2012 Harley-Davidson Softail Slim First Look

Courtesy of Harley-Davidson Source: Motorcycle-usa.com

Wednesday, February 01, 2012

Pare down a Harley-Davidson Softail motorcycle to its essential elements and you have the Slim. From its trimmed front fender to its narrow rear end, Slim is a no-nonsense, back-to-basics motorcycle. Call it stripped. Call it old school. Call it lean and mean. What's left is the elemental Softail profile and iconic Harley-Davidson style that recalls classic custom bobbers of the 1950s.
 
"It's time to make the engine the focal point of the motorcycle," says Harley-Davidson Senior Designer Casey Ketterhagen, "so we put a Softail on a diet to get the proportions back in check. Scale down the rear with a narrow tire and chopped fender and the heart of the bike, the motor, once again becomes the focus. We left a gap between the nose of the seat and tank so the rider can see the top of the motor. I like to be able to look down and see what's moving me."

To keep the rear of the motorcycle simple and clean, the Slim has combination stop/turn/tail lights and a side-mounted license plate. The rear fender struts are left uncovered, exposing the forged steel and fasteners. A thin formed-leather strap covers the fuel tank seam. The powertrain is finished with polished covers instead of chrome, and the black cylinders are left unhighlighted. The FL front fender is trimmed to expose more of the tire.

"I'd personally like to strip the bike down even further," says Ketterhagen, "but this is as far as we can go on a production model. The Slim is intended to be a direct interpretation of home-built customs of the 1940s and 50s, and we used a number of components that evoke that era, beginning with a Hollywood handlebar."

The Hollywood bar, identified by its wide bend and cross brace, was originally an accessory for Harley-Davidson models with a Springer fork. The name may have been coined because owners of that era who used the cross-brace to mount lights and bags had "gone Hollywood" with excessive accessorization. For the Slim, the cross-braced bar and louvered headlight nacelle are finished in gloss black. Other period styling cues include a gloss black "cat's eye" tank console with a retro speedometer face, half-moon rider footboards, a round air cleaner cover, and gloss black wheel rims and hubs. The cover of the solo seat is stitched in a tuck-and-roll pattern.

"The seat really gives you the feeling of sitting in the bike, rather than on it," says Ketterhagen. "The bars are nice and low, too, so when you're riding you have an unobstructed view forward, which reinforces the idea that this is a very elemental motorcycle, a real back-to-basics ride."

A counter-balanced Twin Cam 103B engine is rigid-mounted within the frame, creating a solid connection between rider and the machine. The Softail chassis mimics the clean lines of a vintage hardtail frame, but utilizes rear suspension control provided by coil-over shock absorbers mounted horizontally and out of sight within the frame rails. With the combination of a 23.8-inch seat height and rider footboards, the Slim comfortably fits a wide range of riders and offers light side-stand lift-off. A pull-back riser from Harley-Davidson Genuine Motor Accessories can be installed to move the handlebar back two inches without changing control cables and lines.

Key features of the 2012 Harley-Davidson Softail Slim include:
Rigid-mounted, air-cooled, 1690 cc Twin Cam 103B counter-balanced engine with Automatic Compression Release (ACR) rated at 98.7 ft. lbs. peak torque at 3000 rpm.
Powertrain is finished in Black powdercoat with polished covers.
6-Speed Cruise Drive Transmission.
Chrome, over/under shotgun exhaust with slash-cut mufflers.
Gloss Black round air cleaner cover.
Classic 5.0-gallon Fat Bob fuel tank.
Black "cat's eye" console holds electronic speedometer with retro-style face.
Dunlop 16-inch (MT90B16) front and rear (MU85B16) tires.
Black, Steel Laced wheels.
Hollywood handlebar with cross-brace
Gloss black headlamp with chrome trim ring.
Gloss black nacelle with punched louvers.
Half-moon footboards with retro-style foot control pads.
Chopped rear fender exposes rear tire.
Trimmed FL front fender.
Side-mounted license plate bracket.
Combination stop/tail/turn tail lights.
Solo seat with black tuck-and-roll vinyl cover.
Forged rear fender supports are finished in Gloss Black powdercoat.
Gloss black "horseshoe" oil tank.
Paint color choices include Vivid Black, Black Denim, and Ember Red Sunglo.
Security Package Option (factory-installed option) includes: Harley-Davidson Smart Security System with proximity-based, hands-free security fob and Anti-lock Braking System (ABS)

Source: Motorcycle-usa.com

What better way to promote motorcycle safety than with a bunch of scorching hot Playboy bunnies? Harley-Davidson and Playboy have teamed up to create the Key Club, a magical place where beautiful women ride motorcycles and talk about motorcycle training courses.

Miss February 2010 Heather Rae Young, Miss June 2011 Mei-Ling Lam, Miss January 2010 Jaime Edmondson, and Miss April 2011 Jaclyn Swedberg are encouraging riders around the country to take motorcycle safety courses. But the girls aren't just spokespeople, they learned to ride themselves, too.

