2012 Harley-Davidson Seventy-Two and Softail Slim Revealed

As expected, Harley-Davidson pulled the wraps off of two new 2012 models, the ’70s-styled Seventy-Two Sportster (pictured above) and the bobber-styled Softail Slim.

Motorcycle.com‘s Tom Roderick attended the launch of the two new 2012 Harley-Davidson models and he’ll have a full report. In the mean time, here’s a quick look at the two new offerings from The Motor Company.Like the Forty-Eight first introduced in 2010, the 2012 Harley-Davidson Seventy-Two is named for the era that inspired its design. Featuring a “hard candy big red” metallic flake paint job, ten-inch mini-ape handlebars, narrow whitewall tires and a 2.1-gallon peanut tank, the Seventy-Two harkens back to the early 70. Powering the Seventy-Two is Harley-Davidson’s 1200cc Evolution engine.

“In creating the Seventy-Two, we were also inspired by the vibe of the early chopper era,” says Frank Savage, Harley-Davidson manager of industrial design. “Those bikes were colorful and chromed, but also narrow and stripped down to the essentials. You look at period examples and they are almost as simple as a bicycle. It’s a custom style that’s very particular to America and that California scene.”

Click here for a full gallery of photos of the 2012 Harley-Davidson Seventy-Two.

Joining the Seventy-Two is the new 2012 Harley-Davidson Softail Slim. The custom bobber-styled Slim is powered by Harley’s counter-balanced Twin Cam 103B engine. Features include a 5.0-gallon Fat Bob fuel tank, chopped fender, narrow rear and a Hollywood bar featuring a wide bend an cross brace. The Slim also features a side-mount license plate holder and combined stoplight, turn signals and tail lights.

“It’s time to make the engine the focal point of the motorcycle,” says Casey Ketterhagen, Harley-Davidson senior designer , “so we put a Softail on a diet to get the proportions back in check. Scale down the rear with a narrow tire and chopped fender and the heart of the bike, the motor, once again becomes the focus. We left a gap between the nose of the seat and tank so the rider can see the top of the motor. I like to be able to look down and see what’s moving me.”

Click here for a full gallery of the 2012 Harley-Davidson Softail Slim.

And don’t forget to check back later for Tom’s full report.

[Source: Harley-Davidson]

By Dennis Chung