2016 Harley-Davidson Slim S


The 2016 Softail Slim S is the first regular production Harley to receive the Screamin’ Eagle Twin Cam 110. Previously, Harley loyalists could only get one if they invested in a top-shelf CVO model, and those were generally big baggers or tourers. To have one spooned inside the frame rails of a Softail is an exciting prospect. Add a Screamin’ Eagle Stage 1 high-flow intake and jet-black over/under dual shotgun mufflers to the package and you’ve got a golden carrot to dangle in front of consumers.




Because the air-cooled, counterbalanced 1802cc V-Twin is definitely the star of the Softail Slim S. With its big four-inch pistons and long 4.37-inch stroke, the TC110 is a torque-generating machine, churning out a peak 96.79 lb-ft @ 3600 rpm. At 2100 rpm it’s already delivering almost 89 lb-ft of the good stuff, and from 2300 to 4700 rpm it’s dishing out more than 90 lb-ft of torque.

On the horsepower side, the Twin Cam 110B is good for 81.74 hp @ 5000 rpm and hovers above 80 hp from 4700 rpm to 5400 rpm. With an old cruiser guy at the controls on a city street, it took the Softail Slim S 258 feet and 4.96 seconds to go from 0 – 60 mph. While clutch pull is taut and requires a firm squeeze, throttle reaction is quick and snappy, a boon when launching the 710-pound motorcycle off the line.



The six-speed cruise drive transmission of the Softail Slim S proves The Motor Company has come a long way. Most times engagement is solid and deliberate, shifts made reliably without slipping, but every now and again we nick an upshift in the middle gears so smoothly it’s barely noticeable. Bump it into sixth gear on the freeway and the cruise drive transmission drops engine speed to a comfortable 2380 rpm at 65 mph.

To counter that power, the 2016 Softail Slim S comes standard with ABS, the system integrated into the motorcycle’s design clean and virtually unnoticeable. The Slim S runs a 300mm rotor on the front teamed to a 4-piston fixed caliper with both 32mm and 34mm pistons, opposed to the rear’s 2-piston arrangement. As a result, the front brake is the more powerful of the two. The initial bite translates to positive feel at the lever as it clamps tight, applying steady, even pressure.