Australian Motorcycling Blog Tests 2019 Softail FXDR 114
Harley’s high-performance cruiser knows how to win the world over with style, power, and performance.
It’s always interesting to see how Harley-Davidson, as a brand, is perceived around the world. For the most part, it means the same things it means over here: freedom and attitude. To many, it’s a loud, brash, rolling slice of Americana they can call their own.
Exhaust Notes, an Australian motorcycling website, recently had a chance to test-ride a 2019 Harley-Davidson Softail FXDR 114. We love the current Softails, and we especially enjoy the high-performance variants. We’re glad that we’re sending our best and brightest over there. It makes us look good.
From the beginning of the review, written by Australian motorcycle journalist Andrew Jenkin, it’s clear that he has a lot of love for Harley-Davidson. Not only for the actual motorcycles, but for everything the brand represents.
He starts out by explaining that when you’re talking Harley-Davidson, it’s about more than the bike. It’s about the heritage, the attitude, and the brotherhood. This guy may ride on the opposite side of the road, but he clearly gets what we’re all about.
Visually, the FXDR 114 is a very striking motorcycle, with blacked-out trim and a small fairing surrounding the futuristic-looking LED headlamp. Of course, the FXDR 114 has the performance to back up its muscular, purposeful look.
“This is one of the best handling Harley-Davidson rides we’ve ever tested, if not the best,” says Jenkin. He also had praise for the FXDR 114’s Brembo brakes.
Jenkin also thought that the bike rode great, and was far more comfortable than previous-generation Softails. All in all, he thinks that the Dyna and Softail merger that happened in 2018 was a good thing. We’d agree.
Of course, there’s plenty of power, too, from the beefy Milwaukee 8 114 cubic inch power plant. While it is odd to see a radiator between the frame rails of Harley, it does add to the bike’s aggressive good looks, evocative of a high-performance sport bike.
Jenkin sees the FXDR 114, along with the upcoming Livewire, as a look into Harley-Davidson’s future. We agree with his assertion that the future looks very bright indeed.
Photos: Andrew Jenkin/exhaustnotes.com.au
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