After a revamp for the 2018 model year, Softail underpinnings are all radically different than the originals, but the overall classic look of the Heritage Classic remains largely unchanged for the requisite historical tie-in. Harley-Davidson put a new emphasis on the Softail lineup with plenty of performance-driven custom designs for the fiery-eyed pegdraggers out there, but for someone looking for an old-school cruiser and tour bike, the Heritage Classic is your Huckleberry.

Harley-Davidson Heritage Classic Design

Harley-Davidson's lineup had a major shakeup in 2018 with lots of what you might call the 'low hanging fruit' falling by the wayside -- like the entire Dyna family line, for example -- but not the venerable Heritage Classic. Oh no. It moved into the 2018 model year with a dark edge to its paint packages, and a choice of either the 107 or 114 inch Milwaukee-Eight engine that brings solid, 100 pound-feet-plus performance to the table no matter which you choose. For 2022, The 107 was dropped and the Heritage Classic continues with the Mil-8 114.

Harley definitely took the usually chrome-tastic Heritage to a dark place with liberal blackout treatment scattered throughout the machine to include rims, front forks, and shrouds, light cans, and engine components. Classic from the start, the Heritage rolls on laced rims with a chrome hub cover on the non-brake side that is set off nicely by the surrounding darkness. The front fender carries a full shape with high-cut sides for an unimpeded view of the front wheel and chrome trim at both ends that tastefully represent the old-style skirt-and-piping in an understated sort of way.

From 2020, the Heritage Classic 107 brought the bling once more with a bright powertrain with chrome air cleaner and covers, chrome laced wheels, and more chrome bits and bobs for a gleam and glitter looks that only Harley chrome can deliver. The Heritage Classic 114 stays on the dark side with the black-out look carried over from the previous year.

After dropping the 107, a change for the 2022 model year brings two finishes for the Heritage Classic, a Chrome finish and a Black finish, both available in either cast wheels or laced wheels.

Typical of the FL family, the Heritage features large-diameter, wide-set forks to lend a definite beefiness to the look, and this is compounded by the whisker-mount passing lamps and turn signals that ride ahead of the barn-door windscreen. The lower half of the shield comes blacked out on the 114 for even more visual weight up front and a look not unlike the old windshield protectors from back in the day. The screen itself is of the detachable sort for quick conversion depending on the weather, your mood, or whatever.

Mini-apes raise the hands to something approaching shoulder height for a comfortable and commanding riding position. Unlike a few of the new Softails that bundle all of the instrumentation into the handlebar-riser cap, the Heritage carries an analog clock for the speedo and an array of idiot lights set in the classic split-tank console.

The deep-scoop seat slings the rider's butt at 26.3 inches off the ground (laden with at least 180 pounds o' rider) for a confidence-inspiring position with plenty of leverage when its time to put your feet down. A pillion pad and flip-out footpegs are all the passenger gets, so if you plan on carrying someone you like, perhaps a short passenger backrest is in order.

A set of black, top-load saddlebags completes the gear in the rear, and though the bags are cut down a bit to 1.5 cubic-feet of storage, they still manage to obscure just enough of the swingarm to ruin the illusion of the Softail rear end. Oh well, at least they look better than the old studded and fringed bags from back in the day, I suppose.

Harley-Davidson Heritage Classic Chassis

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It's not exactly apparent at a glance on the Heritage Classic, but the factory completely reworked the Softail frame for 2018. The result is 50 percent of the frame components cut away and the engineering improved so it is stiffer in spite of the lighter construction style. One thing that didn't change was that classic Softail look change was that classic Softail look the triangular swingarm and under-seat shock delivers.

The steering is set with an eye to stability with a 30-degree rake and 5.5-inch trail on a 64.2-inch wheelbase. Sure, this makes it less than ideal for cornering, but the new frame handles a lot better than the old one did, so don't be put off by the numbers until you try it. Harley still isn't on board with adjustable front suspension, but at least the factory started to use Showa's Dual Bending Valve front forks that deliver a stroke-speed sensitive, variable-damping response to jolts from the road.

In the rear, the monoshock comes with a hand-adjustable preload feature that provides quick, tool-less adjustments for changing passenger and cargo loads. ABS protection is part of the standard equipment package, and that's good news since the Heritage weighs in at 723-pounds (wet) and only comes with a single brake up front. Could it use dual front brakes? Sure, but at least the ABS will let you use what you've got with confidence.

