Harley-Davidson went to the dragstrip and fighter jet worlds for inspiration with the FXDR 114, a beefy but sleek Softail with a long, low look, and more cornering clearance than other models in its family. Other elements pushing this cruiser’s performance intent are an aluminum swingarm, a 43mm inverted fork, and a forward-facing air intake, all of which also boost visual appeal too. A chubby 240mm rear tire cements the musclebike vibe, as does Harley’s 114ci Milwaukee-Eight engine—an 1,868cc, four-valve-per-cylinder, 45-degree V-twin that imbues this Softail with performance—78.7 hp and 119 pound-feet of torque on our dyno—while still offering the heavy-flywheel feel.
When he rode it at the launch, Senior Editor Justin Dawes said, “The FXDR 114 doesn’t look like it should be able to corner well, but it does.” Competition for this bad boy comes from Ducati’s Diavel 1260 S, Yamaha’s venerable VMAX, and possibly Triumph’s new Rocket 3 because of their similar musclebike positioning and focus on power. Harley’s own Fat Bob could be included too. We stacked some of those in a power cruiser comparo.
The only changes to the 2020 FXDR are new color options and a lower base MSRP.
