2025 Harley-Davidson Low Rider ST Review: 12 Fast Facts

September 14, 2025

The era of big-inch sport cruisers is in full swing. Egged on by the success of MotoAmerica’s King of the Baggers series, engineers have gotten serious about performance from motorcycles that were previously believed to be cruisers. The 2025 Harley-Davidson Low Rider ST will bring in sport-touring fans who had previously never thought of themselves as someone who would ride a big V-twin. Its performance and handling are a compelling interpretation of the sport-touring genre.

The 2025 Harley-Davidson Low Rider ST rips. Featuring the new Milwaukee-Eight 117 High Output motor and a new Sport riding mode to support it, high speeds are available at the flick of the wrist. The 117 HO’s calling card is the 128 lb-ft of torque arriving at just 4000 rpm, making the power quickly accessible and fueling the muscular acceleration. While the 114 horsepower peak at 5000 rpm won’t impress you on paper, the torque does the heavy lifting for accelerating the 712-pound motorcycle. The result is that triple-digit speeds are there for the asking, and the push you feel getting there produces its fair share of adrenaline.

Harley-Davidson achieved the engine’s performance via a variety of avenues. The displacement increase to 117 ci is the most obvious boost. However, the intake was improved thanks to the Heavy Breather intake and smoother aluminum intake tract. That sends air and fuel to the new four-valve cylinder heads with oval intake ports. The cam is sourced from the potent CVO Road Glide ST, which shares the King of the Baggers DNA. Spent gases are guided out through a single muffler. The motor is cooled by air and oil, and rumbling is kept in check by dual counterbalancers.

Full exploitation of the Milwaukee-Eight 117 High Output’s power is handled by the ride modes. For those who want to ripple some asphalt, the Sport mode reinterprets what Harley-Davidson acceleration means. Gone is the strongly lumbering feel of the previous V-twin. In Sport mode, the motor spins right up into the meat of the power band, making the torque peak at 4000 rpm easily accessible. When you want to make a pass, or simply go fast, the tuning lets you get the motor where you want it instantly. The visceral feeling of the 1923cc V-twin is indescribable and indisputable. Twist the throttle and things happen.

Harley-Davidson’s electronics crew tamed the M-E 117 HO motor effectively, as they removed many of its restraints. Although the big-inch V-twin revs up rapidly, defeatable traction control is there to make sure the rear 180mm Michelin Scorcher 31 doesn’t spin excessively. This allows for more aggressive throttling and makes the Sport mode more usable.

The handling of the 2025 Harley-Davidson Low Rider ST is up to the demands of the 117 H.O. motor. When you add more power to a chassis, the bike can have problems handling it. Harley-Davidson engineers proactively replaced the progressive wound springs in the Softail suspension package with straight wound springs. This makes the Low Rider ST perfectly predictable in corners, making it easy for a rider to use the generous lean angle—31.3 degrees claimed—that the ST provides. Instead of the bike squishing into the turn until the stiffer spring rates come online, the action is consistent and confidence-inspiring. Leaning into 100 mph sweepers, you can experience your Walter Mitty interpretation of 2025 King of the Baggers Champion Kyle Wyman, even if you aren’t on a Road Glide.

The Low Rider ST prefers smoothness and corner speed in the canyons and mountains. The bike weighs 716 pounds, so hard slowing and squaring off corners is not the way to enjoy its sporting demeanor. Instead, you want to take advantage of the stability of the 63.6-inch wheelbase and 28 degrees of rake. While the Low Rider ST can be a handful on the tighter corners of the east end of Angeles Crest Highway, it’s an absolute delight on the fast and flowing western half. The Michelin Scorcher 31 tires never disappoint, and getting on the throttle is all sorts of fun and excitement.