Harley-Davidson Heritage Classic Drivetrain

Harley first introduced the Milwaukee-Eight powerplant to its tourbike customers. It seems the replacement for the aging Twin Cam design was a success, and so it made the jump down into the newly-revised cruiser bracket to power all the Softail models, including the Heritage Classic. The engine's lineage is apparent in the 45-degree V-Twin configuration, and the return to a single-cam valvetrain puts the pushrod geometry and nosecone shape back where they belong for that classic Harley look.

No matter which of the two mills you choose, you're going to get an air-cooled pushrod engine that runs with a fairly basic electronics suite. Harley still shuns any sort of traction control or variable power-delivery gadgets for the Softails, but they're in the CVO and touring models. It's only a matter of time before they trickle down to the rest of the lineup.

The 107-inch Mil-8 engine that was dropped after 2021 runs a 99 mm bore with a 111 mm stroke for a 1,746 cc displacement and 10-to-1 compression ratio. It cranks out a respectable 109 pound-feet of torque at a low 3,000 rpm, and that's plenty for low-stress cruising, especially after you filter it through the six-speed transmission. The 114 cubic-inch version has a 102 mm bore with a 114.3 mm stroke and slightly warmer 10.5-to-1 compression ratio and 119 pound-foot output at three grand.

Both mills come with a 47 mpg fuel-economy rating, so the five-gallon fuel tank should have plenty of range for touring, more than my butt can take at a spell, no doubt. Not only do these plants give you ample power out of the hole, but they also have the strongest fifth- and sixth-gear roll-ons of any production Harley engine to date, so the top-end performance is definitely more thrilling as well.

Harley-Davidson Heritage Classic Price

MSRP starts at $20,799 for Vivid Black in the Chrome finish and $21,649 for Vivid Black in the Black finish running up to $21,574 for the Chrome two-tone colorway and $22,424 for the two-tones in the Black finish.

Harley-Davidson Heritage Classic Competitor

It should come as no surprise that a model as old and storied as the Heritage would have its share of admirers on the market. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, after all, but none are quite as flattering as the Vulcan 900 Classic LT from Kawasaki. What about the engine size? Yeah, it's got a smaller powerplant than the Heritage to be sure, but the initial visual impact is going to be the main selling point here, so the Vulcan is likely to appeal to the same sort of buyer.

Kawasaki Vulcan 900

Admittedly, Kawasaki did a good job in capturing the feel and flavor of the FLSTC family. It starts right up front with a full-length but high-sided front fender that goes with the whisker-bar turn signals, windshield, and beer-can fork shrouds like peas-and-carrots. The similarities continue into the fuel tank where the Vulcan carries its instrumentation in a console ahead of a very deeply scooped, studded saddle, and the Kawasaki comes more second-rider friendly off the floor with a passenger backrest but has even less storage space in the bags.

The 41 mm stems on the Kawasaki are straight-up vanilla while Harley's are kinda vanilla with sprinkles on top due to the DBV technology, and it looks like Harley wins out in the brakes as well with the only ABS between the two.

Now for the engines. Kawasaki runs with a 55-degree V-twin for a similar look to the Harley plant, but the liquid cooling ruins the effort they spent, at least from a head-on perspective. The Vulcan mill measures out at 903 cc with an 88 mm bore and 74.2 mm stroke, and it runs a bit cooler as well with a 9.5-to-1 compression ratio. Power output is a bit over half that of the Mil-8 107 with 58.2 pound-feet of torque at 3,500 rpm, but honestly, how much power do you really need to putt-putt around town or do a little casual touring?

Pricing is where the Vulcan really shines. At $8,999 Kawasaki kicks the crap out of Harley at the checkout counter and it's largely the difference in engine size that does that. You will have to decide if the Harley is worth the higher price or if the look alone is what you love.

Read our full review of the Kawasaki Vulcan 900

He Said

My husband and fellow motorcycle writer, TJ Hinton, says, “Personally, I'd rather have the performance of the larger engine, but if I were on a budget that made the Vulcan a contender, I'd be looking at another type of bike, myself. That said, I like what the factory did with the Heritage as far as the blackout treatment is concerned, but I'm glad to see a chrome version more like the classic Heritage Classic.”

She Said

"Dark and snarly is the new cool, but I'm glad to see Harley put bling back in the Heritage Classic. The Heritage Classic is the only Softail in the lineup to come with a windscreen, though it is detachable if you want to nix it. It was the only Softail model that comes with bags before the Sport Glide, and even though they're molded hard-cases, they look like leather so that heritage look isn't spoiled. This bike is really comfortable. I can see myself using this as a tourer and not just an around-town cruiser. I've always been a fan of the no-fairing-with-a-windscreen look and cyclops headlight with the pimp lights, so yeah, this is my favorite Softail."

Harley-Davidson Heritage Classic Specifications

Further Reading

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