·
2013–2017 · Cruiser · Buyer's Guide
Old Chrome, Deep Low
The Softail Deluxe is built around the look first, and it never apologizes for that. Underneath sits a counter-balanced 1690 cc air-cooled 45° V-twin, good for 99 lb-ft at 3,000 rpm and 78 hp, fed through a six-speed box and a belt to the rear wheel. The rest is pure nostalgia hardware: laced wheels, wide whitewalls, a tombstone taillight, and a rear suspension tucked out of sight so the back half of the bike reads like a hardtail. In a class where stance is the product, this one scores at the top of the scale.
It carries 724 pounds, and the way that weight is arranged matters more than the number. Seat height is 24.5 inches, so most riders plant both boots flat at a stop, and the mass sits low enough that it stops feeling intimidating within a mile. This is a bike for someone who wants chrome, sound, and a real big twin without wrestling something tall. The honest caveat: it stays a boulevard machine. Ask it to hurry, carry a full load, or cover ground the way a purpose-built tourer does, and it will push back.
Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.
| Power | 78 hp (58 kW) @ 5,020 rpm |
|---|---|
| Torque | 99 lb-ft (134 Nm) @ 3,000 rpm |
| Displacement | 1690 cc |
| Engine | 45° V-twin |
| Cooling | Air-cooled |
| Gearbox | 6-speed |
| Final drive | Belt |
| Front tire | MT90B16 |
| Rear tire | MU85B16 |
| Wheelbase | 64.5 in (1638 mm) |
| Seat height | 24.5 in (622 mm) |
| Wet weight | 724 lb (328 kg) |
| Fuel capacity | 5.0 gal (18.9 L) |
Equipment check
Chassis
Comfort
Safety
Thumb the starter and the idle arrives in your palms and the floorboards before it reaches your ears, uneven and deliberate. Roll away and the vibration organizes itself into a steady pulse you feel through the tank rather than the grips. The bars are wide and swept back to you, feet sit forward, spine stays upright, and no weight lands on your wrists. It is a lounging posture, not a compromise. On an open two-lane the exhaust settles into a low chuff behind your shoulder and the whole bike feels planted and unhurried, chrome filling your view over the tank. Controls are simple and take a firm, honest pull. Around town you are aware of every pound at walking pace, and then the moment you are properly rolling that weight quietly disappears underneath you.
Where this Harley-Davidson Softail Deluxe FLSTN 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 Deluxe FLSTN is actually built for.
This is your bike. Main-street crawls, campground parking rows, and a sound and stance that hold up under close inspection. The aftermarket depth means it ends up looking like nobody else's.
Made for A1A — Florida Atlantic Coast · Black Hills / Sturgis Rally Hub · Daytona Main Street / Bike Week
Slow roads, old towns, and no schedule suit this bike exactly. Bring your own soft bags and plan stops around 5.0 gallons, and the pace it wants is the pace you want.
Made for Acadia National Park · Austin / Handbuilt Motorcycle Show · Blue Ridge Parkway
Straight answer: this is not a long-haul tool. No luggage system, no center stand, 5.0 gallons of fuel, and 724 pounds to manage two-up. Great for a weekend loop, hard work across three states.
Made for Beartooth Highway · Blue Ridge Parkway · Going-to-the-Sun Road
If you're cross-shopping the older generation, here's what changed.
Previous generation · 2011–2012
Old Chrome Done Right
Compare to the previous model →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 Deluxe FLSTN. “cheaper/pricier” is what that bike costs second-hand, not how worn it is.
