I bought my softail slim S new in 2016. I still have that bike in the Olive Gold. It still turns heads. I added the forced air breather, trashed the stock seat and added 16 inch Ape hangers. This is a bike I will not sell. I have a Street Glide CVO also that will be replaced while the Softail Slim will stay with me. I have owned probably 15 motorcycles. This is by far my favorite...after 7 years...
I do love my Slim. Agree that it's a looker. Excellent review, great graphics. Yes, the sound of scraping! Love the shades. Didn't know Harley made a left-lane driving bike for the U.K. :)
Thank you, thank you so much for finally a witty, well edited review on this bike 😊 And thank you a million times for showing the bike in action with you sitting on it instead of those hundreds videos with endless blah blah over a single boring shot on the steering wheel from the first sec till the last. Besides... all you said, is true 😉
I have seen many of these twin cams go over a 185,000 miles without a rebuild , Mercedes use the same plastic timing chain tensioners also without catastrophic failure . Yes they need changed when they are worn , just like a brake lining , or tire , that is called maintenance . I have owned 6 twin cams , now own 3 , and love these machines . Ride what you want , don't bash what you don't know , and ride safe .
Most of the haters have never so much as ridden one. they love to pretend they're unreliable pieces of shit, yet conveniently ignore that Harley ranks higher than BMW, Ducati, Triumph, and Can Am in reliability
Alan B'Stard M P it's not rare. If you're on a full dresser or like the Slim or Fat boy with floorboards, you'll scrape a bit. But Dyna, some Softails and Sportsters have normal pegs so you can get real low into corners without scraping. I'd have to imagine that being on a full dressed bagger of the BMW or Honda would also get you scraping. But I've never ridden 1 so I don't know. Mostly Harley, few rockets and 1 radically chopped Triumph
Great review, IMO. DO you plan on doing a review on the "New" 2018 Softtail Slim antime soon. It would be interesting and informative to get your take on how it compares to the old design Softial. Trying myself on deciding on that bike or the 2018 Motto Guzzi Eldorado. And by the way, do you guys wear Forma "Cape Horn" Boots (being in South Africa ... haha) ? Which begs the question on whether you will ever do a video on Motorcycle riding boots.
I've owned 2 Harleys and about 10 Japanese bikes of various styles.There is no "best", only what's best for you. Japanese bikes break too. As a matter of fact the most reliable bike I've ever had was a 883 Harley Sportster. Now I have a Dyna because I wanted more room. If you want a trouble-free, Harley get the Sportster. If you get the bigger Harleys, be willing to do more work.
This is my opinion. But there's nothing better then a Harley.. I love mine and every one I've had that made me love them. I've had all types of cruisers and sport bikes... street fighters. Dual sports. Whatever. Not saying the Harley out shines them all... but the feeling i have on my softail is my favorite. J.acencc i.g.
Robbie Sheik (Woody): Afraid so, although they use the Screaming Eagle components which are an upgrade from their stock components, like a stronger cam support plate, oil pump, compensator, they still use the Roller Chain Drive, with it's weak link Plastic cam chain tensioners, they don't use Metal Gear Drives for cam operation and still use a pressed together, crankshaft, and you are paying a premium price for the privilege.
hey mate it is a nice bike but it is not a S&S motor it is a SE (Screaming Eagle ) motor but you did get the size right it is a 110ci anyway it's a Awesome ride
I've never actually ridden one, and don't want too because I'm not a cruiser guy. Why do they only make one style of bike? No other manufacturers do that!
People will always criticize the number one, 8 Harleys make it in the top 10 cruisers sales worldwide , there is no point in banging the looser, who cares is Enfields are shitbuckets?. Same with the F150, everybody bangs it, even openly in the tv ads, but its number one for decades. I've known many HD haters that eventually got one and became hardcore fans...go figure.
All I can say to the HD haters is that most of you have not owned one. I bought this same bike he is test driving and LOVE it. Are there other bikes cheaper? Sure. Are there other bikes that MIGHT be equal? I am sure there are but I will say everyone I have talked to would take my bike hands down. This does include HD CVO owners, Triumph owners, and the rice burners too. Hate all you want the 2016 HD FLSS (Softail Slim S) is one of the best bikes out there.
Oozes quality except for the components and materials. They shouldn't cost as much as they do and they charge $790 for ABS in the US. Also that model did not come with the 110 as standard either in the US. A motorcycle made nearly the same way for 10 years shouldn't cost as much as a new year's model.
