Bikes

Black Beast

1. February 2023

Black Beast: GT Bobber

Newschool Bobber look made in Baden-Baden: Rick’s Motorcycles 2018 FLSL “Slim” radical refined!

A Harley-Davidson model extremely popular for customizing – not just by Rick’s Motorcycles – said “goodbye” for the time being with the model year 2021: The FLSL Softail “Slim” was – unlike the Harley-given name actually suggests – a massive Harley “Factory Bobber” featuring big 16-inch wheels, the “fat front” of the “classic” Fat Boy and traditional floorboards.

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Rolling out of the the factory a stylish cruiser in fairly authentic “Bobber” look – and thus also a superb base for quick and effective “New School” Bobber conversions in Rick’s super-elegant custom-style! “Black” in all its variations has always been one of the preferred colors of Rick’s Motorcycles customers – and in this case, the shiny paint dress perfectly matches the desired elegant look!

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Elaborately refined from the stock “Slim”, this stylish “Bobber” is a modern interpretation of an old theme – and extremely handy to ride. A result due to the installed Rick’s Design Wheels in 18-inch diameter, which visibly increase both ground clearance and achievable lean angle. Standard on the stock “Slim” are 16-inch wheels, equipped with 130 and 150 tires front and rear. “Bobber-like” maybe, but not necessarily “fat”. The rarely requested Rick’s wheel design “GT2” – inspired by a not quite unknown iconic German sports car – is here present in all its lightweight glory and – a innovative and stylish solution – combined with “Apollo” design brake discs and accompanying Belt-Pulley. The contrasting 3-piece assembled wheel design continues at the Belt Pulley and the “porthole” primary cover: while the base color remains black, the bolted nuts and bolts are left in natural metal finish and reflect neatly in the high gloss powder coating surface. The stock front 4-piston caliper is re-located for use with the 13-inch design brake rotor with a Rick’s bracket. A Rick’s full metal fender sits as close to the top of the tire as possible.

The massive and clean tailend is “all Rick’s”: A “Fat Ass” wide tire swingarm featuring jackshaft and two separate belts, plus short-cut metal Fender. Kellermann’s Atto 3-in-1 LED’s and side-mounted Rick’s license plate bracket define the look: Rick’s “Fat Ass” at its finest! With the installed Air Suspension, you can drop the rear just above the tire for parking. When riding, there’s plenty of travel between the wheel and the rear end – the compressor is carefully hidden. More rubber visible on the rear wheel is almost impossible!

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A fair share of the clean look is thanked to the very short “Slash Cut” Vance & Hines exhaust system, which ends at the edge of the stock frame. Combined with Rick’s Good Guys II “Spoke” airfilter, the 107 Cubic Inch “power pack” is tuned on the in-house dyno and forms a compact unit. Again, only the bolts are highlights in bare metal finish: Black, matt-black and black powder coatings alternate on the individual components.

Sitting atop the power plant thrones the Slim’s stretched stock tank – or what became of it after it has been through the intense refinement procedure at Rick’s sheet metal workshop: Flush-mounted fuel caps, super-clean tank extension to meet Rick’s custom seat – and the iconic “winged” HD brand emblem often found on the “Fat Boy.” In black, of course!

 

Fotos: Peter Hillert
Text: Horst Rösler

Contact us directly for all your questions

Philippe Camboni

fon: +49 7221 3939 117
email: p.camboni@hd-badenbaden.de

Marcos Maier

fon: +49 7221 3939 217
email: m.maier@hd-badenbaden.de

You have questions, or need support?

Contact us - we will send you more information about the bike:

Black Beast



or contact us by phone

+49 (0) 7221 / 3939-0

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