Harley Davidson Softail Deluxe Vs. Harley Davidson Softail Heritage Classic

The Harley Davidson Softail lineup was first introduced in 1983, is built with a rigid hard-tail frame. The Softail lineup is distinguished by its horizontal rear suspension hidden underneath the rider’s seat which improves its retro look. The Softail lineup was designed to provide smooth power, a better riding experience, and a vintage style.

Both the 2020 Harley Davidson Softail Deluxe and the 2022 Harley Davidson Softail Heritage Classic belong to the Softail lineup with only a few differences between them. The Softail Deluxe was a classic cruiser powered by a Milwaukee-Eight® 107 which stopped being produced after 2020. Meanwhile, the Softail Heritage Classic is a better modified touring version of the Softail Deluxe which is currently still in production. It comes with a large windshield, saddlebags, and a variety of color schemes with both chrome and blacked-out finishes.

The 2022 Harley Davidson Softail Heritage Classic is the complete touring package due to its performance being enhanced by its big, powerful, and torquey Milwaukee-Eight® 114. Other than the few differences mentioned above and slightly different dimensions, the Softail Heritage Classic shares several similar features with the Softail Deluxe.

The 2020 Harley Davidson Softail Deluxe is a vintage-style cruiser with chrome parts and attractive color schemes. It comes with Hiawatha headlamps, including three chrome headlamps, with the biggest one in the center and two on both sides mounted on the stylish turn signals. To enhance its retro looks, the Harley Softail Deluxe comes with large front and rear fenders, a rear fender-mounted retro tombstone tail light, whitewall tires, and laced wheels.

The 2020 Harley Davidson Softail Deluxe’s chrome handlebars are wider and have low risers. To enhance its comfortability, it is fitted with extended rider floorboards and a comfortable solo rider seat. It has a chrome battery cover and dual parallel mufflers on the right side.

The 2022 Harley Davidson Softail Heritage Classic shares a close resemblance with the Harley Davidson Softail Deluxe but comes with certain modifications that make it a better touring motorcycle. The Harley Softail Heritage Classic shares several features with the Harley Davidson Softail Deluxe, including its fuel tank design, fuel capacity, engine design, front and rear fenders, whitewall tires, and laced wheels.

The 2022 Harley Davidson Softail Heritage Classic comes with two-up seating. The handlebars are high-mounted and slightly pulled back with a large windscreen. This motorcycle has Hiawatha headlamps towards the front. The 2022 Harley Davidson Softail Heritage Classic is available in a chrome or blacked-out finish with laced or cast wheels. The blacked-out Softail Heritage Classic’s design gives this motorcycle a modern touch.

The 2022 Harley Davidson Softail Heritage Classic also comes with stock leather saddlebags to help you carry your belongings. The windshield and saddlebags can be easily removed if you want to reduce excess weight from your motorcycle.

The 2020 Harley Davidson Softail Deluxe is fitted with a 1,753 cc air-cooled engine capable of a torque of 147.78 Nm at 3,000 rpm. Before 2018, the Harley Davidson Softail was powered by a Twin Cam 103B engine, later updated with a bigger, more powerful Milwaukee-Eight® 107 engine. The 2020 Harley Davidson Softail Deluxe also has better suspensions, LED lighting, and a lighter frame. Its lighter and redesigned frame helped reduce its wet weight by 16.85 kg.

The 2020 Harley Davidson Softail Deluxe may have a wider and longer design, but it is not only lighter than previous Softail Deluxe models but also has better handling. Its low center of gravity helps make the motorbike easier to maneuver at both low and high speeds. Plus, it has reliable braking due to being fitted with an ABS.

The 2020 Harley Davidson Softail Deluxe is equipped with a six-speed transmission that powers the rear wheel via a belt drive. The Milwaukee-Eight® 107 engine ensures smooth power delivery and quick acceleration at all gear levels. This motorbike also comes with two counterbalancers that reduce the engine’s vibrations.

The 2020 Harley Davidson Softail Deluxe’s Showa front suspension has better linear damping that ensures a comfortable riding experience at highway speeds.

The 2022 Harley Davidson Softail Heritage Classic is equipped with a 1,868 cc air- and oil-cooled Milwaukee-Eight® 114 engine capable of a torque of 161.34 Nm at 3,000 rpm and a horsepower of 94 hp at 4,750 rpm. It is a bulky motorcycle designed for touring capable of producing adequate torque and accelerates at all gear levels.

The 2022 Harley Davidson Softail Heritage Classic performs better on highways and is difficult to operate in city traffic. A beginner or a smaller rider may find it difficult to make a U-turn while operating this motorbike.

