A softail is a motorcycle with its rear suspension springs or shock absorbers located out of direct view, so as to look like a hard-tail motorcycle. The word softail is a registered trademark of Harley-Davidson, coined for the FXST Softail in 1984.

Remove your tank hardware in the front and rear of the tank. Don’t forget to unplug your bike’s fuel gauge before lifting on your tank. Have a safe spot ready for your fuel tank. Carefully lift up and back as you pull the fuel tank off of the motorcycle’s frame.

Gasoline essential to the proper operation of your motorcycle is controlled by a “Fuel Control Valve” otherwise known as a “Petcock”. This valve is characteristically located at the bottom of the fuel tank and can have a number of different configurations. Fuel-Injected motorcycles rarely have a petcock.

A softail frame includes two pieces, while a hardtail frame is built of a single piece. Motorcycles with hardtail frames have no rear suspension. Bikes with softail frames have a rear suspension system consisting of a swingarm and shock absorbers.

A hardtail bobber is a motorcycle that has all the cumbersome and unneeded elements from a motorcycle removed, leaving it with a sleek and fast look. Bobbers are custom built to fit the personality and style of the owner. The word ‘hardtail’ comes from the fact the bike does not have any suspension for the rear wheel.

Harley-Davidson’s most extensive R&D program in its 115-year history has resulted in eight new Softail models—Fat Bob, Fat Boy, Street Bob, Low Rider, Softail Slim, Deluxe, Breakout, and Heritage Classic—all of which share the same frame, suspension, and Milwaukee-Eight powertrain.

The brief answer is: Choose a full-suspension bike if you are willing to spend a bit more and you want to ride technical trails. On the other hand, choose a hardtail bike if you’re on a tighter budget and/or plan to spend most of your time on smoother trails.

Hardtails are great for goofing off, hitting jumps, riding some street trials, or just enjoying on the same trails as usual. Hardtails are a little rougher, but that just adds to the sense of speed, even if you’re not riding as fast.

Full Suspension Mountain Bikes Under $1,000

• Diamondback Recoil 29 $600-$999 (Discontinued)
• Diamondback Atroz $999-$1,500.
• Fuji Reveal $1,100-$1,525 (Discontinued)
• Giant Stance $1,365-$2,100.
• Jamis Dakar XC $1,399.
• Fezzari Wiki Peak $1,449.
• Marin Hawk Hill $1,499.
• Bulls Bikes Wild One $1,699.

Schwinn S29 is a fantastic full-suspension bicycle for absolute beginners who want 29″ wheels and the best bang for their buck thanks to an affordable aluminum frame. Schwinn S29 also comes with a 3×7 drivetrain that puts 21 wide-range gears at your disposal.

Overall, Giant is less expensive than Trek. Because of where they are manufactured, Giant is able to keep the costs of its bike lower. Trek bikes do offer budget-friendly rides, but their bikes, on average, are more expensive to purchase.

In pure terms of design complexity and highest tech, the full suspension is the winner. The hardtail gets in a few punches with its low weight, greater manipulation to the frame tubes, its tapered head tube and generally lower maintenance, but it’s not enough to overcome the addition of a rear shock.

At the bare minimum, we recommend looking at hardtails for no less than $1,500 and full suspension at $2,000 to $2,500. You can certainly purchase bikes for less, especially if you get away from the name brands or are willing to take inferior parts.

We reckon that you should really budget around £350 as a minimum. That might seem a lot, but you’ll be guaranteed a bike that can deal with all but the most extreme terrain without falling apart after a couple of outings. Spending more also means that the bike will be lighter, making getting up the hills much easier.

One of the biggest factors in the cost of bicycles is materials. Carbon fiber comes in various forms and grades. The higher the quality of carbon, the greater the cost of sourcing from manufacturers. If a bike manufacturer is also fabricating its own carbon, this cost must be recouped in the sale price of a bike.