One of our all-time fave Harley's is the Street Bob 114. We've reviewed a few, this time we compare stock to Moto Bars, 1/4 Fairing, Endgame 'Pegs and Tall Bar Risers... Photos: HMC Photography
Mid 2024 we rode a Milwaukee-Eight 114 powered Harley-Davidson Street Bob, which we had tested had tested previously. This time we rode once stock and once with tall handlebar risers, mid-mount accessory ‘pegs, flat ‘bars and a bikini fairing fitted.
The 2024 Harley-Davidson Street Bob is a 114 M8 powered Bobber that we rate highlly… Seen here in Baja Orange with Black trim. Pictured here with the stock seat, footpegs and mini ape handlebars, it’s a fun machine…
Let’s talk about the engine first. The Milwaukee-Eight 114 V-twin is the heart of this machine, and paired with one of Harley’s lightest Softail frames, it makes for an entertaining ride. While it’s no sportbike, the 114 cubic-inch motor delivers more than enough torque and acceleration to bring a big smile to your face every time you twist the throttle.
The torque on this bike is impressive, especially in the 2000 to 5000rpm range. It’s smooth, linear, and the throttle response is spot-on, plus the gearbox is tight and accurate in shift. Whether you’re cruising on the highway or attacking tight corners, the Street Bob never leaves you wanting more power. No snatchiness or weird fuelling, just solid, unrelenting torque from idle to redline. I love the 114…
“No snatchiness or weird fuelling, just solid, unrelenting torque from idle to redline”… Street Bob pictured in stock trim.
Speaking of corners, yes, this bike can handle them. The ground clearance may not be sporty, but it’s enough to have a blast on twisty roads. The handling is surprisingly sharp for a cruiser, aided by narrow tyres and a firm suspension set-up.
The mini ape hangers, which were set back a bit, offer great control over the front-end, allowing for smooth transitions from side to side. I even took it out with a few hardcore road racer mates in a previous test, and they were impressed with how well it handled!
The 2024 Street Bob 114 with Genuine Accessory 1/4 fairing in Black, Endgame footpegs, Moto alloy ‘bars and Tall Bar Riser & Clamp Kit fitted. Looks great in our opinion… And felt good to sit on and ride, too.
As for comfort, the riding position is comfortable enough but a bit cramped from feet to seat, and the ‘bars could be a bit higher. The mid-mounted pegs and seat offer a slightly aggressive stance, but nothing too extreme.
The Tall Bar Risers add quite a bit of height and were fitted with the Moto accessory handlebars. The ride position feels great and it looks good, too. All of the parts are available through your chosen Harley-Davidson dealership.
The seat itself is comfy, though I wish it were a bit longer and positioned farther back, especially for taller riders. At 187cm, I found myself sitting near the back of the seat, and I can see taller riders feeling cramped. The pillion seat? Not so great—it’s small…
The Street Bob is a small bike when compared to some of the Softail range but can be adjusted for more room, as we find out… It’s a great looking Bobber, with fun geometry and a good traditional Harley look, lots of accessories too.
The controls and dash are classic Harley—simple and functional. You get a compact digital display with the essentials like speed, rpm, and fuel range. It’s easy to read at a glance, and the standard switchgear feels solid. The mirrors are vibration-free, which is always a win, but nothing special in terms of build or design. I would be fitting some nice billet mirrors, bar ends and nicer looking grips.
The brakes on the Street Bob are decent but not groundbreaking. The front features a single disc with a four-piston caliper, providing solid stopping power, though don’t expect sportbike-level performance. A change in pad material would probably help, there are sintered pads available from Harley.
The rear brake could have more bite as standard, but with the accessory footpeg and pedal it seemed to have more leverage. I am not sure if that was my foot position, or a change in the lever length, but looking at the pictures I think it is the latter. The brake is good for low speed control around town.
Suspension-wise, the front is well-controlled, but the rear is on the firmer side. It’s fine on smooth roads but can be a bit harsh over bumps. You’ll want to lift some weight off your backside on rougher roads to keep things comfortable, but that is the compromise for low rear height and minimal travel.
The stock Dunlop D401 tyres do the job, but they’re not my favourite. The grip, especially in wet conditions, could be better, but they are good in the dry. If I owned this bike, I’d swap them for something better but not until the Dunlops were worn out, they are worth getting your money out of.
A fun handling bike that is easy to blast around the suburbs on and is all about fun and customising.
On the highway, the Street Bob is decent, though the mini-apes do create some wind resistance at higher speeds. Cruising at 110km/h is fine, but above that, you start to feel the wind. The small accessory bikini fairing helps big time, but this bike is built more for city riding and short bursts on the highway anyway. After sampling it with the 1/4 Fairing, I would run one, and it looks awesome too.
Fuel economy is solid, with around 260km per tank, which isn’t bad for a big twin. The belt drive keeps maintenance simple, and the gearing offers a nice blend of performance and responsiveness. It screams for a set of more open pipes to get that V-Twin sound, and an intake kit would be on my shopping list as well. Aside from that, you get a damn good base bike for your $25k or so.
Overall, the 2024 Street Bob 114 is, like the previous model, a ripper, made even better with some small tweaks. It’s nimble, has an incredibly fun engine, and offers enough comfort for everyday use. If you’re looking for a Harley with more performance and excitement than just cruising, this is an excellent option, particularly if you don’t want all of the modern electronics on the big touring models.