Braking is all about the twin 300mm discs up front. While 300mm discs, conventionally mounted calipers, and a 19-inch front wheel don’t sound like a recipe for strong braking, the Low Rider ST somehow manages to make deceleration happen. It’s all about grip strength, as a soft touch results in just a hint of braking. Pull the right lever harder, and you are amply rewarded. Cornering ABS is there to bail you out, though the front end feel is always good, with plenty of credit due the 43mm inverted fork. Don’t expect much help from the rear wheel, though. The pedal is spongy and not much happens, no matter how hard you push. Engine braking is relatively light in Sport mode, so the rear wheel just isn’t a significant part of the braking package. Regardless, the front system is up to the task on its own.

The ergonomics of the 2025 Harley-Davidson Low Rider ST are unique. You don’t have a lot of leg room, as your feet are kept high to provide the desired cornering clearance. It’s a sporting seating position, though one that is rotated backward from how you are angled on a sport bike. While it takes some getting used to, it eventually makes enough sense that you can push the Low Rider ST far harder than you would imagine when you first climb aboard.

The fairing and bags add the ST to the Low Rider. The frame-mounted fairing has a classic look, and works great. There is plenty of wind protection, and the center vent between the windscreen and the fairing eliminated buffeting. If it were my bike, though, I would opt for a slightly higher windscreen. The side cases are excellent, though not wide enough for a helmet or two. Still, there’s plenty of room for a weekend’s worth of clothes and toiletries. The one-hand latch is as good as it gets for accessing the contents. You can rapidly remove and install the side cases without tools, though they’re a bit awkward for carrying into a hotel room. Also, the seat is more than comfortable when putting hundreds of miles on the ST in a day.

The Road and Rain modes have their places. Feel free to use the Road mode around town, or when you’re in a relaxed mood. Sport mode is so usable that it is not really necessary to switch to Road from a throttle point of view. However, Road mode ups the rider aids, and that’s good if you are taking it easy. We did check out Rain mode on a long stretch of Soledad Canyon Road in Southern California’s Santa Clarita Valley. It had been milled for repaving, so there was gravel everywhere. Rain mode handled it perfectly, transparently slowing down the throttle response, adding traction control, and increasing ABS—well done.

The latest switchgear from Harley-Davidson is the best we’ve seen on a Softail. The biggest improvement is in the turn signals. The bulbous buttons have been replaced by sleek, angled switches. The left turn signal switch does double-duty as a horn, while the right turn signal switch is shared with the mode selector. Another switch allows easy scrolling through information on the round, handlebar-clamp-mounted analog-style speedo. Excellent cruise control is also just a left thumb-jab away from implementation. A two-way switch on the right switchgear makes disabling traction control easy, though there are very few situations where you would want to do that.

An homage to the 1980s FXRT Sport Glide, the 2025 Harley-Davidson Low Rider ST is a legitimate sport-touring motorcycle. While it doesn’t completely eschew its cruiser heritage—it is a Softail, after all—this is a motorcycle about sport riding with the accoutrements needed for light-duty touring. The world of sport touring continues to change, and the Low Rider ST is a genuine contributor to that transformation.

Action photography by Brian J. Nelson
Static photograph by Kevin Wing

RIDING STYLE

Helmet: Arai Contour-X
Communications: Sena 60S
Jackets: Alpinestars GP Plus R V3 Rideknit
Gloves: Cortech Windstop Lite
Jeans: Alpinestars Sektor
Shoes: Alpinestars Faster 3 Rideknit

2025 Harley-Davidson Low Rider ST Specs

ENGINE

Type: Milwaukee-Eight 117 High Output 45-degree V-twin
Displacement: 117 ci (1923cc)
Bore x stroke: 4.075” x 4.5”
Maximum power: 114 horsepower @ 5000 rpm
Maximum torque: 128 lb-ft @ 4000 rpm
Redline: 5900 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 inverted 43mm single-cartridge fork; 5 inches
Rear suspension; travel: Spring-preload adjustable shock; 4.4 inches
Wheels: Radiate cast aluminum (chrome or black)
Front wheel: 19 x 2.5
Rear wheel: 16 x 5
Tires: Michelin Scorcher 31
Front tire: 110/90-19
Rear tire: 180/70-16
Front brakes: 300mm discs w/ 4-piston calipers
Rear brake: 292mm disc w/ 2-piston caliper
ABS: Standard