What Does ST Stand For On A Harley-Davidson?

Harley-Davidson motorcycles have very distinctive designs, so it only makes sense that they'd have very distinctive names to match. It's why H-D bikes use those cryptic letter codes for each model. Riders browsing a Harley showroom (either in-person or virtually) can expect to see jumbles of letters like "FLH" or "ST." But how do you decode them? In Harley-Davidson speak, "ST" traditionally refers to the Softail frame: a hidden-rear-suspension design that combines vintage Harley styling with more modern comfort standards. Most bikes with "ST" in their name will come with one of these Softail frames. However, in modern marketing, you might see the ST used to refer to Sport Touring.

The Softail frame has been around since the engineer and rider Bill Davis first began working on a design back in the 1970s. He wanted something that would combine the clean, rigid look of a hardtail with the comfort of a modern suspension. At the time, traditional hardtail motorcycles had a minimalist, low-slung frame but punished riders with serious discomfort on longer trips. By hiding the rear shocks under the seat and within the frame, Davis managed to create a bike that rode smoothly without sacrificing the style riders loved. He called it the Softail.

Davis eventually sold his design to the motorcycle brand and, in 1984, the company debuted the very first Harley-Davidson Softail. This eventually gave way to an entire family of Softail models, ranging from the retro-styled Heritage Softail to the now-iconic Fat Boy (famously ridden by Arnold Schwarzenegger in Terminator 2: Judgment Day). Across their lineup, seeing "ST" in a Harley model code lets riders know they're getting one of these Softail frames.

But what about the other letters in the name? For instance, the Harley-Davidson FXST? In Harley's model code system, the first letter usually signifies the engine type, while the second usually refers to the fork or front end size. The third part of the abbreviation, where "ST" would appear, tells you the frame type. Touring models might feature a "T," Highway models an "H," while Dyna models used a "D" before being merged with the Softail line at the end of the 2010s. So, in the case of the FXST, that bike would give you a Softail frame with a Big Twin engine ("F") and a lighter, sportier front end ("X").