Table of Content
Last updated: October 2026
Quick answer: The Harley Softail Slim (discontinued after 2021) is the comfier, lower-slung cruiser. It has floorboards, forward controls and a 5-gallon tank. The Street Bob 114 is the lighter, more agile bobber. It has mid controls, mini-ape bars, a 3.5-gallon tank and about 16 lb less weight (655 vs 671 lb ready to ride). Harley no longer sells the Slim new, and the current Street Bob now uses the Milwaukee-Eight 117 engine (see the 2026 section below).
1. Harley Softail Slim Vs. Harley Softail Street Bob 114
The Harley Davidson Softail Slim and the Harley Davidson Softail Street Bob 114 have unique styles and different purposes. Both motorcycles have a few similarities, including a V-Twin engine, separate dual mufflers, a chopped rear fender with a small tail light, and rear turn signals mounted to it. Both motorcycles also come with a tuck and roll rider seat, but the Harley Davidson Softail Street Bob 114 also has a separate passenger seat attached to the rear fender.
The Harley Davidson Softail Street Bob 114’s most unique features are its high-mounted handlebars and a longer trail of 6.2 inches that give it a chopper look. The Harley Softail Street Bob 114 has an innovative design but still carries the classic Harley Davidson attitude. Meanwhile, the Harley Davidson Softail Slim is a simple yet stylish Harley Davidson cruiser. It is also a versatile motorbike that can be used for touring, cruising on highways, and riding through traffic. This article provides a detailed comparison between the Harley Davidson Softail Slim and the Harley Davidson Street Bob 114.
2. 2026 update: Street Bob 117 vs the Street Bob 114
| 2022 Street Bob 114 | 2026 Street Bob (117) | |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | Milwaukee-Eight 114 (1,868 cc) | Milwaukee-Eight 117 Classic (1,923 cc) |
| Torque | ~119 ft-lb @ 3,000 rpm | 120 ft-lb @ 2,500 rpm |
| Power | Not officially published | 98 hp @ 4,600 rpm (as listed by Total Motorcycle) |
| Exhaust | 2-into-2 offset shotgun | 2-into-1 |
| Weight (ready to ride) | 655 lb | 646 lb |
| Gauges | Handlebar-mounted | 4-inch analog gauge with LCD |
| Ride modes | None | Road, Rain, Sport |
| ABS / traction control | ABS optional | Cornering ABS, traction control, drag-torque slip control and TPMS standard |
| Starting US price | $15,349 | From $14,999 (Solo Trim Package) |
Other 2026 changes include USB-C charging and optional tubeless laced wheels. The 2026 Street Bob keeps the 3.5-gallon tank, 30° rake, 6.2 in trail and 28.5° lean angles. For 2027, check H-D.com or a dealer for specs and pricing before you quote them.
3. Slim vs Street Bob: which fits your riding
- Longer rides and touring: Slim. The 5-gallon tank gives roughly 235 miles at Harley’s 47 mpg estimate, against about 165 miles for the Street Bob’s 3.5 gallons. These are estimates, so real-world range will be lower.
- Taller riders: Slim. Its forward controls and floorboards give more legroom, while the Street Bob’s mid controls bend the knees more.
- City riding and agility: Street Bob. It’s lighter and its lean angle is 28.5° against the Slim’s 27.4°.
- Two-up riding: Street Bob. It ships with a passenger seat, and the Slim has a solo seat only.
- Customizing: Both are popular platforms. Link to your collections below.
