2016 Harley-Davidson Softail Slim S Review - MotoUSA

We throw Harley’s 2016 Softail Slim S on the dyno, track mileage, do performance runs and ride it like we stole it for 1600 miles to bring you this cruiser motorcycle review. Check out our 2016 Harley-Davidson Softail Slim S Review article for more information: www.motorcycle-...
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[@sk8777kid1]

It's a cruiser guys, don't be so harsh. It's not a sportsbike and Harley is its own thing, you don't like it, then it shouldn't matter how it performs if you aren't the one riding it.

+sk8777kid1 Amen Bro.....Well put.

[@williamhoule4494]

I see all this debate over HD and it gives me a chuckle. I have owned many brands over going on 40 years and this bike is designed to be retro. It is lower than stock so the boards will scrape occasionally...no big deal. If you want performance buy a performance bike but don't insult people that want that old school look and feel.

[@chrisblake1918]

Lovely bike. If you don't like Harleys, don't ride them, that simple. It's not a grinder, it's a Harley. If you don't feel it, don't buy it.

[@kevincaines9516]

I tested this bike for over a month , Your review is dead on. Nice job I corrected the two main small problems with air ride and takeing off the floor bords and putting on forward controls, duel Vance and Hines this bad boy screams in the turns and on the flats it is a keeper, Harley you done GOOOOOOOD.

[@cege5737]

Went from a 48 to this, love the bike but I don't like the limited lean. Where did you get the forwards?

[@gerryortiz7276]

Im loving my STS-S went from a 2016 Roadster to this! Got some 14" ape handle bars!

[@ironman75662]

I love the Slim S. Low, Powerful, and Loud. I'm used to riding Super Sport Bikes so this was a pleasant surprise. It's a bad ass Harley. I'm 6',0" and am very comfortable.

[@tonymcmanus6668]

I love mine too, but that seat is killing me! 6'0" too. Not many options to extend forward controls or move seat backawards in the catalog.

[@inanutshell6159]

Best ACTUAL review yet. Thank you very much.

[@ZeebNinja]

Thank you for providing both the pro and con this time!!! I can now... take your word for it...I can trust what your saying.

[@Weaselbeak75]

If Mitch Hedburg did motorcycle reviews

[@timlong1462]

haha hahaha so true

[@georgeparis2764]

spot on

[@fpvgearhead5034]

Bar hopping on a bike yea that sounds safe.

[@MrSlowestD16]

+altruistic It's an extremely common industry term man, stop getting so uptight, they're not recommending drinking and riding..

[@velocisoldier9755]

I got a 2017 Softail Slim S and yes I have dragged my floorboards....I mean im throwing sparks in the night, but its just the floorboards, no big deal. I Ride the piss outa my machine and it handles great and sounds even better!

[@googleuser2082]

First of all, around 80bhp for a bike that size and weight is really not good. But what I'm really concerned about is that lack of lean angle! that is borderline dangerous. The chap could barely get around those corners at average functional speed. I do like HD's but not this one!

[@googleuser2082]

kevin caines Kevin, I have owned 2 Harleys in my 15 years riding bikes. I have also owned an SV1000. The guy was scrapping out on everyday corners. Come on mate, a bike that costs that amount needs to be a little more usable don't you think? Thanks for the insults lol

[@tylerqualls4911]

I have a softail slim and ice leaned pretty damn far and have yet to scrape the foot boards.

[@vabch82]

The sad part about all of this is that I LOVE HARLEY!! However, I'm not blind to the fact that a Victory Gunner, which costs about 5g's less, will flat out run and outperform this bike. Sure, the Harley has a few more Creature comforts. What really matters to a rider is PERFORMANCE FOR THE MONEY!! Imho, Harley is losing at that task! While on the subject of competition. Indian and Victory have there sights set squarely on the Sportster with the Scout and Octane. For christ sake, a Scout 60 will out accelerate a 1200 Sporty... and they're only 9g's. Bottom line is Harley needs to kick it into high gear! Rant done

[@tony2227]

Not any more.... Harley new line up of se engine 110ci will spank most cruisers right now ... Not to mention the reviews on the new Milwaukee 8 engine ,,, real real good reviews about it .... Harley should be toe to toe as of 2017 with ANY motorcycle maker

[@speedyspeed8492]

It's time for the Motor Company to step up and put the 120 motor in the CVO and the 110 in their regular lineup.

[@tomcata1467]

THE EVOLUTION BIKE TWIN SINGLE CAM ENGINE WAS PRODUCED FROM 1984-1998.

[@aaronbehindbars]

Dear The Motor Company, I used to be a big fan of your bikes so steeped in history and nostalgia. Then, you kept making the same thing. Sure, you threw some fancy paint and chrome and called it CVO. you even increased the size of your engines to improve power. Your bikes got heavy and aren't any good to ride fast and hard through corners. That's ok for touring bikes, but not stripped down models. If you could maybe find a way to build a free revving, high output engine and put that in a sporty chassis. Surely somebody out there has the technical expertise to do this. If you do find someone to built such bikes, make sure your dealers know how to sell them. Sincerely, Someone with disposable income who isn't at the end of their riding career.

[@aaronbehindbars]

***** While the Scout is a step forward in a sportier direction, it is still a low slung, feet forward, limited cornering cruiser. The brakes are somewhat mushy, as is the suspension. With so little travel out back and not being able to stand on the pegs makes for a jarring ride. I was just not comfortable on it. If I had one, it's probably a good think the tank only holds like 2.9 gallons. I was thoroughly impressed with the engine and hope the rumors are true that Victory will use a version in a sport standard chassis. My comment was really a tongue in cheek commentary about how short-sided H-D was for letting Buell wither away.