Cornering clearance is "pathetic" but so what, who goes around corners anyway? Harleys still win all the races and never break down, plus they're inexpensive, and did I mention they ooze quality? And in case you're wondering, these guys never mentioned that the Japanese also make large displacement "cruiser" V-twins because the Japanese don't make them. Just take their word for it.
I love when people act like Harleys break down constantly and are pieces of shit. Harley is mid pack in reliability and near the best in customer satisfaction. They rank higher than BMW, Ducati, Triumph, and Can Am in reliability, but I never hear haters like you bashing those brands.
+RDA8191 I don't understand all the hype about Harley's being unreliable either. I've been riding my '86 Dyna for 30 years now, and it will probably last another 30 years, or more. A friend of mine bought his sportster new in '68 and still rides it. Another friend bought his in '59, and still has it.
As someone who is somewhat familiar with the motorcycle industry, I believe everyone has a right to buy and ride whatever they want. But, what I have more of a problem with is the obnoxious and petulant attitude of sport bike riders, especially those who own Japanese sport bikes. There are a couple misnomers I would like to address which the sport bike crowd constantly drowns on about and that have no merit. The VROD produces one hundred twenty five horsepower and one hundred foot pounds of torque right out of the box. The screamin eagle line offers a one hundred and seventeen cubic inch engine that produces one hundred and thirty five horsepower and one hundred and fifteen foot pounds of torque. Then there is the recently released 120r motor which is based off of the VR1000 super bike which produces one hundred and seventy horsepower and north of one hundred twenty five foot pounds of torque. The other line of bullshit that the juvenile sport bike legions consistently bitch and moan about is that Harley Davidson's are outdated. Anyone who says this has absolutely know idea what their talking about. What Harley Davidson effectively does is produce modern bikes that maintain the classic styling in order to accommodate their core riders. What is nice about Harley Davidson is they offer products that are extremely versatile and based on what the customer wants, styling, performance, upgrades and more. This is a vast departure from the cookie cutter Japanese sport bikes that have no character or imagination. Plus, Harley Davidson allows someone to ride long distances without having to have herniated disc surgery on your back. So, I would suggest the sport bike contingency to get their head out of their ass and actually get the facts before you shoot your moronic mouth off.
They're always clueless 20 year olds that just repeat bullshit they read online, without ever riding a Harley. They love to say Harleys are unreliable, break down machines (again, never having ridden one), yet must be unaware that many of the haters are riding brands that rank lower than Harley in reliable, according to consumer reports. Many sportbike riders bit their bike based on a 0-60 time and a superbike shootout article and think it's the end all be all on motorcycling. like many things in life, the least informed have the strongest opinions
Is that why the softail frame is now designed like Japanese cruisers or is it why they are closing down some manufacturing plants because they were so great... or maybe because of those great twin cam engine that has 2 mail stamp size plastic timing chain guide, such a great design. It's purpose built that you have to practically go to the dealer to take the top and pushrods just to get to those... I thought I would never have to open this motor, but sadly I can honestly say this awesome cruiser as made by a POS company called Harley Davidson...
The one who says HD is old fashioned and hheavy is jackass. It's a life time investment as super bikes and other brands make you cry after one year in terms of maintenance... So don't get robbed or choose beauty/speed over class.
According to Harley's own 2014 annual report: "6 out of 10" Harley buyers are in "emerging markets", doublespeak for 3rd world countries, so, the majority of Harley buyers are not even American......Harley is just another multi-national corporation, with factories in India, and other countries, and the majority of new dealerships, are declining in America, and increasing overseas. And all Harley's clothing and merchandise are produced in sweat shops all over the world, except in the USA. And for those who know Harley, know, that the Twin Cam engines, produced since, 1999 to the present, (2016) are inherently flawed as an unreliable design. All Twin cams, use Roller Chain drive to operate the two cams, not, Metal Gears, and use 2 PLASTIC, yes, cheap, PLASTIC cam chain tensioners, in critical engine components, and are designed to wear out and have to be periodically inspected for wear (at a cost) and to be periodically replaced for wear, (at a higher cost) and failure to replace a worn tensioner shoe pad, will crater the engine, KAPUT....GONE. Those bikers in the know, also know that the Twin Cam engine only uses a pressed together crankshaft, which are notorious, for twisting out of true, on a hit or miss basis, and will also crater the engine. Now, if one only uses the Twin Cam as a 5 mile bar hopper, one or low mileage rider, no problem, since, no mileage means no wear or usage.........but, if one is a hard core, high mileage biker, then the Twin Cam is not the engine for you........forget the externals of the great looking profile, and beware the Twin Cam engine......CAVEAT EMPTOR- LET THE BUYER BEWARE........NOW YOU KNOW......
