Tell 'em Dickey! You always bring a great perspective that's not clouded by political correctness.

Based on what I see, I love the Slim because it addresses the two things that I wanted to change if I bought a Blackline -- the tank "hump" and the skinny front wheel. I agree it's not a new bike, just another softail variation that will probably run for a couple of years. The Deluxe, SuperGlide, RK and Heritage are there for traditionalists, and the other bikes add some variety for people who want to customize in a different direction.

If they had put a 3.5 gallon peanut tank and forward controls on the Slim, I'd be headed to the dealer right now to place my order!

 

hello everybody was size back tire on the slim boy thanks

 

+1 on this! Totally agree!

 

Don't know, but a good guess would be a 140 like on the Blackline.

 

No matter what they come out with its just a jumping off point for most guys anyway. We are a mod heavy group of customers and when Harley engineers go to bike events and see the things we do to our bikes they probably wonder "Why do I bother".

I have often wondered if they make more money on complete bike sales or on parts. When you look at the mark up on parts compared to what went into them (during manufacturing) it seems as though the profit margin would be quite high. Harley sub contracts part manufacture to suppliers just like the automotive industry so some of the parts Harley sells come from the same factories that aftermarket parts come from. You got to pay though if you want that HD name on the box.

Anyway, Harley pumps out the canvas and we paint the picture and no matter what comes out you can always get a base model if you dont like it.

 

I think they missed the mark with the name "72" for the sporty. They should have made it a 1200 only (just for that particular model) and called it a "74" since that's what the 1200 motor was called back in the 70's (because it's 74ci).

 

Here is my 00 Fatboy with hollywood handlebars. I have always liked them.

 

I haven't been around Harley's much (compared to many folks on here) as I have only owned my Crossbones for just under four years and it was my first motorcycle. However in that time I have come to appreciate all the different types of H-D motorcycles. I have also been generally disappointed with many of the new releases that Harley puts out. YES. This includes the very Crossbones that I fell in love with and that lead me to purchase a Harley in the first place. That is; once my vocabulary of motorcycles began to grow (thanks in large part to this forum) and I realized how much better the Crossbones could have been from the get go. For example, when the Rocker came out I wondered why Harley couldn't have done a similar swing arm mounted fender on the Bones? When that newer Dyna came out I wondered why didn't Harley put a 2:1 exhaust on the Bones? And now that this Slim is out, why didn't Harley make a set of Hollywood bars for the Bones?

I can also ask similar questions of some of the other models that have come and (in some cases) gone.

Don't get me wrong. I still love my Bones and wouldn't give it up for nothing. I disagree with a lot of the criticism such as the whole matte paint thing is "overdone" or the bobbed fenders is "overdone". Honestly? Walk into any dealership or into the parking lot of any major bike event and see what the ration of shiny bikes to matte bikes is or long fenders to bobbed fenders. The fact that those styles are currently garnishing attention hardly means they are overdone. I see no shortage of people riding their primped, pampered and gaudy bling machines which has been the norm for...how long? I think the term "overused" best applies to chrome, flames and shiny paint schemes which have been the standard for so long.

Anyway, to get back to the point of these newer bikes (or at least the Softail Slim); I have to wonder why the designers at the Moco can't seem to pull all the variety of new parts together into one cohesive design. I would say that it's intentional and meant to drive the modding market but the decisions are so off the mark that I can't help that H-D is just getting it wrong!

Oh well. At least the Sporty is cool but unfortunately my @$$ is too fat for one of those.

Here's hoping that the MOCO will bust out a new Springer model in the next few years that will blow the wheels off of anything else they have done in the last half a decade...although I doubt that will happen.

 

That's what a slim should look like..the color is not my choice, but the style is on point, JMO...always liked the Hollywood's, though, not for every bike.