Harley Davidson. Softail Slim. How Times Change

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Take four steps round to the left though, and suddenly poise and delicacy replace beef and muscle, the narrow rear tyre representing a subtle blend of power and refined performance. Over time the Softail rear end has grown steadily wider with each passing design. The new-for-2012 model though, with its slimmer rear profile and delicately sloping chrome exhausts, tapers back almost into a point.

And I love this. There’s a much greater sense of heritage attached to this traditional design and now, as it should be, the engine once again becomes the focal point.

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Even amidst this dual charisma though lies an individuality. As a Harley, the Softail is not a track weapon. It’s designed to rule the road.

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And it’s only when the Twin Cam 103 is fired into life that this starts to make sense. There’s a rumble, and then a roar. A prominent one. Not one that strikes fear into the heart of a rider, but one that sets the heart pumping nonetheless. The feeling of adventure that rings from these bellowing low tones brings the Harley heritage rushing to mind. You just can’t avoid it. Select first, slowly release the clutch, and feel the bike start to roll

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One of the reasons I’ve always loved bikes is the sense of freedom they offer which you just don’t get from a car. The wind in your face, the seemingly endless blue sky above your head, and only the thickness of your shirt sleeves protecting you from other motorists. I love savouring the experience. So during my ride I rarely push the steering, preferring the methodical manner in which direction change is dealt with under relaxed turn-in. The gear changes are crisp rather than machine gun rapid, un-jolting, and that’s exactly how I want them. The adrenaline from this journey after all doesn’t come from the six-speed transmission kicking me in the lower back during the upshifts, or the severity of the acceleration.