The riding position change was not hugely different, but it was just enough to make the Street Bob feel like a much more sporty bobber…
It’s packed with character, offers plenty of torque, and handles better than you might expect from a cruiser. The new one with the 117 motor will be interesting to sample. Stay tuned… Meanwhile, the 114 is still in stock and on the Harley Aus website… Both engines are crackers, anyway…
The 2025 Harley-Davidson Street Bob is on the way, now with the M8 117 motor, putting out more horsepower with the trade-off of slightly less torque. We will test the bike as soon as possible for you…
As someone with a sportsbike background , I didn’t expect to be so impressed by a bobber styled Harley. But the Street Bob has definitely ticked the handling box for me in cruiser terms and within the limitations of the niche. If you’re thinking about a cruiser or bobber styled bike, I highly recommend taking a Street Bob 114 or the new 117 (when it arrives) for a test…
I really like the look and feel of the Street Bob 114 with these modifications, I had a blast on the bike!
That’s it for my review of the 2024 Street Bob 114. If you enjoyed this, don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter here, so you can stay up to date with our content on BikeReview.com.au
Tech Talk 2024 Harley-Davidson Street Bob 114
Harley-Davidson say the Street Bob Softail chassis offers the look of a classic hardtail frame, but is underpinned by modern suspension for a smooth ride and outstanding handling. A single coil-over shock located between the frame and swingarm is out of view below the seat.
The rear shock sits in a completely hidden spot from the outside, giving it the old-school hardtail look.
The chassis design is optimised to reduce weight without sacrificing stiffness. The rigid-mounted Milwaukee-Eight 114 V-Twin engine further stiffens the entire chassis and contributes to a platform that delivers strong acceleration and responsive handling and braking performance.
The Milwaukee-Eight V-Twin engine design with 45-degree cylinder angle maintains classic Harley-Davidson look-sound-feel. Because it is rigid mounted in the frame, the engine is equipped with dual counter-balancers to cancel primary vibration at idle for improved rider and passenger comfort.
The 114 Milwaukee-Eight V-Twin maintains the classic Harley appeal, but also acts as a stiffening point for the chassis.
Four-valve cylinder-heads contribute to power output, and dual spark plugs ensure more complete combustion to maximise power and efficiency. Advanced cylinder-head design, dual knock sensors, and precision cooling allow a 10.0:1 compression ratio for strong torque output and acceleration, while a single camshaft helps reduce mechanical noise so a richer exhaust tone can predominate.
Harley say the Street Bob 114 model is a tough-looking bike that was intended to be ridden hard. The lightest-weight Softail model equipped with a Milwaukee-Eight 114 engine, the Street Bob 114 motorcycle is a quick-and-nimble ride with power to spare – 9 per cent quicker 0-100km/h and 13 per cent quicker 100-140km/h than the previous Street Bob model with Milwaukee-Eight 107 motor. It will be interesting to see what the performance gains are with 117 M8 in the 2025 model when we ride it.
2024 Harley-Davidson Street Bob 114 Specifications
Price: $25,365 in Baja Orange (Black Trim) – Our bike was accessorised with 1/4 Fairing, Endgame Pegs, Reach handlebars and TallHandlebar Riser & Clamp Kit at additional cost – all here.
2025 Colours: Vivid Black, Billiard Grey, Centreline Yellow, Iron Horse Metallic, Purple Abyss Denim
Warranty: Two-years unlimited km
Claimed Fuel Consumption: 5L/100km (approx 350km range)
Claimed Power: N/A 114 (68kW[91hp]@5020rpm 2025 117ci model)
Claimed Torque: 161Nm[119lbs-ft]@3000rpm (156Nm@2750rpm for 117ci 2025 model)
Curb Weight: 298kg
Fuel capacity: 13.2L
Fuel Consumption (Claimed): 5.5L/100km
Engine: Air-cooled Milwaukee-Eight 114 V-Twin, 1868cc (114 cu. in.), 102 x 114mm bore x stroke, 10.0:1 compression ratio, two-into-one-into-two exhaust
Gearbox: Primary drive: 34/46. Six-speed ratios – 1st: 9.311, 6.454, 4.793, 3.882, 3.307 6th: 2.79 Final Belt 34/46 Clutch: Wet multi-plate, cable actuation
Chassis:Mild steeltubular frame, rectangular section backbone, stamped – cast and forged junctions, MiG welded, alloy fender supports.
Rake: 30° Trail: 157mm
Suspension: Non-adjustable Showa Dual Bending Valve fork, 129mm travel, Spring-preload adjustable shock, 86mm travel.
Brakes: 300mm rotor, Four-piston fixed calipers (f), 300mm rotor, two-piston floating caliper (r), ABS
Wheels & Tyres: Wire-spoke steel, 110/90 – 19in (f), 150/80 – 16in (r), Dunlop
Dimensions
Wheelbase: 1630mm
Seat height: 681mm
Ground clearance: 124mm
Overall Length: 2319mm
Lean Angle: 28.5°
Instruments & Electronics: 2.14 inch viewable area LCD display with speedometer, gear, odometer, fuel level, clock, trip, range and tachometer indication.
Ratings | Bike Review | Harley-Davidson Street Bob 114 Customised
Fun!
The Harley-Davidson Street Bob 114 is the answer for those looking for a big bore bobber style Harley. Check out what we thought of the 2024 model with and without accessory handlebars, risers, fairing and footpegs.
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