Crappy and pathetic. Allmost like an Uwe Boll movie. Harley could have replaced the chain as primary dirve at least. These guys only look at the surface. There are barely any real motorcycle journalists anywhere. 1000ps Austrians are just as much lacking as the bike show. I like revzilla more. At least they hit some issues that deserve attention instead of reinforcing stereotypical views of established brands.
I bought my softail slim S new in 2016. I still have that bike in the Olive Gold. It still turns heads. I added the forced air breather, trashed the stock seat and added 16 inch Ape hangers. This is a bike I will not sell. I have a Street Glide CVO also that will be replaced while the Softail Slim will stay with me. I have owned probably 15 motorcycles. This is by far my favorite...after 7 years...
I do love my Slim. Agree that it's a looker. Excellent review, great graphics. Yes, the sound of scraping! Love the shades. Didn't know Harley made a left-lane driving bike for the U.K. :)
Thank you, thank you so much for finally a witty, well edited review on this bike 😊 And thank you a million times for showing the bike in action with you sitting on it instead of those hundreds videos with endless blah blah over a single boring shot on the steering wheel from the first sec till the last. Besides... all you said, is true 😉
Great video! I got the 2017 Softail Slim, and love it.
New to channel, love the reviews
I have seen many of these twin cams go over a 185,000 miles without a rebuild , Mercedes use the same plastic timing chain tensioners also without catastrophic failure . Yes they need changed when they are worn , just like a brake lining , or tire , that is called maintenance . I have owned 6 twin cams , now own 3 , and love these machines . Ride what you want , don't bash what you don't know , and ride safe .
Ask any Harley owner , they love it
Non Harley owners always will criticize , until they own it.
Most of the haters have never so much as ridden one. they love to pretend they're unreliable pieces of shit, yet conveniently ignore that Harley ranks higher than BMW, Ducati, Triumph, and Can Am in reliability
but at least the bikes you mention can get round a bend or corner without scraping. At least they can lean over inemergencies too. HD can't
Alan B'Stard M P my Harley Davidson Wide Glide can cut around a corner just fine without scraping. Your argument is flawed
then you are lucky and rare
Alan B'Stard M P it's not rare. If you're on a full dresser or like the Slim or Fat boy with floorboards, you'll scrape a bit. But Dyna, some Softails and Sportsters have normal pegs so you can get real low into corners without scraping. I'd have to imagine that being on a full dressed bagger of the BMW or Honda would also get you scraping. But I've never ridden 1 so I don't know. Mostly Harley, few rockets and 1 radically chopped Triumph
Scraping floorboards would drive me crazy!
Great review, IMO. DO you plan on doing a review on the "New" 2018 Softtail Slim antime soon. It would be interesting and informative to get your take on how it compares to the old design Softial. Trying myself on deciding on that bike or the 2018 Motto Guzzi Eldorado. And by the way, do you guys wear Forma "Cape Horn" Boots (being in South Africa ... haha) ? Which begs the question on whether you will ever do a video on Motorcycle riding boots.
The Top Gear of motorcycles...nice!
So it wasn’t just me who thought that
I've owned 2 Harleys and about 10 Japanese bikes of various styles.There is no "best", only what's best for you. Japanese bikes break too. As a matter of fact the most reliable bike I've ever had was a 883 Harley Sportster. Now I have a Dyna because I wanted more room. If you want a trouble-free, Harley get the Sportster. If you get the bigger Harleys, be willing to do more work.
great review, Harry, very authentic!
Wow this looks a lot better than the 2018/2019 model. Loving the all blacked out look with the license plate on the back.
MY13 is sexy AF
SPOT. ON. Thank you, it genuinly was beautifu, you get what its all about. You got me at anti PC and heritage.
Well spoken brother!
Nice shades 👌
This is my opinion. But there's nothing better then a Harley.. I love mine and every one I've had that made me love them. I've had all types of cruisers and sport bikes... street fighters. Dual sports. Whatever. Not saying the Harley out shines them all... but the feeling i have on my softail is my favorite. J.acencc i.g.
