2025 Harley-Davidson Heritage Classic Review [13 Fast Facts]

July 27, 2025

This motorcycle so deeply taps into the soul of motorcycling that The Motor Company finds it necessary to remind us twice—“Heritage” and “Classic”. Were you to ask a non-motorcyclist to draw a picture of a motorcycle, it’s likely they would come up with something that looks like the 2025 Harley-Davidson Heritage Classic. Now in its 39th year, the bike receives some significant updates, and we know how tricky it can be to alter a Classic, Heritage, or otherwise. Let’s ride it and find out.

The 2025 Harley-Davidson Heritage Classic gets the new Milwaukee-Eight 117 motor. It features increased displacement, new cylinder heads, oil cooling to supplement air cooling, a new exhaust system, and oval intake ports. Before we get into the performance enhancements, let’s make one thing clear—the motor still looks right, and that’s critical on a bike that trades so heavily on its appearance.

The 117 makes the Heritage Classic more fun than ever, even with it in the tamed Classic tune. Look, we’re still talking 120 ft-lbs of torque at just 2500 rpm. That means all the power you need, regardless of where you’re riding—the highway, city, or back roads. While the motor tops out at 98 horsepower at 4600 rpm, that easily propels the Heritage Classic to triple-digit speeds for those so inclined.

It may be the ultimate in retro-styled Harley-Davidsons, but the Heritage Classic still gets the new electronics package. Yes, ride modes come to the world of Softails. There are three distinct modes—Sport, Road, and Rain. Think of Road mode as the tune that the older Heritage Classic had—strong, though not particularly fast revving. The Sport mode adds more muscle at the top and bottom, allowing the motor to rev more freely—a perfect storm for dramatically improved acceleration. The new Heritage Classic rips compared to the old one. If that concerns you, leave it in Road mode. Throttle response in Sport mode remains smooth, unless you are embarrassingly ham-fisted. If the road is wet, put the 117 in Rain mode.

The modes aren’t just about power, and the other functions are handled deftly. Changing modes also alters the performance of cornering ABS and traction control, along with engine braking. The latter is the only one you’ll likely notice, but only if you’re looking for it. Traction control can be defeated, though I have no idea why you’d do that on this motorcycle, even if you find yourself tooling down a dirt road.

Changing modes is easy, thanks to a dedicated switch. The mode switch is the left half of the right turn-signal switch. Yeah, that sounds dicey, but it works. While we’re on the subject, the shape of the turn signal switches is the best ever—pleasingly angular rather than unattractively plump. The left turn signal switch incorporates the horn, a bit less successfully. Otherwise, the switchgear is excellent, making it easy to operate the cruise control and scroll through the LCD info on the traditional tank-mounted analog-style dash. One disappointment—you turn on the two auxiliary headlights via the switchgear rather than the old toggle switch near the lights.

To match the additional power provided by the Milwaukee-Eight 117, Harley-Davidson engineers rethought the suspension. Progressive rate springs at both ends have been replaced by straight-wound springs. There’s a bit of a price to pay for this change, and the suspension isn’t quite as supple on smaller road imperfections. The change is subtle and well worth the more consistent handling and improved corner clearance it provides. Wallowing in corners is reduced, and large bumps are handled better. The Showa fork has five inches of well-behaved travel, while the single shock regulating 3.4 inches of travel is still susceptible to being overmatched by more challenging road conditions. Regardless, the suspension and handling differences between the 2025 and the pre-2018 models are vast—the improvement is spectacular.

Although the brakes are not updated, they’re fine for the intended use. This is a cruiser, pure and simple. If you’re overriding the brakes, you picked the wrong bike. Both the front and rear brakes are essential components of the deceleration process, with the fat 16-inch wheels setting down a good Dunlop footprint. Harley-Davidson’s implementation of ABS continues to improve; at this point, I have no complaints.

