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2023–2024 · Cruiser · Buyer's Guide
Factory Chopper With Real Torque
The Low Rider S is Harley's factory hot-rod cruiser, built around the Milwaukee-Eight 117. That's 1923cc of air- and oil-cooled 45-degree V-twin making 105 hp and a thick 124 lb-ft that lands low at 3,500 rpm. It rides on the Softail chassis, so the mass sits low and the bike carries its 679 lb with more composure than the figure suggests. ABS and traction control come standard. There's no getting around what it is: long, low, blacked-out, and built to look like something a custom shop cooked up rather than a factory line.
Point it at an open road and it settles into the kind of high-speed stability that makes miles disappear. The mid-mount controls and mini-ape bars set an aggressive but honest riding stance, one you lean into rather than lounge behind. It ages the way good Harleys do, through hardware you can feel and a look that holds up on the third glance. The honest caveat: the cockpit runs tight for taller riders, and at 679 lb this is not the bike you want to paddle around a crowded lot. Buy it for the road and the presence, not for the parking garage.
Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.
| Power | 105 hp (78 kW) @ 4,750 rpm |
|---|---|
| Torque | 124 lb-ft (168 Nm) @ 3,500 rpm |
| Displacement | 1923 cc |
| Engine | 45° V-twin |
| Cooling | Air/oil-cooled |
| Gearbox | 6-speed |
| Final drive | Belt |
| Front tire | 110/90-19 |
| Rear tire | 180/70-16 |
| Wheelbase | 63.6 in (1615 mm) |
| Seat height | 28.0 in (710 mm) |
| Wet weight | 679 lb (308 kg) |
| Fuel capacity | 5.0 gal (18.9 L) |
Equipment check
Chassis
Lighting
Safety
Thumb the starter and the 117 shakes itself awake with that off-beat 45-degree cadence you feel through the tank and pegs before you fully hear it. At idle it lopes. Under load the engine note hardens into something deep and mechanical that never slides into plain noise. The vibration is there and it's meant to be, a low pulse at the grips that tells you the thing is alive without buzzing your hands numb at a steady cruise. The mini-apes put your arms up and forward, chest open to the wind, while the mid-mounts keep your boots under you instead of stretched out ahead. On real roads it feels planted and deliberate, heavy in the right way, the kind of machine that rewards a firm hand and a bit of intent. You sit in it, not on it.
Over the years I've kept a running tally of what Low Rider S owners tell me, in paddock conversations, long back-and-forth email threads, and the messages riders send once they've actually lived with one. The pattern that comes back is consistent: deep affection for the engine and the presence, with reservations that stay narrow and predictable.
Riders lead with the 117 almost every time. They describe immense low-end torque and acceleration that shows up without any drama, and the appeal doesn't fade with familiarity. Close behind is how the bike looks and how people respond to it, the blacked-out, factory-custom stance pulling eyes at every stoplight. Owners who put real distance on one mention the big tank and the solo seat letting them string together long days more easily than the styling would suggest. More than a few are also caught off guard by how willingly this heavy machine turns in on a good twisty road.
The gripes are few and specific. Push the bike hard and the cruiser geometry runs short on cornering room, and taller riders bring up the compact position and mid-mount controls leaving them cramped over longer stretches.
Rear shock adjuster mounting tab recall
In affected 2018-2024 Softail models including the Low Rider S, the rear shock adjuster mounting tab can fracture, causing the adjuster to contact and cut into the rear tire, risking sudden pressure loss. Harley issued a recall to install a bracket to limit adjuster movement.
Plastic clutch cable adjuster prone to break
The plastic clutch cable adjuster used on 2020-2023 Low Rider S models can break, causing sudden loss of clutch function at the lever. The part is located under the rubber boot at the handlebar. A common aftermarket fix is to replace with a metal adjuster from Fatbaggers.
Where this Harley-Davidson Low Rider S FXLRS pulls ahead of — or falls behind — its rivals on the numbers, and the typical bike in its class on character.
Power
Torque
Displacement
Wet weight
Seat height
Forget spec-sheet bragging. Here's who the Low Rider S FXLRS is actually built for.
If your calendar runs on Sturgis and Daytona, this is your bike. It has the sound, the blacked-out presence, and the brand weight to belong in that crowd, and it backs the look with genuine road legs.
Made for A1A — Florida Atlantic Coast · Black Hills / Sturgis Rally Hub · Daytona Main Street / Bike Week
For quiet two-lane runs through small towns, it delivers the stance and the soundtrack. Just know it's built with more attitude than plush comfort, so plan your day around that 5.0-gal tank.
Made for Acadia National Park · Austin / Handbuilt Motorcycle Show · Blue Ridge Parkway
Big two-up mileage isn't this bike's calling. It covers ground and looks great doing it, but the solo-focused cockpit, firm stance, and 5.0-gal range make heavy loaded touring a stretch.
Made for Beartooth Highway · Blue Ridge Parkway · Going-to-the-Sun Road
If this one isn't quite the fit, these are the bikes worth riding back-to-back against it.
Any price note compares both bikes at the same age — the youngest age both have on the used market — against this Harley-Davidson Low Rider S FXLRS. “cheaper/pricier” is what that bike costs second-hand, not how worn it is.
