Harley Davidson FLSL Softail Slim 2018 Service Manual

Harley's own launch copy nails the pitch: "a raw, vintage H-D style, with a modern edge." The all-new 2018 Softail Slim came in 35 lbs lighter than the previous generation, with more power, more lean angle, and a redesigned suspension — part of the wholesale reinvention that saw Harley fold its Dyna and Softail lines into a single new platform that year. Motorcycle News called the result probably the most nimble and easy-handling of the entire 2018 Softail lineup, thanks to the Slim's continuing low-slung stance.

The Milwaukee-Eight 107 delivers a claimed 110 lb-ft of torque at 3,000 rpm, nicely counterbalanced for a motor that's as comfortable as it's powerful, running a 3.937 in. bore and 4.374 in. stroke through a 6-speed gearbox with belt final drive and a 2-into-2 shotgun exhaust. The all-new chassis is genuinely stiffer than its predecessor — RideApart's first-ride review found the Slim "goes where you point it," with a hidden, easily adjustable rear mono-shock and Showa Dual Bending Valve fork soaking up road imperfections that older Softails struggled with.

Styling leans hard into blacked-out '40s bobber cues: gloss black steel laced wheels, Hollywood handlebars, floorboards, shiny twin exhausts, and a new LED headlight, with a low-slung solo saddle that puts the rider genuinely "in" the bike rather than on top of it. Four-piston fixed front brakes and a two-piston floating rear caliper handle stopping duty, with ABS standard in Europe and a $795 option in the US. Front and rear tires run 130/90B-16 and 150/80HB-16.