The 2025 Harley-Davidson Heritage Classic gets updated saddlebags. With the new single blacked-out exhaust, the saddlebags now hold 45 liters and are symmetrical. While I thought the old bags looked fine, these are an improvement. They’re weather-sealed and lockable, which is nice whether out for the weekend or riding in urban areas.

The windshield remains removable without tools, giving the Heritage Classic two distinct looks. With the windshield installed, you have a classic police bike look, something the Road King has abandoned—perfect for highway riding or cold-weather riding. Take it off, and the Heritage Classic recalls the Deluxe, which disappeared after 2020. You’ll look cool around town and be more comfortable on warm days. This makes the Heritage Classic an even better buy, especially for someone like me who loves the triple headlight look.

The Heritage Classic is closer to being a reasonable touring bike than ever. Every time I test a Heritage Classic, I have dreams of crossing the country on it. Then, I’d take it out on the open road, and motor vibration would quash that fantasy. The new Milwaukee-Eight 117 Classic motor, with its dual counterbalancers, makes this the smoothest Heritage Classic yet. Vibration does start to become an issue at about 80 mph or so, which may or may not bother you. Many of my touring rides are on the wide-open Interstates 5, 10, 15, and 40, so 80 mph is a slight limitation, or maybe I just need to slow down.

Ergonomically, the Heritage Classic feels perfect. The relationship of the seat, floorboards, and grips is fantastic. While the windshield isn’t adjustable, it’s at just the right height for my five-foot-nine frame. Take a seat, relax, and enjoy the ride.

Harley-Davidson smoothly introduced additional modernity to the Heritage Classic. The lighting is now all-LED, and that doesn’t negatively impact the bike’s appearance. A new powered USB-C port sits below the fuel tank on the left side—yes, USB-C! Tire pressure monitoring is standard, even with the new tubeless wire-spoke wheels. The tank medallion is new and beautifully recalls the late 1950s.

Updating a literal classic—it’s right in the name—can be a thankless task, yet The Motor Company got it right with the 2025 Harley-Davidson Heritage Classic. By any metric, the bike is better than ever. The deployment of chrome and black has the right touch, and it’s a motorcycle that works far better than is hinted by its focus on retro style. Now, I have to figure out a reasonable destination to test its touring mettle. It passed the boards around town and on day trip rides with flying colors—Whiskey Fire/Vivid Black, in this case.

Action photography by Brian J. Nelson

RIDING STYLE

Helmet: Arai Contour-X
Communications: Sena60S
Jackets: AlpinestarsGP Plus R V3 Rideknit
Gloves: Cortech Windstop Lite
Jeans: Alpinestars Sektor
Shoes: Alpinestars Faster 3 Rideknit

2025 Harley-Davidson Heritage Classic Specs

ENGINE

Type: Milwaukee-Eight 117 Classic V-twin
Displacement: 117 ci (1923cc)
Bore x stroke: 4.075” x 4.5”
Maximum power: 98 horsepower @ 4600 rpm
Maximum torque: 120 ft-lbs @ 2500 rpm
Compression ratio: 10.3:1
Valvetrain: Single cam w/ pushrods; 4 vpc
Exhaust: 2-into-1; catalyst in header
Cooling: Air and oil
Transmission: 6-speed Cruise Drive
Clutch: Wet multiplate w/ assist function
Primary drive: Chain
Final drive: Belt

CHASSIS

Front suspension; travel: Non-adjustable Showa Dual Bending Valve 49mm fork; 5.0 inches
Rear suspension; travel: Spring-preload adjustable shock; 3.4 inches
Wheels: Black, 9-spoke cast aluminum (laced, $800 option)
Front wheel: 16 x 3
Rear wheel: 16 x 3
Tires: Dunlop Harley-Davidson Series D401
Front tire: 130/90 x 16
Rear tire: 150/80 x 16
Front brakes: 300mm disc w/ 4-piston caliper
Rear brake: 292mm disc w/ floating 2-piston caliper
ABS: Standard