Both the 2020 Harley Davidson Softail Deluxe and the 2022 Harley Davidson Softail Heritage Classic have a six-speed transmission and a fuel tank capacity of 5 gal. Both motorcycles have Electronic Sequential Port Fuel Injection (ESPFI) which gives them a fuel economy of 47 mpg.

Despite having a classic cruiser design, the Harley Davidson Softail Heritage Classic comes with modern ride-assist features, including an ABS, cruise control, LED lighting, and an adjustable rear mono-shock that gives this motorbike its classic hard-tail look. Its lightweight frame and suspension are designed to provide better handling and stability.

Despite being a heavyweight motorbike, the Harley Davidson Softail Deluxe handles well at all speeds due to its low center of gravity. The Harley Softail Deluxe has a low seat height of 25.9 inches which ensures a comfortable riding position and the foot controls and floorboards are positioned forward to ensure enough legroom for taller riders.

The 2020 Harley Davidson Softail Deluxe has a wet weight of 316.15 kg, making it 14.06 kg lighter than the Harley Davidson Softail Heritage Classic. Still, it is too heavy for beginners or smaller riders, especially when trying to make U-turns and riding through the city.

The 2020 Harley Davidson Softail Deluxe’s handlebars have normal risers and are slightly swept back to ensure a relaxed riding position. However, shorter or average riders have to lean slightly forward to be in an upright riding position.

The 2020 Harley Davidson Softail Deluxe’s low ground clearance gives it an overall height of 44.3 inches, ensuring good stability but causing the metal parts to scrape against the ground.

The 2022 Harley Davidson Softail Heritage Classic and the Harley Davidson Softail Deluxe have a wheelbase of 64.2 inches and an overall length of 95.1 inches. However, the Harley Softail Heritage Classic is taller with an overall height of 53.9 inches, a ground clearance of 4.7 inches, and a seat height of 26.3 inches. The 2022 Harley Davidson SoftailF Heritage Classic’s foot controls and floorboards are positioned forward so you can comfortably rest your feet while riding on highways.

The 2022 Harley Davidson Softail Heritage Classic’s handlebars are high-mounted and are slightly swept back to ensure an upright riding position. This motorcycle has a wet weight of 330.21 kg due to its large windscreen and leather saddlebags which makes it difficult for a novice or a shorter rider to handle, especially when maneuvering at low speeds. However, the Harley Softail Heritage Classic is a better tourer than the Harley Davidson Softail Deluxe.

The 2020 Harley Davidson Softail Deluxe and the 2022 Harley Davidson Softail Heritage Classic share a close resemblance but are designed for different purposes. The Harley Davidson Softail Deluxe is a classic cruiser for cruising on highways and navigating city streets with little touring capability. Meanwhile, the Harley Davidson Softail Heritage Classic is a modified version of the Harley Davidson Softail Deluxe fitted with a large windscreen and saddlebags that give it better touring performance.

The Harley Davidson Softail Heritage Classic’s engine is more powerful and torquey than the Harley Davidson Softail Deluxe, ensuring better climbing capability and more carrying capacity.

The Harley Davidson Softail Deluxe is a popular motorcycle among women due to its classic cruiser design and touring capability. Also, it is available in different color schemes that allow women to easily customize it to their liking. However, it is not suitable for novice women riders because it is powered by a 1753 cc Milwaukee-Eight® 107 engine.

The Harley Davidson Sportster Iron 883 is a good beginner motorbike because of its low-powered engine and specs. After the discontinuation of the Harley Davidson Street 750, the Harley Sportster Iron 883 is the motorbike with the smallest engine in the Harley Davidson lineup. It has a narrow design, a low seat height, and good handling.

Before buying a new Harley Davidson motorcycle, it is important to know which motorcycle is better suited to fulfill your needs. For example, you may want a motorcycle for daily commutes, weekend riding, racing, performing stunts, or touring. Research the motorbike you want to buy. Enroll yourself in a motorcycle safety course. If you are a beginner, do not go for a Harley Davidson motorbike with a large engine just yet. Make sure to also buy safety equipment, including a helmet, jacket, and gloves.

The Harley Davidson Softail Deluxe and the Harley Davidson Softail Heritage Classic are powerful and stylish cruisers with good handling and relaxed riding ergonomics. The Harley Davidson Softail Heritage Classic has a few additional features, including saddlebags, a windscreen, and a large engine that produces more torque than the Harley Davidson Softail Deluxe.

If you love touring and want to improve the touring capability of your motorbike, Viking Bags has top-quality aftermarket PARTS available. To increase storage capacity, there are different LUGGAGE options available at Viking Bags, including SADDLEBAGS and SISSY BAR BAGS. Other modification options include HANDLEBARS, SISSY BARS, CRASH BARS, FAIRING, and SEATS.