This review was created by Kirk Johnson from Phoenix Bikers for all the motorcycle enthusiasts. I’ll post a review every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday of a different motorcycle on this page. If you have any questions or want to request a motorcycle you’d like reviewed, please email me at kirkinphx@gmail.com.
Harley-Davidson Deadwood (2026) — from $17,999
Harley’s new black sheep for 2026 is the Deadwood, and it wears that name honestly. Denim Black paint, black tubeless laced wheels, a smoked chopped windshield, and a slammed Softail silhouette give it that stripped-down postwar bobber vibe without looking like a kit bike. Solo tuck-and-roll seat, orange tank graphics on a classic five-gallon teardrop, and almost everything else blacked out — it’s dark, lean, and built for riders who’d rather disappear into the hills than show up chrome-bright at brunch.
Power comes from the Milwaukee-Eight 117 Classic: 98 horsepower at 4,600 rpm and 120 ft-lb of torque at 2,500 rpm. That’s the same kind of flat, usable street punch Softail fans already love, fed through a six-speed and belt final drive with a 2-into-1 exhaust. Running weight is 686 pounds, laden seat height sits at 25.5 inches (26.5 unladen), and Harley estimates 47 mpg from the five-gallon tank — solid for Phoenix weekend loops and weekday desert runs.
Under the hardtail look you’ve got modern Softail hardware: dual-bending-valve 49 mm forks up front and a hidden coil-over monoshock with cam-style preload in back. Ride modes (Road, Sport, Rain) plus Rider Safety Enhancements — ABS, traction control, drag-torque slip control, TPMS, and the cornering-enhanced versions — keep the vintage attitude from turning into a vintage surprise when the road gets sketchy. All-LED lighting and a five-inch analog speedo with a multifunction LCD round out the cockpit.
Who it’s for: riders who want a factory blacked-out Softail with real solo-bobber style, low seat height, and modern electronics — starting at $17,999 MSRP (plus freight and fees), U.S./Canada exclusive in Denim Black.
Who should look elsewhere: if you need bags, a passenger seat, or long-haul touring comfort, a Heritage Classic, Street Glide, or Road Glide will treat you better. Prefer chrome and heritage flash? Super Glide still owns that lane.
Bottom line: the Deadwood isn’t trying to be every Softail — it’s Harley packing Black Hills attitude into one of the darkest cruisers they’ve built, with a 117 underneath and the tech to match.
Would you roll a Deadwood as your next blacked-out Softail, or are you sticking with Street Bob / Low Rider territory?