Bike Specs and Review: An Old Feel Redesigned for the Riders Today

By Darnell Austria


Harley-Davidson Seventy Two Returns a Skinny Look

The Harley-Davidson Seventy Two bike is your metallic flake fantasy, a Sportster on the highway back in time when cool young adults rode a Sting Ray and the huge players left custom bikes one after the other across the street. Those bikes were longer and thin; stylish red-tone and sparkling stainless shimmering in fuzzy sunlight.

From its red flake color and ape bars for the lean white wall wheels, the bike is a salute to that time and to the influence of the custom motorcycle culture which still set scenes even today all across Whittier Boulevard, the famed riding route in East, LA, often known as route 72. A new era of customized builders are making use of that era and new statement, not only in Los Angeles but in garages throughout the United States, even all over the world.

The design of the Seventy Two was attributed from the enthusiasm of the birth of customized bikes. At that time, bikes were multicolored and shiny, but also thin and stripped right down to the necessities uncovering their skeleletal frames.

Taking a stroll down memory lane, you'll be surprised how uncomplicated they are, like bicycles. It's a customized model that is very particular in America along with the California trend where there wasn't a single motorcycle superstore in the region where riders can acquire parts in one-stop. Pretty much everything was hand crafted to fulfill the custom biker's specs.

Metal flake, a common style of the seventies, showed up in everything from dune buggy gel coating to plastic restaurant seat covers for customized motorbikes. Harley-Davidson carries the sparkle back on the Seventy Two with red flake paint. This finish is accomplished by using a black first layer blended with a polyeutherane system which includes hexagon-shaped flakes that are at least Seven times the size of metal flakes included in regular commercial paint. Each flake is covered with a thin aluminium coating and then colored red. Several layers of natural finish combined with manual sanding, produce a clean finish on the flakes.

The last detail for the red flake is an emblem on the fuel tank and pinstripe scallop designs on both fenders. Every single style is hand drawn, and they have symbolized the craft in decal for commercial production, to make sure they still have the look of manually placed layouts; each decal is placed by hand. The sharp graphics is then covered with a final clear coating. A solo seat and side-mounted license plate clump keep most of the chopped rear fender - and more of the paint - displayed around the Seventy Two. The power train is finished in gray powder coat with chrome covers plus a new round air filter with a dished cover. A classic Sportster 2.1 gallon peanut fuel tank adds a final vintage look to the motorcycle.

New Harley-Davidson Softail Slim is a Classic Built Bike

Strip down a Harley-Davidson Softail to its important elements and you've got the Slim. From its reduced front fender to its narrow rear end, Slim is a non-sense, back-to-basics motorcycle. Name it undressed. Coin it old-fashioned. Call it lean and rude. All that is kept is an elemental Softail profile and an iconic Harley-Davidson style that recalls timeless custom-made bobbers of the 1950s.

To keep the rear of the motorcycle simple and fresh, the Slim includes a mixed stop-turn-tail signals as well as a side mounted license plate holder. The rear fender struts rest uncovered, featuring the solid steel and fasteners. A compact leather strap hides the gas tank joint. The power train is finished with buffed covers instead of chrome with the black cylinders retained to look not highlighted. The front fender is trimmed to expose more of the wheel.

The Hollywood bar, recognized by its wide bend and cross brace, was initially an add-on for Harley-Davidson motor bikes with springer forks. The concept may have been termed because motorbike riders of that period of time who used the cross brace to include lights and packs had gone Hollywood with unneeded extras along with their motorbikes. For the Slim, the cross braced bar and louvered front lights nacelles are coated in gloss black. Other vintage styling cues include a glossy black cat's eye tank unit with a old school speedometer, half-moon biker footboards, a round air purifier cover, and highly polished black wheel rims and hubs. The cover on the seat is stitched in a tuck-and-roll design and style.

A counter-balanced Twin Cam 103B motor is tightly equipped around the frame, making a strong link between driver and the machine. The Softail chassis imitates the clear lines of a retro hard tail body, but uses back end shock absorber control systems supplied by coil-over shocks installed horizontally and hidden from the frame rails. With the combination of a 23.8-inch seat height and motor biker footboards, the Slim easily satisfies a variety of riders and offers a lightweight side-stand lift-off. A pull-back riser add-on can be installed to adjust the handlebar back 2 inches without modifying control cables and lines. Combine this on the top of an old school motorcycle helmet and head to a motorcycle superstore to get your preferred all American fabricated accessories to complete your journey back in time.




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