2016 Harley-Davidson Softail

The good old days are right now.

The Softail Slim is study in contrasts. The Hollywood bars, slim rear wheel, cat eye console and floor boards recall the early days of custom motorcycle enthusiasm. Yet you also get thoroughly modern features like a High Output Twin Cam 103 engine, hidden suspension and great brakes to bring it all into the here and now. Notice the way bright chrome meets blacked-out metal. Laced wheels with stamped black rims. Theres never been a better time to be a rider.

• Authentic Styling

Get an eyeful of a Softail motorcycle and you see more than some weepy-eyed exercise in nostalgia. Youre looking at the kind of style that has the power to defy time. Honest. Uncluttered. Unaffected by the fad of the moment. Theres a good reason for this. Weve used our long decades on the road, riding, wrenching, talking to other custom bike fanatics, to discover what works. Then we stick with it, and use it to push the boundaries of motorcycle design ever further. Take a look at the horseshoe oil tank adorning our Softail models. Its the same one youd see on a restored dresser from the 50s, or a radical Panhead chopper from the 70s. And youll find it right now on future Harley-Davidson models that still on the drawing board. Other companies may be content to imitate bits and pieces from our long history. On a Softail motorcycle every part down to the axle nut cover comes from an authentic tradition. With a genuine reason for looking the way it looks.

• Iconic Engine

The air-cooled 45 V-Twin engine at the heart of every Softail model is a prime example of what makes a Harley-Davidson motorcycle more satisfying than anything else. Its clean, uncluttered shape fits perfectly in the downtubes of the frame. Twist the throttle and the surge of torque hits you exactly where it counts. The knowledge of what makes an engine truly move a rider runs deep at The Motor Company, and its been put to particular good use to power the Softail family. We counterbalance the engine, which means we can bolt it directly to the frame. It keeps the styling tight at the center of the bike. It lets the rider feel the pulse of the V-Twin. Yet there arent any vibrations rattling the fillings out of your teeth. Whats good gets even better for 2016. The Softail family gets a power upgrade to the new High Output Twin Cam 103B engine. More power is always a Harley-Davidson tradition.

• Technology

The beauty of the technology on a Softail motorcycle is that it never looks technological. That didnt happen by accident and it doesnt come easy, particularly when you consider that the inspiration for the family is the clean, wide-open lines of a vintage hardtail. Clutter it up with too many high tech doo-dads and you have a different machine entirely. Take a look at the anti-lock brakes now standard on many Softail models and available across the line. ABS gives you the control you want on a modern motorcycle. But our teams of industrial designers and engineers werent finished until the whole system had a streamlined design. The same goes for the clean look to the handlebars, thanks to a new electronic throttle system on every Softail model. With each passing year, adding a little technology to the ride looks better and better.

• Handling

If youve never experienced a Harley-Davidson Softail motorcycle, its time to find out what youve been missing. The venerable Softail frame has logged untold millions of miles, and weve put every one of them to good use. The result: one of the most fun rides in all of motorcycling.