Softail & Evolution: Harley-Davidson's trump card
The first Softail came in 1984, and had the shock absorbers under the transmission.
In the early 1980s, Harley-Davidson wanted to develop a motorcycle with a modern V-twin engine and the classic rigid frame look, often referred to as a "Hardtail". This was a frame without visible rear shock absorbers, while still having the comfort of modern suspension. The solution was called Softail .
Softail in an early stage of development with the shock absorber under the seat
The solution was Softail frame, a design by Bill Davis. He had developed a 2-piece frame with hidden shock absorbers that dampened the rather unique rear frame. The two shock absorbers were located horizontally and almost completely hidden behind the engine, under the gearbox, and the bike thus had a perfect combination of retro design and high comfort.
Classic Harley with swingarm and Shovelhead engine.
In January 1982, Davis sold the patent with the manufacturing tooling to Harley-Davidson , who further developed the frame, putting it into production in 1984.
The development work on the Softail solution was codenamed "Project Serengeti"
The first Softail was shown in June 1983, and went on sale in 1984. The newcomer received the model prefix FXST Softail , marking the end of the old FX-1200. But it wasn't just the frame that was new, the engine was too, and a new era was ushered in with the Evolution 1340.
Softail was supposed to evoke associations with past greats such as Knucklehead
The Evolution, often referred to as the Evo, replaced the old Shovelhead. The old engine had neither the performance nor the quality that Harley-Davidson set itself when it came to developing a new model to give the company a new lease of life.
By the beginning of the 1980s, the old Shovelhead was ripe for replacement.
The Evolution engine was built on the same platform as the Shovelhead, but with significant improvements and redesign. The engine received a number of components made of aluminum, including the cylinder head, as opposed to the cast iron found in the old Shovelhead.
The Evolution 1340 proved to be very strong and reliable, and was in production from 1984-1999.
The 1338 cubic inch, or 80 cubic inch, V-twin produced about 62 hp and was mated to a 4-speed transmission with kick start and a chain drive to the rear wheel. In 1986, the first major upgrade to Softail came in the form of a 5-speed transmission, electric start only and belt drive to the rear wheel. In light of the tough times Harley-Davidson faced at the start of the 1980s, we can safely say that Softail saved the company from bankruptcy, but took the icon to new heights in terms of sales and popularity.
Classic Softail with Evolution 1340, of course slightly modified, as befits a Harley
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