2023 Harley Davidson Softail Standard: Performance, Price, And Photos

With endless customization opportunities, Harley-Davidson says, "Here ya go; make it your own"

The Harley-Davidson Motor Company rolls into MY2023 with the Softail Standard model that reprises its role as the entry-level Big-Twin cruiser. It also counts as one of the "100 new bikes" delivered as promised.

The Softail Standard retains its old-school custom chops that hail all the way back to the 1940s when rigid rear ends and juice-fork front ends briefly overlapped in the years immediately preceding the advent of the swingarm-and-shock rear end. Judicious blackout treatment joins with polished-aluminum and chrome for a nice contrast that draws the eye.

A comfortable riding position joins with a dead-low seat to inspire confidence at stops and when padding around in the parking lot. New graphic details complete the package for this year to set it apart from last year's model, but it's rather subtle to be honest. The MoCo only offers one colorway which is a bit disappointing from the King of Paint.

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Harley-Davidson powers the 2023 Softail Standard with its relatively new Milwaukee-Eight 107 plant. The Mil-8 Big Twin runs in the traditional long-stroke layout with a 100 mm bore and 111.1 mm stroke. This gives it a 1,746 cc (107 cubic-inch) displacement and mild, 10-to-1 compression ratio that should take mid-grade gas just fine.

As usual with a long-stroke V-Twin, torque production is rather generous, even here with the smallest-in-its-class Milwaukee engine. Up top, the pushrod-and-rocker arm valvetrain times a quartet of poppets in each head, which is, of course, from whence the "Eight" component of the name comes.

The 2023 Harley-Davidson produces 87 horsepower and 110 pound-feet of torque. Maximum torque develops at 3,000 rpm. However, a significant amount is available just over idle to give this engine a very grunty nature indeed.

Chrome rocker boxes, pushrods, and the nosecone join blackout heads and cylinders for a contrast that really makes the engine pop in spite of all that black paint. It is air-cooled to remove most of the waste heat, but there's also a little oil cooler mounted on the downtubes for extra thermal stability and stamina. This is extra important for air-cooled mills as it helps you deal with hot weather and/or slow traffic.

A slipper clutch delivers a light lever pull and wide friction zone along with its primary feature, the backtorque-mitigation factor that prevents the rear wheel from breaking loose on hard downshifts and decisive engine-braking events. A belt-and-pulley final drive delivers quiet power to the rear wheel with an overall Softail Standard top speed of around the 125 MPH mark, which is plenty fast for anywhere in the U.S.

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The H-D designers put the Softail Standard together to look like a custom Big-Twin cruiser model from the early Forties when the rear ends were still rigid, but the front ends were telescopic, hydraulically-dampened forks, much like we have today. This combination dates the look to a short range of years, but the factory didn't stop there.

Fenders at both ends come pared down like with a custom bobber, and the solo seat combines with the mini-ape handlebar for more of that lone-wolf life. The bar puts the average rider's hands just below shoulder height while the foot pegs ride in a middling position that's more comfortable than full-forward controls over the long run.

A round cyclops headlight toes the design line, but it rocks modern LED emitters for both the headlight and the DRL feature. The rest of the lighting is all incandescent, so you'll have to replace those bulbs more often, but they are less expensive. The instrumentation is all handled by a teeny-tiny, 2.14-inch LCD screen integrated with the top half of the handlebar clamp making it supremely low-profile and leaving the cockpit looking uncommonly clean.

A teardrop profile gives the fuel tank an old-school look that fits right into the mold with a 3.5-gallon capacity. The solo saddle joins it with a faux tuck-and-roll finish that looks straight out of an accessories catalog. The rear turn signals multitask as the taillight and brake light on top of their usual blinker duties.

Length

91.3 in.

Width

34.1 in.

Height

45.7 in.

Seat Height (Laden/ Unladen)

25.8 in..26.8 in.

Wheelbase

64.2 in.

Ground Clearance

4.9 in.

Fuel Capacity

3.5 gal with 1 gal reserve

Curb Weight

655 lbs

Dry Weight

642 lbs

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The frame on the Softail Standard is what really makes the magic happen. A tall downtube section hints at some possible stretch while the 30-degree rake angle is definitely approaching proper chopper country. The fall in the backbone mimics the lines of the old hardtail frames, up to and including the triangular swing-cage that really sells the illusion.

Mild-steel members make up the structure with a rectangular cross-section backbone that buttresses the structure. The engine is completely supported by the cradle section rather than using the lump as a stressed member.

A set of 49 mm Showa forks float the front end on 5.1 inches of travel with the Dual Bending Valve technology that delivers a superior ride to plain vanilla forks but has no actual rider-controlled adjustments. The hidden rear shock rocks 3.4 inches of travel, which is short but common with faux rigid frame types.