The Playboy bunnies took Harley-Davidson's Rider's Edge Course. Here's what the Playboy girls had to say about riding Harleys. (You can read more about the girl's Harley experience, and see more photos and video by registering at the Playboy Key Club.)

Miss February 2010 Heather Rae Young

"I am in love! I test drove the Street Bob® first and loved it, then I got on the Blackline and knew it was the one. The look is exactly what I pictured, and when I test drove it, it felt so smooth, and I felt I could handle it and really enjoy myself on it."

"It takes stress away and when you're on it you forget about everything else. It's just one of the most amazing feelings. And I'm excited about doing it with people I love and share that experience."

Miss June 2011 Mei-Ling Lam

"I've always liked Harleys the best. When I'm on one I feel like a badass! I like the adrenaline rush. But I also like to ride just to relax and enjoy the atmosphere."

"The work we did in the classroom and on the course for Rider's Edge really built up my confidence in my riding abilities. I'm ready to go! I can't wait to get my own Harley-Davidson. My dream bike is the Harley-Davidson Softail Deluxe. Once I sat on it, I didn't want to get off! A few things will need to be customized to fit me better, but it felt perfect right away. But what really sold me was once we started it up. There is nothing like a growling engine beneath you! Pure adrenaline rush!"

Miss January 2010 Jaime Edmondson

"Last year, I attended a motorcycle race, and it got my motor running. It kind of woke up a sleeping beast inside me."

"Just sitting on the motorcycle during Rider's Edge, before it was even turned on, was so exciting. Then when you start it up, it's even better. It feels like you're free. You can't be on the telephone, you can't chat with people, it's just you and your thoughts. You get into that groove and it's really relaxing."

Miss April 2011 Jaclyn Swedberg

"I admired them from afar but I had never really been hands-on with motorcycles. I'm really excited about learning to ride better. I want to become a good enough rider one day soon so I can get my dream bike!"

"I love the tough look of the 2012 Sportster Forty-Eight. It's the perfect fit for a female rider like myself, but it also has the sleek masculine look of a Harley. Mine would be completely blacked out with a matte finish."

Now this is irony!

In a case of irony even O’Henry and Darwin working together might not top, a man protesting burdensome helmet laws died as a direct result of not using one this weekend in New York.

Philip A. Contos lost control of his Harley Davidson motorcycle and hit his head while riding with 549 other anti-helmet bikers in the 11th annual Independence Ride.

Authorities said the 55-year-old’s life could have been saved had he been wearing a helmet. Of course.

The ride was organized by the American Bikers Aimed Toward Education, which states one of its main missions is to help prevent accidents through education. Guess this education doesn’t include letting bikers know that helmets reduce the likelihood of a crash fatality by 37 percent, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

But despite being proved wrong by one of its own, American Bikers Aimed Toward Education is not changing its stance on New York’s mandatory helmet law.

“Mandatory helmet laws do nothing to prevent accidents,” ABATE states on its website.

The statistics on saving lives, however, are hard to ignore. Helmet laws are in place for at least some drivers such as minors in all of the states except Illinois, Iowa and New Hampshire.

Where helmet laws do not exist, 63 percent of fatally injured bikers were not wearing a helmet. While in states where helmet use was mandatory, that number was just 14 percent, according to saferoads.org.

And like Contos, many of the deaths could have been prevented. Helmets saved the lives of 1,829 motorcyclists in 2008. If all motorcyclists had worn helmets, an additional 823 lives could have been saved.

But not wearing a helmet could also cost you economically.

The average hospital charge for motorcyclists with serious head injuries was $43,214. This is almost three times the $15,528 hospitals charge motorcyclists with mild or no head injuries, according to saferoads.org.

Helmet deaths went down from 15-37 percent in the first year after helmet laws were enacted in Oregon, Nebraska, Texas, Washington, California and Maryland.

Posted July 5th 9:55am by HVnews
http://hypervocal.com/news/2011/darwin-approves-anti-helmet-motorcyclist-dies-due-to-lack-of-helmet-at-independence-ride/

MILWAUKEE - There is a new custom license plate in Wisconsin that will get your motor running.

Harley-Davidson has partnered with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation to offer the first-ever Harley branded license plate. This plate is available for automobiles, light trucks and motor homes.

The cost of the plates will include any regular registration fees that apply along with a $15 insurance fee and an annual $25 donation. The donation will help support safety initiatives throughout the state.

"We are pleased to partner with the State and help increase awareness and support for motorcycle safety programs that further enhance rider safety and driver awareness in Wisconsin,” said Matt Levatich, Chief Operating Officer and President, Harley-Davidson Motor Company.

The Harley plate is only being offered in Wisconsin – the birthplace of the iconic motorcycle company. In addition to company logo, the words “Share the Road” are displayed to emphasize the importance of motorcycle safety.