4. Detailed Specs Comparison: Harley Softail Slim Vs. Harley Softail Street Bob 114
| 2021 Harley Davidson Softail Slim | 2022 Harley Davidson Softail Street Bob 114 | |
|---|---|---|
| Identification | ||
| Harley Davidson | Maker | Harley Davidson |
| Softail | Series | Softail |
| Slim | Model | Street Bob 114 |
| 2021 | Year Model | 2022 |
| Cruiser | Motorcycle Type | Cruiser |
| $15,999 | Base Price | $15,349 |
| Engine and Performance | ||
| 107 cu in (1,753 cc) | Displacement | 114 cu in (1,868 cc) |
| Milwaukee-Eight® 107, V-Twin | Engine Design and Type | Milwaukee-Eight® 114, V-Twin |
| Air-Cooled | Cooling System | Air- and Oil-Cooled |
| Two | No. of Cylinders | Two |
| Four | Valves Per Cylinder | Two |
| 92.5 hp | Horsepower | 94 hp at 4,750 rpm |
| 149.16 Nm at 3,000 rpm | Torque | 161.34 Nm at 3,000 rpm |
| 4.37 in | Stroke | 4.5 in |
| 3.94 in | Bore | 4.02 in |
| Electronic Sequential Port Fuel Injection (ESPFI) | Fuel Injection System | Electronic Sequential Port Fuel Injection (ESPFI) |
| 10:1 | Compression Ratio | 10.5:1 |
| Six-Speed | Transmission | Six-Speed |
| Belt | Final Drive | Belt |
| Mechanical, 10 Plate Wet, Assist & Conventional | Clutch | Mechanical, 10 Plate Wet, Assist & Conventional |
| 47 mpg | Fuel Economy | 47 mpg |
| Catalyst in Mufflers | Muffler | Catalyst in Mufflers |
| Two-Into-Two Shotgun Exhaust | Exhaust | Two-Into-Two Offset Shotgun Exhaust |
| Optional | ABS | Optional |
| Mild Steel, Tubular Frame | Frame | Mild Steel, Tubular Frame |
| Electric | Starter | Electric |
| Dimensions and Weight | ||
| 5.8 in | Trail | 6.2 in |
| 30° | Rake | 30° |
| 5 gal | Fuel Tank Capacity | 3.5 gal |
| 4.7 in | Ground Clearance | 4.9 in |
| 38.2 in | Width | 34.1 in |
| 43.1 in | Height | 45.7 in |
| 90.9 in | Length | 91.3 in |
| 25.5 in | Seat Height | 25.8 in |
| 64.2 in | Wheelbase | 64.2 in |
| 304.36 kg | Wet Weight | 297.1 kg |
| 291.2 kg | Dry Weight | 286.2 kg |
| 27.4° | Lean Angle (Right) | 28.5° |
| 27.4° | Lean Angle (Left) | 28.5° |
5. Design: Harley Softail Slim Vs. Harley Softail Street Bob 114
5.1 Design: Harley Softail Slim
The Harley Davidson Softail Slim has an ideal cruiser design. It is simple and comfortable for all riders due to its low seat height, low center of gravity, and low wet weight. The Harley Softail Slim has a heavier front fork, round headlamp, bobber-style front and rear fenders, separate dual chrome mufflers, and fat tires. It comes with a solo rider seat and rider floorboards that improve comfort. The side mirrors and front turn signals are attached to the swept-back, low-mounted handlebars. The Harley Softail Slim’s gauges are mounted on a teardrop-shaped fuel tank. The Harley Softail Slim’s simple design is suitable for customization. It comes in two single-tone and two dual-tone vintage color schemes. The Harley Softail Slim’s hidden rear suspension, high-spoked wheels, tuck and roll rider seat, and chopped fenders give it a classic look.
5.2 Design: Harley Softail Street Bob 114
The Harley Davidson Softail Street Bob 114 has a unique and innovative design. Most of its parts are blacked-out, including the engine, separate dual mufflers, wheels, and handlebars. The Harley Softail Street Bob 114 has the same solo tuck and roll rider seat as the Harley Softail Slim, but it also comes with a separate passenger seat attached to the rear fender for two-up riding. It has a small front fender and a chopped rear fender with a small LED tail light and turn signals mounted.
The Harley Softail Street Bob 114 has tall handlebars and a trail of 6.2 inches, giving it a chopper look. The blacked-out side mirrors, front turn signals, and a small LCD display meter are mounted on the handlebars. The Harley Softail Street Bob 114 comes in four unique color schemes with a classic Number One graphic on the peanut-shaped fuel tank.
6. Engine and Performance: Softail Slim Vs Softail Street Bob 114
6.1 Engine and Performance: Harley Softail Slim
The Harley Davidson Softail Slim is powered by a 1,753 cc air-cooled, Milwaukee-Eight® 107, V-Twin engine capable of a horsepower of 92.5 hp and a torque of 149.16 Nm at 3,000 rpm. The Harley Softail Slim’s engine provides smooth power delivery at all gear levels and is fitted with dual counterbalancers that reduce the engine’s vibrations.
The Harley Davidson Softail Slim is ideal for daily commutes, cruising on highways, and light touring due to its low seat height, low center of gravity, better handling, and comfortable ergonomics. However, it does provide enough horsepower and torque for two-up riding. The Harley Softail Slim’s heavier front fork makes steering a little tough for beginners.
