Thunderbike Olive Joe customized Harley-Davidson Softail Slim S

An ancient warrior

That’s the way it is with the old warriors. They know how to preserve the past and carry it forward. When Harley-Davidson unveiled the Softail Slim S for the 2016 model year, there was a lot of new wood in the old guise. The Twin Cam got the 110cc engine that had been reserved for CVOs. According to the official conversion, it offered a mighty 1801 cubic centimeters. But what nobody knew in 2016 was that it was also one of the last. The Milwaukee Eight followed in the next model year.

One of the last. Isn’t that the most honorable title for an old warrior named Olive Joe? With the Softail Slim S, Harley itself proclaimed its commitment to the bobber tradition of the 1940s and 1950s, and to the tradition of the Free West in general. With its white star and “Olive Gold Denim” finish, it deliberately borrowed from a motorcycle that Harley itself had said half a century earlier: “The bike that won the war”. That was the famous WLA.

Not the special model by accident

It’s no coincidence that Harley chose the Softail Slim for this special edition. With its simple and therefore classic lines, the Slim has always offered the most potential for historicizing borrowings. But if you want to create a credible classic design, the rear end is the most urgent task. The Softail chassis may have the look of a rigid frame, but a strut-mounted fender leaves too much air between the fender and the tire. This really could be done better.

Perfect rigid frame look

That’s how much is in the Softail Slim S, which is a collector’s item in its own right. Anyone who owns one of these last few should know that they are sitting on an old warrior. Customizing is always allowed on a Harley, but in moderation on this model. We took our rear fender, including struts, off the shelf from the Flying Slim package. “Flying” is the English term for a fender that swings with the bike. Add to this a nuanced lowering, a slightly wider rear wheel, whitewall tires and well-hidden multi-function rear lights and the historical line is perfect.

This is what the rear composition looks like. Our Flying Slim fender is sucked in

Hard to spot: The Flying Slim package’s fender-mounted multifunction taillights

Fine tuning

Finishing touches complete the picture. A black pulley lowers the modern chrome factor, our side mounting license plate with inside license plate reveals the swinging fender, and then we replaced the stock seat with a swinging saddle with old-style springs and a Spirit Leather cover. The rear fender composition is now matched to the front with the Recall steel fender. Our wide Hollywood Light handlebars also provide a historic stance, and the stripe turn signals disappear under the handlebar hardware. This gets the lines right without destroying the message of the original Softail Slim S.

We bedded the Spirit Leather covered swing saddle on old style springs

On the Hollywood Light handlebars, we have hidden the stripe indicators well

Saddle and saddlebag by Spirit Leather. License plate holder, black pulley and overall rear design by Thunderbike

Effort in the details

It is only in the small but important details that we have gone the extra mile. It was all about the modern chrome factor, which is now lowered by the black powder coating on the side stand, gear lever, forward controls and headlights. The Jekill and Hyde system, model Shorty, is black anyway. It provides the haunting but always legal sound. It may sound historic, but it isn’t. You’d be surprised how quiet a real WLA Flathead – yes, the one that won the war – sounds through its pipes. But pipes can rust, and then even an old warrior, one of the last, makes a good racket. And we chalk that up to the continuation of history.