz it was supposed to be the duck’s nuts in terms of performance and handling. So when I joined a few mates for a three dayer across the Victorian highlands, I was looking forward to showing them a clean pair of heels on my just run-in 2020 Low Rider Sport.

These guys wear dayglow leathers with scratched knees and ride European weaponry so they tend to set a bit of a pace. On my previous H-D, a particularly nasty 117-cube 2016 Dyna Low Rider S, it was not uncommon for me to beat them to the pub at the end of a hectic day of flogging through the twistery. The Dyna had the advantage of gobs of ground clearance, great handling courtesy of a pair of Ikon shocks, sticky Avons, humongous reserves of torque and pretty decent brakes.

But a little while ago I was seduced into parking the Dyna LRS in favour of Harley’s brand new Softail-framed replacement, the 2020 single-shock Low Rider S.

As soon as I saw the pics and video reviews, I wanted one. Lots of positive comments about the 114-cube M8 donk, and especially about the Low Rider’s handling and ride, sealed the deal.

It also helped that the Dyna’s engine had just imploded – bigtime. A story, for another day, perhaps ...

With a set of trick-looking inverted forks up front and a beefed-up single shocker down back, on paper it looked likemy position at the front of the pack was secure.

So there we were on the first day of our run into the hills hooking into a nice curly set of corners when I immediately noticed three things: I’m leaving a trail of sparks on both sides; I’ve just been bounced out of the seat and, worst of all, I’m being passed!