The Harley Davidson Softail Slim’s Showa 49 mm front fork with a dual bending valve, hidden spring preload adjustable rear monoshock, and high-profile Dunlop tires ensure better damping rates and stability. The front suspension provides wheel travel of 5.1 inches and the rear suspension provides wheel travel of 3.4 inches.
Though the ABS is an optional feature, the Harley Davidson Softail Slim’s 300 mm front disk brake with a four-piston fixed caliper and its 292 mm rear disc brake with a two-piston floating caliper still ensure reliable braking.
6.2 Engine and Performance: Harley Softail Street Bob 114
The Harley Davidson Softail Street Bob 114 is fitted with a 1,868 cc, Milwaukee-Eight® 107, V-Twin engine capable of a torque of 161.34 Nm at 3,000 rpm and a horsepower of 94 hp at 4,750 rpm. Also, it has oil lines integrated with the air-cooled system that help effectively maintain the engine’s temperature. It is also equipped with a rear cylinder deactivation system to keep the engine’s temperature low while performing stop-and-go maneuvers.
The Harley Softail Street Bob 114 is a fast motorbike with good acceleration at all gear levels due to its lightweight and slim design. Though it shows a good throttle response and faster acceleration, it can only attain a top speed of 110 mph.
The Harley Davidson Softail Street Bob 114’s 49 mm dual-bending valve with triple clamps towards the front and a 43 mm coil-over monoshock with cam-style preload adjustment towards the rear makes it quite maneuverable. The front suspension provides a wheel travel of 5.1 inches, while the rear suspension provides a wheel travel of 3.4 inches, making the Harley Softail Street Bob 114 easy to handle.
The Harley Softail Street Bob 114 has a 300 mm front disc brake with a four-piston caliper and a 292 mm rear disc with a two-piston caliper, along with an optional ABS to ensure reliable braking.
7. Comfort and Ergonomics: Softail Slim Vs. Softail Street Bob 114
7.1 Comfort and Ergonomics: Harley Softail Slim
In Softail Slim Vs. Softail Street Bob discussion, the Harley Davidson Softail Slim is one of the most comfortable cruisers in the Harley Davidson lineup. It is not designed with heavy parts and gadgets, ensuring that its overall weight remains low. Despite being simple and lightweight, the Harley Softail Slim is a stylish cruiser. The low-mounted, swept-back handlebars are within comfortable reach of the rider, plus the forward-mounted foot controls along with the floorboards ensure adequate legroom for even taller riders.
The Harley Davidson Softail Slim’s low seat height of 25.5 inches ensures a relaxed riding position, making it comfortable to ride on both short and long trips. The Harley Softail Slim can be transformed into an ideal tourer by installing a few aftermarket parts, including a large windscreen, handlebars, sissy bars, and saddlebags.
7.2 Comfort and Ergonomics: Harley Softail Street Bob 114
The Harley Davidson Softail Street Bob 114 has a unique cruiser design with wide, tall handlebars and mid-mounted foot controls. The handlebars are slightly swept back, putting the rider in a forward riding position. The Harley Softail Street Bob 114’s overall ergonomics are not comfortable on long rides.
The Harley Softail Street Bob 114 is not suited for taller riders as they are required to bend their knees more while riding. The Harley Softail Street Bob 114 is suitable for two-up riding and quick rides over short distances due to its powerful engine.
8. Technology and Features: Harley Softail Slim Vs. Harley Softail Street Bob 114
| 2021 Harley Davidson Softail Slim | 2022 Harley Davidson Softail Street Bob 114 | |
|---|---|---|
| Technology and Features | ||
| Fuel Tank-Mounted | Gauges | Handlebar-Mounted |
| Optional ($795) | ABS | Optional ($819) |
| ✓ | Speedometer | ✓ |
| ✓ | Tachometer | ✓ |
| ✓ | Fuel Level | ✓ |
| ✓ | Tripmeter | ✓ |
| ✓ | Clock | ✓ |
| ✓ | Odometer | ✓ |
| ✓ | Gear Level | ✓ |
9. Pros and Cons: Harley Softail Slim Vs. Harley Softail Street Bob 114
9.1 Pros and Cons: Harley Softail Slim
| Harley Davidson Softail Slim Pros | Harley Davidson Softail Slim Cons |
|---|---|
| Comfortable cruiser ergonomics | Lower ground clearance |
| Forward-mounted foot controls with floorboards | Not good for two-up riding |
| Low seat height | No storage capacity and windscreen |
| Low center of gravity | Smaller lean angles |
| Good for touring | ABS is not standard |
| Good for city travel | |
| Good handling |
9.2 Pros and Cons: Harley Softail Street Bob 114
| Harley Davidson Softail Street Bob 114 Pros | Harley Davidson Softail Street Bob 114 Cons |