Harley missed an opportunity to really look old school when it decided to drop the laced wheels for 2022 and run cast wheels. The front wheel could have been a 21-incher as well, but instead, the Softail Standard runs a 19-inch "Annihilator" rim ahead of a 16-inch rim, both shod with H-D Series Dunlop hoops which are great on paved surfaces and can handle the Softail Standard's top speed.

Surprisingly for a 655-pound machine, it only carries a single front brake rather than a double. ABS is optional equipment and thus not part of the stock equipment package.

Frame

Mild steel, tubular frame; rectangular section backbone; stamped, cast, and forged junctions; MIG welded; aluminum forged fender supports

Swingarm

Mild steel, tubular sections, stamped x-member, forged axle junctions; MIG welded; removable belt spacer

Front Suspension/ Travel

Dual Bending Valve 49 mm telescopic with aluminum fork triple clamps; dual rate spring/ 5.1 in. (130 mm)

Rear Suspension/ Travel

Hidden, free piston, coil-over monoshock; 43mm stroke; cam-style preload adjustment / 3.4 in. (86 mm)

Rake

30°

Trail

6.2 in. (157 mm)

Lean Angle, Left/Right (J1168)

28.5°/28.5°

Wheels

Silver, Annihilator cast aluminum

Front Wheel

19 in. x 2.5 in. (483 mm x 64 mm)

Rear Wheel

16 in. x 3 in. (406 mm x 76 mm)

Front Tire

Dunlop® Harley-Davidson® Series, bias blackwall - D401F 100/90B19,57H,BW

Rear Tire

Dunlop® Harley-Davidson® Series, bias blackwall - D401T 150/80B16,77H,BW

Front Brake

300 mm Solid, uniform expansion rotor, 4-piston fixed caliper

Rear Brake

292 mm Solid, uniform expansion rotor, 2-piston floating caliper

ABS

Optional

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The 2023 Harley-Davidson Softail Standard costs $14,399. As before, this model comes only in Vivid Black sheet metal with a new red tank graphic. ABS adds another $950 to the total, and California models have special emissions equipment for a $200 boost to the sticker.

Model ID

FXST

Standard Equipped

Security System Option

Warranty

24 months (unlimited mileage)

Colors

Vivid Black

Price

└ 2020, 2021

$13,599

└ 2022

$13,949

└ 2023

$14,399

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H-D is no longer alone in the fake-rigid cruiser market with a few likely competitors around the world. I wanted to see how the British side of the same coin pans out with the Triumph Bonneville Bobber, so let's get to it.

Right out of the gate, the similarities are striking, starting with the bobbed fenders fore and aft and generous blackout treatment that is actually more pronounced on the Brit. Oh yeah, and the support strut on the rear fender is right out of the history books. Solo seats abound to leave the rear end looking clean and trim. Triumph offers its entry in three different colorways, but the color only shows up on the tank. The fenders remain black across the board.

Power comes from a traditional-looking parallel-twin engine that displaces only 1,200 cc with 76.9 horsepower and 78.2 pound-feet of torque against 87/110 for a significant power deficit. That fact doesn't seem to factor into the price, 'cause Triumph is looking to fetch $13,795 for its Jet Black model while the two other color packages range up to $14,295.

"As a longtime fan of the original Softail bikes, I'm digging this new Softail family that has totally displaced the other types of FX platforms to serve as the only cruiser group currently under development and production. With many of the original gripes addressed, such as the overall weight and complexity of the old Softail frame, along with the comfort concerns, this is a worthy successor to the Softail moniker."

My wife and fellow motorcycle writer, Allyn Hinton, says,

"The Softail Standard has the same vibe as the old Sportsters from back in the late 1980s and early 1990s. It isn't the look that makes the connection, but instead, it's the intention. Referred to as the 'Forty-Nine Ninty-Five Sportster,' the old bike was no-frills basic transportation starting at $4,995. The Softail Standard fits that same bill of no-frills basic transportation, it comes only in black, and while it costs a bit more than the Sportster of old, it begs you to make it your own."

The Harley-Davidson Softail Standard is a no-frills cruiser with manageable power and easy handling. The low seat height and comfortable riding position make it suitable as a beginner's bike, just keep in mind that it lacks any sort of rider aids unless you go for the optional ABS.

The Harley-Davidson Softail Standard produces 87 horsepower at 5,020 RPM and 110 pound-feet of torque at 3,000 RPM.

The top speed of a Harley-Davidson Softail Standard is estimated around the 125 MPH mark

With the Milwaukee-Eight 107 engine, the claimed fuel economy of the Harley-Davidson Softail Standard is 47 MPG.

TJ got an early start from his father and other family members who owned and rode motorcycles, and by helping with various mechanical repairs throughout childhood. That planted a seed that grew into a well-rounded appreciation of all things mechanical, and eventually, into a formal education of same. Though primarily a Harley rider, he has an appreciation for all sorts of bikes and doesn't discriminate against any particular brand or region of origin. He currently holds an Associate's degree in applied mechanical science from his time at the M.M.I.