Top 5 Most Powerful Harley-Davidson Bikes In 2025
There was a time when Harley-Davidson was known for a lot of things but performance wasn’t one of those. In recent times, though, H-D has changed its ways. Performance has become a key criterion, which shows in the company’s latest offerings like the Pan America and CVO Road Glide ST. Not to mention, the 2025 Softail lineup has received a sizable bump in performance all around. Out of all these, allow us to tell you the five most powerful Harley-Davidson bikes you can buy today.
Harley-Davidson Low Rider S
In fifth place, we have the updated 2025 Low Rider S. It comes armed with the Milwaukee-Eight 117 High Output engine that’s good for 114 horsepower. The reason for the extra thump is an array of engine changes, such as a new 2-into-1 exhaust, a high-performance SE8-511 camshaft, and an increased redline of 5,900 RPM. It is the most powerful Softail you can have today.
| Engine | Milwaukee-Eight 117 |
| Power | 114 HP |
| Torque | 128 LB-FT |
| Transmission | Six-speed |
Harley-Davidson CVO Street Glide/Road Glide
The CVO duo remains unchanged for 2025, yet they remain one of the most powerful bikes in the H-D portfolio. All the credit goes to the new Milwaukee-Eight 121 engine, complete with variable valve timing and partial liquid cooling. These ensure an output of 115 horsepower. That’s not just impressive by American bike standards, but even by metric touring bike standards.
| Engine | Milwaukee-Eight 121 |
| Power | 115 HP |
| Torque | 139 LB-FT |
| Transmission | Six-speed |
Harley-Davidson Sportster S
The Sportster S is one of the only complete liquid-cooled bikes by Harley-Davidson. Since liquid-cooled engines produce serious power, the Revolution Max engine here boasts 121 ponies to shame many of its American and European rivals. You also get some serious technology on the flagship Sportster to make your life easier. Bonus points for the recent price cut it received for MY25!
| Engine | Revolution Max |
| Power | 121 HP |
| Torque | 93 LB-FT |
| Transmission | Six-speed |
Harley-Davidson CVO Road Glide ST
If you thought the CVO Road Glide was mighty, you’ll be bamboozled by its ST variant. This is inspired by the King Of The Baggers race bike, so you get several internal engine upgrades including a Screamin’ Eagle two-into-two exhaust. The result is an output of 127 horsepower, which is the highest for any Harley-Davidson bagger in the century-long history of the brand. Scarcely believable, we know.
| Engine | Milwaukee-Eight 121 |
| Power | 127 HP |
| Torque | 145 LB-FT |
| Transmission | Six-speed |
Harley-Davidson Pan America
The Pan America has held the title of the most powerful Harley-Davidson you can buy since its inception. And that remains unchanged in 2025, too. You get the same Revolution Max engine as the Sportster S but in a different tune. That helps bump the output to an uber-impressive 150 horsepower. This is more than many of your favorite European ADVs like the BMW R 1300 GS and the Triumph Tiger 1200.
| Engine | Revolution Max |
| Power | 150- HP |
| Torque | 95 LB-FT |
| Transmission | Six-spee |
