It keeps the styling tight at the center of the bike. We counterbalance the engine, which means we can bolt it directly to the frame. The knowledge of what makes an engine truly move a rider runs deep at The Motor Company, and it’s been put to particular good use to power the Softail family. Twist the throttle and the surge of torque hits you exactly where it counts. Its clean, uncluttered shape fits perfectly in the downtubes of the frame. The air-cooled 45° V-Twin engine at the heart of every Softail model is a prime example of what makes a Harley-Davidson motorcycle more satisfying than anything else. With a genuine reason for looking the way it looks. On a Softail motorcycle every part down to the axle nut cover comes from an authentic tradition. Other companies may be content to imitate bits and pieces from our long history. And you’ll find it right now on future Harley-Davidson models that still on the drawing board. It’s the same one you’d see on a restored dresser from the ‘50s, or a radical Panhead chopper from the ‘70s. Take a look at the horseshoe oil tank adorning our Softail models. Then we stick with it, and use it to push the boundaries of motorcycle design ever further. We’ve used our long decades on the road, riding, wrenching, talking to other custom bike fanatics, to discover what works. You’re looking at the kind of style that has the power to defy time. Get an eyeful of a Softail motorcycle and you see more than some weepy-eyed exercise in nostalgia. And best of all, a new High-Output Twin Cam 103™ engine. A redesigned seat and redesigned leather saddlebags. You get the comfort of cruise control for those long stretches of pavement. The hidden suspension gives you the authentic look without the bone-shaking ride of an old Hardtail. The Heritage Softail® Classic drips with the nostalgia of days gone by, but that’s only half of the equation for the rider of today. 2016 Harley-Davidson® Heritage Softail® Classic Comfort as modern as this morning’s news and the power from our High Output Twin Cam 103™ engine, but the look still blazes straight from this machine’s authentic dresser past.