On the softail side of life I've narrowed my choices down to the softail slim and the fatboy lo. These two bikes have shown the most beautiful (to me) customs and enthusiastic owners on this forum. I'm a blacked out type of guy, and these bikes have it in spades.

I'm looking for a bike that's fun to ride around town and the back roads, could accommodate the little lady for a nice putt, and could be set up for a nice long weekend ride.

The cost of the slim is really attractive, but I'm kinda so-so on the rear wheel in the looks department, but I've heard it makes the bike handle a bit easier. The seat is supposedly not very roomy or comfortable, and harley discontinued black denim (bastards). And no lie, socalslim's bike is just amazing.

The fatboy lo was my first love in the harley world. Black denim paint, cast wheels, and a large seat with a passenger pillion are all major positives. They seem a bit more prevalent around here. Then there's the cost. Much higher.

I know neither of the bikes have much in the way of lean angle, but I'm not looking to burn up the corners.

 

The heritage is the best softail for two up riding; however, between the slim and the fatboy lo I think the fatboy lo is the better two up/short distance tourer. The slim is really built to be a city bobber and has the least amount of suspension in the softail line.

 

If " making it your own" is important to you, there are more ways to go on the LO.

 

I too had to make the decision between the two for the same reasons as you. Ultimatley the Slim won due to price. I also like the blinker/tail/stop light set up.

 

I raced motocross for about 8 years as a kid and the Lo is my first street bike now that I'm 41.
I've had it for a year now and am shocked at how it handles 2up on the highways.
I have the detachable bags, windshield, and backrest for when we go away for the weekend and it is really nice being able to take all that off in a couple minutes.
Still thinking about the Street Glide because I do crave a radio now, but it would be tough to part with the Lo.
Great bike!

 

I'm kind of in an interesting position...


My wife's '10 Lo, and my '13 Slim.

Since both are set up for solo riding only, I cannot comment on riding 2-up. I do know that my experience with other softails is that they ride great with a passenger.

A good portion of my riding is on back country roads - curvy, hilly. My wife rides that Lo like she stole it. Great bike for around town and the back roads. I think the Slim handles just a little better through the corners. There is no problem riding in the tight, fast brigade formation with my club on either bike - they both are agile and powerful enough to more than handle that aggressive riding.

As for customization, I think both bikes are outstanding platforms for making your scoot YOUR scoot. Look through both the "Slim pics" and the "calling all Lo Owners" threads, and you'll have enough ideas to make your head swim.

I prefer the narrower (140) tire on the Slim to the wide (200) tire on the Lo. It wears better, and lasts longer. I'm harder on the bikes than my wife is - and she rides aggressively. I weigh twice what she does, and I twist that throttle and hit those corners harder. I'll still get 1k more out of a tire.

The Lo comes set up for 2-up riding. The Slim - no. You will have to do a seat and pegs at a minimum to get a passenger on a Slim. That extra expense is FAR from the additional cost of the Lo vs. the Slim, but it does close the gap a little bit.

Comparing stock seats, I like the Lo's seat. It works great for my wife, and nice enough for me. I dislike the Slim's seat. Eventually, it will probably have to go. Tried a Mustang Wide Solo, and it lasted 3 seconds. They make great seats, but this one on that bike did not fit me worth a damn, and looked equally bad. Waiting for impressions and photos of a DG Solo Buttcrack seat... About 300 miles is my absolute limit on the stock seat. Mods may make that a non-issue - the addition of a Shotgun Shock, moving the controls forward a couple of inches, and swapping for apes may alter the seat position (or, rather ME on the bike) so that the pressure and angles is different.

I think our general impressions of both bikes is that, comparing a stock bike to a stock bike, the Lo is a little bit more comfortable, but the Slim is a bit more nimble. If I had to chose one over the other, I'd have a hard time making the call.

I own both, obviously. My wife had a 1200C and I had a RKC. We wanted an in-between bike - a lighter bike I could fly around town on, and a bigger bike that would serve her well on the longer trips. Once she got on the Lo, she really never wanted to get back on the Sporty. I still wanted another bike to fill that role for me, and loved the bad-*** blacked out, mean machine that the Lo is, and I had a vision of what I wanted the bike to become. The Slim was my best option for a blank canvas to work from, so we picked one up. The Sporty and The Road King are still in the garage, but have not seen much use since picking these two up. The Sporty is up for sale, and the RK will be pulled out in favor of the Slim now, since it's gotten cold and nasty out.

I don't know how useful any of that rambling is to you... if I can answer anything more specific, I'll give it a shot.

 

Great info in this thread. Lovin' it. Sounds like the Fatboy Lo is winning out on my needs at this point. I'll be able to give them both a decent putt when I get my license endorsement straightened out.

 

I've got no regrets since getting the Lo back in Jan. 2010. I do kick around the idea of a windshield from time to time.

 

I love your wheels. That pop of red is a perfect accent on that bike.

 

I can't comment on the Lo since I simply don't own one and haven't even ridden one so I am certainly not discounting it - they are actually my second favorite bike.... Behind my Slim!

Reading through what you want to do you can do all those things on either bike. Just last week I rode a total of 2000 miles in four days traveling down to Patagonia and back. I simply put the Motherwell rack on with my Kriega 20/10 combo and was set without any problems.

I guess all I am saying is don't discount the Slim. Have a look at Jam436 bike with the windshield if you think that will help or have a look at the "Show us your Slim" thread for some examples of what can be done. Personally, I couldn't be happier with my Slim but either way you go, you are not going to be disappointed.