A Little About Heritage Softails

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Since we have had two Heritage Softails in the shop this year, an '04 and a '92, we thought we would talk a little about this little piece of Harley History.

If anyone doesn't know what a Softail is, it means that the bike has special shock absorbers (springs) to make the ride less bumpy. Sometimes these are hidden so that the bike retains the more classic hardtail appearance.

The term "Softail" was actually coined by Harley-Davidson in 1984 when they introduced the FXST Softail. The term is trademarked to Harley-Davidson, but is unofficially used to refer to any motorcycle or even bicycle with a hidden rear suspension system. The term is also used for sport's bikes with visible suspension.

The first Softail model was designed in the 1970's, but Harley-Davidson wasn't interested. The inventor, Bill Davis, continued to refine his prototype, and eventually Harley-Davidson contacted him and bought the rights to the new design.

The first Heritage Softail. the FLST Heritage Softail, was introduced in 1986. Unlike the first Softails, the new design incorporated telescopic forks. This model was followed by the FLSTC Heritage Softail Classic.

In 1993 the FLSTN "Cow-Glide" was introduced, with a signature black and white design. The "Cow Glide" theme was discontinued but the base model was manufactured well into the 90's. It was replaced FLSTSC Springer Classic.

Since then, Softails have seen an updated motor, and improved rider ergonomics. Today they are still sought out for the same reason their predecessor's were--their nostalgic appearance. Oh, and the fact that they GO. And we mean GO!