[@leon-zg7wn]

+Aaron Fink Why not try a XR1200?

[@aaronbehindbars]

+Leon Wu H-D no longer sells them in the States. Second hand XR1200's don't come up for sale that often. I've sat on them and they feel a little awkward. They are also pretty heavy. Buell built some fairly light bikes. Getting parts for a Buell scared me off from buying one used. I'll just stick with my metric bikes for now.

[@aaronbehindbars]

+Mal Reynolds I did consider the FZ09 and wasn't keen on the soft, under damped suspension. I do like the FJ09, bit not enough to get rid of my CB1100 and V-strom 650.

[@aaronbehindbars]

+Mal Reynolds I'm well over 200 lbs, so the shortcomings of the FZ's suspension are going to show up more readily. It wouldn't have cost them any more to spec it with heavier springs and increase damping rates like they did on the FJ09. It's all the same level of components, just different specs.

[@amacro11]

I like it! I would ride it Al

[@akabigbro]

Your supposed to move your body weight in high speed cornering on a bike like that.

[@xmoroseguyx]

Never had a motorcycle with ABS fitted, I guess the cost and weight puts a lot of people off, And to me it makes even less sense on a cruiser, But it is good to hear that Harley Davidson have upped the power and more importantly improved the gearbox

[@CyclopsRevolution]

Can you please explain how ABS on a cruiser doesn't make sense?

[@tony2227]

Yep they truly doing much better with 2017 line up

[@XxSteelheadxX]

This literally made me back out of buying one. Thanks for saving me some floorboard dragging...I'm too new of a rider for that crap.

[@TBoyer]

I rode one. the front of the seat is so narrow, the cylinder head fried my balls if I wasn't moving. Every traffic light was torture.

[@JoeyDFXDB]

I was really hoping for some info on the hydraulic clutch and throttle-by-wire with these models, any thoughts?

[@JoeyDFXDB]

+Jace Galland thank you! That's very informative! How would you compare the pull to the standard HD clutches? I've found them to be very stiff on some, almost to the point of hurting my hand. I am currently looking into an HD or Triumph right now. My Hondas clutch is smooth and easy, but riding some of the HD's has been painful. I guess my question is how would you relate the HD hydraulic clutches compared to a metric clutch that sits in oil.

[@JoeyDFXDB]

+Jace Galland thanks again I really appreciate it! Yea I've been eyeing the new t120, with its new 1200cc engine and 6 speed transmission it really it standing out pretty well! Granted I have tested many HD's and found the dyna's to be right at home with a mix of power and comfort.

[@jewcus7217]

why doesn't Harley- Davidson just make a reclining chair, put a loud slow engine that shakes a lot on it, and slap a 50,000$ price tag on it? They would sell so many more sofas.

[@CCitis]

LOL you could beat me in a straight line, but goodbye in the twisties... and thats where all the fun is

[@bertagriese8282]

Who is we? You drove the bike, right? Or do you speak of yourself in the third person?

[@white0devil0]

*Scraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaape*

[@SilentPrayingmanTis]

+white0devil0 hehe

[@msjswapnil]

Thanks for the video....................................... & THUMBS UP :D

[@michaellejos8038]

what's the point of a bigger engine? If you can't push it through a corner because of the scrapping floor boards? That's a $20k design mistake right there... yes/no?

[@flyby613]

whats the difference between slim s and reg slim?

[@recce3505]

FlyBy different paint. Also the s engine is 110 ci while regular is 103ci

[@colasoda6558]

Great bike....but is it a million dollars?

[@ladefreakndah]

Factory bikes ZZZzzz... I don't know what's slim about it. It weighs 712 lbs.

[@mustafasezgin3972]

👍

[@two199]

110inc = horse power ?

[@bocolis88]

+two199 81HP more or less...

[@reddog75cg]

This guy sounds like mich hedberg

[@Sideler74]

They issue these type's of bikes to sucker the novice in who's never ridden a motorcycle. That guy who took some Harley advice from his co-worker who is an astute weekend warrior himself, a guy who wears every piece of HD gear available. smh

[@leemarsh4864]

If you want a Harley to ride hard and does bends, get a FatBob.

[@Hct80]

Haters

[@greenus111]

Did you just say imperceptibly?

[@electricritual4197]

Typical metric magazine scraping the pegs or floorboards on purpose. Over leaning the bike on purpose or they don't know how to ride a cruiser. Its one or the other because if you scrape this bike this much it would cost you a hell of a lot of money. I've never seen anyone with all scraped up floor boards or pegs on a Harley or metric cruiser. Because you do not have to lean the bike that far to go around the turn. Because it has a lower center of gravity. They just try to do it to be cool. Another words there trying to appeal to metric riders that don't know better. It's so cheesy.

[@46ace]

+Angel D My ford goes around corners nice and flat too...That's a horse shit excuse for what's supposed to be a "motorcycle".

[@electricritual4197]

+46ace It's a cruiser you fucking moron. If you want to ride a bike that you have to lean super far every where you go, that's your problem.

[@MrBluster09]

scraped 11 times doing the Dragon's Tail up and 11 more times back. It's a cruiser, folks, not a touring bike.

[@tomcata1467]

Why don't you let it go, pal? You're the only one I hear griping about someone else's free speech rights. But, you sure want your own free speech rights, though, right? Got your number, pal. Let it go, man..........he, he, LOL.

[@snakevergil]

Still not as powerful as a victory 106 cubic inch. And what a dumb paint scheme

[@JerryWhatshisface]

+snakevergil ...Or a Scout.

[@ronleon62]

I'll get one of them as soon as I'm old, fat and disgusting.