2012 · Cruiser · Buyer's Guide
Blacked-Out Bobber, Pure Attitude
The Blackline is what happens when Harley takes the Softail platform and deletes everything that isn't essential to the stance. The Twin Cam 103 sits in the frame blacked out instead of chromed, 1690 cc of air-cooled 45-degree V-twin making 75 hp and 99 lb-ft at 3,250 rpm. The rear suspension hides under the transmission, so from ten feet away the back end reads as a rigid frame. A 21-inch front wheel, a 25.8-inch seat, and a 66.5-inch wheelbase give it the long, dropped bobber silhouette the whole motorcycle is built around.
It rides the way it looks. At 683 lb wet it sits planted at highway speed, happiest rolling on the fat part of the torque curve with a belt and a six-speed that ask for third and fourth far more often than sixth. This is a bike for a rider who is buying a stance and a soundtrack and knows what that costs him elsewhere: forward controls that stretch you out, a fork and a shock with no adjustment at either end, ABS only if the first owner ticked the box. Verify that before you start shopping parts.
Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.
| Power | 75 hp (56 kW) |
|---|---|
| Torque | 99 lb-ft (134 Nm) @ 3,250 rpm |
| Displacement | 1690 cc |
| Engine | 45° V-twin |
| Cooling | Air-cooled |
| Gearbox | 6-speed |
| Final drive | Belt |
| Fork | Telescopic |
| Front brake | 292 mm |
| Front tire | MH90-21 |
| Rear tire | MU85B-16 |
| Wheelbase | 66.5 in (1689 mm) |
| Seat height | 25.8 in (655 mm) |
| Wet weight | 683 lb (310 kg) |
| Fuel capacity | 5.0 gal (18.9 L) |
| Top speed | 110 mph (177 km/h) |
| Fuel economy | 42 mpg (US) |
Equipment check
Safety
Hit the starter and the whole bike rocks on its mounts before it settles into a lope you feel through the seat and the grips. Pull away and your body registers the geometry before anything else: low hips, boots way out front, arms reaching, shoulders taking all the wind with nothing ahead of you but a headlight and a 21-inch wheel. That front end gives the steering a slow, deliberate weight at parking-lot pace that takes a few miles to stop thinking about. At 70 mph on an open two-lane the bike quiets down in its own way and holds a line without much asking. The exhaust note is the part strangers react to at gas stations. Sit in stopped traffic on a hot day and the engine and the converter start cooking your right leg, and you notice it fast.
Front brake master cylinder corrosion recall on certain 2012 Softails
NHTSA recall 14V794000: on certain 2012 Softail and Dyna models the front brake master cylinder threads can corrode, and a sudden loss of brake fluid could cause a loss of the front brakes. Harley-Davidson dealers replace the affected components free of charge; owners can verify their VIN with a dealer.
Substandard 'C' series lifters
Early lifter failure can cause valvetrain noise; many owners proactively replace them with aftermarket alternatives when accessing the cam chest.
Starter relay failures and battery corrosion
Owners report no-crank conditions traced to failed starter relays or corroded battery connections, sometimes resulting in intermittent starting issues.
Weak compensator (primary drive)
The OEM compensator can wear prematurely, causing rattling or clunking noises from the primary side; the updated 2014+ compensator offers improved durability.
Excessive heat from engine and catalytic converter
The EPA-tuned 103 combined with the catalytic converter in the exhaust generates significant heat, especially in slow traffic, causing rider discomfort and complaints.
Where this Harley-Davidson Softail Blackline FXS 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 Softail Blackline FXS is actually built for.
This is squarely your bike. Blacked-out instead of chromed, loud enough to announce you, and steady on the long runs between rallies. Budget for the aftermarket, because the stock stretch gets old on big days.
Made for A1A — Florida Atlantic Coast · Black Hills / Sturgis Rally Hub · Daytona Main Street / Bike Week
Good fit if you want attitude with your two-lane. It's content at an unhurried pace on old highways, and 42 mpg from 5.0 gallons gives you honest range between towns.
Made for Acadia National Park · Austin / Handbuilt Motorcycle Show · Blue Ridge Parkway
Not your bike. No luggage, no windshield, no cruise control, and a riding position that fights you after a few hundred miles. Buy something built to carry gear and weather.
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 Softail Blackline FXS. “cheaper/pricier” is what that bike costs second-hand, not how worn it is.