Robbie Sheik (Woody): Afraid so, although they use the Screaming Eagle components which are an upgrade from their stock components, like a stronger cam support plate, oil pump, compensator, they still use the Roller Chain Drive, with it's weak link Plastic cam chain tensioners, they don't use Metal Gear Drives for cam operation and still use a pressed together, crankshaft, and you are paying a premium price for the privilege.
this sunglasses ... geez
lol, cool bike, leather jacket, jeans and boots, matt black helmet then goes and put some sort of white framed girls K-mart sunnies on! hahaha O_o
hey mate it is a nice bike but it is not a S&S motor it is a SE (Screaming Eagle ) motor but you did get the size right it is a 110ci anyway it's a Awesome ride
I've never actually ridden one, and don't want too because I'm not a cruiser guy. Why do they only make one style of bike? No other manufacturers do that!
Because that's what their customer base wants. Harley aren't stupid and if a different design sold they would build it.
Are you very tall or is that bike very small? It looks too small for you
People will always criticize the number one, 8 Harleys make it in the top 10 cruisers sales worldwide , there is no point in banging the looser, who cares is Enfields are shitbuckets?. Same with the F150, everybody bangs it, even openly in the tv ads, but its number one for decades. I've known many HD haters that eventually got one and became hardcore fans...go figure.
lol. Looks friken dangerous around every corner.
😂 😂 Not dangerous at all. I love the scrape on my Harleys, even go looking for bends to do it. It's fun. 😂
Very Funny - where is Victory now, or is it rebadged as Indian :)
Where did he got those glasses? Burger King kids meal?
Photo accompanying is a Triumph Thunderbird......
All I can say to the HD haters is that most of you have not owned one. I bought this same bike he is test driving and LOVE it. Are there other bikes cheaper? Sure. Are there other bikes that MIGHT be equal? I am sure there are but I will say everyone I have talked to would take my bike hands down. This does include HD CVO owners, Triumph owners, and the rice burners too. Hate all you want the 2016 HD FLSS (Softail Slim S) is one of the best bikes out there.
Why do I keep hearing it's a girls bike?
scraping footboards.....yes hahahhaahhhahah
softail slim for sale! lol. i have a 2012 slim. 103 motor.
shity on turns. no power. uncomfortable seat.
Oozes quality except for the components and materials. They shouldn't cost as much as they do and they charge $790 for ABS in the US. Also that model did not come with the 110 as standard either in the US. A motorcycle made nearly the same way for 10 years shouldn't cost as much as a new year's model.
Yea that’s not impressive numbers for this model. looks good tho
great answer! slim boy & fat boy kkkkkkk
Cornering clearance is "pathetic" but so what, who goes around corners anyway?
Harleys still win all the races and never break down, plus they're inexpensive, and did I mention they ooze quality?
And in case you're wondering, these guys never mentioned that the Japanese also make large displacement "cruiser" V-twins because the Japanese don't make them. Just take their word for it.
I love when people act like Harleys break down constantly and are pieces of shit. Harley is mid pack in reliability and near the best in customer satisfaction. They rank higher than BMW, Ducati, Triumph, and Can Am in reliability, but I never hear haters like you bashing those brands.
+RDA8191 I don't understand all the hype about Harley's being unreliable either. I've been riding my '86 Dyna for 30 years now, and it will probably last another 30 years, or more. A friend of mine bought his sportster new in '68 and still rides it. Another friend bought his in '59, and still has it.
It was all the oil leaking everywhere in the early 80s. Was enough to take 30 years to recover their reputation.
tat is dangerous. HDs are dangerous for that
"homogenized" has the opposite connotation of "multicultural" ...and "PC" is just good manners.
there's a simple solution:get a Triump or an Indian...
Why would you get an indian, just cheap polaris shit
***** because they know how to make a good bike for a good price...
Indian bikes are ugly imo
yeah get a victory -oh wait... they are dead now aren´t they? so why even bother with copies when you can get the real deal.
... push out ... scrape ... scrape ... 80 brake horse power ...
If you hate American Motorcycles so much, why not just buy one of those really cool South African Machines???
