What you see is what you get, and then some.

At first glance, the 2025 Harley-Davidson Street Bob test bike I’m about to mount really piques my interest. Adorned in a bright yellow finish (which Harley calls Centerline), it features a lot of styling cues that recall simpler times: A single round speedometer sits between the shoulder-height handlebar; the fork tubes are protected by rubber gaiters; it rolls on spoke wheels (which are attractively finished with black rims); it has a bobbed rear fender that seemingly has no taillight (it’s incorporated into the turn signals); and the trim is very nicely balanced with black and chrome, giving it a smart, slightly sinister appearance. It’s also Harley’s most affordable Big Twin, starting at $20,299. All of that seems quite appealing — at first glance…

Updated Powerplant

Harley has made a number of improvements to the new Street Bob, most of them unseen. One of the important upgrades is a new engine. Last year’s Street Bob was powered by a Milwaukee-Eight 114 engine that claimed a not-too-shabby 94 horsepower and 118 lb.-ft. of torque. Harley has done away with this engine in all Softail models this year, upgrading them to the Milwaukee-Eight 117, albeit in different states of tune. 

The Street Bob utilizes the Milwaukee-Eight 117 Classic engine that produces 98 horsepower and 120 lb.-ft. of torque, and it does so despite now complying with the latest Euro 5+ emissions standards. Like before, the engine delivers that power through a six-speed transmission and a belt drive.

The engine has new four-valve heads with some elements borrowed from last year’s touring bikes and CVO models, including reshaped combustion chambers, oval intake ports and low-profile intake valve seats. These heads feature an air-and-oil cooling system that is lighter than the liquid-cooled CVO and touring bike heads, and they don’t require coolant replacement, since cooling is by engine oil. The engine breathes through a larger 58-mm throttle body (up from 55 mm), and a new two-into-one exhaust replaces the former dual-muffler setup.

More Important Upgrades

The other upgrade, also invisible but even more important than the bigger engine, is the addition of an inertial measurement unit (IMU), which has enabled a number of safety-enhancing rider aids. Now standard are lean-sensitive ABS, traction control and drag-torque slip control (the third one reduces engine braking to mitigate wheel slip when chopping the throttle or downshifting). Also standard is a tire-pressure monitor. All Softail models now include selectable ride modes; the Street Bob has three: Rain, Road and Sport. LED lighting is also standard, and there’s a USB-C port located on the left side of the frame, just ahead of the fuel tank.

Shorter Riders Rejoice

Another appealing Street Bob feature that shorter riders will appreciate is the super-low, 680-mm seat height. Even…