Ok so im looking to get back on a Softail.. For all you Softail Slim owners out there how do you like them? Are they good for 2 up riding with black line seat? Are they good for 2 up riding with aftermarket seat like a Mustang 2 up or something? Do they ride good?

 

Lol.. Nobody? Slim's not to popular i guess..

 

I considered the slim when I picked up my Heratige a few days ago. The slim is a sharp looking bike. There were a couple things that finally made my decision, and likely it will sting some folks but here goes...

First there is the Slim style. I like it. It is a very current look. The one I saw had flat black and grey paint and it looked good. But I worry it is a bit of a fad. All these new rides with the satin paint and lowered look. I just see an attempt to replicate a style that is popular for today. It doesn't have the classic lines. I worry that it will feel dated in a year or two. It looks like a custom but how can it be from the factory? Just my opinion here and everyone should ride what they like.

Second, I ride everyday. I like the looks of the lowered bikes but I worry about the realities of the real world condition of daily riding. Grinding in curves, speed bumps, and stupid entries into and out of parking lots. Yes I know it is not an adv bike, but still...

So that is what did it for me. I actually prefer the deluxe looks to the heratige Classic too, but I didn't want the lowered bike. So I bought my heratige and now will start to make it uniquely mine.

None of this may have been helpful but I was in your shoes this last Saturday, warring with myself on which bike to get.

 

I've owned my Slim for a little less than a year, and I'll give you my thoughts. Quick Back story...Prior to the Slim I owned a Street Bob and a Sportster.

Both the Sportster and Street Bob had a higher ride height which allowed for more leaning before scrapping around turns. The Slim does take a little getting used to with the lower height of the bike. Nothing life changing, but it does take a couple days to know where the limit is before the floorboards start scrapping the interstate. There is a big round about when I switch freeways on my commute to work and for the first couple of weeks riding the slim I couldn't take that turn very fast. I used to be able to rail it on the Street Bob at around 65mph. Now after riding the Slim for a while I can hit that turn at around 60mph, but I have to pay attention more to my lean angle.

The 103 engine on my Slim is my first bike with the 103 and I find it amazing. The bike seems perfectly content cruising at 80-90 mph on the freeways for hours. The suspension of a Softail is unmatched by anything I have ridden. Its smooth and soft. I felt everything on the Sportster and it get marginally better with the Street Bob, but the Slim with the reverse pull rear suspension and its low center of gravity loves cruising straight on long stretched of road.

I commute daily on my Slim. I have never owned a car and I log somewhere are 25,000 - 30,000 miles a year on my Harleys. That is not a boast or a way for me to be internet cool, it's just what I put on miles wise a year. Most of those miles are freeway miles, about 60 miles, each way, daily to and from work, 5 days a week. The Slim has by far been the easiest on my body for this commute. Being my first Softail though, I would assume all Softails share this same ride.

I love the look of the Slim, but I did put a 150 tire on the rear because the 140 looked like it was swimming in the rear fender. I also black out the primary cover because only God knows why Harley would make this beautiful black bike with an engine 90% blacked out, only to give you this huge chrome primary cover sticking out of the bike.

Also I changed the Handlebars. Not for comfort, they were plenty comfortable, but for aesthetics. In person they look really wide for the bike.

I haven't done any two up riding on the Slim, but my guess with the soft and smooth ride of the Softail is that it wouldn't be a problem for the passenger.

The Slim is a little more compact then I would have liked. It's a little weird because both the Sporty and Street Bob had mid controls and yet with the slim floorboards I find my feet hanging over the front on long rides. Yet on my Sporty and Street Bob I always felt like I was riding on top of the Bike, where with the Slim I feel like I am in the bike. Maybe being lower in the bike brings my knee up a little more cause me to want to stretch them out.

Alright well this is getting long. Long enough that I am too lazy to reread everything I have written and check for spelling and/or grammatical errors. Let me know if you have other questions or concerns.

 

And like a said I do like the looks. Lucky, that is a fine looking machine!

 

The Slim is my first bike other than dirtbikes. I've had it about 6 months and commute to work each day about 45 miles total. I've since put on minor add ons like bar risers, seat etc. Nothing performance. Since February, I've put 2200 miles on it since then and here's what I've come up with.

Cons:
Foot Boards: I wish I had forward controls... On long rides I'll find myself wanting to rest my heels on the front edge of the foot boards. I have longer legs so it might be different for shorter people. I also have beat my body and joints up for the last 10 years (military lifestyle) and that could ALSO have something to do with it, as my wife says.
Handle Bars: I noticed when a tight turn at idle speeds, my elbow would hit my hips. I put risers on and it fixed the problem. I plan on getting mini apes in the near future.
Seat: After riding about 30 minutes in the factory saddle, my cheeks got pretty numb. I invested in a mustang wide solo seat since I was planning on riding every day. Haven't done any riding with the wife yet.

Pros:
The 103 is a great engine. I went riding with my neighbor and a few guys he knows. Little did I know he rides with 100% crotch rockets. I was able to keep up with them for the most part until we got in the wide open straight hauls. I want to say the Slim is one of the quicker bikes due to weight to power ratio. There is plenty of torque on the bottom-mid range. Yesterday I got on the throttle a bit coming out of a parking lot. The rear end slide out slightly when rolling on it... Plenty of power. I've had it at 80-85mph on the interstate for 3+ hours with no issues and the bike managed it very well.
Suspension: The ride is awesome. It is low and you will scrub every once in a while. The floor boards are designed to fold up so it doesn't make you loose control when you do scrub. It will scare the **** out of you but you have plenty of warning before theres a real issue. Speed and approach angle fix that issue. I haven't bottomed out on speed bumps or speed tables. I go over some every day on my way to work and in the city where I live. No issues there. I haven't had any maneuverability issues with turning in parking lots or anything like that.

Hope this provides you with what you're looking for and good luck with your decision.

 

I bought a slim last summer after walking into my local dealer and seeing it for the first. I loved the look and was familiar with the softtail ride which is awesome. When I was riding alone I was in motorcycle heaven,smooth ride,plenty of power and excellent handling. My issues started when I tried to make it comfortable for my wife to ride with me.There is not a large selection of seats available so I went out and bought a Sundowner seat from Harley. This was good for her but pushed me forward towards the gas tank, which was not good for me. I am now exploring after market seat options but have concerns about having to spend a lot of money to find the right one.

 

Zak. I really like my Slim. It fits me perfectly and rides and handles well. Better in curves than you would think. I believe the narrow rear tire helps in the handling. The Slim does handle better than my wifes fatboy. I changed out the seat to the Mustang tripper and it is all day comfortable. That being said I am not sure how the bike would be for 2 up as I am strictly a solo rider.

 

If i end up getting a Slim im deff changing out the seat.. I have owned a Fatboy Lo and i feel like the Slim is its twin just styled a bit different (better actually)..The only thing that concerned me was the skinny rear fender and far as 2 up riding. But searching online i found quite a few 2 up seats that are now being made for the Slim that look really comfy,, are they for sure dont know thats why im asking.. Even tho the Slim is set up just like the Fatboy Lo i would think it would handle better because of the thinner rear end and tire combo and lighter weight. I loved my Lo and regretted trading it for my King.. I love sitting down low in the bikes and the Softail handling..

 

If you're really concerned about two up riding and ride two up more often then not and tour a lot, don't get a Slim. Your current bike is far better for it. You can put a billowy seat on it for two up, bags, etc. and it will look and work fine. But that's not really what the bike is about, IMHO.

If you want to go back to a stripped down bike that you ride mostly alone, I think the Slim is the best option Harley makes.