As someone who is somewhat familiar with the motorcycle industry, I believe everyone has a right to buy and ride whatever they want. But, what I have more of a problem with is the obnoxious and petulant attitude of sport bike riders, especially those who own Japanese sport bikes. There are a couple misnomers I would like to address which the sport bike crowd constantly drowns on about and that have no merit. The VROD produces one hundred twenty five horsepower and one hundred foot pounds of torque right out of the box. The screamin eagle line offers a one hundred and seventeen cubic inch engine that produces one hundred and thirty five horsepower and one hundred and fifteen foot pounds of torque. Then there is the recently released 120r motor which is based off of the VR1000 super bike which produces one hundred and seventy horsepower and north of one hundred twenty five foot pounds of torque. The other line of bullshit that the juvenile sport bike legions consistently bitch and moan about is that Harley Davidson's are outdated. Anyone who says this has absolutely know idea what their talking about. What Harley Davidson effectively does is produce modern bikes that maintain the classic styling in order to accommodate their core riders. What is nice about Harley Davidson is they offer products that are extremely versatile and based on what the customer wants, styling, performance, upgrades and more. This is a vast departure from the cookie cutter Japanese sport bikes that have no character or imagination. Plus, Harley Davidson allows someone to ride long distances without having to have herniated disc surgery on your back. So, I would suggest the sport bike contingency to get their head out of their ass and actually get the facts before you shoot your moronic mouth off.
They're always clueless 20 year olds that just repeat bullshit they read online, without ever riding a Harley. They love to say Harleys are unreliable, break down machines (again, never having ridden one), yet must be unaware that many of the haters are riding brands that rank lower than Harley in reliable, according to consumer reports. Many sportbike riders bit their bike based on a 0-60 time and a superbike shootout article and think it's the end all be all on motorcycling. like many things in life, the least informed have the strongest opinions
+RDA8191 **buy their bikes**
Is that why the softail frame is now designed like Japanese cruisers or is it why they are closing down some manufacturing plants because they were so great... or maybe because of those great twin cam engine that has 2 mail stamp size plastic timing chain guide, such a great design. It's purpose built that you have to practically go to the dealer to take the top and pushrods just to get to those... I thought I would never have to open this motor, but sadly I can honestly say this awesome cruiser as made by a POS company called Harley Davidson...
The one who says HD is old fashioned and hheavy is jackass. It's a life time investment as super bikes and other brands make you cry after one year in terms of maintenance... So don't get robbed or choose beauty/speed over class.
I hate it. Ass nearly on the ground, won't lean w/o scraping, low power, bad brakes. People are looking because they thought it was a ww2 motorcycle.
Well, if you warnt to pay for the name, go for it, but they do not deliver quality for the price, compared to other cheaper bikes.
According to Harley's own 2014 annual report: "6 out of 10" Harley buyers are in "emerging markets", doublespeak for 3rd world countries, so, the majority of Harley buyers are not even American......Harley is just another multi-national corporation, with factories in India, and other countries, and the majority of new dealerships, are declining in America, and increasing overseas. And all Harley's clothing and merchandise are produced in sweat shops all over the world, except in the USA. And for those who know Harley, know, that the Twin Cam engines, produced since, 1999 to the present, (2016) are inherently flawed as an unreliable design. All Twin cams, use Roller Chain drive to operate the two cams, not, Metal Gears, and use 2 PLASTIC, yes, cheap, PLASTIC cam chain tensioners, in critical engine components, and are designed to wear out and have to be periodically inspected for wear (at a cost) and to be periodically replaced for wear, (at a higher cost) and failure to replace a worn tensioner shoe pad, will crater the engine, KAPUT....GONE. Those bikers in the know, also know that the Twin Cam engine only uses a pressed together crankshaft, which are notorious, for twisting out of true, on a hit or miss basis, and will also crater the engine. Now, if one only uses the Twin Cam as a 5 mile bar hopper, one or low mileage rider, no problem, since, no mileage means no wear or usage.........but, if one is a hard core, high mileage biker, then the Twin Cam is not the engine for you........forget the externals of the great looking profile, and beware the Twin Cam engine......CAVEAT EMPTOR- LET THE BUYER BEWARE........NOW YOU KNOW......
I thought they got ride of the plastic cam chain tensioners in 2006?? So 2007 - 2017 you’re fine.
Scrapping pile of heap
Crappy and pathetic. Allmost like an Uwe Boll movie.
Harley could have replaced the chain as primary dirve at least.
These guys only look at the surface.
There are barely any real motorcycle journalists anywhere.
1000ps Austrians are just as much lacking as the bike show.
I like revzilla more. At least they hit some issues that deserve attention instead of reinforcing stereotypical views of established brands.