My thoughts- good and bad- on things I've experienced on the FLSL over the first 5K miles on the bike. KEYWORDS TO HOPEFULLY STOP COMMERCIALS ON THIS VIDEO rape COVID vaccine
Thanks for showing me some of the amazing hill country of Texas and for the ultra-smooth narration. Wish I could buy a ‘Slim’ and go down that same stretch of road you showed us. 🤠
I enjoyed watching that video, thanks for putting it out there. I have a 2018 Heritage myself, but love the looks of the Slim. Best wishes from England
it's the motorcycle that rides you! perfect beginner bike as long as you practice friction zone exercises and you don't need any throttle for 1st gear. day one I figured out how to get rid of the torquey jerk just by letting the transmission take 1st and throttle after changing to 2nd.
Great video and honest review. I also hate the factory seat on long rides. I bought my 2018 FLSL softail slim in wicked red Jun 2018 in chandler AZ. And at that time aftermarket was weak. But in May 2019 , FLSL and FXBB aftermarket parts and bikes are way more popular. SEAT : Stock FLSL and FXBB seat blows! They hurt on long rides. tailbone back killer for touring rides. Instead of Saddlemen step-up which i feel is too wide for me, im planning to get the whiplash slipstream for the 2018-2019 FLSL/FXBB. EXHAUST : The stock exhaust is just too darn quiet and weak for me. Others cant hear me. And it just doesn’t sound like a harley. I immediately did a tune, full exhaust and intake. Went with vance & hines staggered short shots, v&h fuelpak fp3, arlen ness intake. Now, the Milwaukee 8 is more quiet than the dual cams of sportys older softails i owned. Its a single cam, 8 valves, 4 spark plugs, Runs more smooth more quiet. But even so, the full exhaust is a HUGE improvement on these bikes. HUGE SOUND And Performance improvements. Even the v&h slip ons are decent. I still get great MPG with the tune and reliablity im almost 5k miles as well. I also love the classic looks, the feel of the bike. The floorboards, Hollywood bars, its low to the ground yet ground clearance is decent. I got a willie & max side bag for the FLSL. I like how accessible most things are on the bike. UPGRADES : i already did the stage 1. I think wider taller bars and a whiplash slipstream seat would be a good start. Keep the vids coming!
What a great and "different" review, loved all the details about elevation, water table, trees and deer species! I ride a 48, a baby STS if you like. Thanks.
To the point on the seats, I have a Road King Classic and tested all the seats Harley offers as well as a Mustang. The Harley Hammock seat felt far and away the most comfortable to me. Purchased it and have no regrets. I can go significantly further now without discomfort.
Awesome review. I have same bike same color scheme. I love it. Except for the seat. The further the ride I take the more I’m not liking it. And wow 5000 miles. That’s awesome. I thought i was riding hard with about 2300 miles in just a few months. Great video man
Just rolled over 600 miles on my 2018 FLSL. First bike in 27 years. Man things sure have changed. Maybe I'm a bit more cautious how I ride and treat the bike. One glaring thing I've encountered is people preoccupied looking at their cell phones. I thought the same thing about biting off more than I can chew. First thing I noticed you better be ready and hang on when the throttle is cracked. Looking to do some upgrades, stage 1, saddle bags maybe a fairing and came across your video. Lived in Burnet and San Angelo. Texas is a great state. loved the hill country. By the way. My wife bought me the bike cash in hand. I had been looking but was going to build something. I'm not mad.
After 2 years with the stock seat I can ride hours with no issues. It was about 5,000 miles when I noticed the seat was becoming more comfortable. Each 1,000 mile thereafter the seat comfort improved. At this point I have no need to buy another seat.
You need the HDTallboy seat. I’ve had two of these. If the sundowner fits, then so will the Tallboy seat! I’ve done over 10k miles on one and they are super comfy as they give another 1.5 inch of leg room.
I have the same bike in flat black and agree with everything in your review. I replaced the stock seat with a Harley Brawler seat which is much better than stock however it’s not perfect. Great review.
Nice review would love to take the same ride on my 2019 softail slim. Only thang my girlfriend wants me to put a seat that she can ride with me. Can anyone help me out here. Is the bike enough for two and any ideas on a good seat for me and for her. Thanks guys.
I worked for Harley Davidson a long time. I got pretty jaded and bored with them. I was ready to buy a 2022 Honda Rebel 1100. Until sales parked a shiny new, redline red, Street Bob, right in front of my damn parts desk. I own it now...
Great review man. I'm a sports bike rider....but thinking to switch to a cruiser and this, so far, is my favorite out of all the bikes!! Love the chopped, bobber ww2 retro bike look. Now..the seat cant be changed, front chrome fork can be powder coated ...so, no big deal. Best looking bike out there in my opinion! I would go for some ape hangers, mayhem hacker exhaust, and it will look sick:))
Is it your first? I'm buying the slim as my first. I know he said it had to much power for a beginner but I don't plan on trying to be a throttle whopper. I also know this isn't a car but I used to race them so would you say that will translate at all.
@@asawestcott1242 I bought a 2020 slim too 09/01/20. Its my 1st bike and im a new rider. Its a fantastic ride with superb handling and ive had no issues.
If you still have the bike, and are looking for a seat, check out Whiplash seats. Great seats, American made, veteran owned. They do have a seat for your bike.
Thank for some real honest information, I am about to take the safety class, and I am looking at the same three Harleys myself for a first bike. Your input is helpful, thanks!
Thx for this review! What about that strange rattle sound from the cam cover? Does it stop or change somehow after some hundreds of miles? I can hear a rattle sound, probably the chain, when the engine is heat, not after a start, but after twenty minutes or so it starts to rattle and shuffle...
Václav Lhota I haven't noticed it but the first couple hundred miles I was 100% absorbed in slow speed maneuvers and getting to know the quirks of the bike. After that it's been pretty much highway speeds with a helmet that lets lots of wind in and makes lots of noise. Nobody that I've ridden with has mentioned any strange noises.
After the 10K maintenance I did notice that noise. Couldn't figure out if it was coming from the valves, the cams, or if the automatic chain tensioner in the primary was acting up (as it is prone to do on some M8s). Took it to a mechanic and he gave me a paternal look and asked if I had change to synthetic this time. I said yes and he said that noise is common when using synthetic oil because even though it lubes better it is thinner. It does get on my nerves I may go back to straight petroleum oil next time.
Thank a lot for your interesting user opinion about the Slim. Dude, what at borring road. Kilometers and kilometers just straight, without any curve... :(
Is it really too much power for a beginner? I'm not planning on whompin' on the throttle in fact I plan on babying the throttle. I want the extra power so I'm not stressing the engine out on a cruise. I plan on riding every time I'm able so I do want to be able to grow into it and not wish I bought this one instead. So in your opinion would you still try and steer me away from this?
A lot of un necessary babble. Been riding actually since 1964. It's hard to get facts on any part of a bike review it seems. Seems like nobody talks shop but just the overview of things. Like the Slim but those handlebars must go. Completely wrong wrist angle for me. LED headlight must go for starters.
