10 Alternatives To The Cheapest Harley-Davidson Softail

The Street Bob is a competent motorcycle, no doubt about it. This is Harley-Davidson’s entry to the Softail lineup of cruiser motorcycles in 2025. The entry price has jumped to over $17,000, thanks to its recent updates. That is well over $3,000 more than the Softail Standard’s asking price, the latter being the recently discontinued entry point to the Softail range.

So what are your options should you want a new motorcycle like the Street Bob, but not the Street Bob itself? We're glad to report, there are quite a few options from all over the globe, beginning with Harley-Davidson itself. Of course, any such list would be incomplete without that other American motorcycle company, and there are contributions from Japan, Germany, and even the UK. Here then are 10 alternatives to the Street Bob.

Honda Rebel 1100 DCT

Price: $10,299

Honda

The Rebel 1100 is a very competent product, but it never gets enough love because it flies under the radar. What works for it as well as against it is its pricing; at around the $10,000 mark, it isn’t perceived as a premium product. To be honest, the only thing it lacks is a headlining power figure. 87 horsepower simply isn’t enough to cut it in present company.

Other than that, the Rebel 1100 gets everything that every other product here offers. It has lean-sensitive traction control and ABS, a by-wire throttle that allows ride modes, wheelie control, a 5-inch TFT color display, and the ace up its sleeve is its gearbox. You see, it offers the only automatic gearbox in its segment, and it is no ordinary one, either. We're talking about a six-speed dual-clutch auto with manual control.

Harley-Davidson Nightster Special

Price: $12,499

Harley-Davidson

The Nightster Special is one of Harley’s entry-level models, but it is also a surprisingly sporty motorcycle. It is powered by the Revolution Max 975T engine, which is a fully liquid cooled engine and has variable valve timing on the intake valves. That makes it the only engine in the present company to sport this technology, enabling really flexible characteristics while reducing emissions. The Nightster Special doesn’t offer Harley’s full electronics suite, but it has the basics covered. You get ABS, traction control, drag-torque slip control, and tire pressure monitoring. The 5-inch TFT color display also shows navigation and Bluetooth information.

Indian Scout Bobber

Price: $12,999

Indian Motorcycle

For a mere $400 more than the Nightster Special, you can have this, the Scout Bobber. It also has a liquid-cooled engine, but it is a much larger engine, and makes more power. There are three trim levels, and you don’t get much with the standard trim. The mid-spec Limited trim adds ride modes, cruise control, traction control, and a USB charger for an extra $1,600. To get all the bells and whistles, you’d expect from a premium product, you’ll have to cough up $15,199 for the Limited+Tech trim. That adds keyless ignition, a TFT color display, GPS navigation, ride stats, and connected services with which you can monitor the Scout Bobber remotely.

Triumph Bonneville Bobber

Price: $13,995

Triumph Motorcycles

The Bonneville is the quintessential British motorcycle, and in Bobber form, it gives off ‘Steve McQueen from The Great Escape’ vibes. This was one of the first modern motorcycles to sport the ‘hidden’ rear shock, nailing the old-school hardtail look. It sticks to the retro theme with a part-digital instrument cluster, and there is none of the newfangled color displays. Retro doesn’t mean that the chassis components are shoddy, however. The front brake is a Brembo unit, the rear brake is a Nissin unit, and the front forks are Showa cartridge forks. If you’re a fan of old movies or Steve McQueen, the Bonneville Bobber will pull at your heartstrings for sure.

Harley-Davidson Softail Standard

Price: $14,999

Harley-Davidson

A great alternative to the cheapest Softail is… the Softail that used to be the cheapest! There is still 2024 stock that Harley will leave on sale until it runs out, so it might be a good time to pop on over to your friendly neighborhood Harley dealer and inquire about discounts. You get a large displacement Milwaukee-Eight engine with gobs of torque, but not much else. ABS is present – but that’s about it. You can also have it in any color you like, as long as it is either gray or black. This is as old school as it gets today.

Indian Chief

Price: $14,999

Indian Motorcycle

For the exact price of the outgoing Softail Standard, Indian will be happy to sell you a Chief. It is a direct rival to the Harley, with the air-cooled Thunderstroke 111 matching up evenly to the Softail’s Milwaukee-Eight 107. However, where the Chief pulls ahead is in the features. It offers keyless ignition, cruise control, ride modes, ABS, a 12V charging socket, and rear cylinder deactivation. However, there isn’t even the option of a TFT color display or Indian’s connected ride system. The Chief, like the Softail, is intended to be the starting point of a custom motorcycle, and they both do the job extremely well.

BMW R 18

Price: $15,395

BMW

BMW’s retro roadster has a lot going for it. It looks unique, for one thing, but color us disappointed now that BMW has reverted the exhausts to normal cylindrical ones from the gloriously weird chrome fish-shaped ones of the 2024 R 18. Still, that means you can now spot the exposed Cardan driveshaft more easily. Like the Bonneville Bobber, the R 18 nails the hardtail look, and the new colors and wheel designs give it a touch of modernity. The largest engine here, this 110 cubic-inch boxer twin is a low-revving torque monster, and electronics like ride modes, stability control, and engine brake control are standard.

Suzuki Boulevard M109R

Price: $15,599

Suzuki

Suzuki’s largest engine is one of the largest V-twins on sale today, and it is a very sprightly engine for its 15-year age. It is a surprisingly free-revving unit that generates enough power to make a Harley CVO tourer proud, but as befits its age, it doesn’t have any supporting electronics. There is no traction control, cruise control, ride modes, or even ABS. You do get inverted front forks and brakes borrowed from a GSX-R1000, which earn their keep keeping the Boulevard’s bulk in check. The Boulevard M109R is difficult to recommend over the likes of the R 18 unless it's that amazing power figure you really hanker after.

Harley-Davidson Sportster S

Price: $15,999

Harley-Davidson

For a price similar to the Boulevard, you can have a Harley that is as modern as any other motorcycle – and in the case of its engine, more advanced than pretty much anything on the market. The Revolution Max 1250T is one of those rare motorcycle engines that has variable valve timing on all of its valves, intake as well as exhaust. Performance should be great, since it has similar power and torque figures as the Boulevard, but with a curb weight that is 260 pounds less! Harley’s full electronics suite is available on the Sportster S as well, although it could be much improved with a second front brake disc and a quickshifter.

BMW R 18 Classic

Price: $18,395

BMW Motorrad

The BMW R 18 Classic is mechanically identical to the R 18, but for an extra $3,000, you get a few additions that help turn the cruiser into a tourer. Among the additional features are a passenger seat, windshield, auxiliary lights, and saddlebags. The front fender is also lengthened in keeping with its retro and touring sensibilities. It runs the same 1,802 cc boxer twin engine that generates 91 horsepower and 120 pound-feet. As with the R 18, BMW’s comprehensive electronics suite is standard fitment.