2024 Harley-Davidson Low Rider S (bike review)

Let’s face it, we’ve ridden our fair share of Harley-Davidson Softails at Exhaust Notes Australia. We’ve even climbed aboard a good number of the bike we’re testing – the 2024 Low Rider S. But this is no ordinary offering, this one is different.

The Low Rider S, in standard guise, is a good thing, and a favourite in our office. With its raw, no frills design, and a persona steeped with “f$*k you” level attitude, it’s the personification of not giving a rat’s arse.

Straight off the showroom floor, this model comes with a tantalising Milwaukee 117 cubic inch soul that propels its 308kg of trimmed down muscle exceptionally well. It delivers 77kW of power and 167Nm of torque, which isn’t too shabby at all.

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Sure, more power wouldn’t hurt and nor would a bevy of custom gear. So here we are. Our Sharkskin Blue Lowrider S came with a heart transplant, with Harley-Davidson Australia swapping in a Stage III 122 cubic inch kit.

Essentially the original pistons and barrels get tossed in the bin and replaced with bigger bore and higher compression versions. The new engine parts don’t stop there though, with a new Screamin’ Eagle 447 torque cam added into the mix.

The combination transforms this beast into a motorcycle that wants to be ridden, and ridden hard. Getting it up over 2,850rpm is a real delight to the senses. But it’s not done yet, because there’s also an SE Pro Tuner and SE Wedge air cleaner.

All that grunt is shoved through an SE High Flow 2-into-1 exhaust system, making it one of the best sounding Harley-Davidson’s we’ve ever ridden. This Stage III package is designed to deliver an increase of up to 15 per cent in power and up to 13 per cent in torque.

Out on the open road, the increase in performance is easily quantified by a twist of the right wrist. The Low Rider S barks and snarls as the revs enter into the high 3,000 mark and it grits its teeth.

Down low it can feel like it’s labouring a little, but get the Low Rider S into the mid to high rev range and it will reward you. Of course, there’s no point to all that power if the bike doesn’t handle and for us, this is where the real star of the show comes to the forefront.

The Low Rider S has always been one of the nimbler models in the Softail line-up due to its weight and stature, but like its siblings, it will wallow a little when being shoved hard through a corner. That’s at least the case in standard trim.

But this bike isn’t standard. You already know that. Enter the Screamin’ Eagle (SE) Öhlins suspension kit. We were lucky enough to experience this setup on the CVO ST and were supremely impressed by the handling dynamics of the performance bagger.

Fitted here, it’s a worthy investment at just over $2,000 and as an added bonus, you can even have the rear shock absorber dialled in to suit your weight (providing you pony up the actual number – and not pretend you’re lighter than you are).

The same adjustments were made to the front Showa inverted fork that’s fitted with 43mm SE Öhlins cartridges. The changes brought about by this combined setup are absolutely noticeable on the road, with a slightly firmer ride while cruising.

Get a little spirited though and the bike handles like a dream. In fact, so good is the setup, we’d fit it to any new Harley-Davidson bike if we were purchasing one – and that’s before we thought about an exhaust.

Yes, we know that’s sacrilege but that’s how much of a difference this suspension upgrade makes. All the wallow and rear end movement disappears as you plow into a corner, allowing the Low Rider S to hold a line beautifully.

Harley-Davidson’s Low Rider S isn’t all go without any show either, and additional features on our example included a seriously comfortable switchback seat, some SE red spark plug leads and a derby cover.

The 2024 Harley-Davidson Low Rider S starts from $33,250 ride away and is available in Billiard Grey, Vivid Black, Red Rock and Sharkskin Blue (as tested). The bike comes with a 2-year unlimited kilometre warranty.

The Stage III motor kit adds $3,640, while the Pro Tuner and air cleaner up the ante by $595 and $1,050 respectively. That exhaust system props another $2,730, with the Öhlins front and rear suspension package putting on a further $4,014.

The switchback seat comes in at $730, and you can add a few hundred more for the leads and cover. None of these prices factor in installation costs. That should put it somewhere north of $45,000 all-up – and probably closer to $50K.

It’s at this point that, if you’re like us, you realise you’ll also have to spring for a metric tonne of gifts to get your significant other to say yes to letting you pony up for a Low Rider S with the lot.

You can find out more by visiting the Harley-Davidson website, or by contacting your local dealership.

Our test bike was provided by Harley-Davidson Australia for independent review purposes.