|---|---|
| Better lean angles | Uncomfortable rider and passenger seat |
| Lightweight | Low fuel tank capacity |
| Agile | ABS is not standard |
| Responsive | Slightly forward riding position |
| Better ground clearance | |
| Nimble |
10. Colors and Cost: Harley Softail Slim Vs. Harley Softail Street Bob 114
11. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
11.1 What Are the Difference Between the Harley Softail Street Bob 114 and the Harley Softail Slim?
| Key Differences Between the Harley Davidson Softail Slim and the Harley Davidson Softail Street Bob 114 | |
|---|---|
| Harley Davidson Softail Slim | Harley Davidson Softail Street Bob 114 |
| Large fuel tank capacity of 5 gal | Small fuel tank capacity of 3.5 gal |
| Low-mounted and sweptback handlebars | Wide and tall handlebars |
| No passenger seat | Comes with a passenger seat |
| Forward foot controls with rider floorboards | Mid-mounted foot controls |
| Wide and heavy front end | Narrow front end |
| Milwaukee-Eight 107 engine | Milwaukee-Eight 114 engine |
| Fuel tank-mounted gauges | Handlebar-mounted small LED display meter |
| Both chrome and blacked-out parts | Blacked-out parts |
11.2 Is the Harley Softail Street Bob 114 a Good Beginner Motorbike?
The Harley Davidson Softail Street Bob 114 is not a good beginner motorbike because it is fitted with a 1,863 Milwaukee-Eight 114 engine. It produces a high power output and quickly accelerates. Though the Harley Softail Street Bob 114 is nimble, it has a quick throttle response that may be too much for beginner riders to handle. Ideally, a beginner should start with a 125-500 cc motorcycle.
11.3 Is the Harley Softail Slim a Good Beginner Motorbike?
The Harley Davidson Softail Slim is a good beginner motorbike if the rider has some previous riding experience. The Harley Davidson Softail Slim’s low seat height, low center of gravity, low overall weight, smooth handling, and stability make it suitable for semi-experienced beginners.
11.4 Is the Harley Softail Slim still in production?
No. The Softail Slim was introduced in 2012. The Milwaukee-Eight 107 version (model code FLSL) ran from 2018 through 2021. Harley’s 2023 Softail lineup (Fat Bob 114, Fat Boy 114, Heritage Classic, Low Rider S, Low Rider ST, Softail Standard and Street Bob 114) no longer included it. The Slim is now a used-bike purchase. If you want a new bobber-style Softail, the Street Bob is the closest current option.
12. Which is Better?
The Harley Davidson Softail Slim and the Harley Davidson Softail Street Bob 114 are top-quality and stylish motorbikes built for high performance. Both motorcycles share a few design similarities but differ in their purposes. The Harley Softail Slim is a comfortable cruiser built for cruising, touring, and riding through traffic. It is ideal for stop-and-go maneuvers because of its adequate braking, better handling, and quick throttle response.
Meanwhile, the Harley Softail Street Bob’s innovative design makes it unique from its competitors. It also has a quick throttle response and is nimble due to its slim structure and low overall weight. The Harley Softail Street Bob is ideal for city traveling and quick yet short rides. It is slightly uncomfortable to ride on long-distance trips and tours.
The Harley Davidson Softail Street Bob can be used for light touring if equipped with a few aftermarket parts, including saddlebags, comfortable handlebars, sissy bars, and a windshield.
13. Extra FAQs
Is the Harley Softail Slim discontinued?
Yes. The Slim ended after the 2021 model year, and it can only be bought used.
What replaced the Softail Slim?
Harley didn’t name a direct successor. Among current cruisers, the Street Bob is the closest in bobber styling.
Which is heavier, the Slim or the Street Bob 114?
The Slim: 671 lb ready to ride against 655 lb for the Street Bob 114.
Does the Street Bob come with ABS?
On the 2022 Street Bob 114, ABS was optional. On the 2026 Street Bob, cornering ABS is standard.
Which is better for beginners?
Neither is ideal. The Slim’s low 25.5 in seat and 27.4° lean angle make it easier for riders with some experience, and the Street Bob’s extra torque calls for care.
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