The Harley-Davidson Softail Slim is named after the narrow seat/tank section that allows shorter riders access to flat-foot stops at red lights.However, there is plenty that is fat on the Slim—the five-gallon fuel tank and the high-profile 16-inch Dunlop-branded Harley-Davidson rubber come immediately to mind.
The plump tires give the Slim a useful footprint when dealing the 110 ft/lbs of torque that arrive at just 3000 rpm from the new Milwaukee-Eight 107 powerplant. Nicely counterbalanced, the motor is as comfortable as it is powerful.To take care of all this power, the 2018 Harley-Davidson Softail Slim has an all-new chassis. Harley-Davidson claims the frame is much stiffer than before, and a single ride tells you this is accurate.The Slim goes where you point it, and the new underseat shock and Showa Dual Bending Valve fork sucks up the imperfections you’ll find along the way. The floorboards give the 2018 Harley-Davidson Softail Slim as classic appearance, as do the shiny twin exhausts, new LED headlight, and bobbed fenders.Read our Harley-Davidson Softail Slim Review.Visit our Motorcycle Buyer’s Guide.
2018 Harley-Davidson Softail Slim Specs
ENGINEType: Milwaukee-Eight 107 V-twin
Displacement: 107ci
Bore x stroke: 3.937” x 4.374”
Maximum torque: 110 ft/lbs @ 3000 rpm
Compression ratio: 10.0:1
Valve train: Single-cam; 4 vpc
Exhaust: 2-into-2; catalyst in muffler
Cooling: Air and oil
Transmission: 6-speed
Primary drive: Chain
Final drive: Belt
CHASSIS
Front suspension: Non-adjustable Showa Dual Bending Valve fork
Rear suspension: Spring-preload adjustable shock
Wheels: Laced steel
Front tire: 130/90-16; Harley-Davidson Dunlop D401F
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This week, in the first segment Editor Don Williams talks to us about the new Kawasaki Versys 650 LT. It’s the middleweight ADV style machine that uses the same 650 parallel twin motor as the Ninja 650, so it’s an excellent performer in a user-friendly, good looking package.
In the second segment, I chat with one of my dearest industry friends—now retired Honda PR executive, Jon Seidel. Jon’s fascinating career spans some 30 years with Big Red, and gave him some great experiences with some incredible machines. I was fortunate enough to be invited on many of the press launches that he organized. His new project is documenting and saving many of the old archives from years gone by—and incidentally, if you have anything that may be of value to the project, please contact us by email at producer@ultimatemotorcycling.com and we’ll pass it all on to Jon.
So on that note, from all of us here at Ultimate Motorcycling, we hope you enjoy this episode!
